CHSAA Class A boys basketball beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down Tuesday’s Class A semifinals at Cardinal Spellman.
Here’s the schedule:
6 p.m. – Mount St. Michael vs. Archbishop Stepinac
7:30 p.m. – Cardinal Hayes vs. Iona Prep
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Mount St. Michael Mountaineers
Head coach: Tom Fraher
Record: 24-1
Player to watch: Peter Aguilar
Archbishop Stepinac Crusaders
Head coach: Tim Philp
Record: 17-9
Player to watch: Conroy Baltimore
Outlook: Mount avoided a second straight huge upset in the quarterfinal round by beating Monsignor McClancy, 72-50, at home Saturday to reach the semifinals.
The Mountaineers have the league’s top scorer in Peter Aguilar and its best defender in point guard Malik Gill. The team’s role players, guards Clarence White and Anthony Maestre and forward Omari Manhertz, are all capable of stepping up in a big spot.
Archbishop Stepinac is the defending Class A intersectional champions and is playing like it late in the season. Lehigh-bound Conroy Baltimore is a force inside, while guards James Chillemi and Julian Wright are a handful for any team. Sure, Mount swept the regular-season series but that was then and this is now, says Stepinac coach Tim Philp.
“We’re a different team from when we played them, but they’re playing real well,” he said. “Two teams playing really well, it should be a great game. Too bad I have to coach in it, I’d like to sit and watch.”
Mount was successful against Stepinac during the regular season because it was physical with Baltimore. That will again be the plan with Manhertz earning the defensive assignment.
“The key with Baltimore is, you have to block him out,” Mount coach Tom Fraher said. “He’s got great feet, great timing and he’s long so when a shot goes up you have to find him and move him out. You can’t just go to the rim.”
Cardinal Hayes Cardinals
Head coach: Joe Lods
Record: 20-5
Player to watch: Amadou Sidibe
Iona Prep Gaels
Head coach: Vic Quirolo
Record: 12-12
Player to watch: Felix Abongo
Outlook: Cardinal Hayes shook off a slow start against Monsignor Farrell Saturday to cruise to a 73-52 win in the quarterfinals. The Cardinals went inside to the league’s best frontcourt in 6-foot-8 Amadou Sidibe and 6-foot-7 Jalen Jenkins, which allowed Tavon Nelson some open looks from beyond the arc that he converted into 3-pointers.
Hayes also often creates matchup problems from the guard position as well with 6-foot-2 Davon Sylvester and 6-foot-4 Fadil Yacoubou.
The Cardinals reached the Class A final a year ago and they’re a heavy favorite to get to Rose Hill Gym again. They beat Iona Prep twice during the season – 60-46 at Hayes on Jan. 31 and 54-44 in New Rochelle on Feb. 15.
The Gaels might be undersized and undermanned, but they also have no pressure, which should allow them to play free and easy. Iona Prep defeated St. Edmund Prep, 36-29, in the quarterfinals and while the Gaels have struggled to score this year, they have consistently played solid defense, a staple of Vic Quirolo’s teams.
“Everybody underestimated us and we surprised a lot of people,” Iona’s Kevin Conroy said. “That makes it all the more better.”