December 3, 2006
Monarchs look good in debut
Returning to the San Jose gym they played in during a tournament last summer, Galena High of Reno still faced a big unknown. That being what the Archbishop Mitty team, with the presence of 6-foot-9 Drew Gordon, would be like. Gordon was absent this past summer so realistically the Grizzlies hadn’t seen the real Archbishop Mitty squad.
The indiscernible was answered Friday evening.
Galena’s Luke Babbitt presented Mitty with a potent offensive threat
Gordon poured in 22 points and patrolled the paint, teammate Collin Chiverton led with 23, and the Monarchs topped Galena 76-60.
The score was tight, 17-15 in Mitty’s favor, after the first quarter but the greater overall talent and depth of the Monarchs then proved too much for the Reno-ites. The spread grew to 37-27 at the half as both Gordon and Chiverton totaled 10 points apiece as did Luke Babbitt, the 6-foot-8 Galena star. Mitty pressed early in the second quarter and rattled the Grizzlies into several turnovers that increased the lead.
After halftime, Galena hung tough but was more like a boxer holding on. The Grizzlies remained within range at the end of the third quarter with the score 56-44 in Mitty’s favor. Coach Brian Eagleson began subbing halfway through the final quarter as the contest cruised to a 75-60 close.
How did Archbishop Mitty’s four D-1 prospects, all juniors, perform?
Gordon was everything advertised. He initially began guarding Babbitt but Eagleson made a switch after an early foul. Defensively, Gordon was the major domo shot-blocker of the night but also showed the athletic ability to come out of the paint and press his opponent. He’s a marvelous athlete who just needs to add greater strength to his frame--something that should come with time as Gordon is but 17 years old.
He was typically surrounded by two or three defenders whenever he received the ball but displayed a solid turnaround jumper. Usually, there wasn’t even a moment for Gordon to demonstrate an inside drop-step maneuver as the bodies were stacked against him. Look for him to be a power forward in college and a very versatile one.
Chiverton started slow but eventually became the points leader for the Monarchs. He scored primarily from the outside but also displayed some nifty drives to the basket. This long and lean wing has ‘major contributor in the college ranks’ written all over him.
Coming over from Arizona, 6-foot-8 Enoch Andoh started for Mitty but quickly went to the bench in the first half. He made a short appearance in the fourth quarter but played very little overall. It appears he has slimmed down some but is still in the process of getting his footing playing alongside a dominator like Gordon.
5-foot-9 point guard Chris Webber, a Leigh transfer and noted as already having verballed to Santa Clara, primarily ran Mitty’s offense and displayed outside range when left open. Look for him to be on someone’s coaching staff once his playing days are complete.
As for Babbitt, he again displayed that his shooting range is long, longer and longest. The smooth lefty was easily the most advanced offensive threat on the court as, although he certainly favored his strong hand, he put the ball on the floor well when attacking the basket. Babbitt and the entire Galena team tired as the game wore on. Although the Grizzlies zoned quite often, Babbitt was forced to lean on and defend Gordon much of the time and it proved wearisome. Look for him to be a small forward in Division I.
Greg Justice and John Adams proved their value to Mitty. Justice is extremely lean but displayed a nice shot from the floor and foul line. Adams looks like a mini Gordon. The entire Archbishop Mitty squad is adept at foul-shooting, looking much better at the line than many college teams.