Boys Basketball Notebook: DeAngelo exceeding freshman expectations at Sun Valley

ASTON >> It’s often easy to spot the freshmen in a varsity boys basketball practice.

If it isn’t their slight build or their short stature, there’s usually something about the shyness of their body language that betrays the fact that they’re the new ones in the herd, not wanting to stand out.

That’s not the case at Sun Valley, where it takes a helping hand to point out, then confirm, that Vinny DeAngelo is in fact a freshman. And beyond the eye test that misleads you to thinking he’s a veteran, there’s even less statistical evidence to support his purported youth.

There have been very few constants to lean on for Sun Valley (6-12) this season. They regularly run a six- or seven-man rotation, yet only two players have appeared in all 18 games due to injuries and off-court issues.

Somehow, though that tumult, second-year coach Steve Maloney has the Vanguards in a battle for the eighth and final District One Class AAA playoff spot.

One of the main reasons is the stability provided by DeAngelo. He’s appeared in each game, averaging 5.5 points per outing, fifth on the team. He’s second in 3-point field goals, draining 14, the only one other than county leader Kyle Ryan (52) out of single digits from beyond the arc.

DeAngelo has accomplished that with a mentality that belies his youth.

“I still get nervous before every game, but that’s just me,” he said. “I don’t feel as much pressure to go out there and try to prove myself, because I know where I am on the team.”

DeAngelo isn’t the only one voicing that assessment. Maloney said that since his play is so different from the prototypical freshman’s timidity, he’s stopped regarding him as a rookie. His teammates echo the sentiment.

“I look at him as a senior now,” Ryan said. “He helps us with so much. I just look past the age at this point. He’s a great player.”

DeAngelo took the usual trip through the ranks, playing for Aston AA since he was a youth. He starred in middle school at St. Frances de Sales.

When high school opened, he started participating in open gym sessions with returning varsity players from day 1. Given the changes imposed on the Vanguards with departures from last year and a large proportion of the squad spending their fall seasons on the gridiron, DeAngelo’s steady presence was welcomed.

Though omnipresent, DeAngelo’s hasn’t been a straight-line journey. His early shooting seemed oblivious of the supposed limitations for rookies, hitting three 3-pointers in his first outing. DeAngelo drained triples in each of his first six games, 10 in total, but then endured a cold patch that required some recalibration.

Part of that entailed diversifying his game, reducing the percentage of jump shots, getting to the basket more and being more concise at the free-throw line than his 53.8 percent shooting clip would indicate. But the message from his teammates was consistent.

“We tell him to get his confidence back,” Ryan said. “We tell him to keep shooting, not let it get into his head if he misses sometimes, because we know he can shoot.”

Those lessons have paid off. DeAngelo amassed arguably his best performance Jan. 21 against Octorara, a game in which the Vanguards were missing two starters yet still managed to nearly tip the Braves in a 53-51 loss. DeAngelo had 17 points that night despite hitting just one 3-pointer, occupying for at least one night the second scorer’s role.

“He got back into the swing of things and had a huge game for us,” Ryan said. “He kept us in the game.”

All season, the Vanguards have been walking examples of how to clear hurdles, and DeAngelo epitomized that one point at a time against Octorara. The calm with which he discusses that process, individually and for his teammates, is yet another indication that you’re not dealing with the average freshman.

“Adversity is great,” he said. “It makes you a better person to have to respond to it. I’ll take a challenge whenever. I love it.”

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What can you say about Bonner & Prendergast’s last week (aside from “snowy”)?

The Friars outlasted Parkway Center City, 93-88, in four overtimes, then were dealt a 63-62 loss by La Salle in (just one) overtime on a 3-pointer in the last 10 seconds.

The Friars sit at 9-9, and the immense depth of the Catholic League limits most realistic chance of a deep postseason run. But you have to be impressed by the Friars’ toughness in what is still a building phase in Jack Concannon’s second year at the helm.

There’s also some variety that could catch teams off guard in the playoffs. Justin Gans was inserted into the starting lineup two weeks ago after playing sparingly and has averaged 11.5 points per game in four starts. That includes a crucial 26 points against Parkway.