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A look at Bishop Gorman big man, Ben Carter, during practice Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas.
Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 | 11:39 a.m.
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The Bishop Gorman High boys basketball team held a brief second-quarter lead Monday against nationally ranked St. Patrick of New Jersey at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., but had no answers for top prospect Michael Gilchrist in a 79-63 loss.
Gilchrist, a Kentucky commit who is rated as a top-five recruit by multiple evaluating services, had 27 points in helping No. 3-ranked St. Patrick remain undefeated. The game was televised by ESPNU.
Gorman trailed by eight points midway through the first quarter, but went on a 14-4 run to take a 19-17 advantage on a basket by Ben Carter with 5:58 to play in the second. Carter had six points in the outburst, and Shabazz Muhammad and Rosco Allen both drained 3-pointers.
Gorman held its lead for nearly two minutes as the teams exchanged baskets, but St. Patrick closed the first half a 14-4 run of its own for an eight-point halftime advantage.
“Our guys are going to have to learn how to play a full 32 minutes of basketball,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said.
Gilchrist put the game out of reach in the second half, opening the third quarter with six straight points, extending the St. Patrick lead to 42-28.
“The thing that hurt us was they went on a few runs here there where they outscored us 6-0 or 8-0,” Rice said.
Muhammad led Gorman with a game-high 28 points, heating up in the second half with 23 points after some erratic play and 2-of-7 shooting in the first half. Carter added 14 points for Gorman, while Allen hit a trio of 3-pointers in scoring 13.
Findlay Prep of Henderson played after Gorman on ESNPU in the Hoophall Classic. Check back later for details of that contest.
Junior Shabazz Muhammad is starting to grow on me, as I stated before that he is as strong as a bull, but I still stick by the fact that his outside game still isn't quite there yet. Obviously that is important since he's listed as a 2 guard. I think games like these are good for Muhammad, where he is showcasing his skills versus the best teams in the nation. I just don't think that playing at Gorman beating up on Las Vegas public school leagues is preparing him to be the best that he can be at the next level. Yeah, Gorman plays a few nationally ranked teams year to year, but for the most part the bulk of their schedule is against weaker opponents. I would love to see Muhammad transfer to Findlay, where Coach Peck could transform this kid to an even better player, and he will get the opportunity to face elite national talent on a frequent basis. But, could you imagine the backlash at Gorman and in this city if he transferred to Findlay. Gorman supporters would be rioting in the streets! They'd have Findlay shut down in minutes, lol.