Editor's note: Prep2Prep is previewing some of the top boys basketball teams in the Bay Area. Today we take a look at Archbishop Mitty High School of San Jose
For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Archbishop Mitty basketball team will take the court without the presence of superstar Aaron Gordon. In his four years at Mitty, Gordon — now playing collegiately at the University of Arizona — was a phenom, leading the Monarchs to 112 victories, two state championships, three Northern California Championships and three WCAL titles. The three-time WCAL player of the year was the centerpiece of Mitty’s team, dominating in every facet of the game.
This year, the Monarchs are forced to contend with a significant challenge — to make up for the absence of a player of Gordon’s caliber. Despite the obvious difficulties, assistant coach Peter Dumesnil is optimistic about the team’s prospects this season.
“Obviously with the loss of Aaron there are significant changes,” he said. “That being said, we still expect to be a very good team that competes for championships and we think we have the talent to do so.”
In terms of team talent, the Monarchs have several players who will look to take on more responsibility this year. Senior shooting guard Connor Peterson, who recently committed to Azusa Pacific University, will take on a larger role in the offense. Peterson’s strengths include his excellent ball skills and shooting, as well as his defensive ability. According to Dumesnil, Peterson’s leadership also makes him a quality player.
“(Connor) has a lot of experience and has been a successful player for us in big games (in the past),” Dumesnil said. “He has a chance to do really good things this year.”
Another player with similarly strong big-game experience is junior point guard Matt McAndrews. Dumesnil cited McAndrews’s ability in transition and explosiveness off the dribble as his strengths. McAndrews will ideally distribute the ball to Peterson and senior JP Rindfleisch, whose craftiness and excellent shot make him a dynamic scorer.
The Monarchs also have a slightly less polished talent in sophomore Ben Kone. The 6-foot-7 transfer from Salesian-Richmond, though raw, is a very powerful player on the post who should provide the Monarchs some size in the middle of the court. On the other side of the ball, 6-5 senior shooting guard Ian Aguilar is an athletic, apt defensive player who should play a large role in Mitty’s defense.
It’s clear that the Monarchs are eager and ready to meet the challenge of losing such a key part of the team. Aaron Gordon has left his legacy and moved on, so the time is ripe for Mitty’s emerging stars to write a tale of their own.
