Assessing the Slam Dunk field
Kenny Riedel is a Cape Henlopen and University of Delaware graduate who currently is a special education teacher with the Cape Henlopen School District. Kenny worked for The Review while a University of Delaware student and spent a year with the Sports Information Department. He is the statman for the Cape boys' basketball team and is a relentless tracker of all things related to high school basketball. Reidel will offer insights into Slam Dunk to the Beach in the weeks leading up to the tournament Dec. 27-29.
Appoquinimink Jaguars (Middletown, Del.)
Record: 1-0 (18-4 in 2015)
Coach: Steve Wright
Key Player: 6-foot-4 junior shooting guard Myles Cale (offers from Temple, LaSalle, others)
The Jags lost a close state tournament quarterfinal matchup to eventual champion Salesianum last season, and they’re a good bet to visit The Bob in March. Cale is a pure scorer from the two-guard spot who ranks among the top 100 juniors in the nation. Senior guard Kristian Alexander is another key contributor. Appo may have the Slam’s best name in sophomore guard Premiere Romeo.
Bishop McNamara Mustangs (Forestville, Md.)
Record: 3-1, lost to Maret Dec. 1 (18-11 in 2015)
Coach: Marty Keithline
Key Player: 6-foot-6 senior small forward Sam Green (Drexel commit)
The Mustangs have long been one of the most feared programs in Maryland, and that hasn’t changed in 2015-16. Green ranks among the region’s more versatile wings, and his inside-outside game is one of the reasons why McNamara toppled big names DeMatha and National Christian last year. Forwards Makhi and Makhel Mitchell - 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-9, respectively - are top 50 freshmen with great skill for their size. Junior Jamir Moultrie is highly rated at the point guard spot and holds a scholarship offer from West Virginia.
Bishop O’Connell Knights (Arlington, Va.)
Record: 2-2, lost to Paul VI Dec. 8 (20-11 in 2015)
Coach: Joe Wootten
Key Player: 6-foot-3 senior point guard Ako Adams (Rice commit)
O’Connell is coached by the son of DeMatha’s legendary Morgan Wootten, who won nearly 1,300 games in his tenure. The younger Wootten will look to edge closer to his father’s mark behind Adams, a quick, scoring combo guard who put up 17 points per game and 66 three-pointers a season ago. Six-foot-8 junior center Nate Watson, a transfer from Capitol Christian (Md.), is a fast-improving top 150 prospect.
Cape Henlopen Vikings (Lewes, Del.)
Record: 1-1 (9-12 in 2015)
Coach: Stephen Re
Key Player: 6-foot-5 sophomore small forward Randy Rickards
The host Vikings rely on skilled sophomore wings Rickards and Ian Robertson for scoring punch, while undersized senior Demetrius Price (8 assists in Cape’s win over Polytech Dec. 8) runs the show with flair.
Dover Senators (Dover, Del.)
Record: 1-1, lost to Neumann-Goretti Dec. 5 (14-8 in 2015)
Coach: Stephen Wilson
Key Player: 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard Jordan Allen (Rider commit)
The sweet-shooting Allen rocketed up recruiting boards with a strong summer on the AAU circuit. He leads a deep, experienced Senators squad that hung with Pennsylvania power Neumann-Goretti for three quarters in its opener. This team could be the first from below the canal to win a state title since 1997. Watch out for forward Terrence Woodlin, the team’s leading rebounder and No. 2 scorer a year ago.
Friendship Collegiate Knights (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 0-0 (3-14 in 2015)
Coach: Bryan Bartley
Key Player: 5-foot-9 senior point guard Alani Moore (Temple commit)
For the Knights, it’s all about Moore, a top 200 Temple pledge who poured in 17 points per night at powerhouse Montrose Christian (Md.) last season. Moore’s court vision and feel for the game are top-notch, while his quickness allows him to get to the rim with ease. Bartley was Moore’s coach at Montrose last year, but he resigned in April when the school elected to “de-emphasize” its hoops program.
La Lumiere Lakers (La Porte, Ind.) Ranked No. 4 by USA Today
Record: 8-0 (24-3 in 2015)
Coach: Shane Heirman
Key Player: 6-foot-7 junior small forward Brian “Tugs” Bowen (No. 20 recruit in junior class; offers from Michigan State, Louisville, Indiana and others)
The Lakers’ quick rise to the ranks of the national elite continues behind its formidable front court. Bowen is a bouncy wing who can slash with the best, while junior center Jeremiah Tilmon - like Bowen, a top 25 national prospect - is supremely skilled and boasts a 7-foot-2 wingspan. Senior center James Banks will bring his physical defensive presence to Texas next year. La Lumiere features at least 10 players who will earn Division I scholarships, seven of them 6-foot-6 or taller. Keep an eye on jet-quick point guard Tyger Campbell, one of the country’s top freshman.
Maret Frogs (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 3-2, beat Bishop McNamara Dec. 1 (20-4 in 2015)
Coach: Chuck Driesell
Key Player: 6-foot-10 junior center Luka Garza (offers from George Washington, Iowa, others)
This edition of Slam Dunk suffers from no shortage of coaching royalty, as Chuck Driesell - son of Lefty - mans the sidelines for Maret. Garza, one of the most skilled big men around, is a human highlight reel of jump hooks, drop-steps and pump fakes. Six-foot-6 power forward Devonte Gordon is a bruiser underneath.
Mount Pleasant Green Knights (Wilmington, Del.)
Record: 1-0 (21-3 in 2015)
Coach: Lisa Sullivan
Key Player: 6-foot-1 senior guard Raheim Burnett
The explosive Burnett averaged 19 points per game for the backcourt-heavy, experienced Knights, who fell to eventual state champion Salesianum in the DIAA semifinals last year. Slasher Robert Myrick and three-point threat Sharif Holland also return for Mount Pleasant, which adds big-time 6-foot-4 transfer DeJon Backus to the fold. Lisa Sullivan’s squad is The News Journal’s preseason No. 1 team in Delaware.
The Patrick School Celtics (Elizabeth, N.J.)
Record: 0-0 (18-6 in 2015)
Coach: Mike Rice
Key Player: Senior point guard Bryce Aiken (Harvard commit)
The story here should be the fact that the Celtics, on the verge of a top 25 national ranking, will suit up at least five Division I guys. Or that Aiken’s stroke from deep and off-the-charts hoops IQ (think Marcus Paige) will give opponents nightmares. All that took a back seat to last week’s hiring of Mike Rice as head coach. Rice was fired from the same position at Rutgers after video showed him throwing basketballs at players’ heads and screaming homophobic slurs. Despite the Celtics’ wealth of talent - center Nick Richards is ESPN’s No. 13 junior - the spotlight may be on Rice.
