MIAA A Conference Championship Preview

<p>The stage is officially set for the MIAA A Conference Championship as both Mount St. Joe and Mount Carmel prevailed in their semifinal tests last night. The Gaels played host to Archbishop Spalding and despite Mount St. Joe being significantly younger, they pulled out a 68-60 win in head coach Pat Clatchey’s 1000th game. Mount Carmel hosted Gilman following the Hounds major upset over No. 1 St. Frances. The hosting Cougars refused to be next on the list of upsets and instead overwhelmed the Hounds from the opening tip on the way to a 79-47 win.</p> <p>The game will be played at Harford Community College on Sunday Feb. 27 and is set for a 3:15pm tip-off.</p> <p>Let’s break down this matchup.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Premier players:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mount Carmel</span></p> <p>2022 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"] (Loyola MD commit) makes everything go for this Mount Carmel squad and is playing at an elite level right now. There are flashback of when I watched Ace Baldwin (VCU) control his St. Frances team and led them to a BCL title a couple of years ago. Perry has been phenomenal all season, but this postseason in Mount Carmel’s two games he boasts a scoring average of 31.5 points per game. In their quarterfinal win over Loyola, he converted the game winner with 2 seconds remaining to give them a 1-point win. Last night in the win over Gilman, he simply couldn’t be stopped. Whether it was three’s from the volleyball line, drive and dump-offs to his bigs along the baseline for dunks or menacing defense on the ball that resulted in steals, Perry was doing whatever he wanted and was the reason for the blowout victory.</p> <p>2024 forward [player_tooltip player_id="1367577" first="Luke" last="Bamgboye"] is the favorite to win BCL Defensive Player of the Year for his shot-blocking prowess defensively. He had a quiet game in regards to his standards last night against Gilman, but still had multiple two-handed dunks that ignited the crowd, gathered in almost a dozen rebounds and altered plenty of shots in the paint. Considering he will be matched up against 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="957018" first="Amani" last="Hansberry"], his production will be vital if the Cougars want to come out on top in this one.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mount St. Joe</span></p> <p>2024 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1127305" first="Bryson" last="Tucker"] has taken the area by storm this season and continues to make his case for the best player in Baltimore regardless of class. His feel for the game at just 15 years old is unlike any other prospect that I’ve covered and he once again proved his worth in their win over Spalding with 29 points and four assists. He knocked down six three’s and if he’s in that sort of rhythm, it will be tough for any team to beat them. At 6-foot-6, he can control his team in a half-court setting and has an old school approach of operating in the mid-post area to get to his smooth fadeaway jumpers going left or right. The keys belong to him and if there was any 15-year-old that could lead his team to a MIAA A Conference crown, it’s Tucker.</p> <p>2023 forward [player_tooltip player_id="957018" first="Amani" last="Hansberry"] has been dominant along with Tucker throughout this season. The junior transfer was in form again in last night’s win as he finished with a double-double of 21 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. Hansberry’s versatility, motor and willingness to do whatever his team needs in a given game is what makes him so special. Earlier this year he held a clinic inside against Mount Carmel and utilized his textbook footwork along with bruising physicality to score at will. Don’t be surprised if he takes the same approach tomorrow afternoon to establish himself.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong> Key Role Players:</strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mount Carmel</span></p> <p>2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="957034" first="Tjay" last="Beckles"] has been a crucial addition for this Mount Carmel team since transferring back in the fall. The 5-foot-11 guard is a deadly shooter from range with a quick trigger who knows how to rotate to open spaces as Perry gets into the paint. Perry urges Beckles to shoot on almost any kick-out that takes place and last night he knocked down three triples on his way to 17 points. Much of the Mount St. Joe defensive game plan will be about containing Perry, so if Beckles can get going early, it’ll open up the floor for everyone around him. </p> <p>2023 forward [player_tooltip player_id="1164829" first="Mitchell" last="Kalu"] was a beast last night. 10 of his 14 points game off rim-rocking dunks that put the gym in a frenzy. The intensity and edge that he plays with adds immense toughness to his team on both ends. The thing to watch with Kalu is whether or not he can bottle that emotion up effectively where it won’t negatively impact his play. If he can do so, it’ll give Mount Carmel a good chance of pulling out this win. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mount St. Joe</span></p> <p>2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="1049863" first="Ace" last="Valentine"] has been a steady producer all season and they’ll need his contributions on both ends of the floor tomorrow. It’s not certain, but he’ll likely draw the assignment of guarding Perry, so coming into this game with a defensive mindset will be mandatory. There’s no real way to completely eliminate Perry, but making life hard for him in ball-screens or whenever he gives the ball up will be ways that Valentine can win this matchup. Offensively, Valentine has been great in using his burst in the open floor to push tempo. He’s hit timely three’s late in games and become a more confident finisher in the paint.</p> <p>2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id="957059" first="Austin" last="Abrams"] is the sharpshooter for the Gaels. He’s one of the top catch-and-shoot guys in the DMV. Given Tucker’s vision and feel as a playmaker, Abrams is often times the guy in the corner who lifts up at Tucker utilizes the screen. Much of the Mount Carmel attention will be based on limiting paint touches from Tucker and Hansberry, so Abrams ability to spread the floor will be another crucial wrinkle to their offensive success in the half-court.</p> <p>Keys to Success:</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mount Carmel</span></p> <p>-Continue to play through [player_tooltip player_id="904628" first="Deon" last="Perry"] with high ball-screens</p> <p>-Push the tempo any chance for transition points</p> <p>-Limit Mount St. Joe to one-shot possessions</p> <p>-Protect the paint</p> <p>-Have Bamgboye and Kalu play vertically on attempts at the rim to avoid foul trouble</p> <p>-Locate Beckles and 2024 guard Dwyane Williams on the perimeter for kick-out three’s.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mount St. Joe</span></p> <p>-Make it a half-court game and execute sets with multiple progressions to wear the defense down</p> <p>-Establish an early presence inside with Hansberry in hopes of getting Bamgboye into foul trouble</p> <p>-Blitz Perry ball-screens. Double and trap in order to force others to make a play. Even if playing 4-on-3, getting the ball out of Perry’s hands gives you a much better chance of success</p> <p>-Let Tucker be Tucker</p> <p>-Timely shots from Valentine and Abrams</p> <p>-Tyonne Farrell could be x-factor off the bench providing more size and versatility to help counter Kalu</p>