2012-13 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School boys basketball team / Photo courtesy the Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School boys basketball team is set to make the program's 11th Ohio High School Athletic Association state tournament appearance when the Fighting Irish (19-9) play Vincent Warren (26-1) in a Division II state semifinal contest on Thursday at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
SVSM is in search of the program's fifth state title, and if the Fighting Irish hoopsters achieve that goal, they'll help SVSM become the first school to be crowned football and boys basketball state champions in the same academic year since Benedictine accomplished the impressive feat during the 1996-97 school year.
SVSM is led offensively by three double-digit scorers in freshman guard VJ King (16.3 points per game), junior guard Jalen Hudson (14.6 points per game) and senior forward Nick Wells (14 points per game).
King was named a Division II All-Ohio Second-Team honoree by the Associated Press while Hudson was recognized as a Special Mention honoree and Wells was given Honorable Mention recognition.
SVSM head coach Dru Joyce II owns a 232-76 record in his 11 years at the helm of the Fighting Irish.
SVSM's last state tournament appearance came in 2011 when the Fighting Irish defeated Dayton Thurgood Marshall to win the state title.
Joyce participated in a teleconference with state media members on Monday. Watch the above video to see what he had to say about his team and its season.
Tipoff for the state semifinal is set for 5:15 p.m.
For more Northeast Ohio high school sports news, scores, photos and videos, visit usatodayhss.com/Cleveland.