Holy Names focuses in on Barons' tall talent

In recent days, Academy of the Holy Names assistant athletic director Matt Dryden has found himself doing nearly as much posting up as paperwork.

By JOEY KNIGHT
Published February 17, 2007

TAMPA - In recent days, Academy of the Holy Names assistant athletic director Matt Dryden has found himself doing nearly as much posting up as paperwork.

A sturdy 6-footer, Dryden has been suiting up for Jaguars basketball practices, playing the role of imposing St. Petersburg Catholic center Sasha Chaplin.

Physically, he's solid enough to simulate the Barons' Division I prospect, whom AHN faces for a fifth time this season tonight at 7. Vertically, though, he doesn't quite measure up. Dryden is 6 feet in high-tops. Chaplin is 6-3.

"I guess I'm going to have to try to bring in some dads," AHN coach Casey Higgins said with a laugh.

Such is the literal tall order that awaits the Jaguars tonight in St. Petersburg. If the teams' previous four meetings - the Barons have won the past three - have taught Higgins anything, it's that not even the most innovative practice technique will neutralize Chaplin.

But if the Jaguars (26-3), whose tallest player stands 5-8, can contain her to a degree, they can topple the only team to defeat them this year. AHN won the first meeting 65-62, and lost the next two by eight total points before Chaplin went off (18 points, school-record 31 rebounds) in a 55-33 Barons romp in the District 11 title game.

With such a glaring height disadvantage, the Jaguars will be forced to double-team Chaplin in the low post, dart back to the perimeter when the ball is kicked out to a shooter and stay disciplined fundamentally. At Thursday's practice, Higgins told her team any player who failed to box out Saturday immediately would be benched.

"I wouldn't be surprised for them to throw everything at us that they've got," Barons coach Nick Vandewalle said. "It seems like every time (Chaplin) touches the ball, she's got no less than two Academy girls around her, sometimes more."

[Last modified February 16, 2007, 22:44:19]