November 18, 2011
The teams ranked 11-15 in the preseason NCP Top 20 should find themselves back in the rankings next year too with a host of young talent. The group is led by two national prospects who are only getting better as well as a trio of juniors looking for more playoff success.
No. 15 Pleasant Grove
COACH: John Deponte
LAST SEASON:18-10, Lost in second round of the SJS Division I Playoffs
FINAL 2010 RANKING: NR in NCP Top 20
STRENGTHS: Seniors Cody Demps and Arik Armstead had solid summer performances with Team 94 and Compton Magic. Add on Malik Thames, who is the younger brother of San Diego State Aztec guard Xavier Thames, in the backcourt to make the Eagles a balanced threat. Cole Nordquist is versatile as he can play any position except center.
QUESTION MARKS: The double edge sword of having a good football team with dual sport athletes is that the football postseason will take away time from the basketball team. In addition, Armstead was originally going to enroll early to college before he reopened his recruiting. If Armstead stays through spring, the Eagles will have a big edge in the post.
KEY GAMES OUTSIDE OF LEAGUE PLAY: The Eagles take on St. Patrick-St. Vincent on Thanksgiving Saturday to start their season. January 7 is a battle with Berkeley. The result will be good litmus before league play gets going.
OUTLOOK: If Armstead stays and the team gels after the football season, then this Eagles team could challenge for league. If both of the aforementioned does not happen, then league play could be rocky to say the least. Against league favorites Jesuit, Oak Ridge, and Sheldon last season, the Eagles went 2-4. The performance against Jesuit and Sheldon this year will be a good indicator of their postseason success.
No. 14 Deer Valley
COACH: Lechet Phillips
LAST SEASON: 21-7, Lost in second round of the NCS Division I playoffs
FINAL 2010 RANKING: NR in NCP Top 20
STRENGTHS: The Wolverines are really balanced on the inside and outside with a good core for the next two years at least. Andre McPhail and Quincy Smith are now in prep school in southern California. Seniors Olajuwon Garner and Noah LaBonte will provide scoring and defense. Garner is a guard who can score in waves with his perimeter shot or his dribble drive. LaBonte will provide some of the post defense and rebounding in replacing McPhail. Juniors Jeff Brown, Marcus Lee, and Kendall Smith provide a good core for the next two years. Lee is a national prospect who is probably the next 2013 five star prospect as several colleges are looking at him as a lean, long wing.
QUESTION MARKS: Defense and specifically transition defense would be key. Against lesser opponents, the Wolverines can figuratively maul them. But against disciplined defensive teams, the Wolverines will have to match that. Quite frankly, last year's team was quite entertaining to watch in terms of how they could score at will but they also gave up points just as easily.
KEY GAMES OUTSIDE OF LEAUGE PLAY: The first two weeks of the season includes games against Newark Memorial, McClymonds, and Serra. The Serra game is the opening game in the Chris Vontoure event that could eventually lead to a matchup with host De La Salle. These early measuring stick games against disciplined teams will test the Wolverine defense.
OUTLOOK: Last year's team was without a true, experienced point guard as Quincy Smith could never get his transfer issues resolved. As a result, the underclassmen guards including brother, Kendall, got more minutes. In addition, the NCS Division I field was granted fewer spots for the NorCal playoffs as the Wolverines could not make it to the final two to advance past the sections. This year's team has a plethora of scoring options but the questions will lie with the defensive stops and discipline. The younger Smith says, "People are underestimating us but we are going to come out hard from day one until the last day and surprise everyone."
No. 13 Sacred Heart Cathedral
COACH: Darrell Barbour
LAST SEASON: 23-7, Lost in the second round of the NorCal Division III playoffs
FINAL 2010 RANKING: No. 19 in NCP Top 20
STRENGTHS: The depth and experience of this Irish team is probably the one factor that can give them a chance to weather through a tough WCAL season. Juniors Yanoj Jackson, Khalil James, and Herman Pratt will complement seniors Josh Fox, Taylor Johns, and Zach Tapel. Johns was getting many inquiries during the summer season as he is athletic and depending on his dribbling and size will probably play wing position in college. James had a strong showing with his Roadrunners club and will provide a spark in the backcourt.
QUESTION MARKS: Height more than size would be the main question. Fox and Johns play bigger than their height. The matchup against McClymonds (especially with a healthy Jamaree Strickland) could answer how the Irish deal with teams with true post players.
KEY GAMES OUTSIDE OF LEAGUE PLAY: In the month of December, the Irish have games against El Cerrito and Jesuit. On MLK Day, the Irish face McClymonds. League play will be difficult enough, but these tough non-league games will be good tests as well.
OUTLOOK: This Irish team has a good core of seniors and is cohesive as a team. Last year's team was a No. 3 seed in NorCal that lost eventual state runner up Bishop O'Dowd. Expect this team to have a favorable seeding when the postseason rolls around.
No. 12 Weston Ranch
COACH: Ryan Bono
LAST SEASON: 26-4, Lost in the first round of the NorCal Division III Playoffs
FINAL 2010 RANKING: NR in NCP Top 20
STRENGTHS: The three headed monster that goes from A to Z in Dylan Alexander, Daiveon Leverett, and Zerrion Payton. All three averaged double digits last season and should only build on that success. Alexander is a versatile wing player in the mold of a Mike Miller. Leverett is close to 6-foot-8 and plays comfortably facing the basket. Payton is a lefty point guard who is also the nephew of Gary Payton.
QUESTION MARKS: Strength of schedule. Specifically, the Cougars cruised in league last season going 14-0. As a result, they exited in the first round of NorCals with a crushing 22 point defeat. Go figure.
KEY GAMES OUTSIDE OF LEAGUE PLAY: The Cougars tip off Thanksgiving Saturday against Berkeley. This will be an interesting matchup of two athletic teams. December has the Cougars in the Edison and Modesto Christian tournaments.
OUTLOOK: Weston Ranch should have one of the better overall regular season records. It can be considered the Memphis Tigers of NorCal in that Memphis dominates Conference USA and then March Madness validates how good the team really is. Similarly, the Cougars look to dominate in the regular season before SJS and NorCals will give a better indicator of the team's true level.
No. 11 St. Ignatius
COACH: Tim Reardon
LAST SEASON: 17-10, Lost in the semi-finals of the CCS Division III Playoffs
FINAL 2010 RANKING: NR in NCP Top 20
STRENGTHS: Coach Reardon returns to Outer Sunset and is a proven coach. But everything for the Wildcats will start and end with 2013 national prospect Stephen Domingo. The versatile wing will be the focal point on offense. Throw in sophomore point guard Trevor Dunbar, who was elevated to the Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue team during summer, and the Wildcats will be able to play up tempo.
QUESTION MARKS: Depth and bench play. Opposing teams will probably attempt to limit Domingo in the damage that he causes. As a result, will the surrounding cast be able to support him?
KEY GAMES OUTSIDE OF LEAGUE PLAY: The Wildcats start December against Sheldon in the Father Barry Tournament. This will show if the Wildcats can run and down and have the depth to keep up with Sheldon's pace. They also will play Sacred Heart Prep in mid-December.
OUTLOOK: St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral will battle for the honor of the best team in San Francisco. Regardless, these are probably the two teams with the best shot at defending league champions, Archbishop Mitty. If Dunbar provides solid ball handling, passing, and leadership, then he could complement Domingo nicely and this Wildcat team could go further than most would expect.
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