Central Catholic senior Isaac Carr, who scored 26 points in the 6A final, has committed to Wake Forest. (Photo by J.R. Olson)

The stars finally aligned for Central Catholic's boys basketball team last season, when the Rams won their first state championship in 30 years.

The way things are lining up for them this season, the wait for their next title could be considerably shorter. With a loaded roster, Central Catholic enters as the season as the runaway pick for No. 1 in the OSAAtoday preseason 6A coaches poll.

“With our size and athleticism, honestly, it's probably the deepest and most talented team I've had at Central Catholic,” said coach David Blue, who is 161-67 in nine seasons. “Our returners are all bigger, stronger and more athletic. The biggest thing for us is going to be, 'Are we able to share the ball like we did last year?'”

The Rams bring back three starters in senior guards Isaac Carr (6-5) and Duce Paschal (6-5) and junior guard Zamir Paschal (6-0). Carr and Duce Paschal have committed to Wake Forest and Weber State, respectively. Zamir Paschal has offers from Portland and Portland State and is on the verge of receiving more.

Carr (16.3 points, 4.0 rebounds) and Zamir Paschal (13.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists) are the team's top returning scorers. In the state championship game, Carr had 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and Zamir Paschal had 21 points and seven rebounds as the Rams dropped Roosevelt 85-76.

“The two of them together, that's one of the top backcourts on the West Coast,” Blue said.

The Rams must make up for losing the Mt. Hood Conference player of the year in guard Marley Zeller (15.2 points), who has moved on to Loyola Marymount, and scrappy 5-9 point guard Tony Angelo, now at Cal Lutheran. But they are confident they have those pieces in place.

Junior guard Robbie Long Jr. (6-4) – the quarterback for the football team who has basketball offers from Howard, Idaho, Nevada and UC San Diego – was a key rotation player last season.

Junior wing Jalen Nicholson (6-7), a starter early last season before being sidelined with shin issues, is healthy and primed for a big season. Junior Ryder Zanon (6-9), a skilled interior scorer, gives the team a true post presence.

The bench is loaded with athletes, including junior wing Donovan Miller (6-6) and senior forward Landon Kelsey (6-5), a standout receiver on the football team who did not play basketball as a junior after transferring from Ridgefield (Wash.).

“I don't know how he'll impact us on the basketball court, but he'll impact us with his leadership,” Blue said of Kelsey. “He's getting his groove again.”

Freshman guard Carter Lockhart (6-1), the son of former Gresham coach Corey Lockhart, also will see some time.

“He's earned his opportunity,” Blue said. “He's a pretty talented kid. He's strong and athletic enough as a freshman to compete for minutes.”

Carr, who initially committed to Oregon, has been a starter since his freshman season. He has a complete offensive game, according to Blue.

“People think of his shooting and his scoring prowess, but the one thing that Wake Forest and other schools really liked the most about him was his passing ability,” Blue said. “He's an elite passer as well as a shooter and scorer. I'm excited to see what he does this season, how he grows as a player.”

Zamir Paschal is quiet, steady and lethal. He has added some muscle since last season.

“He's a dynamic athlete, really skilled as a basketball player,” Blue said. “He's shooting the lights out right now.”

The Rams are loaded with shooters – led by Carr, Zamir Paschal and Long – forcing defenses to stick tight on the perimeter. On defense, they have the length and athleticism to shrink passing lanes.

With Angelo terrorizing opposing guards, Central Catholic racked up 23 steals in the semifinals and finals at the state tournament. Without him this season, they must find a way to duplicate his intensity.

“I hate continuing to tell my team about Tony, and comparing them to Tony every day, but we miss that,” Blue said. “So who's going to take on that role for us?”

Central Catholic's nonleague schedule is brutal. The Rams open Saturday at three-time reigning Arizona state champion Perry, ranked No. 7 in the nation by MaxPreps. Their second game is Dec. 14 at home against Eastside Catholic, which won the title in Washington's second-highest classification last season.

Then they travel to Florida for the City of Palms Classic, where they open with Grayson (Ga.), ranked sixth by MaxPreps. They could face No. 3 Columbus of Miami in their second game.

Central Catholic is the second Oregon team ever invited to the City of Palms Classic, which is loaded with national powers. West Linn played in the tournament in 2015, Payton Pritchard's senior year.

The Rams also will play in the Les Schwab Invitational Dec. 26-30 at Portland State.

“It's by far the toughest schedule we've ever had,” Blue said. “We could be in a world of hurt before we get to the LSI. I'm excited for our guys to compete against the best from around the country and see where they're at.”

Central Catholic will be challenged in the Mt. Hood by Barlow, which is No. 2 in the 6A coaches poll.