BISHOP GORMAN BASKETBALL: Gaels gaining respect

By TODD DEWEY

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The Bishop Gorman boys' basketball team should not only be one of the top teams in the state again this season, but the defending state champions should also be one of the top high school teams in the country.

The Gaels, who return four starters and have added two talented transfers, were ranked 20th in the nation in one poll and second on the West Coast, said assistant coach Jeff Fuller.

"This will be, by far, the most talented team we've had here," said Fuller, a former basketball player at the University of Oregon. "Sometimes I sit back in awe at the skills a lot of them have."

Gorman returns nine players overall from last year's 27-5 squad, including seven who will likely play Division I basketball.

Jason Carter, a 6-foot, 10-inch, 260-pound senior center, recently accepted a scholarship to the University of Colorado. Justin Burns, a 6-8 senior swingman who transferred to Gorman from Georgetown Prep (Washington, D.C.), signed with Boise State, and returnee Paul Bania, a 6-5 senior forward, is expected to sign with the U.S. Naval Academy.

Fuller said he expects projected starters Dinard Taylor and C.J. Watson to also play Division I basketball, along with Joe Donat and Brandon Knott.

Carter and Burns were ranked as two of the top 200 prep players in the country by Street and Smith's, said Fuller, who added with amazement that Carter, Burns, Bania and Taylor were all nominated as McDonald's High School All-Americans.

Taylor, a 5-10 senior, is slated to start at point guard, where he averaged 12.6 points a game last season. Watson, a 6-2 junior, will play shooting guard. Donat is a 6-9 senior transfer from Alaska.

Knott is the perfect example of how deep the Gaels are this year. The 6-4 junior scored 18 points in the state championship game last season, but will probably have to fight for minutes off the bench this year.

The biggest challenge for the new coaching staff -- Bob Hubbard takes over as head coach -- will likely be finding enough minutes for everybody.

"Just trying to appease their playing time (will be a challenge)," Fuller said. "They know they're good players and only five can play at a time. Just working together and shot selection will be a key, and our overall team defense. Defensively is where we'll have to work the most."

Fuller said he expects Carter, Burns, Bania, Taylor and Watson to start.

Carter averaged 16 points and 13 rebounds per game last year, on his way to first-team, all-state honors.

"I expect him to be a leader and have a calming effect on the team because he's been there before," Fuller said.

Carter said anything less than a state championship would be a letdown.

"I feel it will be a disappointment if we don't win state this year," Carter said. "With all the talent we have, we should really make a run for it."

Fuller said Taylor will be the floor leader.

"Dinard will probably be our catalyst as a leader because he's vocal. He expresses himself more," he said.

While Watson is expected to be the team's best defensive player, Fuller said he can also light it up.

"C.J. is a scorer. He can score anytime he wants to, but he looks to pass and make his teammates better," he said.

Fuller said Burns may be the best athlete on the team.

"He's the most athletically gifted out of all of them," he said. "He has incredible jumping ability, and he's very fast for his size."

Bania averaged 10.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and two steals per contest last year.

Dyante Perkins, a 6-3 senior who led the Gaels' football team to the Sunset Region title, gives Bishop Gorman another returning starter.

The Gaels will also feature a pair of promising sophomores in 6-9 center Kenny Crockett and 6-4 forward Mark Hill. Jason Rogers, who excelled at running back for the football team, will also play for Gorman this year.

The Gaels should get a good gauge of where they stand as a national power at a pair of tournaments in December -- the Las Vegas Holiday Prep Classic, Dec. 18-21, and the Texas Invitational, Dec. 27-30.

If the Gaels win their first two games in the Prep Classic, they'll likely take on Oak Hill Academy, the top-ranked prep team in the country.

"State is by far the most important (goal)," Fuller said. "But with the personnel we have, we should do well in some outside tournaments."

While Gorman should get some stiff competition from Southwest Division foes Durango and Western, Fuller said he likes the Gaels' chances to repeat as state champs.

"I think they're pretty good," he said. "As long as we find cohesiveness and make the transition from the coaching staff."