December was a whirlwind for Central Catholic, the No. 1 team in the OSAAtoday 6A boys basketball coaches poll.
The reigning state champion Rams played a rugged schedule of national-caliber opponents – facing three of the top seven teams in the current MaxPreps national rankings – and as a result finished the month with a 4-5 record.
In the new year, the challenge for Central Catholic is to rediscover its winning mojo. Even though the Rams' losses came against elite out-of-state foes, coach David Blue knows that losing can take a toll on a team's psyche.
“You definitely think about that,” Blue said. “But our core was in the state championship game last year and figured out a way. At the same time, you get a little concerned about how some of these losses can impact you. You also think about how adversity build character. I think you're betting on that as opposed to it tearing us apart.”
Central Catholic, which played eight games in a 17-day span, hasn't had a practice other than a shoot-around since mid-December. After playing four games in the Les Schwab Invitational from Thursday through Monday, Blue decided to give his players the rest of the week off.
“The boys are exhausted,” Blue said. “Last game of the LSI, they were like, 'Coach, we can't press today, we're just too tired.' That was going to be the way we could beat them, using our athleticism. But they just didn't have it, and I understood that.”
In their last game, the Rams lost to Annie Wright (Wash.) 53-52 on a three-pointer at the buzzer. The loss spoiled a comeback that saw them rally from a 14-point deficit late in the fourth quarter.
“I was just proud that the guys didn't quit,” Blue said. “It was pretty exciting to see them come all the way back in a short amount of time, give ourselves a chance to win.”
Central Catholic's other four losses were by an average margin of 25.5 points. Against nationally ranked teams, the Rams lost by 10 points to No. 4 Perry (Ariz.), 41 points to No. 7 Grayson (Ga.) and 30 points to No. 2 Gonzaga (DC).
“It gives us a chance to see where we're at, where Oregon basketball is at,” Blue said. “You can't take away the experience of being able to play against some of the top players and top teams in the nation. At the end of the day, the boys will always remember it. The memories off the court were just as good as the memories on the court.”
Through it all, Blue said that senior guard Isaac Carr (16.7 points), junior guard Zamir “Bam” Paschal (14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds) and senior guard Duce Paschal (12.0 points, 7.5 rebounds) have been “consistent rocks for us.”
The 6-foot-5 Carr, signed with Wake Forest, has been the focus of opposing defenses.
“He received a lot of attention in regard to defenses keying on him,” Blue said. “It's a lot of going against elite athleticism game after game.”
Blue said that Zamir Paschal (6-0) was “incredible” at the City of Palms Classic in in Florida Dec. 18-21, averaging 20.0 points in three games. Duce Paschal (6-5), committed to Weber State, has provided energy and grit.
The games revealed that the Rams need to improve their teamwork and cohesiveness, according to Blue. When things break down, they need to learn how to trust one another, he said.
“We were trying to figure out where we were going, what we were doing sometimes, in regard to having multiple guys out there trying to make plays,” Blue said. “Part of that is on the type of teams we've been playing. They make you look that way. We'll clean that up.”
Central Catholic struggled with its shooting at the LSI. In their last three games, the Rams shot 25.7 percent from three-point range (19 for 74).
“I think a lot of that had to do with tired legs,” Blue said.
Central Catholic will be able to rest and have five days of practice before returning to action Jan. 10 for a nonleague home game against No. 6 Jesuit. The Rams defeated Jesuit 68-59 in the quarterfinals of the LSI.
“It will be good to get back in the gym and get some normalcy, routine, for the guys,” Blue said. “We know there's a target on us. People are excited to play us. We want to try to match that.”
jerryu@osaa.org
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