I agree, that was a total joke. You win the round robin and playoff. Justin Love should have been POY by Himself.
2019-20 WCAL Hoops Wrap Up/2020-21 Outlook
- Thread starter jordan24
- Start date
Should not have been allowed but I think bad coaching contributed to this. Personally, I would have played an extremely tight zone 2-3 with their longest player (Jackson #24) anchoring the bottom middle of the zone. I would have made them tip it in from 10-15 feet instead of having SI defenders chase their man and get back screened for relatively easy close in shot.....
Team game.....HANDS DOWN !
Exactly ! The triple crown ( WCAL, CCS, NOR CAL) championships are right there for the Crusaders ! Opportunities like this don't come around often, unless of course your Bill Russell. Stay focused, loyal to team, leave a legacy and GO GET IT !
Irish beat St. Francis in OT 61-57.
SI beat Mitty 55-54.
SI beat Mitty 55-54.
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Friday Night's Feb 7th Roundup
WCAL Standings as of Feb 7th - League Wins; Overall Record
- Riordan 51 @ Bellarmine 62
- Bells get payback with a solid win over the Crusaders. Both teams had a ton of turnovers, but Bellarmine was able to hit their free throws and played good enough defense and hit the boards to seal the win. Riordan was horrendous at the free throw line, had too many unforced turnovers and lost the 50/50 battle. Crusader offense was out of sorts with Clark and Monroe having off nights, but credit the Bells defense.
- Mitty 54 @ St. Ignatius 55
- Upset of the night! Mitty fails to tie the Crusaders for 1st place. The Monarchs return back to the City to face Riordan @ The Crusader Forum on Tuesday! Good job 'Cats!
- Serra 64 @ Valley Christian 46
- Serra with the win to stay in the hunt.
- St. Francis 57 @ SHC 61
- Second best upset of the night! SHC with the win in OT! The luck of the Irish comes through!
WCAL Standings as of Feb 7th - League Wins; Overall Record
- Archbishop Riordan 9-2; 18-3
- Archbishop Mitty 8-3; 17-4
- Bellarmine 8-3; 18-3
- Junipero Serra 7-4; 15-6
- Saint Francis 6-5; 14-7
- Sacred Heart Cathedral 3-8; 8-13
- Saint Ignatius 3-8; 8-13
- Valley Christian 0-11; 8-13
Crazy night in the WCAL...again!
Is SI over Mitty the biggest upset this season in the league?
Tuned in to watch the best back court in Nor Cal. What is coach doing? He has #3 kid running the point or should I say walking the ball up and starting the offense? You have 2 D1 signee’s and neither ran the point? Is #3 also the best defender on Riordan? Why is he guarding Decker? Decker lit him up, again. If you're not gonna use Jelani on offense which you didn’t coach, put him on Decker on the defensive side of the ball... now #3 will be fresh to run the PG position. Why he’s running point when you have Monroe a true PG. that’s a head scratcher?? 3 guard lineup is whack. When Rob kid returns they should go Bryce, Jelani, Wilson, Rob, Sec. Tough game to watch. Anyone have stats? Can anyone maybe help me understand the logic coach is using with that lineup?
Yes he is the best defender on the team# 3. AND decker lit everyone up. The 3 guard line up went 9-0 until tonight. IT is what it is. THEY lost. BAD game.
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jordan, I actually give credit to Riordan coach more than Bells D, he took the ball out of the hands of his 2 D1 guards. Best guard tandem in NorCal and he doesn’t use them. Odd. Why is #3 running the point and guarding the best player on the bells? Is he a better defender than jelani? Is 3 a better PG than. Bryce? How many points did #3 score tonight? How many did Decker give him tonight?
That was a tough game to watch. Riordan did not look like the top team in the Bay Area. Riordan's D1 guards got outplayed by the Bellarmine team. Too many forced shots on drives to the basket with the Bellarmine players just waiting. Don't understand why the Riordan guards just don't pull up for the short jumper, they had that all day. Really bad decision making on the floor on and getting beat on the boards. This team is going nowhere with that poor FT shooting. #3 for Bellarmine showed up in a big way tonight. I did like that flop one of the Bellarmine players did on a Monroe drive. Riordan gets lucky with the SI win over Mitty. Watch the film of this game, practice your free throws, and work on your short pull up jumpers instead of always going to the basket. Every team knows it's coming. And..stop watching your social media posts.
Jelani better defender and Bryce better PG. my opinion, beside it’s basic coaching 101 you don’t have your PG guarding the opposing team best player he needs to be fresh on O.
riordan coach took the ball out of the hands of his 2 best guards and let #3 run the offense, question is why?
It just seemed to be a frustrating night for the Crusaders. Every team is gunning for them. This is HS basketball. Just look what happened in the Sunset with the top team in the CCS and #11 in the country losing to SI. Riordan still holds on to first place. Crusaders need to regroup and take care of business the rest of the way. That was a nice 9-0 run without Bryce and Rob V. for parts of this run.
we both know why it was frustrating you just won’t say lol. Mitty isn’t #11 and max preps isn’t legit rankings. But yes that’s a bad loss for Mitty no doubt.
They have Mitty 11 and Oak Hill 25, who in the world does these rankings, WOW.
As coach I am accustomed to the constant chess match between opposing benches. I have been shown my posts by the faculty of R as if people are not allowed their opinion or freedom's. Nobody allows me to speak and I am never disrespectful to anyone unless they cross the line with me or my kids.
Riordan as a whole struggled tonight. Bryce uncharacteristically struggled from the charity stripe and we don't do excuses . This is what I will say about my kid and try not to speak on anyone else's. Bryce has grown up and developed all these years as a point guard. He is rythm player. He is very efficient and effective with his dribble. He is the fastest guy on the court most of the time. Now his senior year he has been asked to play the 2 guard spot. He is doing what the staff asks of him being a TEAM PLAYER but he is uncomfortable with it. He is accustomed to coming down hill. He has probably the best pull up jumper off the dribble in Norcal.
Tonight was tonight but if you been paying attention the games have been pretty much this type of pace. It's not knock on other kids but Bryce has been successful on all levels and top levels. Period. Its proven. I tell my son daily ...stay focused, be positive and work hard!
Riordan has a chance to win league on Tuesday at home. I would love to see us get back in the winning column.
Thank you to the parents from Bellarmine that came over and introduced yourselves tonight to me and stopped hiding behind screen names...lol...appreciate the kind words about Bryce.
Anyone who knows basketball knows that your system sometimes dictate how you play. Congratulations to Bellarmine and we will see you in the playoffs.
Riordan as a whole struggled tonight. Bryce uncharacteristically struggled from the charity stripe and we don't do excuses . This is what I will say about my kid and try not to speak on anyone else's. Bryce has grown up and developed all these years as a point guard. He is rythm player. He is very efficient and effective with his dribble. He is the fastest guy on the court most of the time. Now his senior year he has been asked to play the 2 guard spot. He is doing what the staff asks of him being a TEAM PLAYER but he is uncomfortable with it. He is accustomed to coming down hill. He has probably the best pull up jumper off the dribble in Norcal.
Tonight was tonight but if you been paying attention the games have been pretty much this type of pace. It's not knock on other kids but Bryce has been successful on all levels and top levels. Period. Its proven. I tell my son daily ...stay focused, be positive and work hard!
Riordan has a chance to win league on Tuesday at home. I would love to see us get back in the winning column.
Thank you to the parents from Bellarmine that came over and introduced yourselves tonight to me and stopped hiding behind screen names...lol...appreciate the kind words about Bryce.
Anyone who knows basketball knows that your system sometimes dictate how you play. Congratulations to Bellarmine and we will see you in the playoffs.
Lets just pile on here but it did seem as though Riordan was playing 5 against 8. Bells played the better game. Clark and Monroe didnt have their usual games. At this point of the season, youre sitting pretty good with only 3 overall losses. Tuesdays game vs Mitty will be a dandy.
I know hes only a sophomore and still learning the game but is there no one on the staff that will coach Sek into not playing himself out of position defensively? If its not being in the right spot or trying for the emphatic swat that leaves the team vulnerable for opponents offensive rebounds, Sek can be more of a defensive liability than an actual defensive difference maker.
I saw this alot the two previous years with Oscar Cheng when he was playing for SH. Always going for the swat, not learning shot angles to position yourself for the defensive rebounds. Isnt Jaha Wilson around to show Sek how its done?
I know hes only a sophomore and still learning the game but is there no one on the staff that will coach Sek into not playing himself out of position defensively? If its not being in the right spot or trying for the emphatic swat that leaves the team vulnerable for opponents offensive rebounds, Sek can be more of a defensive liability than an actual defensive difference maker.
I saw this alot the two previous years with Oscar Cheng when he was playing for SH. Always going for the swat, not learning shot angles to position yourself for the defensive rebounds. Isnt Jaha Wilson around to show Sek how its done?
Good post, and all that length how many offensive boards did they give up tonight?
Because the player comp we want Sek to be is Chino Hills/USC’s Okongwu. He was a dominant defensive player. And when Sek doesn’t grab those rebounds it’s not fair to him that your other two forwards don’t particularly position themselves near the paint but instead leak out and run to the wing or corner to jack up a 3.
This is a team game and guys NEED to play their roles the coaches set for them. When they deter from that role because they are seeking more individual glory that’s where you can place blame for the loss.
Because they were 9-0 doing it that way.
Its almost that we are suggesting Riordan has accumulated too much talent and it was someone elses turn to be featured. As coaches, the one of the best characteristic one can teach a player is sacrifice/accept their roles. When you have too many stars, it is difficult to get young minds to sacrifice their own individual goals for the betterment of the team.
But lets get real. Riordan is 18-3 and still going to be a high seed in CCS and NorCals. They will be fine.
you could plug the freshman A PG in that slot, surround him with Jelani and Bryce at the 2 - 3 with Wilson, Sec and Rob when healthy and based of pure talent and athleticism alone they win a ton of games. Heck you can also take all the coaches away, roll the ball out and that talent gonna win a lot of games. Best line up IMO, 2 guard line up, Bryce, Jelani, and go big with Wilson at the 3 Rob at the 4 and Sec at the 5.
#3 is a nice HS talent, Not a knock on him, I like his game. He’s just got 2 superior senior guards in front of him. Next year will be his year and squad. Coach is tripping. The end of the half you have to get the ball in your 2 best players hands one or the other, prime example last night.
any combo of line ups Riordan gonna win most games, but why not play your best lineup?
Riordan's forwards and 7-1 big are talented but extremely raw. Bellarmine made the adjustment and put in bigger role players rather than all guards. This move controlled the pace they wanted to play and challenged the Riordan bigs head on. The entire Bellarmine team has been playing organized team ball at a high level probably since they were young kids. Half the Riordan turnovers were the bigs rushing and throwing the ball away, in bad box-out or defensive position and hoisting up 3 pt shots when they have no business shooting that far. On the block attempts, no need to always trying to swat a shot, just hold your arms out high. Isn't John Tofi coaching the bigs? Riordan has some players that are a lot more disciplined and know their roles like Miller and the young sophs in Quanico and Barer. Having the Riordan forward still out also hurt. Only so much one can do against opposing players that have been playing organized basketball a lot longer. Not a knock, but you saw it play out last night.
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Hypothetically, what is the 5 on the floor that gives Riordan best chance to stay within 15 points of Sierra Canyon in the Finals assuming their 5 is Bailey 6'4, Boston 6'6, Williams 6'7, Frank 6'7, and Yu 7'3? So no brainer, Monroe, Clark, Sek. You have to match their speed more so their height. Riiny and Wilson or Riiny and Hubbard is my best bet. Rob is a bit too slow. Chan is just 5 fouls there.
Only opinion matters is the head coach and staff. The only adjustments that can be made are by the players and staff. If you go back and look at the game, overall Bellarmine just outplayed us last night. I always tell Bryce on the road you have to be 10 points better than your opponent and play mistake free and play defense. That didn't happen last night. What hasn't been addressed is Riordan has plays and quick hitters and not an offense. It has gotten us to 18-3 and winning sometimes masks deficiencies. This team can go far and by no means does last night's loss tell the whole story about Riordan. But it should have everyone look in the mirror and ask themselves " what can I do better?" Bryce and I will sit down and see what he can do better and help his team get back on track, because " Hands Down" they will need him to be successful!
Thats all legit intel on the Bells. Its been that way with them for a few decades. Sure that familiarity and cohesion wins alot of games but has never translated to a modern day state tile. High level college/bound for nba talent wins titles.
Too many teams with excellent coaches and players to think about an Open final right now. We struggled with Serra, Bellarmine. One practice at a time, one game at a time. Roles on teams usually happen organically and discipline from the staff.
This team has the highest ceiling of all the teams as long as they learn and keep improving. Also, no excuse for this team to be such a poor free throw shooting team. The boarding players should have a key to the gym for late night free throw practice.
Great points. You will never see Muti Shuman shooting threes for Serra. I know Tofi is working with the bigs but immaturity sometimes rears its ugly head. The bigs have to listen and apply. Be consistent with their learning and listening.
Spot on assessment Renard. The games Riordan dominates are the ones where they dictate the tempo. You can see in their two league losses that Serra and Bellarmine decided what game they were going to play. Riordan cant mess around in the playoffs by letting the other team decide how to play. The best teams use their stars and loaded roster to quicken the pace and play this frenetic style by literally pressing which leads to turnovers, fast break plays that their game changers love as they are in the open court.
Curtin has a deep bench. He should use these last few games to run 32 min of hell instead of this half court waste of time. He squandered Monroe and Clark's junior year no less gifting a CCS Open title to SH by not taking care of their business. Im sure that stings much to my own delight. Don't let this year be a repeat.
Bryce and Je'Lani have the great ability to go to the basket and finish. Teams like Bellarmine and Serra know this and they are digging in with taking the charge or causing enough interference to alter their shots. Bryce and Je'Lani are unstoppable mixing in pull-up short jumpers to their repetoire. And if the bigs improve their hands, they can benefit on a lot of layups off their dish offs.
Bellarmine was allowed to flop last night which wasn't ok. Refs are rewarding players for being under the basket , not safe and not cool at all. As a coach there is an adjustment you can make though that will help the team and players like Clark and Monroe. You take away the help side with a triangle on side and two man ( pick and roll on the other side) then the only one back is a big and when he comes over to help there is your drop off pass, real simple.
To keep advancing in the playoffs we will need to , get easier baskets for Clark and Monroe, they work to hard to score, get spacing better and take on mismatches better on the offensive end and on the defensive end not be so predictable. Switch up the defense from time to time. Press after made baskets and free throws, come out in Zone sometimes out of time outs. Half court trap sometimes when the ball goes out of bounds. These are just my opinions...nothing negative about the team or players. " Hands down just my opinions "
