A Scout’s Take: Bishop Montgomery vs Corona Centennial (Part 2)

Joel Francisco

February 15, 2022 @ 09:59 PM

A Scout’s Take: Bishop Montgomery vs Corona Centennial (Part 2) CORONA, Ca-- It was the opening night of the CIFSS Open Division pitting perennial power Bishop Montgomery against defending champion Corona Centennial. After a back-and-forth 1st quarter where each team exchanged baskets--some of which were of the spectacular variety, Centennial would put on the after-burners as they cruised to a resounding 78-53 victory. Although it became a lopsided victory, there were a plethora of outstanding performances, especially from one of the elite shooters in the country--that being [player_tooltip player_id="992480" first="Jared" last="McCain"]. True Point Guard [player_tooltip player_id="748781" first="Jalen" last="Vazquez"] (Bishop Montgomery) 2022, PG, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: Vasquez did not score in the 1st half, but he still did a solid job of running the show. In the 2nd half, he converted from mid-range and got to the rim a bit as well. He changes speeds well, has nice length, and is always on balance. However, the Huskies have elite defenders at every position and blew the game open as they caused the Knights’ guards to play at a rapid pace which lead to costly turnovers. Mr. Consistent [player_tooltip player_id="994950" first="Aaron" last="McBride"] (Corona Centennial) 2023, F, 6-foot-6, 220 pounds Joel’s Take: I’ve watched the Huskies a number of times this season and McBride is possibly their most consistent player–although [player_tooltip player_id="970280" first="Donovan" last="Dent"] may have an argument. McBride is a burly forward who can play inside and out, and his skill set is versatile. He attacks the glass with a vengeance and he’ll sprint the floor for the authoritative finish. His touch is impeccable from the elbow as well and his overall demeanor is terrific. Two-way standout [player_tooltip player_id="974060" first="Ramsey" last="Huff"] (Corona Centennial) 2022, G, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: If there is an unsung hero thus far for the Huskies, it has to be Huff. The no-nonsense two-way standout knocked in some deep shots, but his immediate impact was felt on the other end of the floor. He is a tenacious defender who slides his feet extremely well and his hands are extremely active getting deflections and keeping ball-handlers off balance. Bouncy wing Christian Jones (Bishop Montgomery) 2023, G, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds Joel’s Take: Despite the outcome, the high-flying Jones had a number of eye-popping plays. He has terrific length (very long arms) and he possesses the foot speed and quickness to be a multi-positional defender. In transition, he runs very well and he explodes above the rim. As he continues to expand his overall skill set, his stock will continue to rise. Motor galore Kelcy Phipps (Bishop Montgomery) 2023, G, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds Joel’s Take: Head Coach Doug Mitchell is blessed with lengthy guards and Phipps is yet another one in the stable. The rangy guard with long arms has excellent ball skills and can drain the deep 3-ball. His burst is solid and he can break the defense down off the dribble. Once in the paint, he can either slash his way around defenders or finish through contact. Defensively, he does a nice job playing the lanes and he can defend guard positions.