3 Crusader night: A look at Stepinac’s McDonald’s All Americans
BY ZACH SMART
On Monday, Stepinac HS made history as three members of its deep, experienced and star spangled senior class were selected for the prestigious McDonald’s All American game.
Michigan State bound 6-foot-5 two guard Jasiah Jervis and towering University of Southern California-bound 7-foot rim protecting twins, Adonis and Darius Ratliff, will all play in the historic, big burger game.
The rosters were announced on ESPN2 on Monday, Feb. 2.
The game is slated for March 31st at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The Ratliff twins and Jervis celebrated jubilantly among their Stepinac teammates in unison on Monday, instantly after learning they had been selected for the immensely publicized national event.
Coming off a performance of 15 points, four assists, and three steals during a wire to wire 96-38 walloping of NY CHSAA “AA” foe St. Peter’s this weekend, Jervis is one most weathered and proven guards in the country.
Michigan State recruited Jervis thoroighly, prior to his commitment during the fall.
The Bronx native gives Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo an incoming backcourt with lofty expectations alongside Link Academy (MO) guard Carlos Medlock Jr.
A clutchness and a flair for the end game have come to define Jervis’ four year stay at Stepinac.
He is a high level shot maker with considerable 3-point range and springboard-bouncy vertical explosivenes.
Jervis splashed a timely 3-pointer with 58.5 seconds remaining in regulation, helping force overtime en route to a wild 63-61 OT city title win over St. Raymond’s last season.
It was Jervis who stuck the go ahead 3-pointer in the extra session, winning his third city title in as many years
.During his sophomore season, playing alongside then McDonald’s All American guard Boogie Fland (now at Florida), Jervis stuck four first half 3-pointers and helped catapult the Crusaders to a city semifinal win over St. Francis Prep at Fordham University.
His ability to break games open came alive right there and then, on the way to his second consecutive city title.
Jervis ascended the national ladder last summer, cementing his status as Top-40 recruit.
He erupted for 28 points on the strength of six 3-pointers, helping steer the New York Rens into the Peach Jam quarterfinals.
The Ratliff twins played sparingly as seldom used sophomores.
They then authored breakout junior seasons, each becoming defensive backbones as theyregistered multiple games of six blocks or more.
The twins possess offensive uniqueness as floor spreaders. They are pick-and-pop threats who constantly elicit mismatches and drag rim-protectors away from the interior.
Adonis Ratliff’s outside shooting prowess propelled Stepinac in multiple games last season, including a wild 73-72 victory over Cardinal Hayes at home.
Ratliff steered the New York Catholic Leagues’ pressure cooker with four consecutive 3-pointers during the waning moments of that memorable mid season CHSAA “AA” matchup, netting a 3-pointer from the parking lot with 1:25 remaining in the fourth quarter.
During an exposure heavy environment at Border League in Las Vegas this pre-season, Adonis Ratliff scored game best 32 points, sticking a sizzling 9-for-11 from 3-point range against Arafan Diane and Iowa United.
Now making his way back to the lineup after an injury shelved him for the first half of the season, Adonis Ratliff will give a Stepinac team rife with shooters another long range threat.
He will also provide an immense shot blocking, shot manipulating presence while helping close down the paint and generate possessions on the offensive and defensive glass.
While Adonis has been away from the action, Darius Ratliff has turned in several games of 12 or more rebounds.
Possessing fluid mobility and extravagant finishing ability at his size, Ratliff has been an inside-outside scoring source.
It was Darius Ratliff who found an edge and ramped up his physicality during a second half take-over as he steered Stepinac to a 59-50 victory over Iona Prep during the Crusader Classic.
At the Westchester Counry Center before a jam packed crowd, Ratliff scoring 19 points and tearing down 12 rebounds en route to Game MVP honors.
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