Some games are meant to be classics. The expectations were high when the English and St. Mary’s boys basketball teams took the court last Saturday in the Walter J. Boverini Tournament championship game. Both were among the top-ranked teams in the state, were undefeated, and came in hungry after watching Classical win the tournament in 2017.
At the final buzzer the Spartans walked away with the 82-79 victory, but both teams had plenty of reasons to be proud. First and foremost, the Boverini is a tournament about bragging rights. Most of the student-athletes on both sides know each other off the court. That’s part of what makes it special. When you’re playing against your neighbors and childhood friends, you’re playing to tell a story 10 years later that can’t be taken away.
Although English lost the game, the Bulldogs showed what they’re made of by hanging tough with a stacked Spartans team. St. John’s transfer Jarnel Guzman has wasted no time making an impact with his new team, and Alonzo Linton picked up where he left off after a tremendous junior season. But that was expected.
It’s the contributions the Bulldogs are receiving from their underclassmen that should give them plenty to feel positive about. Sophomores Jack Rodriguez and Justin Fitzpatrick played key minutes in both Boverini games. Neither played like underclassmen during the tournament. When you have sophomores on your team who can step in and support the heavy-lifters (Linton and Guzman), the roster becomes well-rounded. Those are the teams that do damage when the state tournament rolls around.
And for what it’s worth, Rodriguez was mentioned by St. Mary’s coach Dave Brown two days before the game when I asked him how difficult it would be to defend an English offense with no shortage of reliable scorers. You know you have something special when opposing coaches are noticing how deep and talented your roster is.
The Spartans are in the same boat. Undoubtedly, St. Mary’s has one of the most talented starting fives in the state. Jalen Echevarria, who scored his 1,000th career point earlier this season and earned Boverini Tournament MVP, is off to a great start. Ademide Badmus (a transfer from English) has been outstanding in the paint. Joey Abate-Walsh and Josh Perez have hit key buckets during crucial times. Lee Pacheco scored 5 points in the first quarter to help get the Spartans going. But that was expected.
It’s the supporting cast that has truly put the Spartans over the top thus far in helping St. Mary’s to its undefeated start. Junior forward Marcus Brunson-Perez can jump into a game off the bench and knock-down a 3-pointer in the blink of an eye. Sophomore guards Marvens Rosirus and Sammy Batista played huge minutes through the Boverini; neither looked like a sophomore on the court.
Even the best of teams need role players to play crucial roles off the bench. I’ll never forget the jump shot P.J. Brown hit off the bench in the closing minutes of Game 7 of 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cavaliers (nor will I forget when he dunked over Kobe Bryant in the finals).
For the Spartans, winning the Boverini is an accomplishment Brown doesn’t take lightly. Brown enjoys matching his team toe-to-toe with the best competition in the state. It’s why St. Mary’s has tournament contenders such as Central Catholic, St. John’s, TechBoston and Pope John on its schedule. St. Mary’s doesn’t shy away from anybody, and that’s the right way to go about building a team primed for a state championship.
The win over English was another step in St. Mary’s testing itself against the best of the best. It was far from easy, but the Spartans passed the test. After the game Brown noted that win or lose, both teams improved from playing against each other in front of a packed crowd with state tournament-like atmosphere. English coach Antonio Anderson expressed a similar notion. Both coaches are 100 percent right.
I’ve said it time and time again. When the playoffs roll around, I’ll take a 12-8 team that has tested itself against top-notch opponents in the regular season over an undefeated team that coasted its way to the state tournament.
In all likelihood neither of these two teams will need to worry about that because they’re both far too talented to lose eight games. I expect the Bulldogs and Spartans to be there in the end, pushing for state championships. And it’ll be a lot of fun watching them make it happen along the way.
