City of Basketball Love

Rich Flanagan (@richflanagan33)
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Turning a loss into a learning experience is an essential element for coaches, especially in the postseason. What made this postgame conversation for Archbishop Carroll head coach Francis Bowe different from others he’s given during his tenure is that this game revealed what he had been looking for from his group all season long. They had taken incremental steps to become a cohesive unit and, while the Patriots had one of the more highly touted lineups in the Philadelphia Catholic League, everything had finally come together.

“We battled, got into the playoffs, fought really well against Neumann-Goretti in that quarterfinal game and I told them in the locker room afterward, ‘Guys, I have a funny feeling where we’re going to go from here,’” Bowe said.

Despite that postseason loss to the Saints, Bowe and the Patriots entered the PIAA Class 4A Tournament playing their best basketball and it took them all the way to Hershey where an impressive run ended with an 80-50 defeat at the hands of Lincoln Park, which secured its second straight state title. Making a run to a state final was a statement for a rotation that consisted of five sophomores and two freshmen, and Bowe saw it all come to a head during that run.  

“Now, did I think we were going to a state championship game? Maybe but I did feel we were going to have success,” Bowe said.

Archbishop Carroll (21-9, 8-5) had one of the youngest, yet most talented rotations in southeastern Pa. a season ago and it starts with 6-foot junior point guard Ian Williams and 6-2 junior guard Nasir Ralls.

Williams was named Pa. All-State Class 4A Third Team after averaging 13.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.3 apg and 2.2 spg while shooting 50.7% from the floor. He commanded an offense that made 205 three-pointers, and he accounted for 25 of those. His 189 assists led the Philadelphia Catholic League, and he scored in double figures in 22 games. Ralls started 21 out of 30 games while averaging 11.2 ppg and 2.4 rpg, and he also led the Patriots with 59 makes from deep.

Both were integral in helping Archbishop Carroll advance to its first state title game since 2015 when Los Angeles Clippers wing Derrick Jones Jr. starred on Matsonford Road, and the team’s improved play over the course of last season had a lot to do with both guards becoming leaders as sophomores.

“They’ve had the most playing time when you add up the past two years and they’re really becoming vocal from on the floor during practice or coaching on the sideline with us,” Bowe said. “They’re relentlessly talking.”

Luca Foster had his best game of the season in that playoff matchup with Neumann-Goretti pouring in 30 points and 10 rebounds and the 6-6 junior forward has seen his stock rise immensely over the last year as offers from Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Miami (Fla.), Villanova, Virginia Tech, and Xavier have joined an already extensive list.

He joined Williams on the All-State Third Team in his first year as a starter after averaging 13.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg and 1.1 bpg and he is only scratching the surface of his potential.

“The game slowed down for him and he was able to analyze where everything was going," Bowe said. "He always had this gifted athletic ability and now he’s using his brain to slow the game down where he can take off and go."

Drew Corrao (4.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.6 bpg) gives the Patriots legitimate size upfront at 6-9 and the junior big man is continuing to add muscle to his lean frame. He made 15 starts and led the team with 45 blocks. He is terrific off the pick and roll, both diving to the rim and drifting out to the wing and corner where he can hit. Corrao holds offers from Marist, Manhattan, Penn, High Point and College of Charleston, and with Darrell Davis having moved on to Boys’ Latin (Md.), he should move into the starting lineup.

As Bowe notes, “he’s dunking on people now then he’s at the top of the key running a point center position where he can make a good decision with a pass. His IQ is off the charts and don’t be surprised if he has the ball in his hands a lot.”

The most captivating prospect of the group is 6-6 sophomore wing Munir Greig, who received an offer from Villanova before even playing a high school game. During his inaugural high school season, Greig averaged 11.0 ppg and 5.6 rpg while shooting 49.6% from the floor. He received an offer from Penn State in July and is currently receiving interest from Seton Hall. After bursting onto the scene, Bowe and the Archbishop Carroll staff are driving home that developing specific habits will allow Greig to progress in his maturation as a player.

“He understands that the game of basketball is more than just being in a basketball gym,” Bowe said. “It’s eating better and getting into the weight room. Last year, he had a lot of accolades coming out of middle school and had the talent. He took all our advice and he’s taking it a step further with his nutrition and weightlifting.”

Look for 6-foot junior Chris Kingkiner, who appeared in nine games last season and Bowe described as “one of the toughest kids in this program,” to see extended minutes, and the rotation has expanded further with the addition of a high-scoring transfer and talented freshman.

Christian Matos came over from Methacton and the 6-2 lefty averaged 17.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 1.5 apg while shooting 52% from the field. He drilled 67 three-pointers in helping the Warriors reach the District 1-6A quarterfinals and the PIAA 6A Tournament. Bowe stated “besides being able to absolutely shoot the ball, Christian has a knack to find it. What I mean by that is he has a knack to get the rebound or find a loose ball and now it’s in his hands.”

Whether it has been Williams, Ralls, Chase Coleman or Moses Hipps, Bowe has had some sensational freshmen come in and contribute right away, and he believes he has another one in 5-11 guard Yasir Turner. He’s “lanky with big hands” and even more so, “this one is special. I can turn around and know the ball is in the right hands because he knows where the right pass goes and how to get us in the offense. He’s a floor general and going to have a tremendous year as a freshman.”

The Patriots will open their season on Nov. 30 against James Monroe (N.Y.) in the All-City Classic at School of the Future. One aspect that made Archbishop Carroll so successful in this group’s first season together was its ability to share the basketball and maximize its versatility. The idea that they can take that a step further and be a better version with a full season under their belts has Bowe thinking about how recent league champions have dispersed their production in pursuit of a coveted title.

“I think it’s the mentality that the best Catholic League teams have shared the ball,” Bowe said. “Getting that across to this younger group was hard as they were all trying to make names for themselves and show they could be the new dogs on the block. Then, you constantly look around and see the Romans and Neumanns and those best teams are difficult to beat when everyone scores. We were constantly telling the guys this and when we played against Roman, they felt that I was on to something, and we learned from losses to better teams.”