DeMatha basketball (12-4, 2-0 in WCAC) is off to a hot start as the Stags look to contend for a WCAC title this season. DeMatha played in two tournaments over winter break, going 4-3, and that success has carried over into conference play. The Stags opened up their WCAC schedule Tuesday, January 6 with a 72-57 thrashing of rival Gonzaga with ESPN’s Michael Wilbon in attendance. DeMatha then faced Good Counsel over the weekend, winning 68-58.
The Stags used the winter break to play some of the nation’s top opponents by traveling to Torrey Pines, California for the Holiday Classic and Mesa, Arizona for the Panini Hoophall West tournament. Their three losses came to three nationally ranked top 30 opponents, including two ranked in the nation’s top 10. At Panini Hoophall West, they were watched by Class of 2020 Naismith Hall of Famer Tim Duncan.
DeMatha has shown the ability to be versatile on the offensive end, able to play with varying pace. They have been able to win games with an offense that slows the game down in the half court and a fast-paced offense that aims to score quickly on the fast break.
The Stags have also shown the ability to win in close games. In games decided by 5 points or less, they are a perfect 5-0. When they slow the offense down, they are able to drive and kick out a pass, and when they play fast they are able to get quick lobs for crowd-pleasing alley-oops. “I feel like we can win both styles…we are built for that,” said head coach Mike G. Jones III.
What powers the offense is their ability to score on each possession; they’re averaging 1.03 points per possession. DeMatha is shooting 42.5% from the field and 64.2% from the line. Guards Ashton “Ace” Meeks and Jaden Shoultz have led in most offensive categories and have encompassed DeMatha’s offense.
“We’re a team based on ball and body movement. When we move the ball well, the ball has energy,” Jones said.
Ashton has been a standout all year. The senior captain has been able to average 22.9 points in 16 games this season. Against Gonzaga, Ace drained 16 out of 17 free throws. On the season he’s shooting an impressive 94.4% from the line. Meeks has scored 95 points in his most recent three-game stretch, including 40 against Good Counsel on Friday. He has also been one of the Stags’ most consistent three point shooters, shooting 41% from the field and 35.4% from three.
“I have matured over the years in terms of my game as far as jacking up a bunch of threes; if I see them not falling… I can score out of the middy… I can hold my hat on making sure I get to the line… and getting my teammates involved,” Meeks said.
Shoultz transferred in this year from Northland High School in Columbus, Ohio for a final ride, and it has been for sure a ride. Jaden has consistently put up strong performances as he is averaging 9.3 points per game and a team best 41.3% from three. Jaden seems to rally up the team with his impressive ability to catch the lob and dunk it. “I feel like it’s just energy; dunks get the whole crowd going, get the whole bench going,” Shoultz says.
On the defensive side, Coach Jones says DeMatha is focused on what he calls the ‘three V’s’ – visible, vocal, and vigilant. The Stags display all three on the defensive end but are definitely visible in the paint, dominating the defensive rebound game by 14.9%. The team has shown in key moments that they can get big stops on the defensive end. In their comeback against Clinton Grace they were able to get three stops in a row to seal the game. Against the Purple Eagles, they stopped Gonzaga’s big front court in the paint and forced them to shoot threes, which ultimately led them to their loss last week.
DeMatha is always on the positive side of the defensive stops per game statistic. Leading the rebounding charge are juniors Daniel “Danny” Abass and Jared Jeffers. Daniel is a 6-7 power forward and Jared is a 6-11 center.
“It’s definitely just us staying in the gym and practicing every day. It’s a grind to play in the WCAC, and to especially be DeMatha, so we have a standard and our standards are very high on defense,” Abass said.
Jared transferred in this year from Wheaton and has been the definition of consistency. He had a double-double against the Purple Eagles with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. His ability to get boards and defend in the paint has been a great addition. Jared is DeMatha’s most consistent rim protector, averaging 1.7 blocks per game. He also leads the team in the recovery stat, which combines blocks, steals, and charges taken.
“I’m out here with guys that can score, so if they’re not going, I got to be available to get rebounds and box other bigs out,” Jeffers said.
Daniel has taken a major step this year, blossoming into the go-to forward. Danny is the Stags’ best rebounder and is averaging 7.5 boards per game this year, with most of these coming on the defensive end. Abass recently had a double-double against St. Benedict’s with an impressive 10 points and 18 rebounds. “For my rebounding, it’s definitely just a [mindset] that I have to [just get] the most rebounds and just be a dominant force,” Abass said.
The Stags are ranked No. 1 in Maryland and are No. 43 in the nation by Rivals. The Washington Post top 20 rankings have DeMatha at No. 3 in the region.
DeMatha’s most recent game was a non-conference game against the St. Benedict’s Gray Bees on Saturday, a game they won 76-50. Meeks was named the MVP of the game with 25 points. The game was broadcast on Monumental Sports Network as it was part of Basketball Day in the DMV, hosted at DeMatha.
The Stags’ next contest is against Bishop O’Connell (12-3, 2-1 in WCAC) at the Brendan Looney ’00 Convocation Center on Tuesday. The Knights are ranked No. 2 in Virginia only behind Paul VI, and are ranked No. 20 nationally by ESPN. O’Connell is ranked No. 2 in the DMV by The Post.
To win, DeMatha needs to get off to a hot start and be able to play mistake-free basketball, as well as stop the highly efficient O’Connell offense powered by Darius Bivins, the No. 7 ranked point guard in the nation by 247 Sports.
“It’s another good WCAC team… they got a bunch of good shooters, a bunch of guards. I feel like going into that one we got to guard our yard a lot… and be careful on the help ball side. It’s going to be another physical and pretty competitive game,” said senior forward Jordan Stevens.
Daniel addressed the student body as the team enters the heart of its WCAC schedule. “Y’all bring so much enthusiasm and fun to the game. It just makes basketball [a] different level. I wanna thank y’all and tell them to come to the games,” Abass said.
