Projo College Hoops

By KEVIN McNAMARA

The Friars are in Morgantown, WV getting ready for yet another BIG game this afternoon. The game is just as BIG for WVU so expect a tough, physical contest. Marshon Brooks will be limited with an ankle injury, if he plays at all.

While the PC team is on the road, one assistant coach is not. Pat Skerry and his wife, Kristen, are due to have their second child any day. Getting home from WVU is next to impossible on a Saturday night so Skerry skipped the game and will join the team in Tampa on Tuesday for the S.Florida game (they'll be coming off a huge upset of Marquette).

Skerry isn't exactly sitting at home playing the waiting game. He spent all day and night yesterday at the National Prep School Tournament at URI's Keaney Gym. We bumped into him there and took in both Johnnie Lacy and Vincent Council, PC's two incoming point guards. Here are short impressions.

LACY. Short is the correct word here. The kid isn't close to 5-10. We'll say 5-9 on a good day. He and Sharaud Curry would make the shortest PC backcourt in recent history. But when paired up they'll be explosive offensive duo. Lacy can flat-out go. Very fast and solid with the ball and knows how to set up his teammates. Have doubts about hsi ability to drive and score in the lane because of his size but that's an acquired skill. Shoots deep threes.

Lacy's coach, Ryan Hurd, raves about his point guard. Notre Dame Prep blitzed through its game against Impact Basketball of Nevada. No contest. They've lost four times this season but Hurd thinks they can push Patterson School, Hargrave, Bridgeton and whoever else plays at the National Tournament next month at Endicott College.

COUNCIL. I like this kid more every time I see him. Last night Patterson - the best prep team in the country - played a fun, up-and-down game against someplace called Progressive Christian out of Maryland. Patterson seemed surprised at the tempo and liked it. Council thrived. He pushes the ball well, looks for the open man and is scrappy on defense. He also banged home three open 3-pointers, a good sign since some scouts question his scoring skills. He is bigger than Lacy (6-1 or so) and pretty solid. The combo of him, Lacy and Curry makes the Friars more solid at point guard next season than they've been in at least a decade.

As for this afternoon's game, just remember that teams don't win at WVU Coliseum very often. PC has done it just (1999) once.
Hereis a preview of the game out of West Virginia that has Bob Huggins singing PC's praises. On offense anyway.

 Tags  Johnnie Lacy PC Basketball Vincent Council

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