Growing up in Hudson County with his parents and five siblings, Paul Mulcahy found sanctuary at the local basketball courts.

Every day, a young and undersized Mulcahy would walk to Hudson County Park in Bayonne. The courts were cracked and beat up but had character from the countless pickup games wearing them down.

The conditions were no concern. Mulcahy was just happy to get his chance to play with the grown-ups and high school kids - to make his mark.

When he goes back to those same courts now - a two-time All-State player committed to Rutgers - he's the first to admit they look different. A new surface and fresh glass backboards will do that.

Mulcahy looks different, too.

He’s no longer the undersized kid from down the street trying to prove he can play.

Standing 6-6, Mulcahy is hard to miss. And over the last four years at Gill St. Bernard's, he's certainly proved he can take on anybody.

Mulcahy may be the size of a forward, but he thinks like a point guard, with the same pass-first mentality he learned on those courts. He plays out every scenario in his head, using his vision to make the best decisions and dishing out assists that leave defenders puzzled.

It all started at Hudson County Park.

“When I would play with the older guys, the only way I’d get to stay on the court is if we won,” Mulcahy said. “The only way that they’d pick me is if I passed them the ball. That’s where I learned how to pass. I was always looking to pass to the big guys because they picked me.”

At Gill St. Bernard’s, the No. 3 team in the NJ.com Top 20, that valuable tool was refined after four years under development guru, coach Mergin Sina.

Sina took a raw talent and taught a pick-up stud how to be an organized-basketball playmaker. Mulcahy learned the importance of ball movement and utilizing backdoor cuts to get easy buckets. He also learned how to take advantage of his size down low, whether that meant finishing around the rim or kicking it out to a teammate for an open three.

Most importantly, Mulcahy has learned how to play to his strengths, even if that means scoring less.

If his shot isn’t working, he’ll make the clutch pass. If the pass isn’t working, he’ll take a mid-range jumper. If he’s having an off night offensively, he’ll lead the team in rebounds. He turns his game into winning basketball.

Mulcahy has 11 triple-doubles and is averaging 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game this season.

“There are some players that want to score and if they don’t score, they won’t do other things,” Sina said. “Paul’s looking at it like, ‘I have to figure out a way to win.’ He gets that. In my opinion, I don’t think there is a better point guard in the country. He does things that nobody else does anymore.”

Mulcahy will look to bring that same versatility to Rutgers, where he’ll join a team full of youth.

This season, Rutgers has played three juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen. With such a young core, Mulcahy feels he’ll have the chance to make an immediate impact - after he earns his spot, of course.

“The biggest reason I picked Rutgers was the timing,” Mulcahy said. “Rutgers is doing a lot of things that I’m excited about. I think it’s cool that everyone is going to be around the same age. This year they’re all getting better and that’ll show next year. It’ll be a nice transition for me.”

Mulcahy could go down as one of Rutgers’ most important recruits of all-time.

Since he stepped on the court for Gill St. Bernard’s as a freshman four years ago, his unique ability allowed him to excel at every position on the floor and often carry the Knights on his back. In that time, Mulcahy led a consistent Top 5 team to four straight Somerset County Tournament championships and two sectional finals.

He is the second big recruit out of New Jersey for Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell in the last two years. Last season, Pikiell kept Don Bosco Prep sharpshooter Ron Harper Jr. in-state after he led the Ironmen to the Tournament of Champions final. Harper has been logging big minutes in his first year and is fourth on the Scarlet Knights in scoring at 6.9 points per game.

“It’s unreal for Rutgers to pull off getting an All-State kid in Ron last year and an All-Stater and Player of the Year candidate in Paul this year,” Sina said. “I don’t like to think that Rutgers got a steal. There’s no steal in Rutgers. It’s a good program and it’s getting better. Paul wants the challenge to bring Rutgers to a different level.”

Before he starts that challenge, Mulcahy will need to finish off the one he took on at Gill St. Bernard’s. He hopes it will end with him finally slaying the dragon: beating Roselle Catholic and winning the North Jersey, Non-Public B championship. Roselle Catholic has eliminated Gill St. Bernard’s from the state tournament the past three years, and if Mulcahy can break that hex, it will turn a memorable story into a Gill St. Bernard's legend.

“Leaving a legacy is a big thing for me,” Mulcahy said. “You have to leave somewhere better than when you found it.”

Richard Greco covers boys basketball for NJ.com and may be reached at rgreco@njadvancemedia.com . Follow him on Twitter @Richard_V_Greco. Find NJ.com on Facebook.