SPRINGFIELD, MA – There have been trips to Texas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina and, finally, — with the nationally televised 66-62 victory over Camden of New Jersey Saturday night in the Spalding HoopHall Classic – Massachusetts.
And there were “in-state, road trips” to San Diego and Sacramento.
But the “barn-storming”, of sorts, isn’t quite over for Coach Josh Giles’ Corona Centennial basketball team.
“We’ve got to go to northern California next week (Saturday, for a game against Richmond Salesian in a multi-game event),” said Giles, after his team improved to 17-3 with the victory, over the team led by University of Kentucky recruits D.J. Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw, in front of an SRO gathering in Springfield College’s Blake Arena.
After that trek (Contra Costa College near Oakland) next week, the Huskies will be fully focused on the staying on the path that will take them to another state championship.
*In the spring of 2021 – in a California “season” schedule adjusted for COVID-19 Pandemic – and with current seniors Jared McCain, Aaron McBride and Devin Williams in the lineup, the Huskies went 21-2 while knocking off two-time defending state champion and host Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship game.
The pandemic protocols enacted by Northern California’s portion of the CIF dashed the state championship games for the second year in a row.
*Last season, with things back to “normal” (whatever that means these days), the Huskies ran to a 33-1 record – with their only loss coming to mythical “national champion” and unbeaten Duncanville in Texas.
Now – after all those air and bus miles – McCain knows it’s time to focus on the goals have existed since he and the rest of the huskies cut down nets in Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center last March 12 after beating Modesto Christian for the program’s first state championship.
The Huskies 39 have won consecutive games against in-state opponents but – with all the “national events” they’ve jetted to – only eight of their 20 games have come against California teams this season
But they’re going to need to win their eight final games of the season – four in the Southern Section Open playoffs, three in the regional and one in the Sacramento — against Cali squads to repeat as Southern Section and State Open champions.
“We’ve played well, at times, this season,” the Duke-bound McCain said, after hitting six 3s in route to a 27-point performance against a one-loss Camden squad.
“But this (tonight) is the first time I feel like we’ve played Centennial basketball.”
In theory – with, perhaps, the exception of Duncanville – the Huskies were facing the most “talented” team they’ve hooked up with this season, during which those three losses have come by a combined margin of eight points.
But, after the 7-foot Bradshaw (and he’s all of two inches taller than Williams, who is listed at 6-10) opened the scoring with a 3, the Huskies always seemed to have things at least reasonably under control Saturday night.
With McCain (10), future Loyola Marymount forward McBride (eight) and UCLA-bound Williams (six) combining for 24 of their points, the Huskies were up, 33-28, at intermission.
Centennial defenders (with 6-4 Eric Freeny usually drawing the matchup) doing a terrific job of getting him out of his jump shooting comfort zone, the 6-2 Wagner was forced to put the ball on the floor to score.
And he was able to do that effectively, turning corners and getting to the rim for either-hand finishes, often over or around Williams or McBride.
One of those drives gave Camden a one-point lead midway through the third quarter but McCain responded with his fourth 3 and, after a turnover, a feed to McBride for a dunk.
The lead was back at five points after three quarters and up to 12 with a couple of minutes to play before Wagner – left alone for one of the few times all night – and Billy Richmond hit consecutive 3s to distort the final score.
The bulk of those in Blake Arena, and just as many of those who watched the game on one of the ESPN family of networks, wanted to see a “head-up” matchup of two of the most touted players in the country.
And they got that – although, except for a few possessions, McCain, and Wagner (also 27 points) rarely guarded one another.
But the revelation to many – in person or via some form of “TV” monitor – was likely the grit, skill, strength, and near-stoic determination of the 6-7 McBride.
With the graduation of the state’s best senior last season, guard Donovan Dent (now flourishing at the University of New Mexico), and another backcourt starter, Ramsey Huff (to Cal State East Bay), there were some holes to fill in Gillies’ lineup.
Freeny – one of the most-improved and now, truly best juniors in Southern California – was the obvious choice to fill one of those after being a key sub last season.
The other replacement has been much traveled (this is his fourth school in four academic years) Mike Price, whose decision-making and “feel” for how to play within the context of a highly successful team and program continues to improve steadily. That was showcased Saturday night (nine points and three assists), when any mistake – be it mental or physical – could have shifted the momentum toward the team from New Jersey and the largely pro-Camden crowd in the building.
But – more than anything else, including McCain’s prime-time, bucket-getting effort Saturday night – the linchpin of the Huskies’ effort and execution at both ends of the floor was McBride.
For him – as has been the case since he became a full-time starter two years ago – the “Hustle” plays so often admirably described by broadcasters and coaches as if they are aberrations are expected of McBride by those who’ve watched him longest.
“That play showed better than anything what he (McBride) is all about,” McCain said of McBride, sprinting to beat a stunned Wagner to a loose ball in the backcourt, and then dishing it to Williams for a dunk and that 12-point edge in the fourth quarter.
McBride’s 11 points, 10 rebounds – four of those on the offensive end – and numerous screens on offense and hard hedges on defense against a team that was No. 10 nationally (via Ronnie Flores and Ballislife) embodied the kind of effort he gives practice-to-practice and game-to-game.
Chalk that kind of performance up as just another reason that, until someone proves otherwise in February or March, the Huskies will remain the best team in California – even in a season when they haven’t played there much.
In other Saturday games:
St. Augustine 67, Manchester (CT) East Catholic 57: San Diego’s best team – by a large margin – overcame a sluggish first half and pounded the Eagles over the final 16 minutes to improve to 16-3.
The Saints, heavy favorites to repeat as the CIF San Diego Section Open Division champions and get another pop at the Southern Section’s Open representatives in the regionals, get a much tougher test on Jan. 28.
That’s when they will bus up the 5 Freeway to Santa Ana to face one of those potential SS regionals, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, during the Mater Dei Extravaganza.
Saturday, Coach Mike Haupt’s team trailed by seven points at intermission then blitzed the Eagles, 25-10, in the third quarter and was in reasonable control the rest of the way.
Six-four Jurian Dixon, one of the handful of the better unsigned seniors in California, scored 22 points with 14 rebounds and four steals.
Junior guard Ian de la Rosa added 18 points for the Saints while another quality unsigned senior, 6-6 James Jones, went for 24 points and eight rebounds for the Eagles who suffered their first loss in nine games.
Las Vegas Bishop Gorman 82, Marietta (GA) Wheeler 66: USC-bound guard Isaiah Collier scored 30 points and had seven assists but Coach Grant Rice’s team – even with leading scorer Juni Mobley sidelined with injury – smacked the Georgia squad.
The Richardson Brothers – junior Jase and freshman Jaxon, sons of former NBA guard Jason Richardson – were terrific for the Gaels, who were up at the half, 43-16.
Jaxon didn’t miss a shot in nine attempts for 20 points with eight rebounds while Jase had 14 points and five assists as their team improved to 10-4.
The Gaels stayed in town for their Monday game here against Camden.
Miami Columbus 74, San Diego San Ysidro 67: Sophomores Cameron (33 points, 15 rebounds and five assists) and Cayden Boozer (14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists) – sons of former NBA forward Carlos Boozer – helped their team improve to 15-3.
San Ysidro got a combined 44 points from seniors Mikey Williams and J.J. Taylor, but they also combined for 11 turnovers and missed nine of 10 shots from behind the arc as the team dropped to 9-8.
Long Island Lutheran 64, Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy 56: The Crusaders are 10-2 after the wire-to-wire victory over the 13-9 Warriors.
Six-ten Amdy Ndiaye (he’s unsigned) scored 18 points – he didn’t miss a field goal in seven attempts – with six rebounds for the winner while another “still available senior”, guard Jayden Reid, had 17 points and seven assists.
Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy 61, Covington (GA) Newton 52: Jamie Kaiser (University of Maryland) and Blue Cain (Georgia Tech) led the winning Ascenders’ pool of college-bound players with 15 and 14 points, respectively.
Stephon Castle (he signed with the University of Connecticut in November; Danny Hurley and his staff were court side watching him) missed 14 of his 20 shots from the field but led Newton with 16 points.
New Orleans Newman 67, Arlington (VA) O’Connell 64 (ot): Senior guard Chris Lockett (who signed with Boise State in November) had 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists as the Greenies improved to 20-3 in the first game of the day.
Junior forwards Chris Lehman and Todd Jones combined for 29 points and 22 rebounds for Coach Randy Livingston’s Newman squad, while freshmen Adam Oumiddoch (21) and Quincy Wadley teamed for 38 points as the Knights dropped to 7-7.
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