5-foot-7 Guard Joins New Jersey’s Basketball’s 2,000-Point Club, Cementing His Place Among All-Time Great Scorers

Wadwick senior guard Andrew Del Rey has proved doubters wrong his whole career en route to joining the Garden State's prestigious 2,000-point scoring club.

Feb 26, 2025; Waldwick, New Jersey, United States; Hawthorne boys basketball at Waldwick. W #5 Andrew Del Rey and H #4 Pablo Gonzalez. / Michael Karas-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Andrew Del Rey has etched his name into New Jersey high school basketball lore as the shortest player ever to reach 2,000 career points. Standing at just 5-foot-7, the Waldwick senior guard recently joined an elite list that featured Garden State legends like Kyrie Irving and Jay Williams in the 2,000-point club, demonstrating that relentless drive and precise skill can sometimes outweigh physical stature when it comes to piling up points.

The Milestone Moment

The historic bucket came on February 12 against Bogota. With under a minute left in the first half and 13 points shy of the mark, Del Rey cut through screens, drove hard down the baseline, absorbed contact, and converted an and-one layup for points 2,000 and 2,001. Del Rey pointed emphatically to the floor to confirm it counted as fans waved “2,000” signs, his parents Paul and Michelle unfurled a celebratory banner, and coach Greg McBain raced out to embrace his star. The crowd erupted in applause for a small-town hero who had just become a statewide legend. According to NJAdvance Media, he is just the 111th player in New Jersey high school basketball history to score 2,000 career points.

Relentless Work Ethic

So how does one become a 2,000-point scorer? Well, it begins by routinely begging janitors for extra gym, sometimes past 10 p.m., with his father often watching from the bleachers with a smirk as another late-night session unfolded. His signature drill demands perfection. From any spot on the court, he requires 10 consecutive makes before moving onto to another spot. A single station can take up to an hour to complete.

That intensity stems from childhood. Hooked by the game as a toddler, Del Rey sharpened his edge on backyard courts against cousins four and six years older, no allowances made for size. Repeated losses bred a deep aversion to defeat, pushing him to outwork everyone. During COVID gym closures, he shoveled snow from the family driveway, donned gloves, and drilled daily with his coach. By middle school, he posted triple-doubles, once going for 46 in a rec league game, drawing attention all across Bergen County.

Rise Through the Ranks

Freshman year brought an immediate starting role and 11.2 points per game under coach Eddie Rendzio, who promised, and then delivered Del Rey with the green light to shoot. AAU competition over the summer buoyed his confidence and paved the way for a sophomore season when he developed into one of state’s top three-point shooter with 100 makes. Junior year elevated everything: a career-high 50-point game in a 70-51 win over Midland Park, 25.3 per game average, fearless slashing, spin moves, and fadeaway jumpers. Now, as a senior, his scoring average has dipped slightly to a still robust 21.3 average for a team that, at 17-9, is significantly improved over last season’s 14-13 squad.

Career Highlights

For his career, in addition to his career-best 50-point game, he has topped the 40-point mark three others times, and has scored 30 or points on 17 occasions. With 2,044 points to his credit with two regular season games remaining, Del Rey is far from a one-trick pony as his 294 career assists (2.9) and 277 (2.7) career rebounds will attest.

Doubters linger, whispering that four or five extra inches of height would yield Division I offers; some nudge him toward soccer, where he led the Warriors to a 2024 state title. Interest remains mostly from Division III basketball programs for now.

Doubts Linger

Del Rey tunes it out, channeling energy into defense, a career-high assist season, and leadership. Teammate Connor Kasperowicz praises his example and vocal presence as the ideal captain. Coach McBain, a 6-10 Waldwick alum and a 1,000-point scorer himself, insists someone should bet on Del Rey, insisting that he can help any college program win and may even play professionally.

Local Legend Status

In Waldwick, Del Rey inspires a new generation. Kids bike past his house hoping for driveway shootouts; younger fans swarm him postgame for photos. That community love fuels him. Seeing his effort influence others provides all the motivation needed to keep grinding.

Approaching 2,100 career points, Del Rey’s story continues. He continues to chase more wins, refine his craft, and prove that in basketball, the fiercest competitors author their own narratives, one grueling drill, one fearless drive, one historic shot at a time.