Sports

Cancer Research Classic preview

CHSAA boys basketball beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down Saturday’s Cancer Research Classic, featuring Christ the King, Rice and Mount Vernon

What: Cancer Research Classic

Where: Wheeling Jesuit University

When: Saturday

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Here’s the schedule:

12:30 p.m. – Rice vs. Northland (Ohio)

2 p.m. – DeMatha (Md.) vs. St. Andrew’s (R.I.)

3:30 p.m. – Archbishop John Carroll (Pa.) vs. Wheeling Park (W.Va.)

5 p.m. – Gonzaga (D.C.) vs. Christ the King

6:30 p.m. – Neumann-Goretti (Pa.) vs. Mount Vernon

8 p.m. – St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) vs. Wheeling Central Catholic (W.Va.)

Rice Raiders

Head coach: Dwayne Mitchell

Record: 7-3

Player to watch: Jermaine Sanders

Northland (Ohio) Vikings

Head coach: Satch Sullinger

Record: 4-0

Player to watch: Trey Burke

Outlook: After a strong performance against Penn Wood (Pa.) at the Palestra Sunday, Rice is coming off a stunning loss to St. Peter’s on Wednesday. Although several starters, including Cincinnati-bound swingman Jermaine Sanders, didn’t play, it’s a defeat that surely stings first-year head coach Dwayne Mitchell and the Raiders. They’ll be looking to bounce back quickly Saturday against a Northland team anxious to prove itself on the national stage.

Jared Sullinger may have moved on to Ohio State and is now wreaking havoc on the Big Ten, but Northland is not devoid of high-level talent. The Vikings return 6-foot-8 Jalen Robinson, 6-foot-8 Devon Scott and 6-foot-3 Ke’chaun Lewis, who have all received numerous Division I looks and point guard Trey Burke has already locked up a scholarship to Michigan. Burke may prove to be a difference maker against a Rice team lacking a solid floor general.

DeMatha (Md.) Stags

Head coach: Mike Jones

Record: 12-0

Player to watch: Mikael Hopkins

St. Andrew’s (R.I.) Saints

Head coach: Michael Hart

Record: 10-3

Player to watch: Michael Carter-Williams

Outlook: Duke-bound Quinn Cook transferred to Oak Hill Academy (Va.), but that hasn’t stopped DeMatha from rolling right along this year. Led by Georgetown recruit Mikael Hopkins, a 6-foot-9 senior, the Stags are 12-0, after defeating Bishop McNamara, 64-53, Thursday night. Six-foot-seven junior Jerami Grant came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points, while Hopkins had 13 points and 12 boards and Jairus Lyles added 12 for DeMatha, which also captured the Les Schwab Invitational, defeating Bishop Gorman (Nev.) in the final.

St. Andrew’s is led by Syracuse-bound Michael Carter-Williams, who is on a tear this season. The 6-foot-5 rail-thin shooting guard outdueled Oregon signee Jabari Brown and highly touted Julius Randle to lead the Saints to a third-place finish at the National Prep Classic in California last month.

Archbishop John Carroll (Pa.) Patriots

Head coach: Paul Romanczuk

Record: 6-2

Player to watch: Juan’ya Green

Wheeling Park (W.Va.) Patriots

Head coach: Michael Jebbia

Record: 8-0

Player to watch: Kelvin (Bubby) Goodwin

Outlook: Archbishop Carroll features 6-foot-3 combo guard Juan’ya Green, who is headed for Niagara University. Green, who scored his 1,000th career point earlier this year, has been the Patriots top scorer in every game this season, including a 70-39 blowout of host Cardinal O’Hara Thursday.

Wheeling Park should be bolstered by what is expected to be a large home crowd. The Patriots are led by Kelvin (Bubby) Goodwin, a two-time all-state selection. The 6-foot senior point guard can really fill up a stat sheet and he’s aided by uber-athletic Marqez O’Neal, a 6-foot-3 forward senior. Wheeling Park, ranked No. 1 in West Virginia, picked up a huge road win Dec. 30, defeating previously unbeaten George Washington, 60-56.

Gonzaga (D.C.) Eagles

Head coach: Steve Turner

Record: 9-4

Player to watch: Nate Britt

Christ the King Royals

Head coach: Joe Arbitello

Record: 5-2

Player to watch: Omar Calhoun

Outlook: This is Gonzaga’s third crack at a CHSAA team, having defeated Holy Cross, 55-41, at the Gonzaga DC Classic and losing to Rice, 62-58, at the Beach Ball Classic. The Eagles are led by a trio of highly regarded sophomores – point guard Nate Britt, 6-foot-5 Kris Jenkins and 6-foot-6 D.J. Fenner. After losing to Rice playing without Jenkins, Gonzaga has bounced back to win back-to-back games, including a 61-42 blowout of Good Counsel (Md.) Thursday. Jenkins had 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals in that victory.

Christ the King was an unspectacular 3-2 in December, including a disappointing 1-2 at the City of Palms Classic, but the Royals are 2-0 since point guard Corey Edwards returned from a month-long disciplinary suspension. With the George Mason-bound senior back, Christ the King came up with a big overtime win against Neumann-Goretti at the Villa Holiday Classic and survived a scare at Archbishop Molloy Tuesday, winning 65-60 at Jack Curran Gymnasium.

Neumann-Goretti (Pa.) Saints

Head coach: Carl Arrigale

Record: 4-2

Player to watch: Lamin Fulton

Mount Vernon Knights

Head coach: Bob Cimmino

Record: 5-2

Player to watch: Jabarie Hinds

Outlook: With Morgantown about 50 miles away, Mount Vernon standout Jabarie Hinds, a Mountaineers recruit, should be a fan favorite at Wheeling Jesuit University. In a tune-up to Saturday’s clash, Mount Vernon shook off more than two weeks of rust by thrashing rival White Plains, 72-45, Thursday night in a game marred by a post-game shooting outside of the school.

Hinds, a candidate for New York’s Mr. Basketball, is one of three returning starters, joining Khalid Samuels and Horace Copeland, and 6-foot-6 junior forward Jarrel Marshall was offered a scholarship to Iona College before ever playing a varsity game.

Perhaps the story of Nuemann-Goretti’s demise was a bit premature. The Saints graduated four Division I players and even coach Carl Arrigale pronounced his team to be young. But the Philadelphia powerhouse took Christ the King to overtime Sunday in a loss at the Palestra and then trounced visiting LaSalle Thursday in its league opener. The Saints are led by lightning quick Lamin Fulton, a Saint Peter’s recruit, and Derrick Stewart, a 6-foot-5 junior whose brother, Daniel, is now at Rider.

St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) Hawks

Head coach: William (Speedy) Morris

Record: 5-2

Player to watch: Steve Vasturia

Wheeling Central Catholic (W.Va.) Maroon Knights

Head coach: Mel Stephens

Record: 4-2

Player to watch: Shane Greskevitch

Outlook: With legendary William (Speedy) Morris at the helm, the Hawks run a motion offense tough to defend. Combo guards Steve Vasturia and Mike Fee run the offense with aplomb and they are complimented by 6-foot-3 forward Gene Williams and Miles Overton, a sophomore guard who transferred from Academy of the New Church and is the son of former LaSalle and NBA veteran Doug Overton.

Shane Greskevitch, a 6-foot-4 senior, is the lone returning starter for Wheeling Central, while guard Brandon Ingram saw valuable time off the bench a year ago. The Maroon Knights are 4-2 heading into Friday night’s tilt at Trinity Christian in Morgantown. These programs know each other well – this is their third meeting at the Cancer Research Classic.

dbutler@nypost.com