MIAA Playoff Preview

<p>The best time is finally upon us: playoff time. In the MIAA A Conference where seemingly nothing made sense except for the few teams at the top, it'll be interesting seeing how all of these games pan out. This regular season has shown us that this league is extremely difficult to predict. It's obvious that the No. 6 ranked team in the country in St. Frances is the favorite, but one bad shooting night or an opposition catching fire can make any result possible. Mount St. Joseph has proven their worth against St. Frances earlier this season while Gilman ended their regular season atop the black division and on a five-game winning streak.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Quarterfinals</strong></p> <p>#1 St. Frances vs #4 Glenelg Country</p> <p>#1 Gilman vs #4 Archbishop Spalding</p> <p>#2 Mt. St. Joe vs #3 Pallotti</p> <p>#2 Boys’ Latin vs #3 John Carroll</p> <p><strong>Semifinals (Thursday, February 20)</strong></p> <p><strong>Final (Sunday, February 23)</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Quarterfinal Preview:</em></p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>#1 St. Frances vs #4 Glenelg Country</strong></span></p> <p>The Panthers enter the postseason on one of the most dominant runs we’ve seen in recent years. With their last two marquee wins coming against Oak Hill and Mt. St. Joe, St. Frances remains a top-10 team in the country. Glenelg enters the playoffs on a four-game losing streak. The last time these two teams met, St. Frances was without 2020 point guard Ace Baldwin and were still able to win by a commanding 25 points. It’s safe to say that this game should belong to the Panthers. They’re simply playing at too high of a level for Glenelg Country to challenge.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>#1 Gilman vs #4 Archbishop Spalding</strong></span></p> <p>Gilman may have drawn the most difficult match up as a No. 1 seed. Spalding is a young team that has picked up big wins in the second half of their schedule. 2022 duo of Cam Whitmore and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cj-scott/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cj-scott/">CJ Scott</a></a> have been impact players throughout with their size, length and athleticism. For Gilman, 2022 guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/christian-winborne/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/christian-winborne/">Christian Winborne</a></a> has put together a stellar sophomore campaign. As a team, Gilman is playing with tremendous confidence and chemistry, getting the most out of players such as 2020 guard Jordan Foster and 2022 guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-marshall/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-marshall/">Jalen Marshall</a></a>. These teams haven’t seen each other since the first game of the season where Gilman edged the Cavaliers by three points. Since then, both teams have improved immensely.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>#2 Mt. St. Joseph vs #3 Pallotti</strong></span></p> <p>These two teams haven’t faced each other since the beginning of the season. A match-up in which the Gaels won by four. Pallotti relies heavily on their guard play from 2020 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/anthony-blunt/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/anthony-blunt/">Anthony Blunt</a></a>, 2020 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/wade-jackson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/wade-jackson/">Wade Jackson</a></a> and 2022 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/warren-mouganda/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/warren-mouganda/">Warren Mouganda</a></a>. Mt. St. Joe counters that attack with skilled guard play of their own in 2020 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyler-brelsford/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyler-brelsford/">Tyler Brelsford</a></a>, 2021 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ausar-crawley/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ausar-crawley/">Ausar Crawley</a></a> and 2022 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/antonio-hamlin/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/antonio-hamlin/">Antonio Hamlin</a></a>. Where the Gaels can separate themselves is with the play of 2020 forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jason-edokpayi/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jason-edokpayi/">Jason Edokpayi</a></a>. The Fairfield commit has been one of the most productive and improved players in the area. For many games this season, Edokpayi has been dominant from start to finish. Ultimately, he and the experience of the Gaels’ guard should reign supreme in getting a win.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>#2 Boys’ Latin vs #3 John Carroll</strong></span></p> <p>If you like three’s, then this will be the game to see. Both teams are equipped with players who can bomb from deep with accuracy. John Carroll defeated the Lakers in their sole match up this season by a final score of 70-62. 2022 guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyson-commander/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyson-commander/">Tyson Commander</a></a> has led scoring attack for the Patriots along with 2021 guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-bryant/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jalen-bryant/">Jalen Bryant</a></a>. 2020 duo of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/lorenzo-donadio/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/lorenzo-donadio/">Lorenzo Donadio</a></a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kendall-walker/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kendall-walker/">Kendall Walker</a></a> have been the key pieces for Boys’ Latin. Where John Carroll could find an edge in this match up is with their size. 2022 6-foot-8 forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cesar-tchilombo/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cesar-tchilombo/">Cesar Tchilombo</a></a> should make an impact on the glass and as a shot blocker. 2021 6-foot-7 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joel-turay/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joel-turay/">Joel Turay</a></a> offers a physical, big-body presence that the Lakers cannot counter. This will be a close contest that will offer plenty of entertaining play.</p>