5 Bold Prediction: GCL Coed

<p>The next series I will be starting is one I am really looking forward to. It will feature my thoughts and some predictions I will be making for the upcoming High School season. Starting with the GCL Coed. The league will look different in 2021-22 as Purcell Marian and Roger Bacon both left the league leaving only 6 teams to make up the league. I will look at some different prediction I have for the season below.</p> <p><strong>1- Alter wins the GCL Coed title after a 3rd place finish a year ago</strong></p> <p>It’s hard to argue against this point. 4 of 5 starters are back from a team that could have made a deeper run had they not run into C-J in the Sectional tournament. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="809602" first="Jacob" last="Conner"]</strong> (2022) is a Marshall commit and has too much length for anyone in the GCL to truly matchup against. The junior class is strong led by PG <strong>Anthony Ruffalo</strong>, sharp shooter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1052785" first="Gavin" last="Geisel"]</strong>, and utility playmaker <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1219837" first="Aj" last="Leen"]</strong>. A solid class of sophomores off the bench means Alter has depth as well. There’s not a ton of teams out there that can match the Knights nor prepare for their 2-3 zone defense. Point #4 below will discuss the rest of the pack.</p> <p><strong>2- C-J does not get back to the State Semifinals</strong></p> <p>While the Eagles celebrated an incredible run a year ago, it’s difficult to see this team going back to State in 2021. Why? For starters, AJ Solomon and [player_tooltip player_id="714513" first="Dan" last="Nauseef"] are both gone which both really brought game to the table. In addition, their top guys returning are young and lack the extended Varsity experience yet to continue this success. Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1222348" first="Jonathan" last="Powell"]</strong> cemented himself as one of the state’s best players in the 2024 class after the run. Even with junior <strong>Evan Dickey</strong> returning, there is no denying the lack of senior stars can hold the Eagles back come tournament time.</p> <p><strong>3- A new coach is going to turn heads somehow</strong></p> <p>2 of the 6 programs in the GCL added new coaches to lead their schools. Badin and Fenwick were the two culprits and I believe one of them is going to slide under the radar this year. Pat Kreke joins the Rams after previously being the assistant for the school. Mike Holweger returns to his alma mater with Fenwick after being the head coach at Waynesville. Of the two, I really think Kreke and Badin is the favorite between the two to make the most noise. Kreke has the experience already with coaching in the GCL and has some guys in his upperclassmen that if bought in can give Badin an edge. While I like Holweger as a coach, he loses too much talent to be winning a GCL title this year.</p> <p><strong>4- 3rd place and beyond is an unknown.</strong></p> <p>You now know I think Alter is the favorite in the league. Even though I don’t think they return to state, C-J is the best bet to finish runner-up. Picking 3-6 is truly a toss up. McNick and Carroll both were hit hard by graduation, but return at least one solid player they can both build around. Badin and Fenwick have new coaches with Badin also having some good talent to help him out. At the end of the day, McNicholas and Badin most likely are fighting for the #3 spot.</p> <p><strong>5- McNicholas will be down but not out</strong></p> <p>The Rockets had a magical season a year ago, winning an outright GCL Coed title, earning the #1 seed in Cincinnati D2, and making a run to the Regional tournament before falling to Bishop Watterson. As I mentioned previously, graduation really hit the Rockets hard and saw lots of talent on both ends of the floor leaving the program. Senior <strong>Trey Gardner</strong> is the top guy back and frankly has the most experience with this group. Even with 4 starters now gone, McNick has a good program and culture that is capable of challenging for the #3 spot n the league. Beating Alter will be tough, but a young C-J team and relatively evenly matched Badin teams are capable of dropping games to these guys at any given moment.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>