Last weekend, Bella Vista Prep competed in the CAA MLK Honor Bubble. The Bears went 4-0 with an average margin victory of approximately 20 points. We asked Boy’s Basketball Director, Gino Crump, to give us some feedback about his team and their goals for this season.
Director Gino Crump has been coaching basketball for over 25 years. Bella Vista Prep Head Coach Mike Smith and Assistant Coach Willie Shaw have each coached for 8 and 7 years, respectively. Their knowledge and experience combined makes them great leaders.
“This year’s Open Division participation is extremely important because of the impact of Covid-19 on high school basketball. The fact that this is the league’s inaugural season also makes it very special to our team” said Crump. “Our athletes are extremely happy for the opportunity to compete at a high level even though we have limited fan participation. They are thankful for the chance to play no matter what the circumstances!”
During last week’s game, the entire team played great basketball. Marcus Wady is our leader on and off the floor and our point guard. He leads the team in assists and makes the team go. Malik Mack is the leader on the defensive end with steals and tip balls. Vincent Delano is only a Sophomore and leads the team in points and 3 pointers made and is a major defensive presence. Paris Woods is the all around player on the floor that makes plays, scores, rebounds, and plays defense. There are 3 big anchors that stabilize the team and control the paint: Logan Schayes, Josiah Sanders, and Mayen Maen. All three not only play big, but they stretch the floor and hit the 3 point shots, block shots, rebound and attack the basket off the dribble.
According to Director Crump, the most important thing this season is to stay safe during this unprecedented time of COVID-19 and to absolutely take this virus seriously. With regards to basketball, the advice he gives his players is to always play for each other and play hard. “Our system works and we will always find success when we follow the game plan” he says.
Our goal this season is very simple; we hope to win every game and secure that CAA Open Division Championship!
Check out their upcoming schedule here.