Boys basketball: No shortage of MCAL players to watch this season

The sounds of squeaking shoes on hardwood floors is echoing around gyms in Marin County once again.

In this pandemic-altered school year, basketball is now a late spring sport. With testing protocols and enhanced safety measures in place, the season got underway about two weeks ago with a handful of games and scrimmages.

League play has now kicked into full gear, although like every other sport playing this spring this season will come with some variations. There won’t be an MCAL Tournament nor All-League teams and the league calendar will only be eight games long. However, due to the rolling back of COVID restrictions, teams have been able to expand their schedules with competitive out-of-county, non-league contests to see how they stack up outside of Marin.

Since it had been well over a year since any Marin basketball team has suited up, it’s time for a refresher of some of the top players in the league.

Miles Keeffe, Sr., Branson

In a normal season, the six-foot, five-inch lefty wing would be in the running for the MCAL Player of the Year. Returning from a First-Team All-MCAL selection from his junior year, Keeffe stacks up as a do-it-all weapon for the Bulls. He can create his own shot, either in close or outside, help facilitate on offense or step up as a solid defender He played a large part in Branson’s season-opening 59-44 win over Healdsburg two weeks ago, scoring a team-high 16 points with a pair of threes. He followed that up with a game-high 15 points in a 48-39 win over a feisty Tam team last week. Keeffe also recently committed to UC Riverside, a Division I program in the Big West.

2022 Miles Keeffe 6’5 Guard is just a flat out winning. Makes al the right plays on both ends. Good 3 point shooter & can create off the bounce. He was 5’7 when he entered HS. True definition of toughness. Extremely coachable. Elite student in the classroom. @Ballislife pic.twitter.com/eoCmwIy4TF

— Julius V. (@JuliusVElite0) April 13, 2021

Tyson Geraci, Sr., San Marin

Every team in the MCAL will have Geraci’s name circled and underlined in their scouting reports, and for good reason. The San Marin senior has been continuing the family tradition of terrorizing defenses with his dead-eye shooting and ability score at will. Another returning First-Team MCAL selection, Geraci averaged 20.7 points per game as a junior and is off to another strong start this season. He scored 24 in the season-opener against Marin Catholic, 17 against Drake a few days later and then 20 against the Pirates earlier this week. The six-foot, two-inch guard is also signed to play at Chico State after high school.

Tyson Geraci (2021 San Marin) | @GeraciTyson

Simply Norcal Tour Standouts: https://t.co/1DhdMPorA9@SMmustangs @Pdouble_33 @NorCalPreps @LakeshowAAU pic.twitter.com/mSKObj4ZuC

— SIMPLY BASKETBALL (@simplyy_bball) October 28, 2020

AJ Rohosy, Sr., Marin Catholic

The Wildcats’ six-foot, eight-inch center is already off to a fast start this spring. He had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds in Marin Catholic’s season-opening 57-47 win over San Marin and followed that up with a 16-point effort in a 53-39 win over St. Ignatius last weekend. Most recently, he had 15 points and nine rebounds in a tight 53-48 win over Redwood. Rohosy was a First-Team All-MCAL selection as a junior and appears primed to once again be one of the league’s premier big men again this spring.

Will Heimbrodt, Jr., Drake

The six-foot, six-inch, 200-pound forward is coming off a solid sophomore season where he averaged 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Pirates. So far this spring, he hasn’t missed a beat, scoring over 20 points in Drake’s first three games of the year. He tallied 22 in a 49-36 win over San Rafael, 25 in a 53-36 win over San Marin and then 21 in another win over San Marin this week, 53-46. Heimbrodt obviously built on his game during the long offseason and the hard work is paying off as he’s emerging as one of the best up-and-coming players in the MCAL.

@HS1327Athletics Will Heimbrodt with an open court dunk during a scrimmage against Marin Catholic. pic.twitter.com/uXveZP68iQ

— H.S 1327 Athletics (@HS1327Athletics) April 26, 2021

Kyle Winters, Jr., Marin Catholic

Winter was a Second-Team All-MCAL selection last season as a sophomore and led the Wildcats in scoring at 13.5 points per game. With senior point guard Nick Greenwood off to a bit of a slow start this spring, Winters has stepped up once again as a big-time scorer for MC. He dropped in a team-high 22 points in a 57-47 win over San Marin and then scored 17 in a 53-39 win over St. Ignatius. In MC’s win over Redwood earlier this week, Winters once again led the Wildcats in scoring with 16 points. The six-foot, three-inch guard appears to have taken a step forward during the extended offseason and will no doubt be showcasing his talent all spring long.

Also keep an eye on: 

Ains Fish, So., Redwood

Dom Wyllie, Sr., Redwood

Ben Jenkins, So., Tam

Oskar Fulton, Sr., Tam

Nick Greenwood, Sr., Marin Catholic

George Gale, So., Branson

Joaquim Arauz-Moore, Jr., Branson

Casey Borgonovo, Sr., Drake