WCC Basketball: San Francisco’s hopes are high after hot start

Returning talent key to Don’s hot start

San Francisco has deployed just one starting lineup in its six games. They’ve got a little youth in sophomore guard – and leading scorer – Charles Minlend. The rest of the starters, however, are upperclassmen. Senior point guard Frankie Ferrari leads the team in assists with over six per game and is scoring nearly 11 points to go with those dimes. Jordan Ratinho, a junior guard, is the Dons’ best three-point shooter, hitting triples at a 42.3% clip thus far. The guards are also taking great care of the ball, combining for just 3.7 turnovers per contest through six games.

But this team isn’t just about the backcourt play. Junior 7-footer Jimbo Lull anchors the low post for San Francisco. He takes up a ton of space and he’s been effective down low, hitting a cool 65% of his shots so far. Senior forward Nate Renfro is the final starter, a role player who is averaging over five points and five rebounds so far. But the Dons’ best frontcourt player is their sixth man, Matthew McCarthy.

McCarthy, a 6’9” senior from Australia, has thrived in his role as San Francisco’s first option off the bench. He is averaging 12.5 points and 9.5 rebounds and was instrumental in the Dons’ win over Harvard. The rest of the bench has contributed in a big way, too. Sophomore guard Jamaree Bouyea is playing over 25 minutes per game and is logging seven points and five rebounds in that time. San Francisco’s nine-man rotation is rounded out by Remu Raitanen and Trevante Anderson, each of whom plays over 12 minutes per game.

By this point, you may be thinking, “OK, they beat Harvard. But how does that make them a NCAA Tournament contender?” Well, the reason for their lofty rankings lies not in their strength of schedule, but in their statistical measures. Let’s take a look.