MaxPreps 2013-14 Preseason Xcellent 25 Basketball preview: No. 10 St. John Bosco

Head coach Derrick Taylor has a tough act to follow this season at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).

The school's football team is headed to the playoffs with a 10-0 record and is ranked No. 5 nationally by MaxPreps. The Braves are averaging over 45 points per game and put up 75 in an early October game against City Section power Crenshaw (Los Angeles).

Taylor's basketball program knows what it's like to be overshadowed — a chip on the shoulder that could serve this year's team well. Trinity League rival Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is one of the most storied programs nationwide and has won 25 league titles in a row (though not all in Trinity). Gary McKnight's Monarchs haven't dropped a game to Bosco since MaxPreps start tracking scores in 2004-05.

"We like our team and our chances, but knocking off the Big Red Machine — that's no easy task," Taylor said.

Taylor's optimism starts with the returning duo of junior Tyler Dorsey and senior Connecticut pledge Daniel Hamilton.

Dorsey, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 17 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last year and looked like one of the nation's top guards in several big events over the summer. Hamilton, who operates on the perimeter despite being in the 6-7 range, added 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2012-13.

Transfers Lorne Currie and Vance Jackson plus freshman Billy Preston add major firepower and size to the lineup.

Jackson is another tall prospect with the ability to do damage from the outside. The 6-8 sophomore was a MaxPreps Freshman All-American last season after putting up 19 points per game at La Salle (Pasadena).

"He is a big-time shooter," Taylor said. "He can really shoot it from deep and is a very savvy basketball player."

Expect to hear a lot about Preston over the next four years. Taylor expects the freshman manchild to earn a spot in the starting lineup.



"He's far from a finished product but he works at it all the time and is really improving," Taylor said.

Bosco should be strong going at least eight or nine deep, which will be crucial given the brutal schedule that it will embark on beginning Nov. 25 at the Redondo Union Pac-Shore Tournament.

View gallery of St. John Bosco preseason photo shoot.

St. John Bosco last five years:
2012-13 (Derrick Taylor) – 24-7, CIF Southern Section Division 3A champion
2011-12 (Derrick Taylor) – 25-8
2010-11 (Chris Madigan) – 21-9
2009-10 (Chris Madigan) – 14-11
2008-09 (Chris Madigan) – 12-13

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Classification/Division:
CIF Southern Section Division 3A

Enrollment:
758 (9-12)

Head coach:
Derrick Taylor is in his 15th year as a head coach overall and third at St. John Bosco. While at Taft (Woodland Hills), he coached Jordan Farmar (UCLA, NBA), Steve Smith (former USC, NFL wide receiver), Larry Drew II (North Carolina, UCLA, NBDL), Spencer Dinwiddie (Colorado junior guard), DeAndre Daniels (Connecticut junior forward), Bryce Dejean-Jones (UNLV junior guard) and Garrett Green (LSU, San Diego State).

Taylor has also served as head coach in the McDonald's All-American Game and Boost Mobile Elite 24. Taylor's career record is 285-63 (.818 winning percentage).

Former Braves in college/pro basketball:

Jelani Gardner (1994 McDonald's All-American)



Cezar Guerrero (Fresno State sophomore guard)

Isaac Hamilton (UCLA freshman guard)

Other notable alumni:

Tim DeRuyter (Fresno State football head coach)

Nomar Garciaparra (retired MLB shortstop)

Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays third baseman)



Keith Price (University of Washington quarterback){PAGEBREAK} Key returners:

Tyler Dorsey (6-4, Jr., G)

Brian Enriquez (6-2, Sr., G)

Daniel Hamilton (6-6, Sr., G), Committed to Connecticut

Rodney Henderson (6-4, Jr., F)

Newcomers:



Lorne Currie (6-2, Jr., G, transfer from Fairfax)

Vance Jackson (6-8, So., G/F, transfer from La Salle)

Billy Preston (6-8, Fr., F)

Joseph Tate (6-4, So., F)

Denzel Williams (6-2, Fr., G/F)

Circle the date:



The Braves will play games in Arizona, Florida, Illinois and Massachusetts but the big ones will be right in their own backyard this season. Jan. 15 and Feb. 7 — those are the dates for the two league games against national No. 5 Mater Dei. Ending a long losing streak against the Monarchs would be cause for celebration in Bellflower.

Outside of Trinity League play, St. John Bosco also has a showdown with No. 9 Whitney Young at the Chicago Elite Classic on Dec. 7 and will play St. Frances Academy at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts.

Tournament time:

Like most California teams, Bosco has several tournaments on the schedule. First up is the Redondo Pacific Shores Tournament Nov. 25-30, which could produce a matchup with defending Division II state champ Redondo Union. Then the Braves head to Florida for the City of Palms Classic before Christmas to tackle a field that includes four nationally-ranked teams. After Christmas, the program heads to the desert for the VisitMesa.com Arizona Basketball Challenge.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE HERE