Playoff Time For UVa Recruits

UVa has signed point guards London Perrantes and Devon Hall in the class of 2013, and in the class of 2014 the Cavaliers have a commitment from athletic wing BJ Stith. The three future Hoos have helped their teams to successful regular seasons in 2012/2013, and now they turn their attention to postseason action.

London Perrantes

London Perrantes

First place in the Mission League was up for grabs when Crespi (Encino, CA) hosted Loyola on February 1. The Celts captured a 2-point win at Loyola earlier in the season, but on this night the Cubs came away with a 53-46 win.

London Perrantes’ 14 points were enough to become Crespi’s all-time leading scorer, though ended up making only five of 22 shots from the field in the loss.

Crespi responded with a 72-33 blowout win over Notre Dame, but it was not enough to take the Mission League regular season crown. The Celts finished 9-3 in the league, good for second place, and 19-8 overall.

Heading into the last two games, Perrantes was averaging 20.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. Click here to read a good write-up on the 6’1″, 185-pound senior. His senior season highlights are below.

What’s Next: Crespi will host Compton Centennial (12-14) on Wednesday, February 13, in the first round of the CIF Division 4-AA Southern Sectionals. If the Celts advance, they would take the court again on Friday in the second round.

Devon Hall

Devon Hall at the 2012 Nike EYBL in Hampton

Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, VA) traveled up to Atlantic City (N.J.) for a pair of games on February 2 and 3. The first was against national power St. Benedict’s (N.J.), which pulled away from the Dolphins for a 78-58 win. CHC rebounded in game no. 2, gutting out a 67-65 win over Harrisburg (PA) in overtime. Harrisburg is a quality team in its own right, as the loss to Cape Henry was only its second of the season.

Since the loss to St. Benedict’s, Cape Henry has reeled off four straight wins beginning with the victory over Harrisburg. After Harrisburg, the Dolphins defeated Walsingham, 60-51, before blowing away Greenbrier Christian and Atlantic Shores. Devon Hall , Cape Henry’s 6’5″, 205-pound senior point guard, 15 points, seven assists, and zero turnovers in the win over Walsingham. Hall also had 16 points in the win over Harrisburg and 16 more in a 71-65 win over Bishop Sullivan on January 29. Heading into the Bishop Sullivan contest, the Virginia-bound prospect was averaging 11.2 points per game.

The Dolphins are 21-3 overall this season, including a perfect 7-0 in the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools. Two of Cape Henry’s three losses have come to teams ranked in the top 6 in the most recent ESPN 25 Power Rankings, which is ESPN’s ranking of the top 25 high school basketball programs in the country. St. Benedict’s is ranked no. 5 while Huntington Prep (W.V.), which defeated the Dolphins on January 12, is no. 6.

What’s Next: Cape Henry takes on Norfolk Christian on Tuesday night before closing out the regular season with a home game against Norfolk Collegiate.

2014 Recruit BJ Stith

It has been a rough season for BJ Stith, not in terms of performance but in terms of health. The 6’5″, 195-pound junior guard sprained the same ankle on two separate occasions. The injuries forced Stith to miss only a few games, but he missed roughly six weeks of practice before returning to full practice two weeks ago. Unfortunately for the talented junior, last week he came down with the flu.

“BJ is playing at a very high level. It’s just unfortunate he sustained two ankle injuries, which has hurt his production and numbers,” said Bryant Stith, head coach of the Brunswick (Lawrenceville, VA) varsity boys basketball squad. “BJ is averaging right at 16 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Most importantly, he is running our team.”

The Bulldogs closed the regular season with a 20-2 overall record, with one of the two losses coming to nationally recognized St. Patrick’s (Elizabeth, N.J.). Though the Bulldogs lost to the Garden State power by 30, their head coach was positive about the experience.

“It only makes us better,” Coach Stith said. “We wanted to be tested. We want to make sure we know what our strengths and weaknesses are so we can improve.”

The entire Brunswick team saw major college basketball up close on January 26, when they traveled to Charlottesville for the University of Virginia’s win over ACC-rival Boston College.

“It was awesome,” Coach Stith said. “For the kids, it was a great experience. To have the chance to go up there and see an ACC basketball game was great for them.”

Coach Tony Bennett was pleased with the younger Stith’s physical progress.

“BJ is starting to fill out. He’s 6’5″, about 195 pounds,” Coach Stith said. “That’s the first thing Coach Bennett commented on when he saw him. He said, ‘Wow. You’ve gotten bigger.'”

No question, BJ’s primary focus right now is helping Brunswick achieve a third straight state championship title. Following the season, though, he will work to develop a more consistent outside shot.

“BJ has all the tools,” Coach Stith said. “He needs to develop a consistent 3-point shot. If he can do that, he can stretch the floor and really complete his game. He can already get to the rim.”

More Notes On BJ Stith

– Stith came through in the clutch in a 51-49 win over Park View on February 1. In a hostile atmosphere, the talented junior nailed the game winning jumper.

– According to Bryant, BJ pays close attention to all ACC games. He of course follows UVa, the school he will officially sign with next November, but he also watches other teams, studying the different systems and the players he may have to face once he arrives.

– The regular season is over. It’s playoff time now for the Bulldogs, who, as mentioned earlier, are seeking a third straight Group AA, Division 4 state title.