If you’re truly a fan of basketball in Central Virginia, you’ll be in Petersburg on Friday night.
No matter what happens, at least one team will get a chance to play for a state title this weekend. And it’s going be either Miller or Blue Ridge as the two face each other for the third time this season, but do so now in the VISAA Division 1 semifinals at Virginia State in Petersburg.
While both teams are loaded with talent and play aggressive, up-tempo basketball, they differ in their makeup.
From an experience standpoint, the edge goes to Miller. The Mavericks won a state championship last season, albeit at the Division 2 level, but most importantly, there are few players that have logged more meaningful minutes in Central Virginia over the last three years than Miller’s front court of Mychal Parker, Hippolyte Tsafack and Brice Kofane. And guards D’Andre Corbin and Preston Terrell know to get the ball in the hands of their big men.
The Mavericks are also a very tight knit group. Not only has the core of this team been together for the last three seasons, but with just seven players making up the lineup, the starters are used to playing entire games in addition to making sure they don’t wind up in foul trouble. And that big front court knows it has to show up each and every game.
And as for the difference between playing in the Division 1 bracket this year?
“At Miller we don’t care who we play we just go,” Tsafack said. “Division 1, Division 2, it doesn’t matter. We only care about winning.”
Conversely, Blue Ridge is constructed a bit differently. Darnell Turner is the team’s lone returning starter from last season. But that’s not exactly a new thing for the Barons – they’re used to turnover on the roster, it’s what they do. And so the real edge that the Barons bring to this contest is their depth.
From point guard down to center, Blue Ridge doesn’t have any trouble finding substitions. If Turner goes out, Isaiah Battle comes in. Robin Moore can swap in for either Chad Holley or Kameron LaTouche. Malick Kone and Andre Roberts can be shuffled around. So can Cameron Anderson and Rod Holloway. The Barons aren’t five deep, they’re 10 and then some which gives them much more wiggle room in the foul department, but it also allows them to present several different looks.
The two squads split the regular season with the home team winning on both occasions. Blue Ridge took the first contest in January by one point with a last second 3-point effort from Parker sailing wide. Miller answered back one month later, and did so in a double-overtime thriller, which has the Barons coming into semifinals with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
“We definitely want to get them back after losing in double overtime,” LaTouche said. “It’s going to be good to finally go back against them and show them what we’re about.”
These teams have a healthy dislike for eachother. Need another example? Tsafack claims the sight of the color blue gets him worked up.
Suffice it to say, Friday’s collision should make waves.
