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February 12, 2012

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Findlay, Gorman to share basketball spotlight

By (contact)

Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 | 2:10 a.m.

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Special to the Sun

Bishop Gorman High sophomore basketball player Shabazz Muhammad dunks last year in the Gaels game against Findlay Prep. Findlay guard Cory Joseph gives chase on the play and attempts the block.

Findlay Prep Practice

The Findlay Prep basketball ball team practices at Orleans Arena Tuesday in preparation for their upcoming game Saturday where they will take on Bishop Gorman. Launch slideshow »

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Shabazz Muhammad was already a heavily sought after recruit before his performance last winter against the nation’s best high school basketball team.

But after Muhammad, a sophomore this season at Bishop Gorman High, exploded for 21 points against eventual national champion Findlay Prep, the 6-foot-5 small forward and shooting guard has seen his stock skyrocket.

He showed his range by connecting on a pair of 3-pointers, was aggressive inside in pulling down eight rebounds and brought the home crowd to its feet with a memorable dunk.

Gorman stayed with Findlay, which has won 42 straight games, before fading in the fourth quarter and losing 88-63.

The teams will meet again at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Orleans Arena in one of the most intriguing games of the high school season.

Findlay, which is not part of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association and doesn’t compete for a state title, usually plays a handful of local teams each winter. The Gorman game, partially because the private-school Gaels have the athletes to compete with Findlay, is always the most-anticipated.

“(Gorman coach Grant Rice) always has his kids ready to play extremely hard," Findlay coach Mike Peck said. "On a make or a miss, they are coming at you. That will be a challenge for us.”

Muhammad, who is the top-rated shooting guard for the class of 2012 by recruiting Web site Rivals.com, will provide the biggest challenge. His dunk last year — with Findlay star Cory Joseph chasing back on defense — showed the kind of high-caliber game that is expected.

“We’re going to have to bring it from the start and capitalize on all the opportunities we get because they have some great players over there,” Joseph said.

Gorman won the large-school state championship last year and Rice credits the close game with Findlay for giving them a boost of confidence for their playoff run. Gorman fell to Findlay five days before its postseason opener.

The Gaels are favored to repeat as champions, and while they have the talent to give Findlay another tough game, it could turn into a lopsided victory for the Pilots.

Gorman didn’t have its first full practice until Monday because seven of its players were finishing the football season. The Gaels beat Del Sol, 62-21, in the state championship game Saturday.

Football team leaders like Xavier Grimble and Alex Turner, who are part of the regular rotation but far from stars on the basketball team, will only have five practices to prepare for Findlay. The Pilots have averaged 100 points per game in opening with a 10-0 record, while this will be Gorman’s initial game.

However, don’t expect Gorman to fall back on its lack of preparation as an excuse.

“We aren’t using this as a scrimmage,” Rice said. “We expect to go out there and compete. ...That first practice, (football players) Johnathan Loyd and Taylor Spencer looked like they were ready.”

The game will feature several players on both teams with Division-I scholarship offers. Findlay’s Tristan Thompson has already signed with Texas, and Joseph is picking among Connecticut, Minnesota, Texas, UNLV and Villanova.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Thompson will be tested on the inside by Grimble, a 6-5, 250-pound tight end who is committed to Southern California, and the 6-foot-2, 245-pound Turner, a Stanford commit.

“Winning the state football title last week in itself is momentum,” Peck said. “Those kids won a state basketball championship last year and then a state football championship. They know how to win."

Gorman is led by Loyd, its point guard with basketball offers from the likes of Northern Arizona and Cal-State Riverside, and Anson Winder, a guard who signed with BYU last month.

The Gaels’ schedule is packed with top out-of-town opponents — but none as talented and respected as Findlay.

“We have to limit our mistakes and try to play the perfect game,” Muhammad said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com.

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