T.J. Leaf's Phi Slamma Jamma
imitation, as Saints' Eric
Monroe looks on.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
Oh, brother.
Foothills Christian's boys basketball team, led by 6'10" T.J. Leaf, thoroughly dominated St. Augustine in coasting to an 85-63 win in the Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High Mon., Dec. 28.
Here, the Saints came in, having just won their previous tournament. They're loaded. But they hit head-on with a force greater than them.
Thankfully, La Jolla doesn't have to face Foothills Christian this season. Reed Farley and others would say differently. (He was at the game with his dad Dan.)
But the Vikings do face St. Augustine on Tues., Jan. 19 at La Jolla. The Saints have Taeshon Cherry, a 6'8" sophomore. He played like a sophomore against the Knights. Of course, he was playing in stratified air, with talent on both teams in a high-level tournament, attended by coaches, scouts, and all the UnderArmour teams the sponsor could fly in. (That's another story.)
Martin Tombe, a 6'5" forward, showed his solid skills, despite his team's thrashing. Eric Monroe, headed to Yale next year, hit six three-pointers, but he was a non-factor as Foothills went on a tear in the second quarter to blow the game open. The spread was 24 points at halftime, 30 later in the game.
Monroe is nicknamed "Boy Wonder" for having played on Coach Mike Haupt's varsity since he was a freshman, and for the thick-framed glasses which are his trademark.
Plus the Catholic all-boys school has talent coming off the bench, including Tariq Thompson, the son of one of my former principals. So La Jolla will have plenty to contend with Jan. 19.
One good thing about Foothills' victory was that it wasn't the Saints winning big. At least the Vikings can take solace in that.
But the Vikings are better--not great--than they have been, with better ball-handling and more savvy. They can't get the deer-in-the-headlights look when they face a top team. They did that back in the days when playing Lincoln at Lincoln, when Farley was a freshman and his teammates looked terrified. He was the only one visibly relishing the confrontation with the Hornets, while the others were shaking.
They had that look again in the first quarter against Torrey Pines a week ago, though they were able to fight to within two points at halftime before falling by 14.
Foothills is a joy to watch. Leaf, who is coached by his dad Brad and his brother Troy, who set a CIF scoring record during his playing days, has a funny shot from outside, but as a person next to me said, "It goes in." T.J. worked inside, as well, pounding down four slam dunks.
Senior guard Nikko Paranada, whose last name means "for nothing" in Spanish, is for something, playing an effective point. I personally like watching Luis Salgado, a 6'6" forward with a fade haircut. He was very potent in last year's CIF playoff run. He's big, mobile, active, and doesn't get the recognition Leaf gets.
Another gifted Knight is Omajae Smith, who plays at the opposite forward. He's 6'4" and likewise would cause headaches for the Vikings, who don't have to play them. La Jolla did face Foothills Christian in a summer league game at Alliant University in 2014. T.J. Leaf was still developing at that point.
Brad Leaf uses a pro-style offense, with cross-court passes characterizing a set offense, and Leaf setting up at high, as well as low, post. They play it at a quick speed, too. Not lumbering.
Coach Paul Baranowski's La Jolla bunch will have to come in like Alex Pitrofsky did against Grossmont's Tommy Rutherford last week: with their minds set to play hard, with confidence to counteract their fears.
The Vikings upset Rutherford and seventh-ranked Grossmont, 68-59. It was Pitrofsky's finest performance in his high school career, by far. He fouled out in closing minutes, not due to not doing his job--but because he used every tool at his disposal, riding the 6'9" Rutherford physically to frustrate him and wear him down.
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