MaxPreps 2014-15 Preseason Top 25 Basketball preview: No. 7 Bishop Gorman

High school basketball is a guard's game, but with three players over 6-foot-10 that would start on every team in the country, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) will challenge that commandment this season.

Duke verbal commit Chase Jeter and Stephen Zimmerman – both five-star senior prospects – along with junior Zach Collins all fall somewhere between 6-10 and 7-feet, depending on the source.

"It's definitely a once-in-a-career situation to have three kids that size with that kind of skill, growing up in the same general area and around the same age," Bishop Gorman head coach Grant Rice said. "They work well together and get along, which is great, but I also think it's created some competition."



See the entire preseason national Top 25

Jeter and Zimmerman were both first team all-state performers and MaxPreps Junior All-Americans a year ago, leading the Gaels to their 16th all-time state championship and fifth in the last six years.

Collins was a role player for Gorman as a sophomore but saw his stock soar over the summer, attracting offers from Arizona, California, Memphis, Notre Dame and UCLA among others.

The Gaels may be one of the few teams capable of matching up with preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy, which boasts seven players over 6-7. The two teams meet Jan. 19 at the Spalding Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass.

While the frontcourt may be as good as it gets in high school basketball, the backcourt could be a work in progress. Gone is valuable guard and leader Noah Robotham, now a freshman at Akron.

Replacing Robotham's shooting and ballhandling could be a committee approach, with seniors Richie Thornton and Ugo Amadi, junior Julian Payton and sophomore Charles O'Bannon – both sons of famous basketball fathers – all getting a crack on the perimeter.



View gallery of Bishop Gorman preseason photo shoot

The Gaels are also big on the wings with Pac-12 target Nick Blair (6-5), Tanner Leishman (6-6), Deon Whiteside (6-6) and Chase Nomaaea (6-6) all figuring into the rotation.

Bishop Gorman's last five years:
2013-14 – 30-3, Division I state champions, No. 10 final national ranking
2012-13 – 29-3, Division I state champions, No. 11 final national ranking
2011-12 – 28-4, Class 4A state champions, No. 7 final national ranking
2010-11 – 25-6
2009-10 – 30-2, Class 4A state champions, No. 16 final national ranking{PAGEBREAK}

State Association/Division:
Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA)/Division I

Enrollment:
1,200

Head coach:
Grant Rice (14th year as head coach at Bishop Gorman)

Career record:
343-65, state championships in 2002, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014



Former Gaels in college/pro basketball:
- Rosco Allen, Stanford junior forward
- Ben Carter, UNLV junior forward
- Demetris Morant, Florida Gulf Coast sophomore forward
- Rashad Muhammad, San Jose State sophomore guard
- Shabazz Muhammad, Minnesota Timberwolves guard
- Noah Robotham, Akron freshman guard
- C.J. Watson, Indiana Pacers guard
- Anson Winder, BYU senior guard

Other notable alumni:
- Mike Adras, Northern Arizona University men's basketball coach
- Charisma Carpenter, Buffy The Vampire Slayer actress
- Lorenzo Fertitta, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) owner
- Joey Gallo, Texas Rangers third baseman
- Jalen Grimble, Oregon State junior defensive tackle
- Xavier Grimble, San Francisco 49ers tight end
- Johnathan Loyd, Oregon senior wide receiver/punt returner (former Duck basketball player)
- DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys running back
- Ronnie Stanley, Notre Dame junior offensive lineman
- Dana White, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president{PAGEBREAK}

Nick Blair (6-5, Sr., F)
Athletic wing has offers from Pac-12 programs Arizona State and Washington State.

Zach Collins (6-11, Jr., F/C)
Top 25 junior prospect with offers from Arizona, California, UCLA and UNLV among others.

Chase Jeter (6-11, Sr., F/C)
Duke verbal commit pegged No. 8 prospect in 2015 class by 247Sports Composite.

Tanner Leishman (6-6, Jr., G/F)

Richie Thornton (6-2, Sr., G)

Deon Whiteside (6-6, Sr., F)

Stephen Zimmerman (7-0, Sr., C)
Five-star senior center has Arizona, Kentucky and UNLV at the top of his list.

Impact newcomers:

Ugo Amadi (6-1, Sr., G)

Chase Nomaaea (6-6, Jr., G/F)

Charles O'bannon (6-5, So., G)



Julian Payton (5-10, Jr., G)

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Circle the date: The Gaels have several heavyweight matchups on their schedule, including meetings with preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.), Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and Simeon (Chicago).

But keep an eye on Gorman's Nov. 29 showdown with preseason No. 11 Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) at the NorCal Tip-Off. O'Dowd crushed the Las Vegas superpower in the semifinals of last season's Jerry Tarkanian Classic. That game was televised nationally by the CBS Sports Network and undoubtedly left a bitter aftertaste for the Gaels.

Tournament time: Under Rice, Gorman always goes big during holiday tournament time. The Gaels will host the Jerry Tarkanian Classic before Christmas (Dec. 17-20), welcoming nationally ranked Chino Hills to Las Vegas along with Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), Overland (Aurora, Colo.), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) and West Linn (Ore.).

After Christmas, Bishop Gorman will make the trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the prestigious Beach Ball Classic (Dec. 26-31). The Gaels won the event in 2009 and will look to add a second title against a field that includes Northland (Columbus, Ohio), North Little Rock (Ark.), Sagemont (Weston, Fla.), Shadow Mountain (Phoenix), St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) and St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.).