Francisco’s Finest: Mater Dei vs Santa Margarita (Part 2)

Quiette is much-improved at both ends

Joel Francisco

May 4, 2021 @ 12:49 AM

Francisco’s Finest: Mater Dei vs Santa Margarita (Part 2) SANTA ANA, Ca—In a much-anticipated Trinity League match-up, Mater Dei would use a stingy defense to methodically put away a resilient Santa Margarita 51-38. The Monarchs relied on their imposing frontcourt of seniors [player_tooltip player_id="680195" first="Wilhelm" last="Breidenbach"], [player_tooltip player_id="680209" first="Harrison" last="Hornery"], and Nick Davidson to pound the Eagles in the paint area on a consistent basis. The Nevada-bound Davidson would lead the Monarchs with 17-points while Hornery chipped in with 14-points. Unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id="680223" first="Luke" last="Turner"] would lead the Eagles with 13-points. [player_tooltip player_id="748761" first="Jack" last="McCloskey"] (Santa Margarita) 2022, SG, 6-foot-4, 165 pounds Joel’s Take: A potential late-bloomer in the class of 2022 would be McCloskey. He has a nice frame with good length and he’s a bouncy athlete—as exhibited by his two-hand flush in the paint. He gets good lift on his shot, but the Monarchs didn’t give him much room. Improving his 1st step and strength to play through contact will improve his all-around game. [player_tooltip player_id="680195" first="Wilhelm" last="Breidenbach"] (Mater Dei) 2021, PF, 6-foot-8, 220 pounds Joel’s Take: One of the more skilled “bigs” in the West is Breidenbach. The ambidextrous 4-man is equally adept at finishing or passing with either hand. His feel for the game is advanced and he has a feathery stroke out to the 3-point line. He isn’t a fluid athlete, but he does possess some sneaky bounce and his moxie is right near the top in the class. Aldo Ruiz Ortiz (Santa Margarita) 2021, SG, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds Joel’s Take: Although he wasn’t able to exhibit it in this match-up, Ruiz-Ortiz can really shoot it. He sets up his shot well, stays on balance, and his release is impeccable. However, when you play the Monarchs, they do a nice job of taking away your strengths, and that is exactly what happened in this one. On the other, Ruiz Ortiz impacted the game on the defensive end showing ideal lateral quickness and active hands. [player_tooltip player_id="748771" first="Gabriel" last="Quiette"] (Mater Dei) 2021, CG, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds Joel’s Take: Quiette has great size for both guard positions at the next level. However, we’re not sure what his position will be at the next level. He did put together some nice slashing drives where he used his length to finish. However, his ball skills against pressure and jump shot—which the Eagles were giving to him—needs to be more consistent going forward. [player_tooltip player_id="970261" first="Jake" last="Heberle"] (Santa Margarita) 2022, SG, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds Joel’s Take: Heberle has an ideal frame with broad shoulders and long arms. He plays the game with moxie at both ends as well. He has a solid 1st step and uses his strong frame to get to the rim. Secondly, he showed a soft touch with his 3-point shot. A definite sleeper to keep an eye on heading into the summer evaluation period.