MaxPreps 2013-14 Preseason Xcellent 25 Basketball preview: No. 5 Mater Dei

Entering his 31st year as head coach at Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), Gary McKnight owns an overall record of 960-85 with 10 state titles. By any measure, he's among the most successful coaches in high school basketball history.

Under McKnight the Monarchs have achieved a numbing level of consistency, winning 30 or more games each of the past nine seasons.

Fueling optimism to extend that streak to an even 10 years is the presence of MaxPreps first team All-American Stanley Johnson, who may be the master teacher's greatest student. Johnson outshined senior star Aaron Gordon in last year's CIF Open Division title game and was named National Junior of the Year by MaxPreps. The 6-foot-7 power guard averaged 19.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.



Most impressively, Mater Dei is 100-7 since Johnson joined the program as a freshman. He has started for three consecutive state championship teams and aims to make it four this year while operating as the team's point guard.

Joining Johnson in the backcourt will be transfer Rex Pflueger, an athletic Top 100 junior who should thrive in Mater Dei's user-friendly offense. Pflueger averaged 11.4 points per game last season as a sophomore for Trinity League rival JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano) and starred over the summer for the Compton Magic club team.

Up front, 6-10 M.J. Cage will attract much of the attention. McKnight loves what he is seeing from his sophomore star, who is the son of 15-year NBA veteran Michael Cage.

"M.J. is extremely talented," McKnight said. "When Kentucky offers you as a sophomore, you are probably pretty good."

Mater Dei has been a constant in the national championship conversation over the past three seasons, finishing in the Top 10 each year. Upset losses on quick trips east have stung the Monarchs the past two years.

Last year it was a shocking 14-point loss at St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio). In 2012, the Monarchs were tripped up by Gill St. Bernard's (Gladstone, N.J.) at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia.



"Staying consistent is not an easy thing," McKnight said. "For everybody we play, this is their biggest game."

View a gallery of the Mater Dei preseason photo shoot

Mater Dei last five years:
2012-13 (Gary McKnight) – 34-2, Open Division state champions, No. 4 final Xcellent 25 national ranking
2011-12 (Gary McKnight) – 34-2, Division I state champions, No. 6 final Xcellent 25 national ranking
2010-11 (Gary McKnight) – 32-3, Division I state champions, No. 10 final Xcellent 25 national ranking
2009-10 (Gary McKnight) – 32-2, No. 17 final Xcellent 25 national ranking
2008-09 (Gary McKnight) – 31-2, No. 8 final Xcellent 25 national ranking

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Classification/Division:
CIF Southern Section

Enrollment:
2,100 (9-12)

Head coach:
Gary McKnight

Career record:
960-85, state championships in 1987, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013



Former Monarchs in college/pro basketball:

David Brown (UCLA junior guard)

Elijah Brown (Butler freshman guard)

LeRon Ellis (former NBA power forward)

Gary Franklin (Baylor senior guard)

Reggie Geary (former NBA guard)



Max Hooper (St. John's sophomore wing)

John Hopkins (Syracuse assistant coach)

Xavier Johnson (Colorado sophomore guard)

Taylor King (Quebec Kebs forward)

Tyler Lamb (Long Beach State junior guard)

Katin Reinhardt (USC sophomore guard)



Jamal Sampson (former NBA post)

Miles Simon (former NBA guard, national champion at Arizona)

Eli Stalzer (Colorado sophomore guard)

David Wear (UCLA senior forward)

Travis Wear (UCLA senior forward)

Other notable alumni:



Matt Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles quarterback)

Jessica Bowlin (The Bachelor winner)

Matt Leinart (Heisman Trophy winner)

Robbie Rogers (LA Galaxy winger)
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Key returners:

M.J. Cage (6-10, So., C)

Stanley Johnson (6-7, Sr., G)



Troy Kramer (6-7, Jr., F)

La'vette Parker (6-2, Jr., G)

Mario Soto (6-6, Sr., F)

Bailey Stout (6-1, So., G)

Newcomers:

Rex Pflueger (6-6, Jr., G/F)



Dwight Ramos (6-3, So., F)

Matthew Weyand (6-4, Fr., F)

Circle the date:

Mater Dei's Nike Extravaganza is one of the top showcase events on the West Coast each year. This season the Monarchs lined up a doozy of a Saturday night opponent in No. 9 Whitney Young and its 6-10 star senior center Jahlil Okafor.

There will also be a pair of showdowns with Trinity League rival and national preseason No. 10 St. John Bosco. Mater Dei hosts the Braves on Jan. 15 while Bosco takes its turn at home Feb. 7.

Tournament time:



The Monarchs will return to the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas this December to defend their title. Mater Dei beat Bishop Gorman in last year's final. Other powerhouse programs in the field are defending national champ Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.), Modesto Christian (Calif.) and Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.).

Mater Dei opens the season at Mission Viejo's Diablo Inferno tourney in early December and will also participate in the Orange Holiday Classic after Christmas.