Takeaways from a classic WCAC Championship

<p>The 2025-26 WCAC season ended in what most would argue as the best tournament of recent memory in another classic fashion as Paul VI Catholic won their third-straight conference title in a double-overtime 82-76. It was a game that folks in attendance will be talking about for years to come and below, I try to unpack some of the biggest takeaways from the matchup.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3336930' first='Jordan' last='Smith'] Jr. polishes off an unprecedented WCAC career</h2>   <p>The biggest headline coming into the night was the idea of Smith finishing off what has been an illustrious career in a PVI uniform. He has experienced two losses in his high school career in WCAC play and one of them came at the hands of St. John's. Even as the St. John's advantage ballooned to as many as 16 points in the third quarter last night, you just knew that Smith wasn't going to go down easy and it was exactly at that point where he went into another gear. </p>   <p>After scoring just nine points in the first half, the Arkansas commit went for 30 throughout the third quarter and two overtime periods to finish with a loaded stat line of 39 points, seven assists and seven steals. Smith's sheer will to win while elevating anyone he shares the floor with is what made his career so special, but particularly the last nine or so months dating back to his run with [program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'] on the EYBL Circuit as he proved to be arguably the best prospect in the country. </p>   <p>From an evaluation standpoint, he struggled to find his groove from 15 feet and out last night, but refused to be denied getting into the paint or finding an angle to finish heavily contested lay-ups, even if it meant maintaining control and concentration through contact. </p>   <p>When facing the steep deficit, Smith's approach never waivered and although he seemed to take the game by the horns himself, he made the right play on drives as St. John's defenders came in with active digging hands as he quickly located open teammates for open shots with the defense collapsing.</p>   <p>All in all, it wasn't that St. John's necessarily did anything wrong defensively the entire game. This one was chalked up to going against a prospect who I'd argue impacts winning at a level that we will not see here in the DMV for the foreseeable future. It's a testament to the character and player that Smith has proven to be since a his freshman season.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">St. John's defensive execution</h2>   <p>As cliche as it can sound, in order to compete with a team like PVI it takes complete buy-in from the defensive end of the floor. Possession-by-possession, being sharp in actions, fighting over screens and knowing any slip up in a rotation will result in a lay-up or three has caused teams to break within the first 16 minutes of a game. For the Cadets, their effort stood pat throughout. It was a tip of the cap to 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2524394' first='Kareem' last='Smith-Bey'], who proved on many fronts to be the next name to watch in the area as a true two-way impact as the sophomore fearlessly took on Smith. Time and time again, he passed the test of keeping him out of the paint in the first half, maintaining discipline when he picked up his dribble and had the help of active hands to force a handful of uncharacteristic turnovers from not only Smith, but others as St. John's had complete control through two and a half quarters. Another bright spot was 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1969210' first='Geremy' last='Clark']. Not only was he providing the offensive production (team-high 23 points) to establish a lead, he was disrupting things from the point of attack in the fashion of pressure, disciplined defense on the perimeter.</p>   <p>Not only were they swarming in driving and passing lanes, but they shut the water off on the glass as well by outrebounding PVI 33-24. 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2353549' first='Jordan' last='Taylor'] collected 15 total on the night and a few of them were statement snags to close down possessions at PVI looked to gain further momentum with a big shot. 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1782593' first='Zyion' last='Chase'] was also battling with eight rebounds, three of which were on the offensive end that resulted in second chance points.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Turk Brown's leadership</h2>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1782590' first='Lawrence' last='Brown'], known by most as 'Turk', made the move from St. Andrew's to PVI heading into his junior season and it proved to be a decision that would change the trajectory of his career in a positive manner. Heading to Florida Gulf Coast next season, the floor general has always played with great pace, poise and shot-making prowess. Embracing the challenge of going to PVI and learning how to be a piece of a talented puzzle wasn't always a smooth process, but the adversity allowed him to unlock other aspects of his game and mentality that further confirmed his status as a top point guard in the area.</p>   <p>As a senior, he's been the second punch to Smith and come up clutch in countless occasions as opposing teams do whatever they can to contain PVI's bell cow. Brown followed Smith with 15 points on just seven shots from the field last night, including 4-of-6 from deep, but it was his leadership that spoke volumes to me. The way that both he and Smith present themselves in moments of adversity is what makes this team so special. There was never a moment where you saw players side-eye one another after what could've been a questionable shot or decision. No finger pointing after a lazy pass that resulted in a turnover. No arguing after a missed defensive assignment. Instead, there was unwavering confidence and an expectation to not let it happen again as they dig themselves out of the hole they were in. </p>   <p>On several occasions, Brown was pulling Smith and others aside communicating with them before big free throws, a break in the action to a talk about coverage or simply provide a boost of confidence to raise their awareness for the moment. The senior dished out four assists as well in the championship effort.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Trio of Cadets show what's to come</h2>   <p>If you asked the majority of folks, the WCAC was going to be PVI's to lose, especially with Smith lacing up. Not even a day removed from the game, it's only right to look ahead for what the future of the league holds and while there will be plenty of transfer moves that take place, St. John's boasts a trio that should have them favored to return to the title game next year.</p>   <p>The trio of 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2353547' first='Jymin' last='Veney'], 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2353549' first='Jordan' last='Taylor'] and 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2524394' first='Kareem' last='Smith-Bey'] should have the St. John's fanbase ecstatic for what's ahead not just based off their performances last night, but throughout the WCAC tournament as a whole. All finished in double figures as Veney and Smith-Bey had 15 each while Taylor was responsible for 14. Already a battle-tested group, this loss will serve as another resource of motivation as they set sights on the DC State Tournament and gear up to avenge their loss in the 2026-27 season.</p>

The 2025-26 WCAC season ended in what most would argue as the best tournament of recent memory in another classic fashion as Paul VI Catholic won their third-straight conference title in a double-overtime 82-76. It was a game that folks in attendance will be talking about for years to come and below, I try to unpack some of the biggest takeaways from the matchup.