In a year with so many changes and breaks from tradition, one constant has remained: There’s some awfully good basketball being played in the West Catholic Athletic League.
With that being said, the league will be a bit different this year. Instead of playing a full double round-robin, the league has been split into two four-team divisions. The North contains Serra and the three San Francisco schools, while St. Francis and the three San Jose teams are in the South. Teams will play each division opponent twice in a Wednesday-Friday home-and-home format for six games total. As of now, there are plans to hold a league tournament in the final week of May.
As for the actual teams, here’s how they stack up:
NORTH DIVISION
Riordan (2-1)
The Crusaders are a different-looking team after graduating Je’Lani Clark and Bryce Monroe, shifting from a fast-paced offense to a lineup filled with tremendous size that’s allowed no more than 50 points across three nonleague games. Center Mor Seck and power forward Robert Vaihola, who announced his commitment to Fresno State on Monday, anchor a defense that makes it incredibly difficult for opponents to attack the basket.
The offense is led by point guard King-Jhsanni Wilhite, who spent his freshman year at St. Ignatius. Lee Hubbard III is a stingy defender who’s had an expanded offensive role at guard this season, and 6’6 freshman Zion Sensley has been hyped up as the next big thing to come out of the Bay Area. He was joined by another freshman, JV callup Quinton Bundage, in Saturday’s loss to Campolindo.
Players to watch: C Mor Seck (Jr.), F Robert Vaihola (Sr.), G King-Jhsanni Wilhite (So.)
Sacred Heart Cathedral (1-1)
The undersized but fast-paced Fightin’ Irish enter league play coming off a stellar defensive effort, allowing 43 points in a win over Tamalpais one night after allowing 76 in a blowout loss to Half Moon Bay. Ray-John Jackson has established himself as a prolific scorer across his first two seasons of varsity basketball, and with defenses focused on Jackson, opportunities open up for Crawford to attack. Junior forward Eli McCarty impressed when called up to varsity last year and can offer much-needed physicality in the post.
Players to watch: G Kyle Crawford (Sr.), G Ray-John Jackson (Jr.), G Tre McPherson (Sr.)
Serra (2-2)
After graduating seven seniors from last year’s roster, the Padres return just one starter in Dimitri Koutsogeorgas, a tenacious defender at just 5-foot-8 who has moved into point guard duties this year. They did receive a major shot in the arm with two junior transfers as forward Garret Keyhani came in from Menlo and guard Miles Klapper made the move from Burlingame.
With the ability to shoot from all over the floor and tremendous mobility, Keyhani is the type of post player who thrives in Serra’s system. The rest of the roster boasts tremendous depth, with interchangeable parts throughout the lineup. Chris Garcia, who was limited by injuries throughout his junior year, has impressed as one of the best outside shooters on a team that’s going to launch a high volume of 3-pointers.
Players to watch: F Garret Keyhani (Jr.), G Miles Klapper (Jr.), G Dimitri Koutsogeorgas (Sr.)
St. Ignatius (3-2)
With a new head coach in Jason Greenfield, the Wildcats have been an extremely 3-point-focused team to start the season. While they’ve been feast-or-famine on the offensive side, the defense has delivered in all five games to this point, allowing no more than 51 points. That 51 came against a Sacred Heart Prep team that’s scored at least 68 in every other game, a testament to SI’s ability to keep shooters from getting free and limit second chances.
Senior center Ethan Jew has swallowed up every rebound in sight, while Riordan transfer Sean Quanico has been in sync with GC Toledo Rivera to deliver a strong scoring tandem at guard. Ryan Conroy doesn’t take many shots, but he runs the offense well and is very active on defense. SI is one of the deepest teams in the entire league, with 12 players in the rotation.
Players to watch: C Ethan Jew (Sr.), G Sean Quanico (Jr.), G GC Toledo Rivera (Jr.)
SOUTH DIVISION
Bellarmine (2-0)
The Bells have tremendous size up and down their roster, and the one who stands tallest is the most important player on the floor. Ryan Kiachian, a 6-foot-9 center who committed to Cornell over the summer, has opened his third year of varsity basketball with a bang, scoring 28 in a season-opening win over Serra. Josh Wolf-Bloom is an all-around asset at forward, having been called one of the best passers in school history by head coach Patrick Schneider, and Zach Turner impressed as a junior when injuries forced him into a prominent role. Replacing point guard Quinn Denker is a tall task, but Theoren Brouillette has run the offense well and Michael Oliverio has given good minutes off the bench.
Players to watch: F Cole Despie (Sr.), C Ryan Kiachian (Sr.), F Josh Wolf-Bloom (Sr.)
Mitty (2-1)
After last year’s CCS Open Division Champions relied on a unit of guards sharing the ball, this year’s Monarchs look completely different, boasting tremendous size to go with their outside shooting ability. Six-foot-5 Zach Granberry, who only saw the floor in blowouts as a junior, had a huge game against Bishop O’Dowd as Mitty pulled out a marquee road win.
Arrish Bhandal towers over the competition in the post, combining with Granberry, Nigel Burris and sophomore Derek Sangster to offer length that head coach Tim Kennedy hasn’t had at his disposal in years, but the Monarchs’ best rebounder may be junior forward Aidan Burke, who stands at 6-3 but can crash the boards with the best of them.
Of course, no breakdown of the Monarchs would be complete without mentioning senior guard Mikey Mitchell, who’s been committed to Pepperdine since his sophomore season. While most star players try to put teams on their backs, Mitchell is a team-first player who loves to spread the ball around, focusing on quality of shots over quantity.
Players to watch: C Arrish Bhandal (Sr.), F Nigel Burris (Sr.), G Mikey Mitchell (Sr.)
St. Francis (1-1)
With a closer-than-expected win over Piedmont Hills and a loss at Half Moon Bay, the Lancers are off to a slower start than expected, but with so much of their roster coming over from football, it’s understandable for them to need some time to find their land legs. The junior trio of Harlan Banks, Vince Barringer and Isaiah Kerr impressed as sophomores, and while the Class of 2022 should lead the way on this team, the two seniors will still be a valuable part of the equation as well. Nick Weitzel is a dangerous outside shooter, and head coach Mike Motil loves Anay Nagarajan’s hustle on defense.
Players to watch: G Harlan Banks (Jr.), F Vince Barringer (Jr.), G Isaiah Kerr (Jr.)
Valley Christian (1-0)
After years of asking if Valley Christian will rise from the depths of the WCAL, the Warriors are finally equipped with a young core that should bring the team not only to relevance, but to excellence. Losing point guard Jaiden Paran, forward Sam Roush and center Tichyque Musaka to transfer left big shoes to fill, but the Warriors have welcomed in another standout freshman in 6-foot-4 Marcus Washington, who’s already made waves on the EYBL circuit. Sophomore sharpshooter Pasha Goodarzi can help fill the hole left by the graduation of Aleksa Jovanovic, while 6-foot-5 Will Hook can score from both the outside and inside.
Players to watch: F Will Hook (Jr.), G Pasha Goodarzi (So.), F Marcus Washington (Fr.)