March 17, 2011
As the NorCal finals approach, St. Francis will be a spectator after having a dominant 30-4 season last year while advancing to the state title game. The current season had the Lancers with a very pedestrian 15-14 record and a first round loss to Woodcreek in the NorCal regional playoffs.
But next year's team will be able to build around 2012 center Drew Dickey. At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, Dickey will provide a post presence that could dominate games on either offense or defense. This past season, Dickey broke his hand mid-season and was less effective thereafter.
A healthy Dickey in his senior year would be like when the San Antonio Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997. Duncan was able to play right away and contribute at a high level in both rebounding and interior offense that would help the Spurs make a dramatic improvement in his rookie season. Dickey potentially could have that same effect by turning a .500 Lancer team into a top tier WCAL team.
The Lancers would need Dickey's size as the WCAL has some very good post players. Next year, the WCAL will boast Mitty's Aaron Gordon, St. Ignatius' Stephen Domingo, Sacred Heart's Taylor Johns and Josh Fox, and others. As a result, Dickey's presence will be needed to match up in the grind of the WCAL.
Dickey has been on varsity since his sophomore year and has been a starter since his junior year. He plans on working on his dribbling and shooting to make himself a more complete player during the summer. He hopes his efforts will allow him to earn First Team All-League and WCAL Champions.
Despite being injured, Dickey has been in contact with Chico State, Harvard, UC Davis, and Yale. He is looking for a program that has a solid blend of academics and athletics.
Dickey's rise as a post player specialist is not surprising. His father, Mark Dickey, played collegiately as a center at Cal. Dickey says about his father, "He is my greatest coach and mentor. He has gone through college basketball and knows what it takes to play at the next level. My dad is always there with support, but he also critiques my game and gives me advice on ways to improve my game. His influence has made me the player I am today."
Watch for Dickey to be a rising post player threat in Mountain View next year. And watch for him to be on the NCAA level thereafter.
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