Grays, Modesto Christian boys basketball stand alone on ‘The Island’

The Modesto Christian boys basketball team wasn’t stranded on “The Island,” but the Crusaders stood alone at the prestigious season-opening tournament.

Senior guard Darrian Grays knocked down eight 3-pointers, guiding Modesto Christian to a 72-60 victory over defending CIF Division V state champion St. Joseph Notre Dame of Alameda in the final of the Island Classic on Saturday in Alameda.

Grays was named Tournament MVP after averaging 25 points per game in victories over Urban of San Francisco and St. Joseph Notre Dame. He had 28 points in the final, matching talent with Pilots guard, Jade Smith, a Pepperdine commit.

“St. Joe’s is loaded, and their point guard (Smith) is headed to Pepperdine. They won D-V state and brought their whole team back,” first-year coach Brice Fantazia said. “It’s rare for us to be the underdogs and our kids stepped up. That was cool to see.”

The Crusaders (3-0) feature eight underclassmen and start freshmen Baljot Sahi and Michael Pearson in the backcourt. Sahi had seven 3-pointers in two tournament games, while Fantazia lauded Pearson’s defense.

“At MC, we don’t expect too many moral victories and learning experiences, but I thought with this group being so young, this tournament would be a good learning experience for them,” Fantazia said. “To win two games was more than I expected.”

At 14, neither Sahi nor Pearson are fazed by the physical play and speed of the varsity game. They have played up in age on the AAU circuit for years.

“They’re the best freshman backcourt in Northern California, and there are people in the Bay Area that would agree with me,” Fantazia said. “They got bright futures. It’s rare to play varsity at Modesto Christian as freshmen, but to start and get minutes, they’re kind of a rare breed.”

Sahi and Pearson are joined by Alex Merkibiladze, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound freshman; 6-3 sophomore Dathan Satchell; and sophomore forwards Juwan Couey and Tsotne Tsardsidse.

Sophomores Aaron Murphy and Issima Caldwell were projected starters before injuries halted their seasons. Murphy broke a kneecap in a scrimmage with Ripon and won’t return, and Caldwell suffered a broken hand. Fantazia expects to have the 6-3 guard, arguably the team’s best defender, back in February.

Fantazia said his underclassmen have been fast-tracked by the program’s winning culture. The Crusaders have won a state-best 156 consecutive league games, a record 18 Sac-Joaquin Section titles and reached back-to-back CIF Northern California Open Division finals.

Modesto Christian doesn’t rebuild. It reloads.

“From the beginning of the season, we’ve preached, regardless of how many freshmen and sophomores we have, our goals remain the same. We want to win section and compete for state titles,” Fantazia said. “The kids have bought into that. We don’t call our freshmen ‘freshmen’ or our sophomores ‘sophomores.’ We expect them to play like juniors and seniors.

“This shows what everyone is capable of when they’re on the same page.”

The galvanizing force is Grays, the lone returning starter.

The 6-1 guard led the Crusaders in 3-point shooting last winter, knocking down 45 at a 37-percent clip. He began the 2015 season in the shadows of point guard Christian Ellis, The Bee’s co-Player of the Year and a freshman at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, but commanded more minutes as the season went on.

Today, his place on the team is unquestioned.

“He’s the man now. Last year, it was Christian and Robinson (Idehen). Before them, it was Anthony (Townes) and Jeff (Wu). There have always been two guys at Modesto Christian. This year, it’s just him,” Fantazia said. “I was concerned about how he would handle it. Now I have no concerns. He’s the hardest worker in practice, and he’s always getting shots up. He’s following the path of the others.”

Modesto Christian is back in action at Jesuit’s Father Barry Christmas Classic, beginning Thursday with Marin Catholic of Kentfield, which features one of the state’s top scorers and San Diego commit Joey Calcaterra.

The Crusaders will also see Cathedral Catholic 7-footer Brandon McCoy, a blue-chip recruit with an NBA game.

“As with any tournament, we want to win it,” Fantazia added, “but we just want to see this young group continue to grow and develop.”

This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Grays, Modesto Christian boys basketball stand alone on ‘The Island’."