Monacan Boys Basketball: Regular Season Recap and Postseason Preview
Everything you need to know about the Monacan Chiefs as they make a run for a second straight State Championship (Originally posted 2/8)
Regular Season Record: 13–7
Wins: Dinwiddie (69 to 65), Hanover (72 to 56), @Powhatan (79 to 63), @Midlothian (74 to 52), Clover Hill (76 to 63), Cosby (61 to 50), Huguenot (81 to 74), Midlothian (54 to 42), @Clover Hill (58 to 57), James River (57 to 46), @Western Branch (59 to 57), @Cosby (65 to 48), @Manchester (63 to 59 in OT).
Losses: @James River (60 to 38), @Wythe (71 to 63), @Manchester (67 to 59), @Matoaca (75 to 68), @Wythe (70 to 57), Heritage (54 to 43), @Huguenot (68 to 59).
Postseason forecast:
While it’s unrealistic to expect another state title, it’s certainly within reach for this year’s group. With the 19th best record out of 52 teams in Class 4A, the Chiefs will need to catch fire quickly to have a shot at making the state tournament. In Conference 20, Monacan and Huguenot (12–8) are miles ahead of the competition; they’ve split their two head to head matchups and will likely meet in the Conference title game. The Chiefs aren’t playing their best ball right now, but counting them out would be unwise. After all, they’ve been here before.
Starting Lineup (Projected)
Greg Parham- For the second straight year, Parham has been Monacan’s best overall player, leading the team in scoring (19.2 points per game), assists (84, next highest Chief has 43), and two point shooting percentage (63.8%, up from 57.5% in 2016). If Monacan strings together another postseason run, he’ll have to continue his high level of play. With high expectations comes pressure, because if Parham isn’t at his best, the Chiefs will be bounced early.
Kenard Robinson- Before you point out that Robinson hasn’t started at shooting guard all season, keep in mind he is Monacan’s leader in three point percentage at 43.8 percent. Considering deep shooting is the Chiefs’ big weakness, they only connect on 25 percent of attempts, it’s worth giving Robinson more looks to see if he can lift the Boys out of their shooting slump.
Myles Loving- To the casual Monacan fan, Loving has come out of nowhere. From JV in 2016 to the team’s second leading scorer at 10.8 points per game, he has done an admirable impression of the graduated Darian Peterson. His outstanding athleticism has translated to production, as he leads the team in steals (42) and is second in two point shooting percentage (62.7%) and rebounds (86).
Trejvon McFail- Dynamic and athletic on both ends, McFail is easily one of the most valuable players on the team. When he plays at power forward, he becomes a “stretch 4” since he can shoot from outside (52.3% on two point attempts), forcing big men to come out from the paint and guard him. This spreads the floor and allows smaller players to drive and score inside, though he can’t rebound as well when out on the perimeter.
Cameron Sostre- As a first year senior, Sostre has gone from being a seldom used reserve to a key contributor. He’s all but locked into the starting lineup as an athletic rim protector who moves his feet quickly and defends well.
Reserves
RJ Johnson- Johnson is another Chief who came into the season as an unknown and has emerged as a quality rotation player. Like Robinson, he doesn’t shoot very much, which often puts too much scoring pressure on Parham. He seems to have earned the trust of Coach Spelsberg, he turns the ball over less than once per game, and will need to put his efficient 44.4 percent on two pointers to better use in order to give Monacan the best chance of winning.
Nystl Wilson- Wilson has been equally as impressive this year, and plays with confidence and poise. In Washington’s absence, he could be the X-factor for the Chiefs.
Jonathan Mondrey- Mondrey has played key minutes this year for Monacan at forward as a tough defender who is athletic enough to help on offense end as well. As a sophomore, he’ll be a key building block for this team in the future while still adding value this postseason.
Austin Hammond- While the transition from starter to sixth man isn’t easy, Hammond has still proved a very valuable big man for the Chiefs. A defensive specialist, he’ll bring depth and shore up what could otherwise be a weakness: rebounding and rim protection.
Rashard Blathers- A versatile guard/forward who can do a little bit of everything, expect to see more of Blathers in the playoffs. He often gets overlooked, but he’s a fine player who can play with the starters or the second unit, adding length and shooting.
Michael Jones- A first year senior, Jones doesn’t have much varsity experience, but has the height and length to be a solid defender. He could be used in the postseason as a reserve to match up against bigger defenders while Loving and McFail rest.
Elijah Bradley- An experienced reserve guard who can step in and play for Parham and Johnson if needed. He can manage the game and distribute, but doesn’t shoot, with only one field goal attempt this season.
James Green- For Green and fellow sophomore Brown, this is essentially a redshirt year, where experience and improvement come mainly through practice, not games. There’s too small of a sample size to draw any conclusions from his numbers, but he will eventually put his smooth jump shot and athleticism to use, possibly as a 2018 starter.
Zion Brown- Like Green, there’s not much to go off of, except for the fact that the coaching staff sees him as a part of Monacan’s future. By working out with the varsity team, he’ll hopefully be a part of the rebuilding process.
Team Stats
Assist Ratio- 16.3%
Turnover Ratio- 14.1%
Shooting percentage- 44.0%
Three point shooting percentage- 25.0%
-James Faris
