Beyond the X: Aaron Gordon's last stand

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It was controlled chaos at its best in the basketball gymnasium at Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) and it sounded a lot like the ground floor of Wall Street — with some shoe sneaker squeak.

There were echoes of loud, unintelligible chatter being yelled — defensive communication — combined with whistles and bellowing instruction from four coaches, impossible for outsiders to follow or ascertain.

Some of the language was communicated quite clearly.

"Keep everything in front!"



"Don't be afraid of contact!"

"Keep it simple!"

"They're going to come after us!"

All at once — every 10 minutes or so — a buzzer went off and the 15 players, in a Pavlovian manner, sprinted straight to the middle of the floor to discuss that chunk of practice. Every huddle was finished with "Mitty Pride."

After one break, as the players branched off to shoot free throws, one teammate spoke up. And he wasn't smiling.

"We're going for the state championship Saturday," senior Aaron Gordon yelled to no one in particular. "Let's get going."

Gordon stands out in this crowd — most any crowd — not only because he stands 6-foot-8 and is a lean and chiseled 225 pounds, but also because he's the face of the program and a McDonald's All-American. He will be one of the star attractions at Wednesday's 35th-annual showcase games in Chicago because he'll be fresh off committing to the University of Arizona in a Tuesday morning ceremony.

Kentucky, Oregon and Washington were the other three final candidates.

See Arizona's other commits

He's also the fifth-ranked recruit in the United States according to MaxPreps, a four-year starter who without a Division I recruit by his side had led the Monarchs to 112 wins to that point, two state, three regional and four section titles.

This was his penultimate practice in an illustrious prep career, two days before Mitty would take on perennial national power and two-time defending Division I state champion Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) in the inaugural California Open Division title game at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. The Open Division was created just for this type of matchup, to pit two squads from different enrollment sizes, which would not normally meet, to battle for the state's ultimate prize.

But something besides the state title was on the line for Gordon — his high school legacy.


Video by Scott Hargrove/Chris Spoerl. Edited by Scott Hargrove

He's considered one of the greatest prep players to come out of the Bay Area and Northern California — mentioned in the same breath as Jason Kidd, Paul Silas and Bill Cartwright — and a win over Mater Dei would only improve his lofty status.

Mitty director of communication and girls soccer coach J.T. Hanley watched Kidd many times in high school. He worked right down the street. He said what Kidd had as a prep, Gordon has now. And it has nothing to do with athleticism.

"He's the smartest player I've seen since Jason Kidd," Hanley said. "He's like having another coach on the court. He's 17 going on 30 mentally. He's absolutely selfless. He just makes everyone better.

"You combine that kind of athlete with that kind of basketball IQ and you have one of the greatest ever."

Gordon, whose basketball idol is Magic Johnson and wears No. 32 because of it, can only hear so much of the comparisons.

"It's an honor to even be considered with any of those names," Gordon said. "But that's not why I play. I just play to win."{PAGEBREAK}
The Mater Dei chip
He just plays to win. Especially against Mater Dei, a program led by the state's most successful coach, Gary McKnight. He was after his 10th state title and two of them — in 2007 and 2008 — came against Mitty and Gordon's older brother, hero and mentor Drew.

"That (beating Drew) is definitely a motivating factor," Gordon said after practice. "I was there. My whole family was there and it made for a long ride home. We all hate to lose."

McKnight is quite familiar with Gordon's competitive edge and family loyalties.

"Little Gordon (Aaron) isn't going to be too happy we beat his brother," McKnight told the press after Mater Dei's regional final victory over Etiwanda, which set the stage for the Mitty matchup.

And on this day, Little Gordon wasn't pleased with his team's practice — particularly his own — considering it was just 48 hours until game time. The Monarchs missed chippies, Gordon had trouble hanging on to the ball under heavy duress and the team in general looked tired of practicing.

It was the fourth-straight day of preparation following a pinnacle performance, a 70-50 victory over Sheldon (Sacramento, Calif.) in the Northern California finals, also at Sleep Train Arena.



In that game, Gordon had 29 points, 22 rebounds and five blocks, a vintage performance during a season in which he averaged 21.6 points, 15.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3 blocks per game while shooting 60 percent from the floor. It far surpassed his career numbers of 18.4 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

Though dominating as usual, it was the team's supporting cast, led by junior point guard Connor Peterson and seniors Brandon Farrell, Brandon Abajelo and Davis Messer, that pushed the Monarchs to the very surprising 20-point win over a loaded Sheldon squad that had previously dispatched Salesian (Richmond, Calif.).

Salesian beat Mitty 72-51 earlier in the season.

"Aaron has carried us so much of the way but (against Sheldon) everyone stepped up and relieved the pressure off of him," Messer said after practice. "The key for us (against Mater Dei) is we need to step up to that level again. He can only carry us so far."

Said Abajelo: "We need people to make plays down the stretch. He can't win it by himself and we can't win it without him."

But they would have to play much better and crisper than on this day. Mitty coach Tim Kennedy was more empathetic than concerned.



"I would give this practice a five or six tops," he said. "These guys are kind of tired. They're just hungry to play now. They're tired of beating each other up."

Gordon was tired, but not enough to beat himself up some more.

After his teammates had left, he spent 45 minutes working through drills to help him with ball control and shooting. He weaved up and down the court, dribbling two balls at once for 10 minutes. He stood underneath the basket, jumped up and dunked, caught the ball going through the hoop without it hitting the floor, then jumped up and dunked again. He did it at least 20 times until he reached a state of exhaustion. He then repeated that drill four or five times.

After that, he finished off the night with 15-20 minutes of mid-range jumpers on feeds from an assistant coach.

"He'd do this all night if I let him," Kennedy said. "Of course I love this about him. To have your best player be your hardest worker is ideal. It has a lot to do with why we've had the success we've had and why Aaron is who he is.

"But we have to cut him off. We have to save his legs."



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Gym rats
Kennedy smiled broadly when he mentioned Gordon's work ethic. In fact, he smiled more when talking about work ethic than talking about seeing any of Gordon's monstrous dunks that have been featured on ESPN's Top 10 Plays, or any high-flying plays that have experts comparing him to a young Blake Griffin.

A former starting shooting guard at Loyola Marymount and record-breaking 3-point shooting star overseas, Kennedy was smitten with Gordon's gym-rat nature because he was born with the same affliction. Kennedy's first season as head coach coincided with Gordon's arrival as a freshman. It was perfect timing.

"We're both gym rats," Kennedy said. "That's how we first bonded. We've been through a lot of wars together."

Not only separately as coach and player, but also as combatants, battling head-to-head on the court.

At 6-5 and 220, the 1995 graduate of nearby Serra High was big enough and certainly seasoned enough to teach the young lad a thing or two. Not that Aaron hadn't been schooled and taught enough in his young life.

He's the youngest of three and besides having to shoot over and compete with live-wire Drew, who starred at UCLA and New Mexico and now plays overseas in Serbia, Aaron also had to deal with his big sister Elisabeth Gordon, a 6-1 junior post currently at Harvard. Because of them, he knew by the age of 5 he wanted to be a basketball star.



"He was always the little guy in the back yard," said Gordon's mother Shelly Davis. "And he was always active. He saw what was going on with his brother and sister and wanted to be a part of it."

Being the smallest, he learned guard skills and in early youth leagues played point guard. That served him well as he grew into his long and lean frame. By the time he got to Kennedy, he was already skilled and athletically considered a "freak." His highlight films were filled with impressive and resounding dunks, even as a 14-year-old playing against kids three and four years his senior.

But Kennedy, who averaged around 20 points per game his final two seasons at Serra, took him to the next level by playing endless games of one-on-one to 11 points. The contests would go well into the night, even after Mitty games.

Kennedy said Gordon didn't beat him until some time late in his junior season.

"First off, I waited until he was nice and tired after practice or games," Kennedy said with a twinkle in his eye. "When he was young, he didn't know how to move defensively. I was able to show him angles. Back then he wasn't quite as long as he is now, so I could get my shot off.

"(Beating) him would always (tee) him off. He's such a competitive kid. He'd always want to play again."



And Kennedy always would. Besides sharing the love and skill for the game, both shared the same temperament. Easy going and very personable on the outside — a wildfire burning on the inside.

"Coach understands me," Gordon said. "We speak the same language. He's helped me in every facet and I can't thank him enough."

Said Davis: "He was just the perfect fit for Aaron's temperament and personality. Tim challenged him in so many areas. That's why he's gotten so much better."

It also helped to grow 3 inches and gain 20-30 pounds of muscle. Kennedy, who played professionally for four years in Portugal and two in Spain, knew it was a matter of time before Gordon would beat him. Kennedy has three children younger than the age of 4. Sleep and top-end fitness haven't been his priority.

Not that it would matter.

"Once he was able to get his shot off and better at getting to the basket, he was pretty much unstoppable," Kennedy said. "That's about the time we started curtailing the games."

Finally beating Kennedy was one thing for Gordon. Winning back-to-back state crowns was another. But beating Mater Dei to finish his prep career with a third-straight title was all Gordon had on his mind this week.

Not his legacy. Not his college choices. Not any of his personal records or achievements. This would be the ultimate finish.

"Perfect," Gordon said. "This is the perfect ending. I couldn't imagine it any other way. After this game, there won't be any questions."


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Game day
Like the previous two years, the Monarchs boarded the team bus just after noon for an 8 p.m. game.

Sacramento is a 120-mile, two-hour ride, but the team always stopped near its destination for a shoot-around at a local high school arena.

This time the Monarchs stopped at Monterey Trail (Elk Grove, Calif.) for a 90-minute workout and pow wow. The ride to Elk Grove was quiet. Players mostly slept or listened to music, while coaches sat in the front and discussed strategy. Much of the discussion was about how to slow down Mater Dei, particularly the team's best all-around player Stanley Johnson, a 6-7 shooting guard and tenacious rebounder, rated the eighth-best junior in the country.

Johnson and Gordon played together on the Oakland Soldiers AAU team over the summer and have met up numerous times at USA basketball camps and competition.



"He's really good in all aspects," Gordon said. "He's such a big guard and has a really good jumper. He's a great rebounder. He's a big challenge."

Said Kennedy: "(Johnson) has a motor like Aaron. He can shoot the 3 and he's an animal on the boards. He's a tough matchup."

Johnson and McKnight were equally impressed with Gordon.

"He's as talented a player I've seen at this level," McKnight said. "He'll be in the NBA in a few years. He's that good."

Said Johnson: "Great player, great athlete. He loves to compete and loves to win state title games."

According to Kennedy, Gordon was very focused at the shoot-around and asked to take extra repetitions on a few of Mater Dei's plays even after they had gone through them. Following a meal, the team got back on the bus and one could slice the energy with a knife. The players arrived at Sleep Train Arena like the previous two seasons and one by one, left the bus. Curiously missing was Gordon.



"You guys missing anyone?" a reporter asked Kennedy.

Gordon was the last to leave the bus, and Kennedy heaved a giant sigh of relief. He was kidding.

When the Monarchs entered the arena and sat in the stands to watch half of the Open Division girls championship, Gordon was swarmed by picture-takers and autograph seekers.

A Mitty fan showed off a 4-foot poster of Gordon dunking with the lettering: "Here comes da Boom!" The same poster was shrunk and handed out throughout the large and loud Mitty cheering section.

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Game time
All the preparation appeared to work, as Mitty took a quick 6-0 lead on a Gordon tip-in and turnaround jumper, followed by a jumper from Messer.

But Johnson took over, drilling two long-range 3-pointers with Gordon in his face, and finished the quarter with a dunk as Mater Dei, also the Monarchs, took a 13-10 lead.

It was more of Gordon and Johnson going man-against-man in the second quarter. Another 3-pointer by Johnson, a layup over Gordon and a fastbreak hoop gave him 17 by the half. Gordon had nine in the quarter, finished off with a 3-pointer to give him 13 for the half, but Mitty trailed 24-22.

Mitty took its last lead, 29-27, early in the third following a Gordon hoop and Farrell inside basket. But Gordon, without a foul in the first half, picked up three quickly and Mater Dei — Johnson especially — took advantage.



He drilled back-to-back 3-pointers under duress — two of the five he made for the game — and the Southern California champs were never to be caught.

Gordon tried desperately to bring his team back, perhaps too desperately. He committed nine of the team's 22 turnovers. Mater Dei committed nine as a team.

Despite a big edge in rebounds, 47-31, and limiting Mater Dei to 25 percent shooting, Mitty lost to the Santa Ana power for a third-straight time in the state finals, 50-45.

Gordon had another big-number game with 22 points and 20 rebounds. But Johnson had 26. Afterward, Gordon, with a long, angry face, met with the media. He could barely speak.

"I hate it," he said. "I can't stand it. I'm leaving high school on a loss. They're the only Open school in the state to go out on a win and I hate that feeling with all my heart."

The key to the game? Gordon hit it right on the head.



"I've never seen Stanley shoot like that," he said. "Ever. Obviously he's been working on it a lot. He made his first shot and didn't look back from there. All the credit to Stanley.

"Turnovers. We turned the ball over way too much. We were soft with the ball."

What did he say to the team in the locker room?

"Nothing," he said. "Nothing to be said."

Kennedy gave kudos to Johnson and Mater Dei's defense for the win.

"If you would have told me we limited them to 50 points and outrebounded them like that, I would have liked our odds very much," he said. "I didn't do a good job getting us in spots where we could get some open looks and knock them down. Got to credit Mater Dei's defense for how they got after us."



Like Kennedy, Gordon blamed himself largely for the defeat. That's what competitors do.

Kennedy would hear nothing of it.

"He has nothing to be ashamed of," Kennedy said. "He left it all on the court and I'm just proud of all that he's done. Anyone who watched knows he didn't let the team down."

Johnson and McKnight knew it.

"That was one of the best (individual) matchups we've ever seen in California," McKnight said. "Those are two special players."

Said Johnson: "Nothing he (Gordon) does surprises me. He's just going to make plays. I think he's the best player in the country."

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The long ride and look ahead
Kennedy said there were few tears in the locker room. He didn't have an emotional postgame speech prepared and was at a loss for words.

"To end with a loss when we didn't play our best is just a different feeling," he said. "I told them of course I was proud of them, just the way they competed. I thanked all the seniors for all the work they had done for the team and program and school.



"I saved the sentimental stuff for the team banquet."

The first half of the bus ride home was largely silent. "Dead silent really," Kennedy said. "By an hour, I heard some whispers. The coaching staff talked about adjustments we could have made. By the time we reached home everyone was talking."

Kennedy and Gordon talked more by the time they reached the school.

"I told him to use this as motivation," Kennedy said. "He's going to have a long and prosperous career and the only way I would be disappointed with him if he didn't let this fuel him for the future."

The destination where his future would continue was known by only a select few ahead of time: Gordon's immediate family and Kennedy. All were sworn to secrecy, as the decision had been made.

He had narrowed his choices three months ago — Kentucky, Arizona and Washington — but then according to his mother, watched an Oregon game on TV last month and opened it back up to the Ducks.



"He took them off the list prematurely," Davis said. "He watched Oregon play Kansas and picked apart everything, the personnel and how they played and decided to bring them back into the mix.

"Plus he loves (Oregon coach Dana Altman). And wow, the facilities. Incredible. Over the top."

Two months ago, Gordon broke down his other finalists this way.

"Let's start with Kentucky," he said. "It's a winning organization. Coach (John) Calipari is a winner. It's a true basketball program. The Wildcat Launch is right across the street from the gym. You can go in there 24 hours a day. It's almost like a business. If you really want to play basketball, that's the place to go.

"Arizona is a shooting program and coach (Sean) Miller is a really good shooting coach. They are losing two of their really good seniors, Kevin Parrom and Solomon Hill. It's a great place to go to school. I'd be happy there if I were to go there. Miller is a really great coach.

"Obviously (Lorenzo) Romar is a really great coach at Washington. They have a really good offense — it's a 1-4 high, almost like a John Wooden offense. They look to push in the first eight seconds. It's up-tempo but also very structured. It's also very basketball-oriented."

Gordon's detailed breakdown doesn't surprise his mother. He's a 2.9 student but could be much higher.

"He's innately our smartest child," Davis said. "Very bright. He probably could be a lawyer. But his drive is to play basketball. That's what he wants to do and when Aaron wants to do something, it almost always gets done."

Anyone watching him pogo stick up to the rim two, three times to tip in his own miss can attest to that.

"He has some awesome choices," his mother said. "He's happy with everything he went through and has carefully deliberated to make his pick. The toughest part is picking where not to go. He's made great friends with all the coaches, all of whom have spent a lot of time and money coming to see him play. That makes it very tough."

But Arizona and coach Miller were the happiest Tuesday.