SEASON PREVIEW
The 2014-15 Bishop Gorman roster is loaded with talent, including players (left to right) Cole Michaels, Tanner Leishman, Ugo Amadi, Stephen Zimmerman, Chase Jeter, Nick Blair, Richie Thornton and Deon Whiteside.
Photo by Jann Hendry
The Gaels have several heavyweight matchups on their schedule, including meetings with preseason No. 1 Montverde Academy (Fla.), Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and Simeon (Chicago).
But keep an eye on Gorman's Nov. 29 showdown with preseason No. 11 Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) at the NorCal Tip-Off. O'Dowd crushed the Las Vegas superpower in the semifinals of last season's Jerry Tarkanian Classic. That game was televised nationally by the CBS Sports Network and undoubtedly left a bitter aftertaste for the Gaels.
Tournament time: Under Rice, Gorman always goes big during holiday tournament time. The Gaels will host the Jerry Tarkanian Classic before Christmas (Dec. 17-20), welcoming nationally ranked Chino Hills to Las Vegas along with Centennial (Corona, Calif.), Lone Peak (Highland, Utah), Overland (Aurora, Colo.), Prestonwood Christian (Plano, Texas) and West Linn (Ore.).
After Christmas, Bishop Gorman will make the trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., for the prestigious Beach Ball Classic (Dec. 26-31). The Gaels won the event in 2009 and will look to add a second title against a field that includes Northland (Columbus, Ohio), North Little Rock (Ark.), Sagemont (Weston, Fla.), Shadow Mountain (Phoenix), St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) and St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.).
