MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Basketball preview: No. 10 Salesian

With programs like De La Salle (Concord), McClymonds (Oakland), Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) and Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) garnering much of the hoops headlines in California's Bay Area, it wasn't until 2008 that Salesian (Richmond) began building its national reputation.

That season, the Pride featured a sophomore Desmond Simmons (now a redshirt sophomore at Washington) and a freshman Jabari Brown (who would later transfer to Findlay Prep and is now at Missouri).

A year later in 2008-09, Simmons and Brown were joined by Davion Mize, Dominic Artis (Oregon freshman) and Freddie Tagaloa (California freshman left tackle) as the Pride stormed to a 31-4 record and the school's first basketball state title.

That success has set the table for Salesian's most-anticipated season yet. Led by three seniors committed to Division I schools, the Pride open the season ranked No. 10 in the MaxPreps Preseason Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard.



Five-star wing Jabari Bird (committed to California) and guards Mario Dunn (Montana) and Markel Leonard (Cal Poly) will be the backbone for head coach Bill Mellis, who will be looking for his third state title in California's new Open Division format, which aims to pit the state's top programs against one another in an eight-team bracket to close out the season.

Jermaine Edmonds is a fourth Division I-caliber senior who has helped Salesian rattle off a 52-4 record since January of 2011.

Salesian's last five years:
2011-12 – 34-2 (Bill Mellis), Division IV state champions
2010-11 – 26-12 (Bill Mellis), Division IV state runner-up
2009-10 – 32-3 (Bill Mellis)
2008-09 – 31-4 (Bill Mellis), Division IV state champions
2007-08 – 21-9 (Bill Mellis)

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Classification/Division: CIF Division IV


Enrollment: 580 




2011-12 record: 34-2, North Coast Section Division IV champions, Division IV state champions, No. 18 national ranking


Head coach: Bill Mellis (15th year as head coach, all at Salesian)


Career record: 345-109


Notable alumni: Desmond Simmons (Washington redshirt sophomore forward), Freddie Tagaloa (California freshman football player)

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Key returners:

Jabari Bird (6-5, Sr., G/F) – No. 24 ranked Class of 2013 prospect, California verbal commitment



Mario Dunn (6-0, Sr., G) – Montana verbal commitment

Markel Leonard (6-0, Sr., G) – Cal Poly verbal commitment

Jermaine Edmonds (6-4, Sr., F)

Newcomers:

Jonathan Galloway (6-8, Jr., F)

Lance Coleman (6-5, So., F)



Ben Kone (6-7, Fr., F)

Circle the date:
In what could be a key primer for the section and state playoffs, Salesian will take on nationally ranked Sheldon (Sacramento) on Feb. 2. The pairing produced a classic last season as Salesian overcame a double-digit deficit to beat the eventual Division I state runner-up. Another big test will come at West Virginia's Cancer Research Classic in January against defending Pennsylvania Class AAA state champ Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia).

Tournament time:
Salesian will participate in the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in December, where programs like Lincoln (Tacoma, Wash.), Mater Dei (Santa Ana) and Sheldon (again) would love to bolster their national resumes with a win over a Top 10 team like the Pride. The historic Gridley Invitational – which Salesian has won four years in a row – is also on the slate.

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