@truehawk93 how 'bout Marsha goes there? Perfect!
More on Bragg
By Alex Hooper, The News-Herald
POSTED: 03/26/15, 6:33 PM EDT | UPDATED: 18 SECS AGO # COMMENTS
Jeff Forman/JForman@News-Herald.com
Carlton Bragg slam dunks in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 62-34 state semifinal win over the Eastmoor Warriors March 26 at Value City Arena at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
COLUMBUS — Villa Angela-St. Joseph coach Babe Kwasniak holds another title at the school: Director of Advancement.
For the past three years at VASJ, he has successfully helped advance the Vikings as far into the tournament field as possible, reaching a third straight state championship game with a 62-34 rout of Columbus Eastmoor Academy on March 26.
“Tough game, tough opponent,” Eastmoor coach Jim Miranda said. “Tremendous skills and abilities, and we knew it was a mountain we had to climb and we’d have to almost play a perfect game. We had a game plan and we executed it early, then we got out of it and got a little impatient. And then, their size and strength overpowered us down the stretch.”
Video: Columbus Eastmoor head coach Jim Miranda discusses playing VASJ.
VASJ will look to secure its sixth state crown on March 28 against Lima Central Catholic, which knocked the Vikings off in the 2014 state title game. Tip off 1:30 p.m. A win would make the Vikings the first team in Ohio to win a state championship in all four divisions.
Jeff Forman photo gallery from VASJ-Columbus Eastmoor
VASJ controlled the game for the majority of 32 minutes, and dominated almost every statistical category. The Vikings and their twin towers of Carlton Bragg and Dererk Pardon won the rebound battle, 43-21, with VASJ grabbing as many offensive boards as the Warriors had total rebounds.
The most impressive part about the Vikings’ game was their ability to defend, holding Eastmoor to 27.1 percent shooting. Defensively, VASJ has been stellar in their tournament run.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Kwasniak said. “It’s been kind of what we’re basing our performance on. I was telling the guys, we watched a clip of Carlton’s two monster dunks against Youngstown Ursuline, and I wasn’t getting fired up on the bench because of his dunks – well that was a piece of it – but I was getting fired up by how well we were defending.”
Bragg, who left the game midway through the fourth quarter with 22 points at the same time Eastmoor had scored 22 as a team, used the defensive side of the ball to convert on another showstopper. On the Vikings starters’ last possession on the floor, senior point guard Mo Johnson took a VASJ steal into the forecourt, tossed the ball off of the backboard as the defense collapsed upon him, and Bragg hammered it home with two hands.
“You can say we’ve been practicing that on the defensive side,” Bragg said. “Knowing coach, he wouldn’t allow that, but it was a defensive play, so I told Mo to throw it up. I didn’t think he’d do it at first.”
Johnson took a risk on the pass, which may have had implications outside of the game had it gone awry.
“We tried it last year and it was unsuccessful,” he said. “So we practiced it a lot, and it was successful against Coach Kwas and the alumni, so we just said we’d do it anyway.”
“I give it a 10,” Bragg quipped with a grin.
The Vikings did not get out of the gate as smoothly as they finished, falling behind midway through the first as Eastmoor senior point guard Jalon Lewis scored 10 of his team’s first 12 points. Lewis finished with 12 to lead the Warriors.
“They started to recognize me in the second quarter,” he said. “Just got a little impatient and started forcing a little bit more. In the first quarter, we stalled a little bit so we could limit their possessions and it worked, it did work, and towards the start of the second and third quarter, we started pushing a little bit more.”
After battling to a 15-11 lead after the first quarter, the Vikings eviscerated the Warriors down the stretch, outscoring Eastmoor, 35-10, in the second and third quarters combined.
Another bright spot for VASJ was Pardon, who recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Northwestern recruit was voted second-team All-Ohio in Division III despite being a consistent double-double contributor on top of serving as the defensive leader for one of the final two teams remaining in D-III, something that did not sit well with Kwasniak.
“Dererk may get lost on some other folks, but he doesn’t on me,” Kwasniak said. “Ever.”
VASJ awaits the winner of the Chaminade Julienne and Lima Central Catholic, the same team that knocked the Vikings off in the 2014 state title game.
Bragg said that while returning to the title game a third consecutive time is nice, he is not satisfied yet.
“It feels good,” he said. “I don’t want to take it too much in, we still have unfinished business to take care of.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex is a Perry native and Baldwin-Wallace alumnus who covers the high school boys basketball, cross country, golf and track beats for the News-Herald. He is an avid music-lover and counter-culture consumer. Reach the author at AHooper@News-Herald.com or follow Alex on Twitter: @lexhooper.
@drgnslayr we told you he was slimy!!
@ralster do you think Self will ask an ex player? Who would you pick? I know it depends on who we recruit.
@approxinfinity I didn't see BMac play before the redshirt.
@SoftballDad2011 they are coming back!! Jk
Kansas & Pittsburgh head coaches watching Mike Thorne
Jerry Meyer - 6 hours ago 0
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Charlotte transfer Mike Thorne is being watched by Kansas head coach Bill Self today, and Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon will be in tomorrow according to recruiting analyst Evan Daniels.
A 6-11. 270-pound post player, Thorne averaged 10.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a junior.
As a graduate transfer, Thorne has immediate eligibility.
Marsha just said baker will graduate maybe he can transfer. Jk
@That-Is-All see kips^^^
@DCHawker move w/out the ball! Very hi bb IQ!
Marsha will say something stupid, I just know!
No offensive boards, either team.
Nd's d isn't great.
@brooksmd maybe he's counting that 'bama offer?
@wissoxfan83 good man!
@drgnslayr Cole shocked me! I was saying that Coach doesn't guarantee them pt. I think you said he use to say that, like he doesn't say that anymore.
@REHawk atleast bg and his dad believe in Self ball or he would leave. I thought that was a positive sign!
@drgnslayr self use to say you have to earn pt? See oubre and cliff, they had to earn it, remember how many fans complained about them not starting or playing much?
@drgnslayr blown plays, think he lost some teeth. You better start getting in shape.
@justanotherfan BG keeps me guessing, I didn't know last year-lack of court time- that he couldn't dribble!! Perry has pleasantly surprised me w/improvement every year. He really needs a quality 5 to help his game. I never cussed at his D this year, did a lot last year! Just when Perry and Self figure out the best way to use him, he has the knee injury. I believe he will put it all together next year. Svi will improve, his fundamentals are good, age will help. Mason and Dg will continue to improve, headed in the right direction. We need a big! Bragg will help, probably a 4. Anxious to see who commits. Jmo
@wissoxfan83 have you seen any misery games? Empty.
@wissoxfan83 these guys are so funny!!
@JayhawkRock78 I also jump in the passing lanes for steals too!
@Phog_Fanatics: Bill Self is with graduate transfer Mike Thorne of Charlotte today. Adding another veteran to next year's team could make them scary.
@sfbahawk good one, I do that too.
@DCHawker great pts!
@JayhawkRock78 hey track guy, what did you do in track? I sent a "chat" to you to check out the relays fb, thought you would enjoy it.
@approxinfinity I thought blown had gone to the other side. I was scared!!
@VoyagingJayhawk couldn't pass up the pic of him in the shirt. The news team from kake scolded the boo-ers. Anyway...... I'm done!
@VoyagingJayhawk probably in central and western ks.
@BallUpNBA: Rookie of the Year! “@NBAllAccess: Andrew Wiggins tonight:
27 Points
6 Rebounds
4 assists
2 steals
2 blocks”
@csantaellaSSA: @tyshawntaylor just lit it up tonight for @IndiosBSN with 36 pts 5 assts and the W on the road #SSA
@EdwordL I have a friend who goes to the yearly symphony in the flint hills. Brownback showed up and was booed there. A lil different crowd than bb games. 2 weeks later he cut the arts funding.
@truehawk93 I put it on there. Confused. I know who he is, voted against him!
@truehawk93 hot spot for sure!!
@truehawk93 nobody looks good in maroon and yellow, maybe Niang or McKay.
Changing the subject, hope none of you are in the tulsa area or Moore ok! Where do Selfs parents live?
@HawksWin we aren't going anywhere. I'm anxious to get Cliff notes from nuleafs reading, edge of chair!!!😬 he's hysterical, should be a great read.
@nuleafjhawk back on your meds?
@JayhawkRock78 who?
So if Marsha leaves, you still want the game? I'll pass. Think Marsha said he wanted to leave it as is, since they won.
Other good news, jerrod haase signed a 6 yr extension!!!
@DCHawker and......
@nuleafjhawk 👬 this is the reason, you have to many man crushes, only reason!👀😱
@Lulufulu more importantly, he backs Selfs discipline of his son! Please note, sarcasm towards another dad.
@Blown Self also said he has thought about how KU will adjust its schedule after the trip ends. After going hard for the early part of the summer, he plans on shutting his players down.
“That means they’d have basically five weeks to get their legs back under them, which is plenty of time," Self said. “So they still get their summer break. They still have all that. Then start back up again maybe Sept. 1.”