Falcons still growing up

Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2007

Falcons still growing up

by James Peters | Staff Writer

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Good Counsel

The Good Counsel boys basketball team showed marked improvement during Coach Mike Hibbs’s second season at the helm, and many factors point to further success this winter as most of last year’s team remains intact, including All-Gazette first-team selection Jordan Clarke, a 6-foot-8 forward who will play for the University of Vermont next year.

‘‘We’ve got six sophomores on varsity — six sophomores, three juniors and three seniors,” Hibbs said. ‘‘Hopefully the sophomores will grow up to be juniors by the end of the year. If they can, we could be pretty good by the end of the year but we have a long way to go.

‘‘Our league is unforgiving. Every mistake, every turnover is definitely magnified. The other team takes advantage of it but [the league] also brings out the best in your play. We’re much more athletic than we’ve been in the past and we can score a lot better than in the past.”

While those youngsters, including football stalwart Louis Young — a 6-foot sophomore point guard — work through their growing pains, the Falcons will rely on Clark, a second team All-WCAC selection, who averaged 15.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and two steals a game last year.

‘‘He’s one of our best 3-point shooters and he can post up,” Hibbs said.

He’ll be coupled with starting center Julius Omoniurhie, a 7-foot junior who joined the team several games into last season, after the Nigeria native worked out his Visa problems. Although raw, Omoniurhie adds size and athleticism to the post.

Other key players are junior guard Recardo Gaddy (6-2), sophomore guard Ben Hazel (6-4), sophomore forward Sean Wright (6-7), senior forward Marius Pop (6-6) and senior forward Steve Musenga (6-5). Gaddy, Hazel and Wright add athleticism while Pop is a three-point specialist, and Musenga is the team’s hustle player inside the paint.

‘‘We’ve got some depth, which is nice,” Hibbs said. ‘‘We can definitely go 10 deep. I like where we’re headed. They’re great kids and they work hard. They have good chemistry.”

The Falcons will play in three regular-season tournaments, including at the late December Merv Lopes Holiday Classic in Hawaii.

Location: Olney

Nickname: Falcons

Head coach: Mike Hibbs, 3rd year (19-38 at GC), 16th year overall (223-167 career record)

League affiliation: Washington Catholic Athletic Conference

Last year’s record: 13-17, 6-12 in the WCAC

Last league title: None

Players to watch: G⁄F Jordan Clarke, C Julius Omoniurhie, G Recardo Gaddy