Re: Bishop Carroll vs. Vincentian
Posted: March 12th, 2013, 11:24 pm
This is the weakest group of teams that WPIAL AA has sent to PIAA boys in at least 20 years. I would not at all be surprised to see a McCort-BFalls western final. The bottom half of the west AA bracket has West Middlesex, McCort, Ctwp and Northern Cambria left. Read between the lines.
WPIAL A has one immensely talented, exceptionally tall team in LP. I checked their roster tonight and did a doubletake. They start 6'9", 6'6", 6'6", 6'5", and 6'0." Their size is absolutely ridiculous for any HS team, let alone a western PA class A team. How does BC even begin to simulate that kind of size??? Give everyone on the scout team a broomhandle at practice when they're defending???????
-A 6'9" jr athlete Elijah Minnie, a probable D1 player with the wingspan of a 7'0" kid who plays on the perimeter and blocks shots like crazy. Long, good ball skills for his size, can even shoot 3s...Raw, but what an athlete.
-A 6'6" freshman named Maverick Rowan who is averaging 22ppg and shooting over 50% from 3pt, a likely future D1 player is he sharpens it up a bit. Incredibly skilled for his size, excellent ball handler and passer. Premier 3pt shooter, smooth fluid release. Not the fastest, but plenty quick/fast for class A basketball. Make him put it ion the floor. When he learns to put it on the deck, look out.
-A 6'6" junior Ryan Skovranko who is an excellent player in his own right, goes strong to the basket, surely a PSAC player at least, Likes to go right. Not the fleetest of foot, but plenty skilled enough.
-A 6'5" sr by the name of Cottrill, probably 225-230lbs and athletic as heck. He may have picked the wrong sport, looks like a SS or LB. Could be a program player at a D2 or a very very good D3 player. Big dunker. Oil up the collapsable rims. Most physical, aggressive player. Brings a physical presence to a team that could otherwise be considered soft.
Heck, LP should be able to throw ME out there with those 4 and win a lot of games in western PA class A boys' basketball. They have 6 losses, 3 to AAAA teams and all very close games (Pine-Richland, Shaler Area, and Seneca Valley), i to a team from Alaska, 1 to Clairton, and an upset loss to Quigley Catholic.
Only 2 of those losses (Seneca Valley and Clairton) occurred since Minnie became eligible to play in mid-January.
I am sure that Bishop Carroll won't be backing down from LP. LP proved it was mortal by losing to Clairton. If Quigley can beat LP, so can Carroll. BC is a very good team in their own right.
Having seen both BC and LP play live this year, it would take a really great performence for BC to beat LP, it would have to be their best performance of the year. However, If Carroll tries to run up and down the court with LP like they did tonight, LP will score >100 points, if the backboards don't get torn down first. The freshman Rowan may score 50. They will have to control the tempo, make excellent decisons offensively and defensively, and mix things up.
Let's not forget that LP is extremly young too. They start 4 underclassmen, and their leading scorer is a freshman.
In essence, LP is nothing more than a 17U AAU team. Lots of talent.
IMHO, to have the best shot to win BC needs to:
-Mix it up on defense...BC cannot sit in a zone the whole game or Rowan will kill them, and Minnie/Skovranko can shoot it too. Some zone, some m2m with ball pressure. Forget zone pressing, LP will just go over the top and get layups/dunks. Watch LP's back screens and alley oops behind m2m or zones. They will go up and get it. Run lots of skips to Rowan for 3s too. DO NOT let Rowan get his feet set. He will kill you. Stand in and take charges. Skovranko, Minnie, and Cottrill will elevate, leave their feet, and get out of control at times.
-Maximize offensive opportunities, get crisp ball movement, solid screens, reverse the ball, find the gaps, go hard to the basket. Take good shots, don't get shoddy or undisciplined and start running the floor. Be careful with passes be crisp, this team is long and gets a ton of deflections, alters shots, passes, etc. Don't fight their traps and pressure. Although this team CAN defend, they often lose interest in defending...Run some offense, some good quick hitters, get the bigger guys out on the perimeter, make them face up and guard you, and take them to the basket...eventually this team will give up guarding the half court if you run good offense and can put it on the floor or skip for 3s/perimeter looks.
-Not be intimidated and go at them. LP will foul. Draw contact and go strong to the basket.
-Stay out of foul trouble. They will need all 5 starters to contribute. At the same time, LP does not have great depth. Get into their bench if you can.
-Keep the game in the 50s, surely <60. As the score gets higher, I see BC being less able to stay competitive.
Just my first impressions, I will think more about it later.
WPIAL A has one immensely talented, exceptionally tall team in LP. I checked their roster tonight and did a doubletake. They start 6'9", 6'6", 6'6", 6'5", and 6'0." Their size is absolutely ridiculous for any HS team, let alone a western PA class A team. How does BC even begin to simulate that kind of size??? Give everyone on the scout team a broomhandle at practice when they're defending???????
-A 6'9" jr athlete Elijah Minnie, a probable D1 player with the wingspan of a 7'0" kid who plays on the perimeter and blocks shots like crazy. Long, good ball skills for his size, can even shoot 3s...Raw, but what an athlete.
-A 6'6" freshman named Maverick Rowan who is averaging 22ppg and shooting over 50% from 3pt, a likely future D1 player is he sharpens it up a bit. Incredibly skilled for his size, excellent ball handler and passer. Premier 3pt shooter, smooth fluid release. Not the fastest, but plenty quick/fast for class A basketball. Make him put it ion the floor. When he learns to put it on the deck, look out.
-A 6'6" junior Ryan Skovranko who is an excellent player in his own right, goes strong to the basket, surely a PSAC player at least, Likes to go right. Not the fleetest of foot, but plenty skilled enough.
-A 6'5" sr by the name of Cottrill, probably 225-230lbs and athletic as heck. He may have picked the wrong sport, looks like a SS or LB. Could be a program player at a D2 or a very very good D3 player. Big dunker. Oil up the collapsable rims. Most physical, aggressive player. Brings a physical presence to a team that could otherwise be considered soft.
Heck, LP should be able to throw ME out there with those 4 and win a lot of games in western PA class A boys' basketball. They have 6 losses, 3 to AAAA teams and all very close games (Pine-Richland, Shaler Area, and Seneca Valley), i to a team from Alaska, 1 to Clairton, and an upset loss to Quigley Catholic.
Only 2 of those losses (Seneca Valley and Clairton) occurred since Minnie became eligible to play in mid-January.
I am sure that Bishop Carroll won't be backing down from LP. LP proved it was mortal by losing to Clairton. If Quigley can beat LP, so can Carroll. BC is a very good team in their own right.
Having seen both BC and LP play live this year, it would take a really great performence for BC to beat LP, it would have to be their best performance of the year. However, If Carroll tries to run up and down the court with LP like they did tonight, LP will score >100 points, if the backboards don't get torn down first. The freshman Rowan may score 50. They will have to control the tempo, make excellent decisons offensively and defensively, and mix things up.
Let's not forget that LP is extremly young too. They start 4 underclassmen, and their leading scorer is a freshman.
In essence, LP is nothing more than a 17U AAU team. Lots of talent.
IMHO, to have the best shot to win BC needs to:
-Mix it up on defense...BC cannot sit in a zone the whole game or Rowan will kill them, and Minnie/Skovranko can shoot it too. Some zone, some m2m with ball pressure. Forget zone pressing, LP will just go over the top and get layups/dunks. Watch LP's back screens and alley oops behind m2m or zones. They will go up and get it. Run lots of skips to Rowan for 3s too. DO NOT let Rowan get his feet set. He will kill you. Stand in and take charges. Skovranko, Minnie, and Cottrill will elevate, leave their feet, and get out of control at times.
-Maximize offensive opportunities, get crisp ball movement, solid screens, reverse the ball, find the gaps, go hard to the basket. Take good shots, don't get shoddy or undisciplined and start running the floor. Be careful with passes be crisp, this team is long and gets a ton of deflections, alters shots, passes, etc. Don't fight their traps and pressure. Although this team CAN defend, they often lose interest in defending...Run some offense, some good quick hitters, get the bigger guys out on the perimeter, make them face up and guard you, and take them to the basket...eventually this team will give up guarding the half court if you run good offense and can put it on the floor or skip for 3s/perimeter looks.
-Not be intimidated and go at them. LP will foul. Draw contact and go strong to the basket.
-Stay out of foul trouble. They will need all 5 starters to contribute. At the same time, LP does not have great depth. Get into their bench if you can.
-Keep the game in the 50s, surely <60. As the score gets higher, I see BC being less able to stay competitive.
Just my first impressions, I will think more about it later.