St. Pats vs Salesian Preview: Key Points
Photo Courtesy of Vallejo Times Herald
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (Vallejo, CA) will travel to Richmond, CA to take on rival opponent Salesian High School in their 2nd meeting of the season. In the first meeting St. Pats nearly pulled off an upset over Salesian who is the number five ranked team in the nation, as they lost by two points. UConn signee James Akinjo of Salesian High School struggled to get going early which kept St. Pats in the game. As their 2nd meeting approaches on Tuesday night Akinjo will be looking to bounce back against the Bruins at home. For St. Pats who have a young team, they focus on playing with the same energy as the first matchup and execute down the stretch to try and pull off an upset. Here are some key points to look for in this matchup.
- James Akinjo: Expect Akinjo to be aggressive and try to get going early after his slow start in their last matchup. Akinjo has had some of his best games at home.
- Dishon Jackson: Jackson is coming into his own and will need to control the paint. He also must stay out of foul trouble as he could be a matchup problem for Salesian.
- X-Factors: The X-Factor for Salesian could be sophomore Tyler Brinkman. He fits well in Salesian’s system and Salesian’s best games offensively this season has been when Brinkman has shot the ball well. For St. Pat’s junior guard Chance McMillan has played well lately including scoring 30 points against Benicia High School last Saturday. If he can get going St. Pats could make the game competitive again even while being on the road.
- Jaden & Jovon McClanahan: If the guards on St. Pats have a tough night on Tuesday, Jaden & Jovon McClanahan will most likely be the ones to blame. Their defensive intensity makes it tough for opposing guards to get comfortable. They will put endless pressure on the guards, and make it difficult to feed Jackson in the post.
- Akil Edwards: Akil will have to play well against Salesian’s tough guard play. Expect Akil to try and make his way inside the paint to score, set up shooters, and feed Jackson inside.