Preps Plus

When St. Anne’s and Miller lock up tonight out in Crozet, it’ll largely be about which of the top-notch Division II squads can find a way to capitalize on their own strengths.

In short? Whoever dictates the style of play will likely win this one.

No. 2 Miller boasts a dominant front line led by Marshawn Powell (check today’s print edition for a feature on the 6-foot-7 Arkansas signee), and he gets a lot of help from fellow board crashers Hippolyte Tsafack and Brice Kofane.

On the other side, the No.3 Saints have multiple long-range shooters and a lot of athleticism in the starting five. If leading scorer Brett Goodloe,  Bryan Lynch and Mark Terrell are all on from beyond the arc, it’s tough for anyone to knock off the Saints. Terrell has been particularly hot of late, burying four 3-pointers in a single quarter against St. Christopher’s two games ago.

“They shoot the ball about as well as anybody in high school basketball,“ Miller coach Fred Wawner said. “Some of their strengths are our weaknesses.“

Same story with the Saints. Without a truly dominant big man in the mold of Powell or Tsafack, St. Anne’s will have to get a little crafty. 

“We’ve got to kind of pick our poison with these guys,“ St. Anne’s coach Brian Kent. “I think we need to be a more fundamental team—we’ve got to be able to slide over and take a charge.“

St. Anne’s will also have to rely heavily on its offensive balance that has recently re-emerged and can make the Saints very dangerous. They’ll especially need it against the Mavericks, a team that most often can’t be beaten by a single talented player because of their defensive prowess.

“We’re getting back to that,“ Kent said. “Those guys [Quincey September, Terrell and Alex Asher] have picked up some of the slack. It’s getting back to where it was last year.“

One thing is for certain—neither team is taking the other lightly.

“We know we have our hands full and it’s an important game for a lot of reasons,“ Wawner said. “They know how to win and they’re very difficult to defend. They certainly have our respect.“

Kent said it was a good chance for the Saints to find out where they measure up in the Division II state race.

“Especially within the state it’s going to be a good test for us,“ Kent said. “We can kind of assess our season and figure out what we need to do to take it to the next level.“

Both teams are coming off weather interruptions to class schedules, but with as much as there is on the line, fans should be in for a treat in this clash.