Preview of Pub semfinal matchups

PEOPLE ARE quick to say high school basketball is now a guard's game. And while there is truth in that assertion, if your guards are good and their guards are good - bet on the big 'uns!

Failure to control the interior in today's Public League semifinal between Math, Civics and Sciences Charter and Martin Luther King High likely will leave one squad long-faced and bleary-eyed. But stake a claim in the paint, and you could punch a ticket to the finale.

The site will be Southern High in the first semifinal at 5 p.m.

The teams split two games already this season. King (20-4, 7-3 PL Division A) took the first, 65-62, behind 23 points from junior guard Sammy Foreman, while MC&S junior wing Samir Doughty scored 16 before being ejected late after two separate technical fouls (the first, hanging on the rim; the second, after tangling with an opponent).

Ah, but lurking down low were the long and rangy.

For the Cougars, 6-8 senior Jahmir Taylor added 12, while 6-7 sophomore Rasool Samir scored 10. The Elephants' basket protector, Mike Watkins (6-9 junior), had just nine. However, in Game 2 when Taylor went down early with an injured finger, Watkins netted 18 points and 14 boards in a 55-54 victory.

Watkins, a Penn State commit who averaged 10.5 points in 10 regular-season games, can get lost in the offensive shuffle when wings dominate the ball. But, when guards keep him fed with touches - and he stays out of foul trouble - MC&S (11-13, 4-6) can be dangerous despite its inconsistency during league play.

Watkins and 6-6 sophomore Terquin Mott (8.6 points) also attack the offensive glass and can deter driving guards on the other end. Taylor (6.6 points) and 6-6 junior Chase Rodgers (4.8 points) do the same for the Cougars.

Foreman led MLK in scoring at 13 per game in 10 regular-season contests. Senior wing Gregory Bennett was next at 10.9. Sophomore guard Jabri McCall (9.8) completes a trio of streaky shooters who excel off the dribble for the drive or dish.

Doughty sat atop his team's totem with 14.9 points in Pub play and can score in bunches either off the bounce or from three. Senior Louis Myers (8.0 per game) is another driver/slasher from the wing.

Offensive-minded wings will be plentiful in this one, but keeping each other out of the paint should lessen the need for helping bigs, which could silence referees' whistles.

When the playoffs roll around, would you rather be the team that was consistent throughout the season, or the squad that recently caught fire?

You'll see both today at 6:30 p.m. in the second semifinal at Southern, when Division A co-champ Constitution faces Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter.

The Generals (21-4, 8-2), who swept both meetings with PET, halved the regular-season crown with Imhotep. PET (16-8, 3-7) upset the Panthers, 53-48, in the Class AAA championship last week.

Ahmad "J.R." Gilbert stirs the drink for ConHigh, which won six straight to start league play, lost two in a row and now owns another six-game winning streak after beating Del-Val Charter, 79-75, in the Class AA final.

Gilbert, a 6-6 lefty sniper, averaged 17.1 points through 10 Pub games and is the offensive barometer by which his team measures victory. In fact, in the team's two league losses (King and Imhotep) the junior netted season lows of 10 and nine points, respectively. He scored 28 and 17 against the Chargers.

Senior guard Floyd Preito (8.3 points) and junior wing Kimar Williams (10.4) are both capable scorers, while 6-5 senior forward Raheem Liggins (7.6 points) provides muscle inside.

However, interior play is a strength of the Chargers, winners of three in a row. James Suber, a 6-6 senior, is the scoring leader at 13.2 per game. His 12-point, 12-rebound performance was critical against Imhotep.

Junior wings Devante Truitt (11.5) and Jihad Barnes (10.1) are streaky from the outside but dangerous in transition for a PET squad that lost four straight earlier this season.

Now, the Chargers come in winners of three in a row, but inconsistency has been an issue all season. They trailed Imhotep, 13-2, in the first quarter before rallying in the second half.

However, against ConHigh, the Chargers led after one quarter in meeting No. 2 only to falter late in a 60-49 defeat. A 34-all tie at halftime of Game 1 showed promise, but a slow third quarter led to an 80-69 tumble.

If the Chargers can slow Gilbert and find consistent offense, they might have a chance at the title game, set for 3 p.m. Sunday at Temple's Liacouras Center against the winner of MC&S and MLK. If not, the Generals will march on.