Festival Preview: Carroll Plans to Show Versatility and Improve

Ron Bailey, Publisher

November 30, 2007 – After finishing 13-15 last year, Archbishop Carroll’s (DC) team and coach, Clinton Perrow, are optimistic about this year’s campaign. That good feeling, in large manner, centers on a talented and big lineup.

First up is 6’8” senior forward, Kris Joseph, the Canadian national who will play at Syracuse next year. Capable of playing pretty much playing any position at the high school level, Joseph has a rare skill set, one allowing him to pat the ball, pass, and shoot like a player much smaller than himself.

As such, Perrow plans on utilizing that ability to play all over the court, placing Joseph in various situations. “Kris is so talented, we can use him in a lot of different ways” said Carroll’s second year coach. “His role is a very versatile role”.

That versatility doesn’t simply stop with Joseph. His friend and teammate, Rodney McGruder also does varied things on the court, including shoot, slash, and increasingly defend. The 6’5” junior has verbally committed to Kansas State.

Those two are not the only Carroll players that provide Perrow roster ‘scalability’, as senior forward Alekander Mitrovic, another Canadian, is a 6’7” player that can rebound and score around the tin. Schools such as Hampton, Mt. St. Mary’s, and NC State have all shown varied levels of interest.

Carroll standouts Rodney McGruder (left) and Kris Joseph.

With Joseph, McGruder and Mitrovic, Perrow shared he will search for mismatches, on a game by game basis. As is his wont, defense will be stressed to the entire team.

From a point guard perspective, junior Blake Price plus seniors Ahmad Williams George and Terrell Vincent, 5’6”, 5’7”, and 5’9” respectively, will play floor leader by committee. Rounding out things will be seven foot center Roman Pisker, a senior hailing from Poland that is being recruited by the likes of Harvard and Princeton.

With the specter of facing Washington Catholic Athletic Association (WCAC) competition early, in addition to traveling to West Virginia where Philadelphia’s Neumann-Goretti will be faced, Tennessee for the Arby Classic and a January jaunt to New York City to play in the Big Apple Invitational and battle Cardozo, the National High School Hoops Festival is a crucial stop on Carroll’s schedule.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to participate in a great exposure tournament like this” shared Perrow, of his December 8th Festival matchup with New York’s St. Raymonds.

“We tried to put together a schedule that will prepare us for our league” he later continued, before noting the Festival is one such stop.