MIAA A Conference Preview: Headlines Entering The 2019-20 Season
As the season looms closer, it’s time to start our preseason previews. For this article, I’ll be taking a look at some headlines entering the 2019-20 season in the MIAA A Conference. Can St. Frances repeat? The Panthers loaded up…
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Continue ReadingAs the season looms closer, it’s time to start our preseason previews. For this article, I’ll be taking a look at some headlines entering the 2019-20 season in the MIAA A Conference.
Can St. Frances repeat?
The Panthers loaded up on the transfer market by adding 2020 wing Jahmal Banks, 2021 guard Byron Ireland and 2021 Julian Reese. Banks, a Wake Forest football commit, brings size, strength and toughness at the guard/wing slot. Ireland further strengthens their depth in the back court and bring scoring and tough on-ball defense to the table. Reese may be their most important addition considering his length at 6-foot-9.
They do return VCU commit Ace Baldwin, LSU commit Jordan Toles and South Alabama commit Jamal West. 2022 point guard Carlos Alexander will play a significant role after having an up and down freshman season. There is no question that with these players, St. Frances is one of the powerhouses in the DMV. A huge question that still needs to be answered is whether or not Toles and Banks will choose to leave early to enroll in college to prepare for the football season. If that is the case, it would be a significant loss and make an already challenging national schedule even more difficult.
Neverthless, the Panthers are strong favorites to repeat as MIAA A Conference champions after a dominant run last season. They have more talent in 2019-20, which boosts their chances even more.
A different look for Mount St. Joe
The Gaels depended heavily on their elite scoring shooting guard James Bishop (LSU) last season. Bishop hit countless big shots to help lead the Gaels to the MIAA A Conference title game. Although he accounted for much of the production, it doesn’t mean they’ll be any worse. They have the quality talent, especially at the guard position, to overcome that loss. Bishop was an elite shot-maker, but now that there isn’t one clear primary scorer, I expect the ball movement to be much better.
The trio of 2021 point guard Ausar Crawley, 2020 George Washington commit Tyler Brelsford and 2022 guard Antonio Hamlin will hold down the fort and do so effectively. Each complement each other’s strengths nicely. 2020 Fairfield commit Jason Edokpayi will act as the anchor in the paint. At 6-foot-6, he may be a bit undersized, but he plays with great effort and knows how to control the glass. Other role players such as 2020 center Will Sykes and 2020 guard Cam Sapienza will provide quality production alongside the four names listed prior. Despite St. Frances being somewhat heavy favorites, I never count out a Pat Clatchey coached team.
Can Loyola overcome their weakness?
The Dons, just like many teams, lost some key leadership with their seniors of last season particularly in the backcourt. While junior guard Jordan Moore steps up into the two-guard spot, the point guard remains a hole unfilled. They’ll depend on unexperienced players at the position, but my expectation is that players such as Moore and returning senior standout Mitch Fischer adopt duties of bringing the ball up the floor themselves.
Everywhere else the Dons are very strong. They have solid depth and a group of guys who offer many different ways of playing. Moore, Fischer and 2021 wing Cam Smith will be the trio that is leaned on heavily. Can they balance out the hole at point guard? That remains to be seen.
St. Vincent Pallotti will lean on their backcourt duo
Look around the area and it’ll be tough finding a a handful of better backcourts than what Pallotti has. The senior duo in Wade Jackson and Anthony Blunt should make for a lot of buckets and assists. Jackson, a recent Loyola (MD) commit, transferred from Gonzaga this summer and showed his ability to fit in immediately throughout the June Live Period. He brings a scoring presence at the point guard spot, but can also make plays for others off the dribble. Jackson is dynamic and plays with tremendous effort on both ends to be a significant difference maker.
Blunt returns for his final year of high school ball after transferring in from Gonzaga prior to his junior season. The 6-foot-2 guard proved that he can be a force as a slasher and ability to get into the heart of the defense. Blunt will hit the occasional jumper from deep as well. The combination of Jackson and Blunt should be strong on the defensive side of things. Both can guard either guard position and wear their match up down with consistent pressure the length of the floor.
John Carroll’s young talent
John Carroll put a ton of responsibility on a very young roster last season. Even though there were plenty of rough nights, there were a fair share of bright moments that ultimately pointed in the direction of growth for the future. They look to cash in on what experience those young players gained last season and could be a surprise team in the MIAA A Conference.
Spearheaded by the guards of Tyson Commander (2022) and Jalen Bryant (2021), the Patriots’ backcourt has a nice blend of scoring from the inside and out. Bryant is a capable shooter from deep, but breaks his man down off the dribble and finishes well around the rim. Commander is a sniper from deep and can step out a few feet beyond the arc. Commander put up some impressive scoring numbers as a freshman last season. As he gets more comfortable with the level of play in this conference, I expect that to be a routine.
2022 forward Cesar Tchilombo was a rim protector last season. The 6-foot-8 Congo native took some time adjusting to the American game, but once he did adjust, his impact was undeniable. He has become more comfortable with the pace and speed of everything to where now he is building a more versatile offensive attack. Look for him to be even more of an impact in the paint this season, except it will be on both sides of the ball.
Two new faces that should be fun to watch fit in with this group is 2022 forward Joel Turay and 2023 guard Jeannot Basima.