El Capitan basketball ready to face tall test in Manteca

El Capitan High School boys basketball coach Chris Tufts enlisted a little help this week in preparing his Gauchos for Wednesday night’s Sac-Joaquin Section playoff game against Manteca.

Particularly the Buffaloes’ front court, which features Kenny Wooten Jr. (6-foot-9) and Anand Hundal (6-9), and guard Tydus Verhoeven (6-8).

Tufts lists himself at 5-7, and nobody on his coaching staff stands taller than 6 feet. So instead of breaking out ladders and broomsticks, Gauchos girls basketball coach Michael Davenport volunteered his 6-8 frame to help simulate what it will be like for the El Capitan players against the Manteca trees.

The 14th-seeded Gauchos will travel to No. 3 Manteca for the first round of the Division III playoffs. El Capitan is one of three area boys teams that will open the playoffs Wednesday. In Division IV, No. 16 Delhi (7-17) will travel to top seed Central Catholic (21-5). Fourth-seeded Mariposa (21-4) will host No. 5 Ripon Christian (18-7) in Division V in a rematch of a nonconference game won by the Grizzlies 81-68 earlier this season.

“Coach Davenport was a godsend this week,” said Tufts, whose team enters with a 21-6 record. “It was great that he wasn’t another teammate, so our guys didn’t go easy on him. I think coach Davenport is a little bruised.”

Tufts wanted his players to get familiar with what it’s like shooting over a 6-8 player. He wanted them to get used to the length and know what it feels like with 6-8 coming at them.

“We played one (6-8 player) when we played Roosevelt earlier this year,” Tufts said. “We put in a game plan for one. Now we have to game plan for three. It’s going to be a challenge, but I think we have a little more speed and we need to use that to our advantage.”

The Gauchos have plenty of respect for Manteca (22-5), and for good reason. Hundal averages 16.2 points and 9.4 rebounds, and Wooten Jr. averages 13.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. Verhoeven averages 8.2 points and 5.6 rebounds.

“We have to play big,” said Gauchos point guard Isaiah Knott. “They’re a big team. We have to play physical and get them off their game. Rebounding is going to be a big key. If we allow them multiple rebounds, that leads to multiple shots and more points.”

Don’t expect to El Capitan to come in timid. The Gauchos feel Manteca is going to have to adjust as much to playing them.

“I think we’re going to do everything we can do to stick to our system and stay strong,” Knott said. “We’re coming in there confident. You have to come into every game confident.”

The playoffs will be a new experience for El Capitan, which is playing its second season of varsity basketball. This group has been able to check the boxes already on several goals.

Win the school’s first league championship? Check.

Reach the playoffs for the first time? Check.

Win the first playoff game in school history ...

“After we played Los Banos, I was little worried because our next two practices were, I don’t want to say halfhearted, but our guys didn’t go very hard,” Tufts said. “As soon as we found out who we were playing, our last three practices have been ultra-focused. Our seniors know this could possibly be their last game. I think we’re ready to go.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "El Capitan basketball ready to face tall test in Manteca."