D8 Senior Finals:
Resurrection Phoenix (12-1)
vs.
St. Mary's Eagles (12-1)
When and Where: 8:00pm, Resurrection CSS
Season Series: Split 1-1 (RCSS W 62-52, Dec 1; SMHS W 70-61, Jan 12)
How they Got Here: Resurrection defeated St. Benedict 43-27 in one semifinal, St. Mary's took out St. David 62-33 in the other.
Projected Starters: Resurrection - Mike Pereira (6'4" F, Grade 12), Cam Gibbs (6'3" F, Grade 12), Cory Kenning (6'6" C, Grade 11), Tyler Schneider (6'1" G, Grade 12), Jeff Rodrigues (5'10" G, Grade 12). St. Mary's - Zak Hannah (6'2" F, Grade 12), Mike Kasunic (6'3" F, 5th Year), Ben Bankazo (6'0" G, 5th Year), Alex Thompson (6'1" G, Grade 12), Isaac Lance (6'0" PG, Grade 12).
Sixth Men: Resurrection - Andrew Mwangi (6'3" F, Grade 12); St. Mary's - Adam Voll (6'5" F, Grade 11)
Mark's Note: Not sure if Mwangi will be re-inserted into the starting lineup but he did come off the bench against SBCSS as noted in my previous post below. If he does start, it will likely be in place of 6'6" F/C Cory Kenning.
Team Summaries & Information
Just as we had presumed at the start of the year, here we are. I'm essentially willing to give tonights D8 championship game the "game of the year" billing because I think it's just that good. These two clubs have been ranked (at least) in my top four teams all season long, and over the past couple of months they have alternated between 1st and 2nd. Currently, the Eagles hold the #1 ranking, while I have the Phoenix slotted #2.
These teams present an interesting contrast in style and team make-up. The Eagles, for starters, are a close resemblance to GTA teams in terms of their athleticism, which is why (on the whole), they've had better success than the Phoenix at out of town tournaments. St. Mary's, in fact, came within a whisker of knocking off Whitby's Anderson CVI, one of the top 5 or 6 teams in the province at this point and (arguably) the favourite to take the AAA gold medal at OFSAA next month.
The Eagles' run-and-gun style is led by their point guard, Isaac Lance, who brings tremendous court vision to the floor. He was always a great passer at the junior level, but has now become more confident in looking for his shot and is a "knock-down" three-point shooter if you leave him open. Lance's backcourt mates, Ben Bankazo and Alex Thompson, love to get up and down the floor, and aren't afraid to pull the trigger from just about anywhere on the offensive side of the floor (sometimes even pulling up 5 or 6 feet off the line). Like Lance, those two have also significantly improved their outside shot over the past couple of years, which makes them tremendous offensive threats when they can pair that with their penetration abilities.
The Eagles' frontcourt, featuring the likes of Mike Kasunic and Zak Hannah, aren't flashy, but are solid fundamental players who can score 6 to 8 points a game and do a great job on the boards as well.
As for Resurrection, the Phoenix prefer to play more in a halfcourt game, than a frenzied scamper up and down the court ---- don't get me wrong, their guys do love to run when given the opportunity ---- but they execute well in their half-court sets and have the luxury of a starting lineup that can all hit jump-shots right out to the three-point line.
The Phoenix are led by SG Tyler Schneider, one of the better shooters in CWOSSA, but their best player on the floor over the last few weeks has been Mike Pereira, who has quickly rocketed himself into the eyes of CIS & OCAA coaches with his solid play. Pereira is a force on the offensive glass (and is a solid finisher), and (though I don't have official wingspan measurements) brings length of somebody probably 6'6" or 6'7" on the defensive end.
Both Pereira & Schneider (MVP) were all-stars at the St. Benedict CSS 32-team tournament in January.
Last year's D8 MVP, Andrew Mwangi, was slowed to a degree this year with injury, but remains a definite force to contend with; Cam Gibbs is one of CWOSSA's high-flyers and has thrown down a couple of impressive dunks during games this year.
Resurrection's biggest asset, meanwhile, is their depth. They are (in my opinion) the deepest team in CWOSSA and aren't afraid to go ten, even eleven guys deep in any game.
The Youth Movement
This game features two of the top CWOSSA prospects that are currently in grade 11 --- Adam Voll (SMHS) and Cory Kenning (RCSS). Voll is a tremendous athlete, with shot-blocking and dunking abilites that rival almost anybody in CWOSSA. For a 6'5" forward, he has developed a solid jump shot, and (in my opinion), the sky is the limit for this kid if he continues to develop his game.
Kenning, meanwhile, is 6'6"ish and still growing. He projects as a very solid CIS prospect; as I've mentioned before, he's only really played organized basketball for the past couple of years so it does seem as though he has a high development ceiling. Like Voll, he also has a very solid jump shot that is consistent out to 15-17 feet; he also shoots very well from the FT line (75%+).
Game Preview & Pick
How many college and university coaches/scouts will be in attendance for this one? There are probably (at least) 6 guys in this game that I can certainly see playing at the next level should they choose to follow that path.
This is quickly turning into one of the best rivalries in all of high school basketball, and tonight will add another chapter to that. I don't really have too much else to say about it, as I think that the game will speak for itself.
As for who I'm taking, I'm flying with the Eagles in this one. I think that they are peaking at the right time and I look for them to come through in a hard-fought game to take the D8 crown.
As a sidenote, if the Eagles are victorious (as I'm picking) in both the junior and senior contests, they would enter CWOSSA as (arguably of course) a favourite in both divisions.
The last school to capture both junior and senior CWOSSA "AAAA" championships in one year was the KCI Raiders back in 2004.......and we saw what kind of dynasty they were able to turn that into over the following couple of years. Just some food for thought.
Mark's Prediction: St. Mary's 66, Resurrection 59
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