Raiders meet D-I champions
No. 15 Shea faces tough test against No. 2 Mt. Pleasant
PAWTUCKET – Shea High head coach Steve DeMeo knows full well most Rhode Island high school aficionados would bet against his 15th-seeded squad when it takes the floor against second-ranked Mount Pleasant in a state Open tournament first-round tilt tonight at 5:30 inside Johnston High’s gym.
After all, the Kilties not only shared the Division I regular-season title with perennial powerhouse Hendricken, but also eked out an electric 78-76 overtime
victory over the Hawks to snatch the D-I tourney championship. They also will carry a stunning 22-2 record into this one opposite the Raiders.
“They’ll be the quickest team we face this season, no doubt about it,” DeMeo stated. “They’re a fine D-I team; they tied Hendricken in points at the end of the (regular) season, but for some reason they drew the second seed for the state (divisional) tournament.
“Mount Pleasant is very good, really quick with great athletes up and down the roster,” he added. “They don’t lose a bit of speed or talent when they make substitutions.”
DeMeo had an outstanding reason for focusing on beating the full-court press during Wednesday’s afternoon’s final prep session inside “The Cage.” He explained how effective MP is smothering passing lanes right up to the baseline.
“We did scout them when they played Hendricken at the D-I title game down at CCRI (Warwick),” he noted. “They’re all over you defensively, make it hard to get the ball down floor … There have been two major things we’ve been working on – dropping the amount of turnovers and limiting Mount to one shot at the basket.
“If they get two, three or four tries with their rebounding and hit their putbacks, we’re in for a long night. I will say this, though; the guys are playing well, and they’re practicing with a particular purpose. They’re not going through the motions (Wednesday). They seem a little edgy, and I like that.
“After practicing and playing for threeplus months here in ‘The Cage,’ it starts to get claustrophobic,” he added with a laugh, “but the guys also know how important this is. We always say we want to be the hardest-working team on the floor.
“If we do that against MP, then we’ve got a chance.”
Kilties to watch are numerous, DeMeo explained, and it starts with the backcourt, including 5-10 senior guard Charles Martinez and 6-0 junior Manny Roman.
“Roman is a flat-out, bonafide scorer; he’s essentially our (sophomore, guard) Erickson Bans,” assistant coach Mike Neal, a 2012 SHS grad said. “But the thing about him is he’s more aggressive in terms of getting to the rim, and he also takes a bit more pride on the defensive end.
“Martinez is their playmaker,” he continued. “He’s what makes them tick. He’s a capable scorer, for sure, but he is a great, great defender … As for Robinson, he’s their big guy at probably 6-3, and he’s a tremendous athlete. He has a good face-up game and a steady jump shot; the kid can shoot the three.”
Neal also said 6-0 sophomore guard Naszell Pona is a very capable sixth man for MP.
Naturally, the keys for the Raiders (15-9 overall) will be senior centers Ruben Delgado and Joe Adegboyega and junior forward Stenio Lopes on the boards; and Bans, senior Gerald Soe, junior Marquis Gomes and classmate Nathan Rodrigues at guards.
“Offensively, they just try to beat you down the floor,” DeMeo offered. “They don’t try to dazzle you with set plays; they just want to rebound and run … Hendricken played them with a zone defense, and MP seemed to handle it well. And, if they’re covered, there’s no sense of urgency on their part to get a shot up. If a shot’s not there, the won’t rush it.
“Plus, if they put up a shot and it doesn’t go, you know they’re going after it.
“I will say that, fundamentally, we’re going to have to be near-perfect if we want a shot at an upset, and I like the way the kids have looked. Who knows?”