The Manchester Essex boys basketball team did not have many questions entering the season.
Coming off of a year where the team sported the best record in the Cape Ann League, it was well known that this year's Hornets were deep, experienced, athletic and quick. The one question mark hanging over the team's head was who was going to replace Joe Mussachia, the school's all time leading scorer, as this year's go to guy.
Enter Chris Bishop.
Bishop, the Hornets senior captain, was more of a role player in 2011 as he started the year coming off the bench but his strong play yielded more and more playing time and he finished the year as the teams second leading scorer with 12.1 points per game.
This season Bishop has taken his game to the next level as he has established himself as the Hornets bona fide go to guy averaging 19.8 points per game, almost eight points more than last year's total. In just a years time Bishop has went from a good player on a good team, to a premier player in the entire Cape Ann League, one of the deepest basketball conferences in the state.
According to the Hornets senior guard taking on the leading scoring role was something that just happened, not something he set out to do.
"It kind of just unfolded that way," Bishop said. "During the fall season everybody had a night where they were putting up big points and it's kind of like that now too. We run a fast break offense and the guy getting out ahead in the fast break is the one that's going to get the points. That's the system coach Sigsbury laid out for us and we reap the benefits."
It's no wonder Bishop is the one out in front of the break so often, given that he is the most athletic Hornet on the floor. At 6'2" Bishop is an above average sized guard for the Cape Ann League and he can use his frame and speed to create easy baskets for himself and his teammates.
In addition to his ability to get to the basket, Bishop can also shoot from beyond the arc as he has hit 27 three pointers on the year. He's also clutch as he was a catalyst on both ends of the floor in fourth quarter comebacks against CAL powers Newburyport and Masconomet earlier this season, he was also named the BankGloucester Holiday Tournament MVP for his 32 point effort in the tournament's championship game against Gloucester.
"Last year he was Chris was comfortable just fitting in, and on that team that's exactly what we needed him to do," Hornets head coach Duane Sigsbury said. "This year we needed him to be the man and he has stepped up and turned into one of the best players in the league. He's so dynamic and he plays with so much energy. He is a talent but he's the first guy to dive on the floor for a loose ball, he just plays so hard."
If you think offense is where it ends for Bishop you are sorely mistaken as he is as complete a basketball players as you will find in the CAL. Bishop's speed and quick feet mean that he can defend, usually the opponents top scorer, he can also block shots and pass the rock, especially in transition where he will pass up a shot to get a teammate an easier or more open look.
"Defense is something we have stressed all year," Bishop said. "Coach Sigsbury likes it when we play well on the defnsive end better then the offensive end. We run an up tempo system so we are going to score points but we would almost rather win 20-15 then 99-97."
So how does a player go from sixth man to one of the best players in the Cape Ann League? Simple, hard work. Bishop played in the spring on fall on the Mass Rivals AAU squad as well as other various fall, summer and spring basketball leagues that saw him travel all over New England from Fitchburg to Southern Maine to Rhode Island.
The offseason work has turned Bishop into a complete player according to Sigsbury.
"He does everything, he's like having a 6'2" Joe Mussachia," Sigsbury said. "He put in the time he needed to in the offseason working out in the heat and the cold, traveling to games all over New England and playing more then 50 organized games in the offseason. He has a high basketball IQ and he's the team's vocal leader."
Bishop has narrowed his college choices to UMass Amherst and Suffolk University, if he attends Suffolk he says he will try out for the basketball team.
Most importantly, however, is the success of the team. All of the individual accolades in the world don't matter to Bishop if the team is not winning. Fortunately, the Hornets senor captain has gotten the best of both worlds as he is having a great year individually, and the Hornets are running through the CAL with a 14-2 record.
"We worked hard in the offseason so we can take it to the next level this year," Bishop said. "We are getting it done so far but we still have a lot of work to do to reach our goals."
Beryl Makes Landfall on Florida Coast
UN Blames Syrian Forces for Shelling Houla
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
