Post game meals now in Berkeley and Oakland. Much better food options than Orinda or Moraga. Plus everything closes by 10p at the latest. Fridays still make it to Joe's on the way home. Might have to invite JSquare, Topcat, yourself and a few others for a reunion!!
2019-20 WCAL Hoops Wrap Up/2020-21 Outlook
- Thread starter jordan24
- Start date
I can see how people reading the boards when it comes to Riordan see it as being critical. I know for sure there are many that want this team to be a underachiever. I am critical from the standpoint as I am challenging the staff to be better. I challenge my son to better. Some will say stay in a parents lane, and to some degree I agree . Coaches yell at players, take them out the game, etc... they are being critical right? I don't yell at any coaches or ask them not to coach.
This Riordan team has potential, a lot of potential. One game remaining in league and I think all the true people wishing them well are nervous because of our early exit last season in the playoffs. Someone stated roles and that this team is better than last year because the kids have accepted their roles. Fans question that when a senior player walks up to a junior or sophomore player to explain how a certain situation should go and you witness that underclassmen talk back or not listen. It's also not a good sign to see players sulking during and after games during wins. Riordan doesn't need their 6'8 defenders shooting 3's . Riordan has the roster to do real damage this time of the year.
Offensively vs zone we need to stop clogging the lane with two big guys coming up to the free throw line
- get a baseline runner
- get a player behind the zone
- get some high / low with our bigs
Vs man
- get some two man game with Lani and Bryce
- some backdoor plays for Lani
- pin downs with a guard to big screen for Rob down low
Get some easy baskets for Bryce and Lani
- PUSH THE PACE OF THE GAME
Defensively:
- switch up the D even for just a possession
- use your bigs for a stretch zone
- use your athletes and press sometimes
- half court trap sometimes
Have fun and make other teams adjust to us. If we are going to be predictable then the prediction is an upset looming. My personal opinion is we definitely have the team to accomplish some great things . Hopefully they do .
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You say you know basketball, sports...you can tell every team your plan, who is getting it. It's up to them to stop it and know when your about execute it. You know the assassin.
It's not exactly rocket science but the players have to buy in and treat each possession like gold.
Coach Monroe put the coaching hat back on forget the 2cent, you gave them the whole buck! Had to spell it out to everyone. Senior year, why not! Nxt 3 weeks gonna be fun.
My bad . My opinions will be lost in translation. I am sure of it.
Each player shoot 1000 Free Throws.every day. Riordan would be WCAL champions right now.
Let's be clear about one thing as this Riordan discussion proceeds into infinity and beyond: Mr. Monroe is honest, blunt, fair-minded, savvy and, in the end, supportive. What's more, he puts himself out there for all to see and read. He does not linger behind a screen name (like your beloved Colonel). Good for him. Kudos.
I love Renards posts. Always thoughtful, opinionated and honest. What more could you ask for!
Or in the words of John Wooden:
- “Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you.”
- “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?”
- “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
- “I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.”
- “If a player’s not doing the things he should, put him on the bench. He’ll come around.”
You are on a roll Renard this morning! While you're at it I would love to hear more commentary on why the greatness of your old OAL has gone to almost nothing. We are around the same age and I remember your Mack teams followed by future great Mack players such as Darrell Tucker, Frank Otis, Will Cherry. Plus rich history of Skyline with Gary Payton, Fremont with Frank Knight, Oakland Tech with Leon Powe. I would surmise that such talents we were used to seeing in the OAL system are now at private schools for "better" opportunities.
It's interesting that you brought this topic up as the head coach of Oakland Tech...Karega Hart is like my little brother. We just had this conversation. He is also a graduate of Oakland Tech . So many factors have contributed to the down fall of the OAL. The first being the obvious of Gentrification. Families just can not afford the price to live in the area anymore. A lot of people are in Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno and LA or have just plain moved out of the state . Second the Oakland Public schools for the most part fail their students by not offering a lot of academic opportunities which also leads to the athletic opportunities. In the OAL in boys sports you will have MACK dominate football and Oakland Tech dominate the basketball and Baseball. So the families that are still around are sending their kids to the private schools that are small commutes.
The alumni association at Mack which is very prominent in the success of the school tried to convince me to come back and coach there but I just couldn't make it work with my non profit and my children.
Back in the day you had small pockets of kids that lived right down the street from a public school but went to a private school because it's a great education and these private schools are put on a platform.
Miles Tarver , head coach of Head Royce attended St. Joe's. He lived in walking distance of OHigh. He won a state championship and got the opportunity to play with a Hall of Famer and earned a scholarship to the University of Minnesota.
Adrian Ealy lived right across the street from Oakland High but attended St. Joe's and played cyo ball with Jason Kidd and attended St. Joe's as well and won multiple state championships.
Kareem Jackson a resident of West Oakland who grew up with us should have attended Mcclymonds but his parents wanted him to have better opportunities than what Mcclymonds could offer at the time he attended Bishop O Dowd. He was a great player in High school and attended Washington state university.
I could go on and on about kids where they could be and where they actually end up and even today there are kids at private schools that could actually be somewhere helping a public school close to their home.
I truly hope the Oakland Athletic League somehow makes a comeback but it will need to improve its academic opportunities across the board for it to be attractive for potential student athletes.
I remember as a player coming to play at St.ignatius and Riordan and it was like coming to another world leaving our school atmosphere. I wouldn't change my schooling In Oakland because it truly shaped me. If you can make it in Oakland/Mack you can make it anywhere.
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In the 90s I will name some great high school ball players from the OAL to add to your list
Anthony Byrd- Mack
Darnarryl stamps-- Mack
Louis Jackson- Mack
- Kelton Runnels- Mack
Will Levy- Mack
Tech- Silas Foster
Castlemont- Mike Franklin
Skyline- Duwahn Edward's
Skyline-Will Blackwell- two sport star made it to the nfl
Oakland High- Robert Sasser
Fremont- Kareem Davis
Fremont- Bobby Smith - two sport star made it to MLB
Fremont- Lester Jenkins
Fremont- Truhart Brown
Castlemont- Darnell McCullough
Mack- Antonio Kellogg
More Mack from back in the day:
Frank Robinson
Bill Russell
Jim Hadnot
Paul Silas
Joe Ellis
Fritz Pointer
Aaron Pointer
Joe Gardere
Cleveland McKinney
Ed Thomas
Charles McKinney
James Tolliver
Ah, those were the days when the Warriors ruled the NorCal roost and then some. To say they were dominant from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s is the understatement of the semester.
At one incredible point, they went 110-1 and captured six NorCal (Tournament of Champions) titles in a row. We have seen nothing like them before or since.
Frank Robinson
Bill Russell
Jim Hadnot
Paul Silas
Joe Ellis
Fritz Pointer
Aaron Pointer
Joe Gardere
Cleveland McKinney
Ed Thomas
Charles McKinney
James Tolliver
Ah, those were the days when the Warriors ruled the NorCal roost and then some. To say they were dominant from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s is the understatement of the semester.
At one incredible point, they went 110-1 and captured six NorCal (Tournament of Champions) titles in a row. We have seen nothing like them before or since.
Dont forget our family Antonio Davis the street ball Legend Hook Demetrius Mitchell. My uncle Joe Johnson was the starting forward on state championship teams. He never let's me live that down since my team senior year went 26-1 and the 1 loss came at the wrong time.
Hook Mitchell. The greatest East Bay player who ever was but never was. Incredible athletic talent. But unable to quite pull it all together. In the end, not an especially happy story.
Good question. I know for a long time the OAL commissioner would always fight that.
Gentrification, family dynamics, cost of living and opportunities. It's the same story in most major us cities now. I have lived in 4 but I think oakland has been hit the worse. Crime plays a part as well.
I can remember the 2002 state title game when Mack ran through the warm out line of Westchester. That was epic and the best state title game I've ever seen. The landscape of Oakland will never be what it was. Many a suburban schools have gained quite a few athletes because of it. Pittsburg, Antioch, elk grove district, weston ranch, lathrop and tracy, Modesto.
I can remember the 2002 state title game when Mack ran through the warm out line of Westchester. That was epic and the best state title game I've ever seen. The landscape of Oakland will never be what it was. Many a suburban schools have gained quite a few athletes because of it. Pittsburg, Antioch, elk grove district, weston ranch, lathrop and tracy, Modesto.
That will occur when hell (or your kitchen microwave) freezes over. Same goes for the AAA and its logical absorption into CCS. It's political and the roots go way, way back to the creation of CIF long ago. So don't hold your breath.
It should be addressed. Even when the OAL was producing elite teams, their road to Norcals was a lot easier than other schools.
It is an out dated concept to have a separate section for the "inner city" schools. Let them compete with the other programs in the area and let the best teams move forward to norcals.
It is an out dated concept to have a separate section for the "inner city" schools. Let them compete with the other programs in the area and let the best teams move forward to norcals.
It wasn't easier at times. Mack has an enrollment of 300 kids. Forced to play against schools with 4 and 5 times the enrollment. Back when I played only the 1st and 2nd places teams in the OAL could get an at large bid .
Don't forget Terrell lowry who played at tech in 87 and 88 I believe.He went on to play at loyola marymount on those great teams with Hank gathers and bo kimble I believe as a senior he led the ncaa in scoring.He went on to have a professional baseball carear and played briefly with the san Francisco giants.
I was only referring to the 90s but Terrell was a beast in basketball and baseball.
Wow great responses. That felt like a 30 for 30 documentary. Its sad to see the effect of gentrification of the Oakland area as it has robbed the area of our next great athletes. There hopefully will come a day we'll have a Lebron and build a version of his I Promise School in Oakland that will a planting of a seed of kids that can thrive, be educated and go on to succeed in what they dream of becoming. Maybe thats not too far away if Curry makes a little bit more money and decides to stay here after he retires instead of moving back to Charlotte where he grew up. He's as much rooted here now than he is in Charlotte.
With all the resources in the bay area. The rich history and the really wealthy individuals, they only choose where they want to really make an impact. Family First consisting of Marshawn Lynch, Josh Johnson and Marcus Peter's have really tried to make a difference in the Community. I know that Dame Lillard does a lot for Oakland High where he attended. Oakland has been hit really hard, so has San Francisco. We could go on and on about the real failures of keeping our communities whole and at the same time improving .
i am part of the gentrify problem i guess. i am from another city. i moved to oakland and changed the dynamic of the neighborhood. i dont have kids to send to an OAL school.
Tuesday Night's Feb 18th Matchups (7:30pm Tip-offs; except Mitty @ VC - 4pm Tipoff)
(League; Overall Records)
- Mitty @ Valley Christian 4pm Tip-off
- The Monarchs looking to earn at least a share of the WCAL title and #1 seed in the CCS Open. The Warriors are coming off the upset of the league season and hope to continue another HUGE upset tonight on Senior night on the South San Jose Hilltop and place high in the seedings for the CCS Sectionals. Winner: Mitty
- Sacred Heart Cathedral @ Riordan
- It will be an emotional Senior night at the Crusader Forum as students, family and fans celebrate 4-year varsity players Je'Lani Clark and Bryce Monroe. The game is critical for both teams as Riordan looks to maintain its share of 1st place for the league title and favorable seeding for the CCS Open. The Irish seek an upset to strengthen its position for CCS Sectionals. Winner: Riordan in a game that goes down to the wire!
- Bellarmine @ St. Francis
- Game of the night where the Bells travel to an already sold-out Lancer gym. Bellarmine also looking to maintain its share of the WCAL title with a win and avenging its home loss to the Lancers. St. Francis looks for another upset of its archrivals and securing a possible #4 seed in the CCS Open. Winner: St. Francis with the HUGE upset on Senior Night!
- Serra @ St. Ignatius
- The "Beach Game" in the Sunset has the Padres matched up against the 'Cats. Serra wants to cement the #4 seed in CCS open. SI looks to upset the Padres in front of its Senior Night home crowd and improve its seeding position in D3 CCS. Winner: SI with the second upset of the night!
- Bellarmine 9-3; 19-3
- Archbishop Mitty 9-3; 18-4
- Archbishop Riordan 9-3; 18-4
- Junipero Serra 8-4; 16-6
- Saint Francis 6-6; 14-8
- Sacred Heart Cathedral 4-8; 9-13
- Saint Ignatius 3-9; 8-14
- Valley Christian 0-12; 8-14
(League; Overall Records)
- Junior Varsity - Bellarmine Bells (14-0; 22-1)
- Frosh A's - Archbishop Riordan Crusaders (14-0; 21-0 !)
- Frosh B's - Archbishop Riordan Crusaders (12-2; 19-2)
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Bellarmine @ St. Francis (NFHS Network-subscription required)
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/...-mountain-view-mountain-view-ca/gam8615f18be2
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/...-mountain-view-mountain-view-ca/gam8615f18be2
Tuesday Night's Feb 18th Roundup
Congratulations to Archbishop Mitty, Bellarmine and Archbishop Riordan - 2020 WCAL Champions!
(League; Overall Records)
CCS Seedings
Congratulations to Archbishop Mitty, Bellarmine and Archbishop Riordan - 2020 WCAL Champions!
- Mitty 75 @ Valley Christian 54
- The Monarchs erase any doubt of an upset and win going away and earn a share of the WCAL title.
- Sacred Heart Cathedral 69 @ Riordan 92
- Je'Lani Clark lights up the Irish for 30+ points (ARHS, pls confirm) on Senior night. Plays of the night when team manager, Dominic Stevens, hits 2 3 pointers and the Riordan students go beserk. Great stuff. Had to be at least 10 dunks tonight. Former Crusader, Tre MacPherson, scores cloe to 30 points (need to confirm stats) for SHC. Congrats to Riordan as it shares first WCAL title since 2007.
- Bellarmine 56 @ St. Francis 33
- No upset tonight as Bellarmine turns it up after the 1st quarter in front of a packed house in Mountain View. Bellarmine also crowned WCAL champs tonight. St. Francis awaits its seeding for a likely CCS Open berth.
- Serra 44 @ St. Ignatius 33
- The "Beach Game" in the Sunset has the Padres putting the 'Cats away in the second half. Padres await their seeding in the CCS Open. The young 'Cats await seeding in CCS D3.
- Bellarmine 11-3; 21-3
- Archbishop Mitty 11-3; 20-4
- Archbishop Riordan 11-3; 20-4
- Junipero Serra 9-5; 17-7
- Saint Francis 6-8; 14-10
- Sacred Heart Cathedral 4-10; 9-15
- Saint Ignatius 3-11; 8-16
- Valley Christian 1-13; 9-15
(League; Overall Records)
- Junior Varsity - Bellarmine Bells (14-0; 22-1)
- Frosh A's - Archbishop Riordan Crusaders (14-0; 21-0 !)
- Frosh B's - Archbishop Riordan Crusaders (12-2; 19-2)
CCS Seedings
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