Bishop OConnell Player Updates

This article was reprinted with permission from Hoopville.com

Guest reporter Jed Tai of Hoopville.com covered the seventh annual Les Schwab Tournament in Portland, Oregon. Here are his player reports on athletes from Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, Virginia. O'Connell is coached by Joe Wootten, son of the now retired DeMatha High School and Hall of Fame coach, Morgan Wootten....

This year's LSI once again showed off some of the top high school talent in the country. The tournament MVP, Westbury Christian forward Ndudi Ebi, lived up to all of the hype as one of the best players in the country, and Jefferson senior guard Thomas Gardner showed why many consider him one of the elite shooting guards of the senior class. But as talented as seniors such as Ebi and Gardner are, the strength of this year's LSI was in the number of talented underclassmen that played in the tournament. A good number of them are Division I prospects who will be highly recruited in years to come. Here is a look at the top players from tournament champion Bishop O'Connell and how they performed (stats are for tournament games only):

Marcus Ginyard, Bishop O'Connell, 6-5, Guard, Sophomore

Stats: 11.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, .654 fg, .650 ft

While the slight knock on O'Connell might have been their relative lack of team speed and athleticism, you wouldn't have been able apply that to Marcus Ginyard. A young greyhound with jaw-dropping athletic ability, Ginyard wowed the LSI crowd with his ability to harass on defense, play above the rim, and throw down rim-rattling dunks. He has an ultra-quick first step that allows him to get to the hole in a hurry, and with his awesome vertical leap, can finish plays at the rim over multiple defenders. One dunk over two players in the opening game against Tigard left the crowd in awe of his talents. His leaping ability also allows him to sneak inside and crash the offensive boards, which led to many easy baskets. Obviously, he is a fantastic finisher on the break, and he is often one of the first players down court after a steal or defensive rebound. Ginyard is also a good ballhandler, and can swing over to the point on occasion. But what makes Ginyard special is the work he does on defense. He simply got up in the grill of his assignments, creating havoc with his quickness and long arms. But Ginyard still has things to work on as he showed a very shaky outside shot and he probably gambled too much on defense in trying to steal the ball. But it's very apparent that the ability and willingness to work is there and since he's only a sophomore, there's plenty of time. There's no doubt that Ginyard is one of the top players in the Class of 2005 and will be recruited by all of the top programs, as he's not only a great hoopster, he's also a terrific student. Ginyard earned the tournament's Hustle Award.

Brian Johnson, Bishop O'Connell, 6-9, Forward/Center, Junior

Stats: 12.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 2.8 spg, .500 fg, .357 ft

These days, many big men want to run the break, throw behind-the-back passes, or shoot the three. But if you want a traditional post man who will score down low, dominate on the boards, and intimidate on defense, you'll want Brian Johnson. Johnson was far from the most flashy player at the LSI, but he was definitely among the most dominant players in the tournament. Already built like a man at 6-9, 220 pounds, Johnson knows his home is in the lane and he sticks with that. On offense, he posted up strong underneath, and when he had the opportunity to receive the ball (which was limited at times due to sagging zone defenses), he displayed post moves extremely advanced for his age and a soft touch on turnarounds to either his right or his left. He also showed the ability to face up and shoot the mid-range jumper and it wouldn't be surprising if he could hit the occasional three. He was absolutely a beast on the boards, and there wasn't a defensive rebound in his area that he didn't grab. On defense, he was able to not only block his share of shots, but alter many more simply through intimidation when he was in the area. He also showed the ability to come out to guard players on the perimeter, and had quick hands to grab a number of steals. While he's not a gazelle like Ebi, Johnson does run the floor well and shows some nimbleness in finishing plays around the hoop. One thing Johnson will need to work on is his free throw shooting, although it does appear he has nice form. Originally from North Carolina, this mature, skilled big man is being courted by the likes of UNC and Duke as well as just about every other top college program in the nation. He'll most certainly be one of the Top 10 players in the strong Class of 2004. Johnson was an All-Tournament selection.

Dave Neal, Bishop O'Connell, 6-7, Forward, Sophomore

Stats: 8.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.0 spg, .452 fg, .833 ft

Upon first glance at Neal on the court, you wouldn't think he was a hoopster for anything else than his height. He's rather slow, probably couldn't jump over a phone book, and has the build of a tight end. But what Neal lacks in athletic ability he more than makes up for with fundamentals, smarts, and all-out hustle. He showed fantastic ability in utilizing his solid frame to establish position inside, and after receiving the ball, displayed a nice turnaround one-handed flip shot in the post. He also faced up to the hoop and hit a few mid-range jumpers. Defensively, he may not have had the quickness to guard faster players, but did a good job hustling and staying in-between his assignment and the basket. Neal also helped out on the glass, and simply was in the right place at the right time for several putbacks - including the game-winner in the finals. Look for him to be highly pursued by some of the top programs in the Northeast over the next couple of years.

Eric Smith, Bishop O'Connell, 5-9, Guard, Junior

Stats: 16.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, .511 fg, .464 3pt, .833 ft

A member of the LSI's All-Tournament Team, Smith was a shooting star during the week. Basically if he was left open, the shot was good. While he played at the point for O'Connell, he really functioned more as a shooting guard, looking for his shot not just to keep the defense honest, but to break the many zones that the team faced during the tournament. While the majority of Smith's shots were threes, he did show an ability to create a little for pull-ups off the dribble when the team faced more man defenses. While Smith rarely drove to the hole like a traditional point guard, that's not to say he didn't effectively run the team because he most certainly did, usually making good decisions and controlling the tempo as head coach Wootten called it from the bench. And defensively, Smith was a terror as he personally forced several five-second calls on opponents. Some schools may back off of Smith because of his height and the fact he's not overly quick, but because of his smarts, skills, and his shooting ability, he will probably get some looks from some top programs in the future.

Fred Stanback, Bishop O'Connell, 6-5, Forward/Guard, Junior

Stats: 4.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg, .240 fg, .333 3pt, .455 ft

Stanback shot horribly from all ranges during the LSI, but did have some good moments. Offensively, Stanback is a swingman that operates on the wing and baseline, spotting up for catch-and-shoot type of jumpers from mid-range up to the college three-point line. He can put the ball on the floor a little bit, but seems to prefer playing more on the perimeter. He rarely forces shots, but rather picks his spots when he gets the opportunity. Stanback has a solid frame with a broad set of shoulders, but isn't particularly quick nor athletic. In fact, it would be a good question who would win a footrace, him or teammate Dave Neal. But like Neal, what he lacks in athletic ability he makes up for in skill. During the tournament he helped out a little on the defensive boards, and like everyone else on O'Connell, played in your face defense. He'll likely be recruited by Atlantic-10 and Big East schools. Jed Tai is a Senior Writer with Hoopville.com