Saturday, March 19, 2011
By Joe Scalzo
YOUNGSTOWN
Coaches often talk about teams being like hands, where five fingers need to become a fist.
Two things have to happen for this to work.
First, you have to have the right mix. Five pinkies doesn’t work any more than five thumbs.
Second, you can’t have index fingers that want to be thumbs and vice versa. If players don’t accept their roles, you can end up with five middle fingers. If they do, you can end up with something on your ring finger.
With that in mind, meet Ursuline junior Ralph Naples. Like sophomore Ryan Strollo, Naples is an athletic, strong-shooting guard who, if he were playing elsewhere, would likely be a focal point of the offense.
But with the Irish, Naples only gets a handful of shots a game, often plays off the ball (when senior Khiree Gregory is directing the offense) and is expected to do all those little things that don’t show up in the boxscore.
Most important, he’s OK with it.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Naples said. “I feel like when I’m a senior, my role will be different but right now I’ve just got to play my role for us to win.”
Ursuline (18-6) is one game from making its first state tournament appearance since winning it all in 1994 in large part because of its enviable mix of size (seniors DeVonte Jenkins, Atiim Smith), elite athleticism (Jenkins and Gregory), outside shooting (sophomore Ryan Strollo) and unselfishness.
“I’m the point guard, so I just try to get our stars, Khiree and DeVonte, their shots and Ryan his 3s,” Naples said. “You have to get the ball to the right player and Khiree and DeVonte have brought their games to another level these last couple playoff games.”
Ursuline needs that to continue tonight against Cleveland Central Catholic (17-8), which boasts 6-foot-7 forward Anton Grady, a Cleveland State recruit averaging 21 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks per game.
“I thought we raised the bar against Campbell [in the district final] and I thought we raised it [Wednesday] night,” said Ursuline coach Keith Gunther, whose team defeated Orrville in a regional semifinal at the Canton Fieldhouse. “Now we’re going to see if we can raise it again.”
Gunther’s team scrimmaged CCC last summer — “I think we lost by one,” he said — and he’s planning a game plan similar to the one the Irish used against Campbell: pack it in on defense with 2-3 and 3-2 zones to cut down on penetration and stop Grady inside. Offensively, they’re going to rely on Gregory up top and Jenkins inside, hopefully getting Grady into foul trouble.
“At this point, they know what we’re going to do and we know what they’re going to do,” Gunther said. “They’re going to get the ball in their best player’s hands. We’re going to get the ball in our best players’ hands.”
Gregory is averaging 19.5 points in four tournament games, while the 6-6 Jenkins is averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds over that span and now gets a chance to go head-to-head with a Horizon League recruit.
Gunther thinks Jenkins is good enough to play at that level, too, and he’s challenging him to prove it.
“I’m trying to get into his head a little bit,” Gunther said. “I’m asking him, ‘Are you as good as this kid or is he better?’
“I’m telling Khiree the same thing. He’s getting some bites now from D-IIs [Division II schools], but I’m like, ‘How good are you?’ We’ll find out.”