Centennial basketball could be the one to dethrone Gorman

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014 | 2 a.m.

The game isn’t guaranteed to happen because the teams are no longer in the same league. Yet, it’s the one matchup that could define the Centennial High basketball team’s season.

Centennial, which is ranked No. 2 in the Sun’s preseason top 10, is the clear favorite to win the Northwest League. Bishop Gorman, ranked No. 1 locally and the three-time defending state champion, is the favorite to win the Southwest League. If all goes as planned they’d meet in the Sunset Regional championship game.

Centennial has lost to Gorman eight times in the past two seasons, but had fourth quarter leads twice to become the lone Nevada team to seriously challenge the Gaels. And, during an October scrimmage, Centennial beat Gorman for a confidence-building victory.

Not many teams in town can say they have a legitimate chance to win a state championship. Centennial is playing with those expectations.

“But we haven’t done anything, yet,” Centennial coach Todd Allen said. “The expectation is to get better each time we are on the court. Our goal is to get better every day.”

While Centennial is one of Las Vegas’ best teams, it is also one of its youngest. The Bulldogs return just four players — three, though, are Division I college recruits — and will rely on nine newcomers.

Some of the newcomers are part of Centennial’s talented sophomore class and will receive their first varsity playing time. So, when Allen says he’s not looking ahead to a playoff run, it’s for good reason. The first priority is developing players.

“The talent is there. It will take some time to mesh,” he said. “As long as we buy in and everyone does their part, which so far they have done, we’ll be fine.”

Centennial has arguably the state’s top player in sophomore guard Troy Brown, who is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 2 overall recruiting prospect for the class of 2017. CBS lists him as high school basketball’s No. 3 best player regardless of classification.

The 6-foot-5 Brown averaged 15 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.7 steals per game last season as a freshman, and will likely be the best player on the court every game. This season, he’ll play multiple positions, and may even see minutes in the post.

“We have to play as a team and be a unit on the court,” Brown said. “We are already one unit off the court.”

Brown isn’t the lone Centennial scoring threat.

Senior wing Darrian Traylor, who is signed with UC Irvine, returns after missing last season with an ACL injury to give Centennial another option in the attack. Garett Scheer, a 6-foot-7 forward who signed with Air Force, can score from the inside and out.

“It was real devastating not being able to help the team do anything (last season),” Traylor said. “I had it in my mind to come back stronger.”

Other players to watch include: sophomore Isaiah Banks and junior Billy Sparks, two talented guards with good outside shooting ability, and 6-foot-8 post player Dominic Jackson. And sophomores James Fuller and Jamaal Evans are part of the talented 2017 class some feel could eventually dethrone Gorman.

The game wouldn’t happen until February. Yet, it’s what Centennial is preparing for.

“It is a bummer not having them in our division,” Brown said. “We’ll see them in the regional championship.”

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21