Joe Cortez: Sleep Train Arena might provide edge for Modesto Christian boys in NorCal hoops final

When you’re trying to slay Dragons – the figurative kind as well as the literal variety, as in the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons, the top-ranked boys basketball squad in California – a team needs every advantage it can get.

Modesto Christian (30-3) will take on Oakland’s Bishop O’Dowd (26-4) for the CIF Northern California Open Division championship Saturday night at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena, where the Crusaders have had more success than any other prep team in the state. They have a 14-game winning streak at the venue and a 21-3 overall mark dating to 1989.

Little things like that can add up, and being more comfortable than your opponent on a neutral court can be the difference in a quick startvs. a sluggish one.

“Gyms are gyms and arenas are arenas, but Modesto Christian is not your typical basketball team,” said Dragons coach Lou Richie, whose team defeated MC twice last season, 70-52 in the regular season at O’Dowd and 74-51 in the NorCal semifinals at Oakland’s Laney College. “That’s why we didn’t play them this year … anywhere.”

Richie, who played on the O’Dowd squad that lost the 1988 state championship game to Manual Arts of Los Angeles at the Oakland Coliseum Arena, knows that shooting in an NBA arena presents challenges for any high school team.

Shooting in a small high school gym is like trying to throw a wad of crumpled paper into a wastebasket in the corner of the room. Shooting in a big-time arena is like trying to throw that same wad of paper into a wastebasket that’s in the middle of a spacious room.

The depth perception is completely different.

Professional players will tell you the sightlines vary in every arena. The old Chicago Stadium was notorious for its weird sightlines and gave many NBA stars fits … Michael Jordan not among them.

It’s especially difficult for high school players, who go from one extreme to the other, with only a brief shootaround to get their bearings.

So, will Modesto Christian have an edge since they’ve already played at Sleep Train twice this season during the Sac-Joaquin Section tournament? After all, it’s not as if the Dragons haven’t played in big arenas. They’ve traveled nationwide participating in big-time tournaments.

“I don’t think there’s a scientific answer to that question,” said Richie. “It depends on the player. It depends on the team. Depth perception is a problem and they definitely have an advantage because they’ve played there.

“We would love to be able to practice at Oracle (Arena) all week, or Sleep Train, but we can’t.”

Jeff Wu, the Crusaders’ long-range bomber, said he feels Sleep Train is a home away from home for MC

“I feel very confident in there,” said Wu, who leads the team in three-pointers (40) and three-point percentage (37.0). “It helps a lot that we’ve played two rounds there already. It’s a neutral court, but it doesn’t feel like a road trip for us.

“The hoop feels farther than it actually is and it takes time to adjust. It’s pretty important for me during the warmups.”

Ultimately, the game is going to come down to which players make the most impactful plays.

“This will be our third game there this season,” said MC coach Richard Midgley. “But, ultimately, it’s more about the matchups than the arena.

“But we’re hoping it’s an advantage. We’d take it.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2015 at 9:21 PM with the headline "Joe Cortez: Sleep Train Arena might provide edge for Modesto Christian boys in NorCal hoops final."