Contrasting styles

Paulie Stramaglia first met Alex Washington when the two were in elementary school, participating in Mountain Brook basketball’s Buckyball Academy.

Stramaglia struggled to get past him then and still does today.

“He’s tough to get by,” the Mountain Brook High School sophomore point guard said. “He’s a great defender, and he knows all my moves. He makes me a lot better.”

Luckily for Stramaglia, he doesn’t have to face a defender as well-equipped to stop him throughout the course of the high school season. He believes Washington, a junior, is the best defender he faces all year.

The two go head-to-head every day in practice, but are on the same side of things once the ball is tipped on game day.

They split time at the point for the Spartans, the reigning Class 7A state champions. Most nights, Washington will play the first few minutes as point guard before giving way to Stramaglia. From then on, when both are in the game, Stramaglia handles the point guard duties, while Washington plays the role of shooting guard.

The challenge for opposing teams ispreparing for what each brings as the floor general.

“They are two contrasting guards who bring something different that the defense has to see,” Mountain Brook coach Bucky McMillan said. “It keeps teams off balance because they have to prepare for two different guys.”

Stramaglia is a creative playmaker with the ball in his hands. He averages over six assists per game for Mountain Brook, a high number for a high school point guard. He doesn’t score or shoot much because he doesn’t need to. 

The Spartans have a superstar in Trendon Watford and several capable shooters. It’s Stramaglia’s job to find them.

 “He makes the job way easier when he’s at the ‘1’ [point guard],” Washington said. “If you’re open, he’s going to find you. That’s a big plus.”

Washington has become a leader for the team and can slide down to shooting guard when needed because of his ability to shoot the basketball. He said he improved his 3-point shot in the offseason so that defenders would not be able to go under ball screens like they have in the past. 

“It’s great,” said Stramaglia of playing in the same backcourt with Washington. “I find him for a lot of open shots, and we spread out the floor really well.”

While they employ two distinct playing styles, McMillan said the two guards are similar. Their impact on a game will not often be felt by gaudy numbers in the box score.

“Their numbers will never wow you,” McMillan said. “Everybody knows Paulie’s a great playmaker. He may only have four points in one game, but you see the ball in his hands making a bunch of great plays. Alex, some games he may take eight shots and some games he may not take a shot.”

Stramaglia burst onto the scene lastyear as a freshman. He commanded the Mountain Brook offense with brilliance, and excelled even as the games became more critical.

McMillan wondered aloud, “What ninth-grader plays in the highest classificationand does what he did at the state tournament?” 

“It was great, seeing him make the right play every time and get within his role. It was great seeing him progress,” Washington said.

Washington’s skills have improved in his time at Mountain Brook, but more importantly to his coaches, he has become a much tougher player.

“The little things, like rebounding, all the gritty stuff in the game, I’ve gotten so much better,” Washington said.

Washington and his coaches recalled a play against Vestavia Hills in early January when Washington was inadvertently elbowed in the face and knocked to the floor. The hit jarred one of his teeth loose. But instead of remaining on the floor writhing in pain, he immediately jumped up and raced down the floor to guard his man.

“That play, when he got here in ninth grade, that would have never happened,” McMillan said. He added with a smile, “He’d still be on the floor.”

That play also epitomized everything that Washington now brings to the Spartans locker room. 

 “It’s not going to say on his tombstone, ‘Hey, when he played Vestavia, he got his tooth knocked out and he got up and played great defense,’”  McMillan said. “But the premise of why he did that is what could be on his tombstone. He’s unselfish, dependable, reliable, tough and doesn’t just play for himself.”

Washington has visions of playing college basketball at an Ivy League school. He’s already received interest from a handful of schools in that category.

Stramaglia is following in his older brother’s footsteps. Mario Stramaglia scored more than 1,000 points in his Mountain Brook High career and played college ball at East Tennessee State and West Florida. 

Paulie Stramaglia said he talks to his brother after nearly every game and has learned a great deal from him. The recruiting process hasn’t kicked into high gear just yet, but he said his primary goal is to play Division I basketball, wherever that may be.

Washington and Paulie Stramaglia will need to be at their best if Mountain Brook is to make another deep postseason run. Either way, they won’t face anyone better than the opposite number in practice.