Cape boys’ basketball looks to move back to the top
The Little Big House will be rocking from the opening tip of the 2017-18 Cape Henlopen boys’ basketball season, as head coach Steve Re leads a revamped Vikings squad that has the pieces to contend for the school’s first state title since 1976.
After his Vikings finished 15-7 in 2016-17 and came within a possession of shocking top-seeded Mount Pleasant in the second round of the DIAA tournament, Re’s roster is loaded with more than enough high-level athletes and shooters to make a deep postseason run. He will look to senior skyscrapers Randy Rickards and Ian Robertson to carry the load on both sides of the ball.
The 6-foot-5 Rickards was a third-team all-state pick last season who averaged team highs of 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks per game. A big man by Delaware standards, the high-flyer is versatile enough to dominate on the block, lead or finish a fast break, or step out for an 18-footer. Robertson, a 6-foot-6 stretch four who put up 14 points, eight boards and two blocks per night a year ago, showed improved athleticism during a breakout AAU campaign this summer and will also look to eclipse the team-high 26 three-pointers he drained in 2016-17.
Re, who has recorded five winning seasons in his first six years in Lewes, said he expects Rickards and Robertson to make the Vikings go.
“We’ve got to play through Randy and Ian, obviously,” Re said. “They’re going to be first and second on everybody’s scouting reports, and they’ve both taken major steps forward. Ian has become a much better athlete, and Randy continues to improve his leadership and maturity.”
The Vikings also return starting shooting guard Izaiah Dadzie, who has range out to Route 1 and went 20-for-52 (39 percent) from three-point land last season. The 6-foot-1 senior does all the little things well, boasting a high basketball IQ, an absurdly low turnover rate and a willingness to communicate defensively.
“Izaiah’s always steady and plays mistake-free basketball,” Re said. “He’s got great poise and can obviously shoot it.”
Sweet-shooting sophomore Sh’Kai Chandler, meanwhile, will likely start on the wing after averaging five points and canning 21 three-pointers off the pine last year. Chandler, who stands 6-foot-3 with arms that look just as long, can get to the cup at will and could also emerge as a defensive stopper for Cape.
The Vikings lost four contributors - defensive aces Jerry Harden and Rasheed Woods as well as big men Noah Piper and Robert Mitchell - to graduation last May, while starting point guard Cory Barnes transferred to Archbishop Carroll in Washington, D.C., and reserve guard Caleb Jones chose not to play this season. Re hopes to fill that void with a stable of young, athletic guards. Kris Rushin, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, is a good bet to start at point guard this year after leading Cape’s JV team in scoring and assists a season ago. Rushin, who ran the show capably for the Vikings’ summer league team at The Factory, is deadly from deep and snaps up anything that comes near him on the defensive end. Jo Jo Kirby, a 6-foot-2 uber-athlete, saw spot duty as a freshman last season, but he should step into major minutes thanks to his skills as a slasher and rebounder. Fast-improving sophomore Skylar Johnson is slated to see significant time at lead guard, where his quickness and aggressiveness will be assets on both ends.
Guard Nicolas Sivels, forward Anthony Smith, guard Australia Mackey and guard Luke D’Ambrogi, all juniors, will provide depth off the bench.
Re acknowledged that he’ll have plenty of options when it comes to putting points on the board.
“It’s going to be hard for teams to take away everything we’ve got,” Re said. “Offensively, we have a lot of weapons. We have eight guys who can score in double figures on any given night.”
Re also foresees a shift in playing style, a scheme that takes full advantage of his team’s offensive depth.
“We’ll be playing a lot of position-less basketball, which is going to be fun to watch,” Re said. “We’ll have much better spacing offensively. The ball will move quicker. We have a lot of willing passers on our team and a lot of guys who can make shots … and that’s hard to guard.”
The Cape roster may be brimming with talent, but with seven players set to see their first significant varsity minutes, chemistry will be key. Re says this group already has plenty.
“The chemistry has been as good as it’s ever been since I’ve been at Cape,” Re said. “Everybody’s on the same page and has common goals. They get along on and off the court. The whole attitude and atmosphere of the program is in a very good place right now. Guys are working hard and having a good time doing it.”
The Vikings could get a midseason boost if and when junior forward Jack Dennis, a bouncy 6-foot-6 glass-crasher who transferred to Cape from Maryland before the start of the school year, recovers from a broken collarbone suffered during the football season.
Re and Athletic Director Bob Cilento pieced together what looks like the Vikings’ most challenging schedule in recent memory. The 20-game slate features two conference match-ups with defending state champion Smyrna, a visit to perennial frontrunner Sanford, Slam Dunk to the Beach tilts with California power Harvard-Westlake and state runner-up Caravel, and a regular-season finale against St. Georges Tech.
Cape will open regular-season play Friday, Dec. 1, when it hosts a loaded Smyrna squad. A decision to move all home games up an hour means that varsity action will tip off at 6:15 p.m.
