The D1 Final Four is no surprise.. Folsom , Modesto Christian, Sheldon, play brutal preseason schedules in preparation for expectation to get to this point. Jesuit no surprise either as Woodcreeks supporting was cast not as strong. Folsom vs Jesuit is a very interesting game and if Jesuit can contain Ford and Finch have an outside shot at the upset. Sheldon vs MC is the most interesting game. Sheldons guards against an athletic big and a strong point guard. This game might come down to the final minute as both are proven Champions. I'll be in the house all night, even to watch the overwhelming favorite in D2 Sac Hi.
SJS D1 Final Four
- Thread starter En4cr
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What a great group of teams. I think Folsom will surprise some folks and prevail rather easily against Jesuit. Folsom is playoff tested and this is Ford's last run. Look for them to jump out early and win by double digits.
The MC vs Sheldon game is going to be really good. But correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't MC rattled off 28 games in a row since the first game loss to Folsom? I think they have to much size for Sheldon. A lot of athletic guys in that 6"4 mold and then you add in 6'9 Robinson Idenhen. I've been a big fan of MC all year. MC by 4 over Sheldon.
Don't underestimate Whitney in D3. 24-5 coming off a big 25 pt win over Grant. They don't have anybody to match up down low with Young but if they shoot it well (and they have 4-5 kids that can shoot it) they might be able to hang around for a little while. I think Sac high will wear them down and win however.
The MC vs Sheldon game is going to be really good. But correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't MC rattled off 28 games in a row since the first game loss to Folsom? I think they have to much size for Sheldon. A lot of athletic guys in that 6"4 mold and then you add in 6'9 Robinson Idenhen. I've been a big fan of MC all year. MC by 4 over Sheldon.
Don't underestimate Whitney in D3. 24-5 coming off a big 25 pt win over Grant. They don't have anybody to match up down low with Young but if they shoot it well (and they have 4-5 kids that can shoot it) they might be able to hang around for a little while. I think Sac high will wear them down and win however.
I believe Jesuit will give Folsom the business! Jesuit has a big who can kill you from the 3 point line or under the basket finishing with a lot of girth and force. Not to mention, the chess match that will be played within the game by these well coached programs! If Jesuit can find a way to shut down Finch, and slow down Ford I believe they will prevail by 4-6 points over Folsom.
LL33, I agree with you. Senior led squad FORSURE! That makes a world of difference, knowing its your last season. We will see....
Looks like a good final 4... should be fun
Predictions:
Folsom over Jesuit by 10.
Modesto Christian over Sheldon by 8.
Modesto avenges their only loss of the season and tops Folsom 79-76 for the D1 title...
Predictions:
Folsom over Jesuit by 10.
Modesto Christian over Sheldon by 8.
Modesto avenges their only loss of the season and tops Folsom 79-76 for the D1 title...
Anyone with any insight on the Modesto Christian v Oak Ridge game?
MC only won by 8 points, the same night Sheldon blew out GB by 50. OR was boo boo this year. Am curious to find out what happened, cuz on any given night MC is 40 points better than OR so something had to happen.
MC only won by 8 points, the same night Sheldon blew out GB by 50. OR was boo boo this year. Am curious to find out what happened, cuz on any given night MC is 40 points better than OR so something had to happen.
It's going to be tough for Modesto Christian to beat Sheldon. Their guard play is just to good. Idenhen, is more of a defensive presence and will not be a factor in scoring. Remember Sheldon has played against bigs all year so they will not be intimidated. Ellis may have to play the whole game. If Crusaders keep it in 50's it's their game. 60-70's Huskies win.
I'm going to try and get out there for these 2. Not sure I can stay up for a 9pm tipoff (sac vs whitney)
If Idenhen hits the offensive boards he's going to be a big problem for Sheldon. I watched him more than handle a bigger Mitty team earlier in the year. I don't know what happened against OR but maybe they were looking past them? I agree though OR was garbage. Folsom hung a 40 spot on them earlier. I've learned one thing. A win is a win in the playoffs and you move on.
If Idenhen hits the offensive boards he's going to be a big problem for Sheldon. I watched him more than handle a bigger Mitty team earlier in the year. I don't know what happened against OR but maybe they were looking past them? I agree though OR was garbage. Folsom hung a 40 spot on them earlier. I've learned one thing. A win is a win in the playoffs and you move on.
Anyway you slice it, the SJS D1 final is going to be a rematch of a game played earlier in the season. Something tells me MC relishes the opportunity to take on Sheldon for a chance at a rematch with Folsom, or Jesuit for that matter. Sheldon is a top tier Norcal team that plays without fear, and they will give MC all they can handle, but MC will be ready to play. Coach Midgley and his staff do a great job of prepping for big games. Folsom deserved the #1 seed unquestionably, with their wins over both Sheldon and MC, along with being the defending champs.
This is an exciting year for SJS D1 with 3 of the top 4 all being state top 20 teams, and Jesuit is no slouch either. Throw in Sac High and you've got 4 state top 20 (quite possibly top 15) teams in the Sac-Joaquin section. The SJS should be proud.
As for Idehen, he's becoming quite a skilled player on both ends of the floor. Some people might look at his stats and think "well he's only averaging 16.8 ppg," but he really has only played about 17-18 minutes a game for the season because of so many blowout wins. His per 24 minute stats are probably around 22ppg, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks. He's also shooting 71% from the floor with 7 made 3's. Dude can play.
It's gonna be an exciting couple of semifinal match ups. Now I am crossing my fingers that there will be a stream of these games somewhere on the web. I'm too far away to make it to Sac. Good luck to all.
This is an exciting year for SJS D1 with 3 of the top 4 all being state top 20 teams, and Jesuit is no slouch either. Throw in Sac High and you've got 4 state top 20 (quite possibly top 15) teams in the Sac-Joaquin section. The SJS should be proud.
As for Idehen, he's becoming quite a skilled player on both ends of the floor. Some people might look at his stats and think "well he's only averaging 16.8 ppg," but he really has only played about 17-18 minutes a game for the season because of so many blowout wins. His per 24 minute stats are probably around 22ppg, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks. He's also shooting 71% from the floor with 7 made 3's. Dude can play.
It's gonna be an exciting couple of semifinal match ups. Now I am crossing my fingers that there will be a stream of these games somewhere on the web. I'm too far away to make it to Sac. Good luck to all.
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I'm a big Fan of Idehen. He's one of the most improved players I've seen year over year. He's long and lefty and can also extend the floor. Midgley is a fantastic coach too. Hard to find 2 quality games this early in the playoffs so I'm most likely going to make it out. Good luck to the teams.
Ellis might have earned an offer after that performance last night. Not only did he play the whole game but he lead his team in rebounds and points and played hard the whole time. Idehen's +/- was horrible. Sheldon was tappin that ass until Idehen got in foul trouble then MC came back and took the lead. Then Idehen came back in right when Duplechan cramped up and Sheldon took the lead again. He really needs to work on his post game. Honestly I would have been nervous to play Sheldon because they can be so dangerous but Folsom has a better chance against MC.
Agree about Ellis. Wow. I haven't been that high on him since he seemed to mature early. But boy did he show up in a big game last night. there is no doubt he can play in college. Is it D1 or high D2? I like Folsom again but 29 in a row by MC is something else.
I'm going 50-48 Folsom.
I'm going 50-48 Folsom.
Ellis is what's known as a "GAMER" in my opinion. He doesn't do anything so great that colleges are beating down his door, but he competes night after night. Better yet, it seem the bigger the stage, the better he plays. There is no guard outside of Lonzo Ball that can match Ellis' physicality. Last night the Sheldon guards continued to get destroyed tying to guard him 1 on 1, they are just too small. Ellis caught the ball at 15 to 18 feet on several occasions last night and just powered through defenders with ease to "And 1' lay-ups. Folks were in the crowd yelling to double him every time he caught the ball at the elbow, which in hindsight may have been a great idea. Curious to see how Folsom plays MC and Ellis.
Watched the games online... Ellis was a total BEAST! He has Energizer Bunny energy and endurance, he's stronger than heck, he's lots quicker than one might think, he has as an amazing array of moves in either direction with either hand, and he harrasses the bleep out of ya on D.
Huge game by Ellis. MC will go as far as he will take them in these playoffs. He played great D on Manning after Coach Midgley switched up the assignments. Ellis and Idehen are the defensive anchors for MC, and Ellis has been an elite defender the last couple years. I think if Ellis can develop a consistent jump shot, he could really make some noise in college. I think it's all within his reach. Can you imagine trying to guard him when he's consistently knocking down the outside shot? Hopefully these playoffs will show schools that may be on the fence with him, that he's worthy of a scholarship.
Idehen had an off game. He usually makes those shots around the basket, but credit Sheldon for making things tough for him down on the block, but he definitely draws attention from the defense in the post, which opens up opportunities for the perimeter players. He maybe needs to be a little more patient on the defensive end so he doesn't get in foul trouble. I expect him to step it up against Folsom. He was in foul trouble in their first game, in part due to a technical for a pre-game dunk. He hit some key FT's down the stretch in this one though.
I thought MC's role players did a good job. Darrian Grays hit some key 3's, Jay Chen made some clutch FT's, (Ellis was huge at the line), Rojas played well in Idehen's absence, and Dawkins was great finishing around the basket. Hollins-Buckner had an off shooting night, but he's capable of knocking down 3's, and when he's hot look out.
I really like Folsom's three guards. Tre Finch is quick, and can get to the basket. The coach's son Jared Wall, though he seems to fall down a lot, plays with a lot of grit, basketball smarts, and hustle, which you can never have too much of, and Jordan Ford is Jordan Ford. He does everything well. It'll be a while I'm sure, before Coach Wall has another player like him. He's a coach's dream. Mason Forbes is a nice interior player who plays beyond his years. Folsom is well coached and they play hard. That said, I still like MC for the title.
Again I think MC will have a good game plan, and I look for them to take it in a close one. Towards the end of their first meeting, Ellis went out with a muscle strain or something, when MC still had the lead. MC's offense became discombobulated when he went out. Darrian Grays has shown during the course of the season that he can run things when Ellis is out. However, I expect Ellis to be on the floor at the end this time around. Same with Idehen. Should be another exciting match up.
If Sheldon doesn't get pulled up to the Open Division, I can see them winning the D1 title. I think they can beat whatever team the south will have to offer for D1 once the Open Division teams have been pulled up. We'll have to wait and see where all the teams end up once the section championships have been decided.
Once again good luck to all in the finals and beyond.
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