Festival Preview: DeMatha’s Back

Ron Bailey, Publisher

November 26, 2008 – Most programs would consider a 20-10 record and Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament semi-final appearance to be cause for celebration. Not DeMatha Catholic (MD), home of one of the most storied histories in all of high school boy’s basketball.

To that end, the Stags are loaded and ready for action this year.

DeMatha's Naji Hibbert (shooting) and Marcus Rouse.

“I think we have a chance to win our league, which is our number one goal” said the team’s coach, Mike Jones. “Once again, we are playing one of the toughest schedules you will see…But we have the team to meet that challenge”.

DeMatha, who Jones shared “Our perimeter players are our strength”, returns four starters and “six guys that started some games last year”. The team as a whole boasts an enviable mix, of which Jones said “What’s great about our team as a whole, we just don’t have a couple of seniors and juniors, but sophomores and freshman also”.

The upperclassman first.

Swingman Naji Hibbert, who is headed to Texas A&M and 6’2” Marcus Rouse, a future student-athlete at Stony Brooke, head up the seniors. Both can shoot and defend, while Hibbert, 6’5”, will also rebound and make plays for others.

The junior contingent boasts future Tennessee Vol guard Josh Selby, a 6’2” irrepressible scorer, along with Vic Olidipo and Jerian Grant, both 6’3”; Grant, is a silky smooth perimeter player, while Olidipo on the high end of the athletic spectrum, has to his credit has worked tirelessly on his shooting and ball handling. Both are highly recruited by high major schools.

The talent parade doesn’t stop there, as the younger players are themselves a force to be reckoned with - take sophomores Quinn Cook and Mikael (Mick-ale) Hopkins. Standing 6’0” and 6’8 respectively, Cook is both a lead guard and scorer, while Hopkins blocks shots and possesses a budding interior game. High major schools are all over them.

One can’t forget freshman James Robinson. Standing 6’2”, Robinson, like Cook before him, will be a force for the Stags in his year. Expect him to not only score but pass, and after receiving tutelage from Jones, also defend consistently.

Though DeMatha will travel to Hawaii for a national level tournament, Jones adamantly stressed “Our main focus will always be winning the WCAC” which he believes “Top to bottom is the best conference in the nation”.

Aiding that process is this year’s DTLR National High School Hoops Festival Presented by Nike, an event Jones called “an honor” to participate in, one that “has been going for two years and we are one of the teams that has been invited both years.

“It’s a great thing for Keith Stevens (event co-organizer) to bring a national tournament to the area so us from the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas can see top level ball from around the nation”.

Of his team’s Festival match up with Murrah High School (MS), Jones opined “Playing against Quinton Ross will give us something to measure against” in early season play.

That’s not a good look for the rest of their schedule.