WCAL Basketball Preview
By Jack Sheedy Friday December 27, 2013
1. Mitty
The California Open Division Runner-Up last season (lost to SoCal power Mater-Dei in the State Championship game), Archbishop Mitty still fields a highly talented team despite losing McDonalds All-American, #4 recruit in last year’s 2013 ESPN Top 100 recruiting class and current Arizona Wildcat, Aaron Gordon. The Monarchs are rated behind Sacred Heart Cathedral in many pre-league polls,
but due to their extremely difficult strength of schedule (they have played in two nationwide tournaments so far this year: the Dan Fitzgerald Memorial Tournament in Oregon and Winter Snow Jam in Waukesha, Wisconsin), they are still considered the top
team in this league. Until a league opponent defeats Mitty, they will continue to stay at the top of these rankings. A key facet of this ofense is the play of 6’0” senior point guard, Matt MacAndrews. A tremendous facilitator, look for this quick, electrifying player to
take control of many close games for the Monarchs. Height would have been an issue for this team, but talented 6’8” transfer, Ben Kone adds talent to Mitty’s frontcourt, filling out their starting lineup.
but due to their extremely difficult strength of schedule (they have played in two nationwide tournaments so far this year: the Dan Fitzgerald Memorial Tournament in Oregon and Winter Snow Jam in Waukesha, Wisconsin), they are still considered the top
team in this league. Until a league opponent defeats Mitty, they will continue to stay at the top of these rankings. A key facet of this ofense is the play of 6’0” senior point guard, Matt MacAndrews. A tremendous facilitator, look for this quick, electrifying player to
take control of many close games for the Monarchs. Height would have been an issue for this team, but talented 6’8” transfer, Ben Kone adds talent to Mitty’s frontcourt, filling out their starting lineup.
2. Sacred Heart Cathedral
Ranked 21st in the state by MaxPreps.com, the SHC Fighting Irish have a particularly competitive team this year. Usually somewhere near the middle of the pack in the final season standings (last season they finished third, behind Mitty and Serra), they have a
serious shot at the WCAL crown this year. Led in the backcourt by 6’0” senior point guard, Deondre Otis, as well as in the paint by stout senior, Liam O’Reilley, the Fighting Irish have a solid combo of proficient guards and dominating big men, and on paper look to be one of the more diversely-talented teams in the league. A tough out of conference schedule has prepared this team for what Head Coach Darrel Barbour envisions to be a hopefully strong run through strenuous league play. Their participation in the Redondo Beach Tournament this weekend (December 26-30th) in Southern California will be a great benchmark for team chemistry and emerging talent. Look for early league games such as the Bruce-Mahoney rivalry game with St. Ignatius (Jan. 7) and a home matchup with cross-town rival Archbishop Riordan (Jan. 14) to set the season’s attitude for this team, going forward.
serious shot at the WCAL crown this year. Led in the backcourt by 6’0” senior point guard, Deondre Otis, as well as in the paint by stout senior, Liam O’Reilley, the Fighting Irish have a solid combo of proficient guards and dominating big men, and on paper look to be one of the more diversely-talented teams in the league. A tough out of conference schedule has prepared this team for what Head Coach Darrel Barbour envisions to be a hopefully strong run through strenuous league play. Their participation in the Redondo Beach Tournament this weekend (December 26-30th) in Southern California will be a great benchmark for team chemistry and emerging talent. Look for early league games such as the Bruce-Mahoney rivalry game with St. Ignatius (Jan. 7) and a home matchup with cross-town rival Archbishop Riordan (Jan. 14) to set the season’s attitude for this team, going forward.
3.Riordan
Two seniors and cousin tandem, Chiefy and Jiday Ugbaja, will be the defining players on this senior-laden Crusader roster. Chiefy, a forward who averaged 7.6 points and over 6 rebounds per game last year, also led the 2012-2013 team in blocks. While those stats may not suggest a dominating player, with three guards on last year’s roster not playing in the purple and gold for the 2013-2014
campaign (one to graduation, two transfers), Cheify’s production will definitely increase in 2014. The higher level of production is already evident; this season in the Gridley Invitation Tournament, Ugbaja managed to put up 42 points and 22 rebounds, in one game. In that mtchup, his brother, Jiday, finished with 31 points as well, as Riordan defeated Bullard, 86-84. Jiday, a guard, has played on the varsity squad since getting pulled up late in his freshman year, and has been a key cog for his team ever since. Last year’s lineup for Coach Rich Buckner was led by a slue of transfers, but this year’s squad is defined by homegrown talent such as these two cousins. Look for other guard Zach Masoli to play a key role in offensive production as well.
campaign (one to graduation, two transfers), Cheify’s production will definitely increase in 2014. The higher level of production is already evident; this season in the Gridley Invitation Tournament, Ugbaja managed to put up 42 points and 22 rebounds, in one game. In that mtchup, his brother, Jiday, finished with 31 points as well, as Riordan defeated Bullard, 86-84. Jiday, a guard, has played on the varsity squad since getting pulled up late in his freshman year, and has been a key cog for his team ever since. Last year’s lineup for Coach Rich Buckner was led by a slue of transfers, but this year’s squad is defined by homegrown talent such as these two cousins. Look for other guard Zach Masoli to play a key role in offensive production as well.
4. St. Ignatius
What began as a promising 2012-2013 season, concluded as an underwhelming 5th place league standing and early CCS exit for the St. Ignatius Wildcats. This year they hope to expel last year’s low finish, on the back of snior point guard, Trevor Dunbar. Dunbar, a defending first team all-WCAL selection, has played on the renowned Oakland Soldiers AAU team for the majority of his high school career, and has the talent needed to vault these Wildcats into a higher position than last year’s insipid finish. A tad undersized for his position (Dunbar is listed as 5’10”), a lack of size is a theme for most of the S.I. team. The Wildcats will find the most production on the low block from 6’3” power forward, Julian Marcu. It is rare to see a player with such a lack of height starting for a WCAL frontcourt, but the big-bodied Marcu plays as if he is significantly taller. Outside shooting will come from fellow seniors Tristan Wentworth, Cole Feeney, and Jaren Yang. Yang will make most of the starts as the 2-guard, alongside Dunbar. Troy Rike, 6’7”senior Center, will be the Wildcats’ commanding presence along the boards, delivering their inside scoring option.
5. Serra
The team with the largest drop in ranking from the end of last season to these preseason rankings is found at #5, Junipero Serra High School. A league runner-up last year to Archbishop Mitty, the Padres made a serious run at the overall WCAL crown, finishing the season at (25-6, 12-2). Despite last year’s successes, this year they find themselves at a severe lack of height, this issue the gravest in recent memory. Coach Chuck Rapp has been quoted as saying that this current Padres team “lives by the three, and dies by the three.” That is a new concept for Serra, one that definitely will take some getting used to, as is evident by their two early-season losses. With standout freshman guard Eddie Stansberry gone from last season (he is currently at Riordan, sitting out due to transfer rules), guards Danny Mahoney and Sean Watkins, who played key roles on this team last year, will be dual threats from beyond the arc. As long as the Padres can eliminate the efforts in games such as the loss to Burlingame this past weekend (the Padres went 2 for 18 from behind the three-point line), they will shoot up these rankings.
6. St. Francis
Only one of two undefeated teams left in this league, the St. Francis Lancers are relegated to the sixth position in these rankings due to their uninspiring strength of schedule. Teams that play in the WCAL need strong competition prior to when league play begins for each team on January 7th(St. Francis plays at Archbishop Mitty), and the Lancers’ most impressive win so far has been against a 52-38 victory over a Central Catholic squad that isn’t necessarily a worthy challenger, nor a proper gauge of talent. To move up past Serra, S.I., and the like, St. Francis will need a solid outing in their Holiday tournament (Dec. 26-28), and to play well in tougher games. A decent performance against #1 Mitty would be a good start.
7. Bellarmine
Three close losses against traditionally pedestrian teams have forced an adverse outlook upon the Bellarmine Bells’ season so far. These matchups, a 49-44 loss to mediocre Mills, a 52-47 defeat at the hands of Los Gatos, and most
recently, a disappointing 59-56 outcome against Fremont leave the Bells with a terribly disappointing beginning to their out of conference season, and add more negativity to a season where they already were projected to be near the low
point of the WCAL. As of now, this team is a far cry from the squad that
finished 21-10 overall this past season, and only after a strong outing in the
Monte Vista Tournament (Jan. 2-4) will these bleak projections for the 2013-2014
season grow a tad brighter.
recently, a disappointing 59-56 outcome against Fremont leave the Bells with a terribly disappointing beginning to their out of conference season, and add more negativity to a season where they already were projected to be near the low
point of the WCAL. As of now, this team is a far cry from the squad that
finished 21-10 overall this past season, and only after a strong outing in the
Monte Vista Tournament (Jan. 2-4) will these bleak projections for the 2013-2014
season grow a tad brighter.
8. Valley Christian-San Jose
A traditional bottom-feeder in a very tough conference, the Warriors of Valley Christian have their work cut out for them this year.
An 8th place finish last year, which left them sporting a 5-21 overall record, coupled with a winless 0-15 league standing, was about the worst that a fan in the Warriors’corner could have hoped for going into the 2012-2013 term. While a season that poor isn’t envisioned for this past season due to their current 3-2 record and the molasses-slow start of teams such as Bellarmine, the Warriors are going to have to surprise a significant amount of people before they climb out of the WCAL cellar.
An 8th place finish last year, which left them sporting a 5-21 overall record, coupled with a winless 0-15 league standing, was about the worst that a fan in the Warriors’corner could have hoped for going into the 2012-2013 term. While a season that poor isn’t envisioned for this past season due to their current 3-2 record and the molasses-slow start of teams such as Bellarmine, the Warriors are going to have to surprise a significant amount of people before they climb out of the WCAL cellar.
