Alemany basketball gets new look, huge boost from Dorsey, Mbingazo, Tshilobo
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - The Mission League is tough as it is with Harvard-Westlake (14-0), Notre Dame (14-0) and Sierra Canyon (12-1). All were in the Southern Section Open Division last year and two won CIF State titles.
St. Francis (13-4) is in Division 1. Crespi (16-1) and Loyola (11-6) are in 2AA and Chaminade (14-3) is in 2A.
Alemany's three new eligible transfers will make the league even harder and makes the Warriors a contender in Division 3A.
Senior Logan Dorsey is a dynamic, 6-foot-5 guard. Bourgeois Tshilobo is a 6-foot-7 junior forward with broad shoulders and a physical presence. Sophomore Samuel Mbingazo is a 6-foot-9 center with a good motor and long arms.
All three scored in double digits in the Warriors' 72-59 win over South Pasadena in the SoCal Christmas Classic semifinal Thursday night.
Mbingazo had 19 points, Tshilobo had 15 and Dorsey added 13. Senior point guard Jared Mims is the quarterback of it all, he had a game-high 23.
"The boys are excited, that's for sure," Alemany coach Mike Dulaney said. "The challenge becomes conditioning, getting their legs under them, and also getting our team to understand the new rotation."
There was a fourth transfer - 6-foot-7 forward Michael Baba - but he was only at Alemany for a few months before transferring to Sierra Canyon.
Alemany is 9-5 overall and 3-0 since the trio became eligible on Dec. 26, beating Maranatha (70-62), Bishop Montgomery (65-60) and South Pasadena en route to the tournament final Friday night against Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m. at South Pasadena High.
The question now becomes: Is Alemany good enough to steal a top four spot in the Mission League?
The eight-team league has four automatic qualifying spots for the playoffs. The diagnosis for the landscape of the league poses a more specific question: Can Alemany compete for the fourth spot after Harvard-Westlake, Notre Dame and Sierra Canyon?
St. Francis, Crespi, Loyola, Chaminade, and new-look Alemany will be vying for that last spot. However, with the way things look, and how difficult the league is, it would not be farfetched to see all Mission League make the playoffs - the last four teams earning berths via at-large bids.
Alemany's Mission League opener is against Harvard-Westlake at home on January 5.
DEC. 28, THURSDAY NIGHT SCORES
CLASSIC AT DAMIEN - PLATINUM
Eastvale Roosevelt 71, Owyhee (ID) 66: Issac Williamson had 19 points and Brayden Burries added 15 to advance to the semifinals.
Damien 51, De La Salle 42: Xavier Clinton made seven 3s and totaled 26 points.
- Roosevelt and Damien will play in the semifinal at 8:30 p.m. Friday night
Salesian 59, Corona Centennial 57: The Huskies fall short despite 19 points from Isaiah Rodgers.
St. John Bosco 69, American Fork (UT) 64: Kade Bonam led the Braves with 19 points in the quarterfinal victory.
- St. John Bosco will take on Richmond Salesian in the semifinal at 7 pm.
Branson 82, La Mirada 80: Freshman Gene Roebuck continues to impress for La Mirada. He scored 34 on Wednesday and 44 on Thursday.
CLASSIC AT DAMIEN - GOLD
St. Pius 85, Redondo Union 74: The Warriors continue to play well after winning the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas last week. San Francisco commit Tyrone Riley scored 25 points in the win.
- St. Pius will play in the Gold division semifinal against San Ramon Valley at 5:30 p.m.
West Ranch 56, Jesuit 49: Crafty point guard, Darrell Morris, notched 12 points and five helpers to get the Wildcats to the semifinal.
- West Ranch will take on Dixie of Utah in the Gold semifinal at 4 p.m
