Trinity’s Haitian-born stars — Dutreil, Moise — have made tremendous strides on and off the court

By Scott Ericson, 03/10/18, 11:45PM EST

“Basketball is just a tool for us to get an education. When we first got here we focused on school work first. From 2 to 4 you will find us (at the Stamford Peace office) doing homework, then going to the gym, then home and that’s it. The way I see it, we are not just athletes, we are ambassadors.”

There is a photo of Dimitry Moise and Contavio Dutreil taken the day they were leaving Haiti for the United States.

Both are shirtless, revealing their skinny frames, with Moise in tattered Nike basketball sneakers and Dutreil in flip-flops and cut-off jean shorts being held up by a piece of rope.

Not exactly the picture one would paint of two prized basketball recruits.

That is because they were not prized basketball recruits, but rather two skinny 15-year-olds who, while having natural athletic gifts, had only played pickup basketball in their hometown of Gonaives, Haiti.

Since their first day on the court for the Trinity Catholic basketball team three years ago, they have been viewed as mercenaries, brought in to boost Trinity’s hoops program and nothing more.

Opponents, fans and media alike often view them as such.

The young men say the reality is far from what many believe.

Read the full article at: https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/highschool/article/Hoop-dreams-12743654.php