(Prep2Prep takes a look at some of the anticipated best high school teams in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, today focusing on the Bishop O'Dowd boys)
OAKLAND, CA- There was no doubt in anybody’s mind that after last year’s young Bishop O’Dowd squad lost to the 2014 national champion Mater Dei Monarchs in the CIF-State Open Division State Final that they would once again be right at the top as one of the best teams in the Bay Area.
The Dragons' track record is pretty remarkable, being on a current 40-game league win streak, with back-to back-to back NCS titles and three out of give NorCal titles. The Dragons this year will be looking to do something that no O’Dowd team has done since 1981, bring the state title back to the small Catholic school on the hill.
The Dragons main two weapons are Ivan Rabb and Paris Austin, both being the top two recruits in the Bay Area according to CBS Sports. Austin, after receiving many Division one offers, elected to play at Boise State, while Rabb is still deciding - his top 5 schools which are currently Kentucky, Kansas, Arizona, Cal, and UCLA.
Coach Lou Richie (55-9) knew that his team could face off against anybody in the country, and decided to play Bishop Gorman -- originally ranked seventh in the nation according to MaxPreps -- to start off their long season. The Dragons, although the underdogs, were able to handle Gorman at the Prep2prep Tip-Off Classic where Rabb had 28 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 steals. It was a major statement game for the Dragons, now taking Gorman's spot as the seventh-best team in the United States. Austin was also able to rack up 15 points and 5 assists.
“Going into the game we knew Gorman wanted to avenge the loss from last year when we upset them,” said 3 year varsity player Jeevin Sandhu. “We really opened up the game with our third quarter run where we went on a big 14-0 run. Ivan played huge for us and really performed great.”
So what next for the Dragons? Well let’s just say that Bishop Gorman was not even close to the Dragons' top priority as they still have to travel to Florida and play the best team in the United States, Montverde Academy next week on ESPN. After a dominating win over Gorman, if the Dragons were to pull off another upset, they could in fact be seen as the best team in the United States.
“We are really looking forward and hungry to prove ourselves through the rest of the preseason and ultimately win state. That is our ultimate goal,” said Sandhu.
O’Dowd will also have to play in the Iolani Classic in Hawaii, along with 3 more top 25 teams in the next two months. Their skill will be tested, not having a true home game until West Alameda County Conference league starts up in January.
On Saturday O'Dowd defeated Riordan 59-41 in the first Merv Booker Classic at Kezar Pavilion. This special event was named after the late coach Booker, a longtime AAU, high school and collegiate coach and former Skyline College player, who passed away in the spring. Two Bay Area basketball legends were to be recognized and honored at the event – Riordan’s Alton Byrd ’75, a fifth team, All-American point guard who attended Columbia University, and O’Dowd’s Tony Jackson ’82, named California Mr. Basketball in 1982 and a member of the O’Dowd Hall of Fame, who starred at DePaul University.
Byrd, a diminutive and entertaining point guard, led Riordan to WCAL titles in 1972-73 and 1973-74.
