Five Takeaways: St. Mary’s Ryken vs Bishop McNamara
The WCAC tournament started on Thursday afternoon and I was at Bishop McNamara as they played host to St. Mary’s Ryken in the 8/9 matchup. McNamara won by a final score of 61-50 and they advanced to the quarterfinals and will play the number 1 seed, Paul VI on Saturday. Here are five takeaways from the game.
Coppin State Is Getting A Stud In Nigel Marshall
He has been putting up numbers in every game this year and he continued on Thursday in postseason play. Marshall finished with 20 points and scored them in a variety of ways. He can get to the basket, get out in transition and always shoots the ball well from deep. I absolutely love the pledge Coppin State is getting in Marshall and he is really going to stand out from day 1 next year in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Boston College Is Getting A Bucket In Wynston Tabbs
One of my favorite kids in the WCAC ended his compelling WCAC career on Thursday in a loss but his performance was not too be forgotten. The Boston College commit finished with 23 points for Ryken. Tabbs was getting heckled all day by the McNamara fans but would silent them for a majority of the game. I am not comparing Tabbs to Dennis Smith but Tabbs does remind me of Smith as to how he carries himself on the court. Tabbs is an explosive guard that can finish at the basket and has an improved shot that allows him to shoot the deep ball.
McNamara Might Be Able To Give Paul VI A Challenge
McNamara will now play against the WCAC regular season champion and undefeated in conference play, Paul VI, on Saturday in the quarterfinals. I saw them play against each other in the regular season once and in the game Paul VI didnt take control of the game till late in the 3rd quarter. McNamara has an all conference player in Nigel Marshall who can score whenever he wants and lots of other options who might be able to give Paul VI a run for their money. I am picking Paul VI but I expect this game to maybe be closer than a lot of people think.
Mike Sumner Has A Promising Future
2020 6’3 guard Mike Sumner of Ryken had a great game on Thursday. The sophomore guard will take on a bigger role next year with the graduation on Wynston Tabbs. Sumner is a great defender and finishes well in transition. He is very impressive while attacking to get to the rim and is a guy that can light up the stat book quickly on both sides of the ball. Sumner will be playing AAU ball with DC Premier and look for him to make some noise this summer.
WCAC Brings Out Competitiveness
To be honest, this game was closer than a 11 point game. St. Mary’s Ryken was up at halftime and then McNamara came out hot in the 3rd quarter. These two teams were right next to each other in the seed line and it was an amazing game with a hostile atmosphere. It was another example of how great this league is even when teams are seeded 8th and 9th.