Head coach: Bill Mellis
2011-12 record: 33-3, Division IV state champions
Head coach Bill Mellis welcomes back (from left to right) Markel Leonard, Jermaine Edmonds, Jabari Bird and Mario Dunn – all key contributors for last year's Division IV state championship team.
Photo by Dennis Lee
(6-5, Sr., G/F, California verbal commit),
Mario Dunn (6-0, Sr., G, Montana verbal commit),
Markel Leonard (6-0, Sr., G, Cal Poly verbal commit),
Jermaine Edmonds (6-4, Sr., F),
Jonathan Galloway (6-8, Jr., F),
Lance Coleman (6-5, So., F),
Ben Kone (6-7, Fr., F)
Strengths: Salesian's roster may feature as many as seven future Division I players, but ultra-athletic wing Bird and feisty guards Dunn and Leonard will be the backbone. That trio has helped the Pride go 52-4 since January of 2011. Bird is a Top 25 prospect nationally in the senior class and generally good for a couple of highlight-quality dunks every night out. Edmonds and transfers Galloway and Coleman will man the frontcourt. The freshman class is promising, according to Mellis, highlighted by Kone.
Question marks: The Pride lost some major beef in the middle in the form of 6-foot-7, 340-pound Freddie Tagaloa, now a freshman offensive lineman for the California Golden Bears. Salesian will look to replace his contributions with athleticism and length. As is the case with many nationallyranked teams, the schedule is beastly, featuring in-state powers
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose),
De La Salle (Concord),
Deer Valley (Antioch),
Serra (Gardena) and
Sheldon (Sacramento). A trip to West Virginia in January for the Cancer Research Classic to face defending Pennsylvania Class AAA state champ
Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) is also slated.
