PHOENIX – The Las Vegas Bishop Gorman Gaels used the championship game of the All About People bracket Sunday at Brophy Prep on the final day of the Section 7 Team Camp to demonstrate why they’ll be the top-ranked team in the west going into the 2019-20 season.
Coach Grant Rice’s team used superior overall quickness and the sizzling jump shooting of junior-to-be Will McClendon to knock off the likely No. 2-in-the-west Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei Monarchs, 79-66.
McClendon hit six of his eventual seven 3-pointers in the first half while scoring a game-high 23 points to wrap up a 4-for-4 weekend that included victories over Skyline of Arizona, 72-59, Stockton (CA) Weston Ranch, 81-66, and Oakland Bishop O’Dowd, 78-56.
Seniors-to-be Noah Taitz (19 points) and Mwani Wilkinson (15 points and nine rebounds) were constant hindrances to any Mater Dei comeback notions, as was point guard Zaon Collins, who did a nice defensive job against his Monarchs’ Class of 2021 counterpart, Devin Askew.
Wilkinson was my choice as the bracket’s Most Outstanding Player.
Six-foot-eight junior-to-be Wilhelm Breidenbach scored 22 points for the Monarchs, who lost standout guard Ryan Evans late in the first half due to a severely injured left ankle. According to his father (Chad) Evans’ x-rays revealed no fractures.
The teams could possible meet in the regular season during December in the Tarkanian Classic and Les Schwab Invitational.
In two of the other 10 boys’ bracket finals:
*L.A. Windward 68, Henderson (NV) Coronado 60 (National Wings): My “unofficial” bracket Most Outstanding Player, sophomore-to-be guard Dylan Andrews (PICTURED), scored 21 points (hitting seven of 12 shots from the field) with eight rebounds and three assists as the Wildcats bagged championship hardware with their fourth consecutive de facto “upset” victory.
Coach Collin Pfaff’s club was playing without its best player, 6-9 Kijani Wright, who remained home to rest from consecutive stints in Florida and Brazil (USA Basketball) and Charlottesville (NBPA Top 100 Camp).
The Wildcats, who trailed by eight points late in the first half, also got six points and 11 rebounds from forward Devin Tillis and 19 points and three assists from guard Jaren Harris.
Coronado standout guards Jaden Hardy and Pop Pop Isaacs missed a combined 24 of 35 shots from the field.
*Riverside (CA) Poly 67, El Cajon (CA) Foothills Christian 53 (CDS Insurance): Point guard Lamont Butler, who recently committed to sign a letter of intent with San Diego State in November, scored 14 points with three rebounds and seven assists for the Bears.
Butler was my choice as the bracket’s MOP. Foothills Christian got 17 points and four assists from another excellent guard in the Class of 2020, Yassine Gharram.
Leave a Reply