The DeMatha Stags are looking like they are in fine shape for the 2016-2017 basketball season. They were ranked #12 in the USA Today expert poll before they even played their first game on December 6 against Cardozo. The win against the Clerks was a home opener blowout that showed the new talent that is on the horizon for the all-boys Catholic school in Maryland.
Darren Harvey is unquestionably the leader of this team. Affectionately known as DJ, Harvey is headed to Notre Dame next year which has drawn comparisons to DeMatha great Adrian Dantley. The two have similar styles, although Dantley put up more impressive numbers during his four years as a starter on the varsity. If DJ Harvey can hover around 20 points per game this DeMatha team will find it easier to navigate a challenging schedule. Seniors Josh Carlton and Ryan Allen are poised to provide stability at the center and point guard positions, respectively, and the emphasis on team basketball is obvious in their chemistry.
The trio must share the responsibility for putting up the points in order to remain competitive. A stingy defense that relies on production from everybody is the foundation that DeMatha basketball has built upon successfully in the past. You can follow most of the home games for the Stags on DMStagsTV (sign-up required) but also look for them on regular television.
Varsity 🏀Home OPENER Right here: https://t.co/DKNP7x8kXZ W Murphy and OConnor! @DeMathaCatholic @DeMathaHoops @ITLR_DMV
— DMStagsTV (@DmStagsTV) December 6, 2016
Cardozo was the first to find out that DeMatha is a squad oriented for play inside the paint that is also long and deep in the front court. Josh Carlton is going to have help at the center position during his first year as a starter because the Stags added Freshman Hunter Dickinson and Sophomore Jordan Wilmore. The Cardozo Clerks found it difficult to score around the rim and only managed a measly six points in the second and third quarters on their way to 95 – 29 loss. (Watch the full game in the DMStagsTV link above.) The stifling defense paved the way for other underclassmen like Sophomore Justin Moore to shine and the entire healthy roster got playing time in the game.
Head Coach Mike Jones is still on his quest to bring DeMatha their fortieth league title but he still recognizes that he has the balance to compete with anyone in the country. With scheduled games against Joseph Wheeler (GA), Roselle Catholic (NJ), Bishop Gorman (NV), Greenforest (GA), and The Patrick School (NJ) the Stags’ ambitions are also focused on national achievement. Alumni and fans would probably expect nothing less but there is something more to this team than meets the eye. There is a tremendous upside to this basketball team because youth will inevitably be served with a 16-man roster almost evenly split between upperclassmen and underclassmen.
For the first time, in what seems like a long time, DeMatha basketball opponents aren’t focused on the current projected number one draft pick Markelle Fultz. This team has a tremendous potential to grow together and the reshuffling of roles has created new opportunities for lesser known players. Senior John McRae and Junior Devin Richmond are two such players that show some of the depth that DeMatha has amassed by maintaining a successful program at every level. While the supernatural scoring ability of a star player will certainly be missed, there are others that are prepared to contribute.
DeMatha still has players on the junior varsity that would start on varsity at schools with less talent. Eleanor Roosevelt high school fell to the Stags on December 8 to give DeMatha (2-0) their second win of the basketball season. (Highlights from that win are from Capitol Hoops below.) Even in a more evenly matched game DeMatha players that are invested in heeding the genius of Coach Jones just seem to fare better. [Bonus: watch Victor Oladipo double-pump smash on Dwight Howard courtesy of my new friend, Ximo Pierto.] The best coach in the league country is known for getting the best out of his players as well as helping them reach their full potential.
Student-athletes that paid their dues will have the chance to earn their rewards with the Stags this year. Senior guard Jhabari Humbert is looking for chance to end his DeMatha career on a high note and he may just get his wish. The USA Today computer rankings have the Stags at #9 in the country and a national title isn’t unreasonable if the team goals that were set at the start of the season are met. Juniors Justin Gielen and Xavier Mabry are both juniors fighting for respect by winning their first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title.
DeMatha hasn’t won the championship in six years but the future looks bright for the Stags. Sophomores Jamel Melvin, Bobby Carson and Carsten Kolgenik are expected to develop well this season. Mark Fidelis and Paul Smith will also see time over the next few months of what is sure to be a season packed with action. Coach Jones might have taken a cue from the nationally ranked football team this year and built a formidable team. The DeMatha Stags basketball team will be tested early in the National Hoops Festival later today (December 10) as they open their national schedule at home with other elite Nike teams.
[Featured image from Associated Press / Gregory Payan]
The Chronicles of Six 