#2 Chester and #5 Plymouth Whitemarsh will meet tonight
for the second time this season at Villanova University for the PIAA District 1
AAAA Championship.
By
Gregory Goettner
Who:
#4 Chester vs. #5 Plymouth Whitemarsh
When:
9:00pm, Friday, March 2, 2007
Where:
Villanova University
Game Preview:
Earlier this year:
Chester and Plymouth Whitemarsh
met up earlier this season at the “Jameer Nelson Classic” on Friday, December 29th.
Chester defeated Plymouth Whitemarsh 61-51 in double overtime.
Note:
Chester junior Nasir Robinson did not play and Plymouth
Whitemarsh seniors Anthony Minor and Lance Wilson both fouled out.
How they got here:
The Clippers ended the
regular season 19-5, including key victories against #5 Plymouth
Whitemarsh, #3 Prep Charter, and Glen Mills. During the play
offs the Clippers have knocked off Bishop Shanahan, Interboro, Ridley,
and Souderton.
The Colonials finished
out the season 22-2 with big victories over #8 St. Joseph Prep, Bishop
O’Connell (VA), and Cheltenham. The Colonials have been battle tested
during the road to the championship including two wins against Metrohoops Top 10
teams; #6 Pennsbury and #7 Lower Merion. They have also knocked
off Penn Wood and CB East.
Match ups:
Back Court (Starters)
Chester:
Karon Burton (junior) and Micah Covert (senior)
Plymouth Whitemarsh:
Marquise Boggs (senior), Lance Wilson (senior), and
Mike Acquaviva (senior)
The back court match ups are
even, Plymouth Whitemarsh likes to run a three guard offense which could cause
some defensive problems for the Clippers. I am assuming that Marquise Boggs
will be assigned to cover Karon Burton. If that is the case that will
be an excellent match up, Boggs is one of the best defenders in PIAA while
Burton is one of the quickest guards in the PIAA. The match up of Burton and
Boggs alone is worth the price of admission.
Front Court (Starters)
Chester:
Nasir Robinson (junior), Russell Johnson (junior), and Mark
Burrell (junior)
Plymouth Whitemarsh:
Anthony Minor (senior) and Greg Maugle (senior)
Chester has a slight edge on
the front court; Chester junior Nasir Robinson has been a nightmare for
opponents during the playoffs averaging 18 points per game (24.5 in his last two
games). What makes Robinson so good is he outworks opponents down low and is
relentless on the boards. Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Anthony Minor has
been the go to guy for the Colonials all season, and I don’t expect any of that
to change against Chester, Minor has great leaping abilities and runs the floor
well. Minor is currently averaging 17 ppg during the play offs.
Bench:
Chester:
Rhalir Jefferson (sophomore), Robert Redd (senior), Kevin
Green-Germany (senior)
Plymouth Whitemarsh:
Johuan Smith (senior), Brad Brown (senior), and Matt
Labick (junior)
Chester is very dangerous off
the bench; they go 8-10 players deep and wear teams down. Jefferson, Redd, and
Green-Germany would all start for many District 1 teams. Chester sophomore 6’7
Rhalir Jefferson is regarded one of the top sophomores in the area and
has already has offers from the University of Pittsburgh. Look for Plymouth
Whitemarsh forward Johuan Smith to get a lot of time off the bench to
help Maugle and Minor underneath.
Keys to Victory
Chester:
Chester has to get off to a good start and can’t afford to turn
over the ball, Plymouth Whitemarsh plays excellent defense and has shut down
both Lower Merion and Pennsbury offensively.
Plymouth Whitemarsh:
The Colonials can’t afford any foul outs, earlier this
season when these two teams met both Lance Wilson and Anthony Minor
fouled out. Since the Colonials play such aggressive defense they pick up
unnecessary fouls which could hurt them against Chester. The Colonials also have
to have a good game from the perimeter similar to the Lower Merion game.
The Pick:
Chester by 4. This is probably one of the toughest games,
I have had to pick this season but I believe the Clippers have too much depth
and talent for the Colonials. Nasir Robinson will continue his great play and be
too much for Colonials inside.
If you have any questions or
comments e-mail Greg at
greg@metrohoops.com
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