In the past twelve years under Bill Mellis,
Salesian has won 315 games (26.25 average, 34 high, and 19 low). The
Pride outperformed expectations this past season by going 28-5 and
undefeated in the Tri-County Rock League. The roster had nine
underclassmen including freshman twins, Jaden and Jovon McClanahan.
The
twins are 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds as Jaden averaged eight points, five
rebounds, and five assists while Jovon averaged sevn points, six
rebounds, and five assists. The brothers play both guard positions and
are interchangeable in either guard position or with each other.
Mellis
believes that the duo has potential for improvement, “Both Jaden and
Jovon enjoyed success as freshmen. Jaden started for us and Jovon came
off the bench. As far as next year and in the future, I could see either
or both of them starting for us, if they continue to progress and
develop their skills. They could certainly be on the court at the same
time, keeping in mind that we have numerous other players who will be
returning. For us, it is not a matter of who starts or who plays the
most minutes, it is a matter of making sure that you play hard and
unselfishly while you are on the court, and both of them are great
examples of this.”
In the recent Nor Cal
Spring Showcase, the twins played an attacking style on both sides of
the court. Their skill set and activity look seamless as they both
disrupt the backcourt and on the full court press. On offense, the twins
can attack the rim and but also looked comfortable in distributing on
offense.
The twins played for Team
Superstar last summer for the first time before transitioning to the
Under Armour Splash City 15U program (run by the same Team Superstar
coaches). The Under Armour Association stops in Los Angeles next during
Memorial Day weekend. The Salesian pair will be at that event before
playing a couple of local tournaments and concluding the summer in Las
Vegas.
This past year’s Salesian team had
its tallest player listed at 6-foot-5 as the Pride played a multi guard
set that allowed the brothers to hone their skill set and versatility.
In addition, both were on the junior varsity football team as Jaden was
the quarterback while Jovon was both at running back and at linebacker.
Both plan to go out for the varsity football team next season.
The
Salesian program has produced several Division I prospects as Mellis
sees that for the McClanahans, “As far as their future in college is
concerned, I believe that both of them will be recruited fairly heavily
at the Division I level. They are attractive to college coaches because
they play extremely hard and they both have a tremendous work-ethic.
Specifically, Jaden is a good defender and ball handler, and Jovon is a
good shooter and ball handler. Because of their desire to get better, I
know that they will improve in the areas that need work and they will
become very good all-around players.”
The
brothers expect to top out at 6-foot-2, which is a very serviceable
height for a college level point guard. Jaden, who is older by one
minute and more social, has a 3.57 freshman GPA while Jovon is at a 3.27
GPA. They want to play for a college system that is up-tempo in nature.
Jaden
says, “Playing with my brother is a true blessing because we know where
each other are on the court on the defensive end, I don't have to tell
him anything because we can just read each other’s minds.” They want to
play together at the college level. Jovon says, “We have a signal that
we made in 6th grade, and it's like a click-click type of sound. When we
make that signal to each other, we can read each other's mind. So, he
knows what I want him to do or what he wants me to do.”
In
the TCAL, Salesian went undefeated in a league that has been
historically dominated by El Cerrito. The Pride defeated El Cerrito
three times this past season, each victory by five points or less. The
Pride’s dominance led them to an opening round overtime defeat (51-45)
to eventual State runner up De La Salle in the Open Division. Salesian’s
quick growth allowed Jaden to win Freshman of the Year in the North
Coast Section in basketball.
The Pride
jumped from 19 wins to 28 wins in this past year. Salesian returns the
twins plus a talented roster including James Akinjo, Jamario Bibb, and
Derrick Langford. Look for the Pride to make a run at 30 wins and a
state title with the McClanahan twins in Richmond, Calif.
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