Article 179: David Andoh Fireside Chat

April 14, 2011

David Andoh is the No. 4 ranked prospect in the NCP 2012 Top 40 as this St. Mary's High (Berkeley) junior led his Panthers to a 23-12 record. This wing forward averaged 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and two blocks while helping St. Mary's advance to the NorCal regional championship game.

At 6-foot-8 and 200 pounds, Andoh finally had his first full season of basketball this past year. He sat out his first two years because of transfer issues. But he definitely lived up to the potential as he showcased his versatile ball handling, shot making, and interior play.

St. Mary's Coach Manny Nodar says about Andoh's first year with the Panthers, "David got better as the year went on. He got more comfortable and started to understand our system much better. He played his best basketball in the last month of the season. He was a big part of us reaching the NorCal Finals."

The current schools that are in contact with him include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Cal Poly, Colorado, Columbia, Detroit, Penn, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara, Stanford, Texas, Utah, and Washington State with offers from Colorado and Santa Clara. As a nationally recruited prospect, Andoh has had some initial thoughts about these schools and their conferences that he is in contact with.

Big 12 (Texas): Andoh says, "Texas being from the Big 12 conference gets a chance to play against top notch competition day in and day out. That league is wide open year after year so any school has a chance to make a name for themselves."

Ivy League (Columbia and Penn): "No league or school can compare to the Ivy League academically, well maybe my brother's Bucknell, but that's a different story. In addition to the Ivy League becoming more and more competitive, I would be set for life once my playing days are over after acquiring a degree from such a prestigious league."

Pac-12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal Berkeley, Colorado, Stanford, Utah, and Washington State): "I've grown up watching Pac-10 basketball so I know all about it. They've got great history when it comes to these institutions, both academically and athletically," Andoh said.

West Coast Conference (Saint Mary's and Santa Clara): "The schools looking at me from this league are close to home, which is a plus for any player. Gonzaga is repeatedly at the top of that league and it would be a fun challenge to strive to dethrone them."

Coach Nodar knows the next level brings new challenges. "I want [David] to work on his strength. Need him to put on about 10 pounds of muscle. This will make him stronger and be able to be more physical and take the pounding from the other team. He should be a physical presence on the floor next year. He can dominate in different ways. For college, he just needs to continue to develop physically. There is no doubt that he has the basketball skills to be successful. At the next level he has to be able to handle the physical part of basketball."

During this summer, Andoh will be playing with Belmont Shore. He plans to travel and to gain the exposure that he lacks as a high level recruit. This summer is huge for his development. He has worked hard to better his pull up jumper off the dribble, but there is always room for improvement. He wants to work on and improve his ball handling, and becoming a more physical player. He wants to leave his coaches with no doubt that he can bang and that his body will be ready for the physical play.

Andoh's body and basketball skills provide that unique and desired hybrid interior and exterior skill set. He has that Kevin Durant, Lebron James, or Paul Pierce mix of size and ability to ball control. Andoh has a good mid-range and pull up game but can also play with his back to the basket.

Andoh patterns his game after Kevin Durant. "He is great and my favorite player. He's long, fast, and uses these as advantages on the defensive end while also using his foot speed to blow past defenders. The guy is skilled in all aspects of the game, and never stops playing. He is definitely someone I want to model my game after."

Concerning Lebron James, Andoh says, "He is a beast. Physically, he is the best in the game and he knows it. He attacks the basket with power and explodes to the rim. I love this about him and I wish to add this factor to my game. Along with being powerful, James also has a constantly improving skill set."

He also likes Paul Pierce. "He is a skilled combo guard with determination. He has the ability to knock down the three, pull up for a midrange, or attack the basket and finish hard. He is the complete versatile player that I wish to become."

If all goes well, expect Andoh to give some bruises to his BSAL opponents during his senior year. And then watch for Andoh physically punishing college opponents in 2012.

Article 178: Dominic Artis Fireside Chat

April 11, 2011

Dominic Artis is the No. 5 ranked prospect in the NCP 2012 Top 40 as the Salesian High junior point guard led his Pride to a 36-2 on the court record record. He averaged 15.6 points, 5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.3 steals as Salesian advanced to the Division IV state title game.

At 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds, Artis is a national prospect who is being sought after by Florida International, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, San Francisco, Seattle, Stanford, UC Davis, Utah, and Washington State. The ultra quick floor leader has received offers from Florida International, Nevada, UC Davis, and Washington State.

As a nationally recruited prospect, Artis has had some initial thoughts about these schools and their conferences.

Atlantic Coast (Georgia Tech): Artis says, "A real strong conference back east that's known for two or more teams making the tournament each year."

Ivy League (Harvard): Artis says, "Conference that is known for its academics and would gives a great 'plan b' if basketball did not work out."

Mountain West (Nevada and New Mexico): Artis says, "An upcoming conference that is starting to make a name for its self with its play in the tournament."

Pac-12 (Oregon, Stanford, Utah, and Washington State): Artis says, "Known as the conference with the most publicity on the West coast and also has schools with great academics."

In addition, Artis has an offer from Florida International, which is coached by former Indiana Hoosier, Isaiah Thomas. Artis spoke to Thomas by phone and had these comments about FIU's coach, "He's a legend that played the same position that I play. So, I tried to pick his brain and get some knowledge of what separates a good point guard from a great point guard. He knows a lot about the game and has a good understanding of how it should be played."

During this summer, Artis will be playing for his Oakland Soldiers 17U team. Last summer, he made the trip to Peach Jam in South Carolina which showcased some of the best AAU teams in the country. His summer season tips off this week at the Boo Williams Invitational in Hampton, Virginia.

Artis will team up with Bishop O'Dowd's Brandon Ashley and Richard Longrus, Mitty's Aaron Gordon, Pride teammate Jabari Bird, and San Diego Lincoln imported Robinson twins (Tyree and Tyrell). Expect these Soldiers to win most of their summer battles and Artis to continue adding to his recruiting booty from these battles.

Article 177: Extravaganza Day 1

April 9, 2011

The inaugural Spring Hoops Extravaganza Tournament kicked off on Friday night with strong showings from under the radar prospects around the area. Among the highlights was a strong group of post players, including 2012 Capuchino standout Daniel Aforman. See all of the top performers as well as a look at the top match-ups for Saturday.

Muktar Abdi 6-foot-0 PG Willow Glen (VH Elite) 2011: Addi is a physical point guard who can control the action for a length of time, but also floats in and out of the action. When he was on, he has a nice pull-up game and has good ball control on his dribble. He seems to favor the jumper over penetration, which he is also a threat to do.

Garrett Rich 6-foot-4 F St. Joseph (East Bay Swag) 2011: Coming off a solid state championship performance, Rich continued his stellar play in a convincing win over Bay Area Rush. He has good body control and protects the ball well when going up with it. A good rebounder some lower level school should look to offer this prospect.

Daniel Aforman 6-foot-8 Post Capuchino (North Peninsula Force) 2012: Still a raw prospect at this point, Aforman has the making to be a nice big in the future. He has good, quiet feet on the block, including a nice spin move against VH Elite. He has a good frame to build on and should see his production increase as he plays with more aggression.

Damon Sloan 5-foot-8 PG West (WV Wolves) 2012: The best player for the WV Wolves, Sloan displayed good stop and start ability as well as getting the ball all the way to the rim. The left-handed guard has a nice mid-range game, but will need to become a better distributor to become a legit prospect.

Chilo Mejia 6-foot-0 G Irvington (Bay Area Rush) 2013: Mejia can play on and off the ball while getting separation using his dribble. He has a nice shooting stroke and as he gets stronger, he will become a better finisher to open up his offensive game.

KJ Daye 5-foot-11 G West (707 Finest Elite 15s) 2014: The freshman guard has good length and should continue to grow into in the coming years. He is active on defense and projects as an off guard with some point guard skills. Developing his offense is the next step for Daye.

Cody Sheldon 6-foot-8 Post Irvington (Bay Area Rush) 2014: Another talented young post, Sheldon moves well around the floor and isn't anchored to the block. He is still very raw, but has the physical tools to develop into a real good prospect down the road.

Others of Note: 2013 forward EJ Floreal of Palo Alto (Roadrunners) JV is a long, athletic interior player who has big upside. The Roadrunners JV squad has its share of athletes who showed well, including 2013s Aubrey Dawkins of Palo Alto and Khalid Johnson and Khalil Johnson of St. Francis-Mountain View. The Bay Area Warriors 16s boast 2013 guard Samson Donnick of Redwood, who is a good sized guard who will start at Redwood next year, and 2014 point guard Mike Pinkney of St. Mary's-Berkeley, who is a solid point guard with good ball handling and composure and should find a spot in the Panthers' rotation next season. 2013 guard Jaqui Biggins of Serra is another player to watch on the Warriors.

Other players to watch for are 2012 prospect Richard Meeks of Andrew Hill, who is playing with Bay Area Rush. A pair of budding prospects to follow the rest of the weekend is 2012 guard Ashton Pickens of Kennedy-Fremont and 2013 6-foot-9 post Owen Putz of Half Moon Bay. Also, 2014 point guard Frankie Ferrari of Burlingame (BSC) is an excellent prospect which already grades out as a Division I find.

After a slow start to the tournament due to court issues, the action will certainly heat up with a full slate of games in all six divisions on Saturday. Below is a list of the top games.

Boys Elite: Bay Area Ballers 17U vs. PHPS Black at 4:30 PM. The Ballers are usually one of the better teams in the area and PHPS boasts a solid roster this year. PHPS is lead by Burbank guard Mitchell Love, Yuba City guard Matt Hayes and Capital Christian forward Ryan Edwards.

Boys Varsity: BSC vs. Bay Area Rush 10:15 AM. If you like young talent, this is the game to see. Each team boasts a talented freshman in Ferrari and Sheldon respectively. The Bay Area Rush suffered a bad loss on Friday to East Bay Swag, but is a good test for the Burlingame filled BSC squad.

Boys JV: Stanco Black JV vs. YBA Dawgs 5:45 PM. This JV game features young talent from two of the overlooked areas of Northern California as Stanco is built around Valley players and YBA is filled with players from the Sierra Foothills. Should create a good atmosphere.

Girls Elite: Cal Stars Premier I vs. Bay Area Lady Warriors Black 9:00 AM. Get to Dream Courts bright and early today for a slew of basketball prospects. The Lady Warriors may have the most talent of any team on the girls side with Ariell Bostick of Bishop O'Dowd, Charise Holloway of Modesto Christian and Mariya Moore of Salesian to name a few. The Cal Stars will counter with Heritage post Sabrina Engelstad, Alhambra's Taylor Berry and company.

Girls Varsity: Cal Stars Premier II vs. Bay Area Magic 16s 9:00 AM. Another early morning contest features two teams who should contend in this division.

Girls JV: Hayward Swoosh vs. Stanco Girls JV 9:00 AM. Stanco is a program continuing to gain traction and will take on a team with players hailing from the East Bay area.

Article 176: NCP Football Watch List for the 2012

April 6, 2011

The NCP Football Watch List for the 2012 class was released on Monday. It's now time to go more in-depth on the list as sports analysts Douglas Benton and Steve Hu discuss the national prospects, early commits, position strengths and possible breakout performers in another edition of the NCP Roundtable.

1. Who do you think are the national prospects out of this group and why?

Steve Hu: Grant defensive back Shaq Thompson. He is the only five star prospect. Playmaker is an overused tag on star players, but Thompson is a playmaker on either side of the ball who can change the tone of a game on one play. Also, De La Salle linebacker Michael Barton. De La Salle's defense lost several key pieces. Barton will have to be the senior leader on the defense should the Spartans want to get far this season. Passing an early season test against Florida power St Thomas Aquinas can really ingrain Barton on the national spotlight.

Douglas Benton: I expect there to be more national prospects coming out of this region than in recent years. Among the early stars are Pleasant Grove defensive tackleArik Armstead, who brings great size and athleticism to the line, and Thompson, who is a dynamic defender and a devastating running back. Others to look for are Valley Christian-San Jose running back Byron Marshall (best home run threat in this class), Salesian offensive lineman Freddie Tagaloa (great size/athleticism), San Ramon Valley quarterback Zach Kline (one of the top quarterbacks), Whitney tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick (athletic two-way threat) and Buhach Colony defensive tackle Aziz Shittu (emerging on national scene after strong USC Nike Camp showing).

2. Early impressions, what is the strongest position group?

Steve Hu: Linemen. Armstead, Shittu, and Tagaloa headline the guys in the trenches who will dominate in their senior year. They all should step right in as college freshman and contribute to their college suitors.

Douglas Benton: As usual, the quarterback and offensive line groups should be strong coming out of Northern California. First the quarterbacks, Kline and Houston lead the way out of the East Bay Athletic League. Along with those two are Whitney's Jake Rodrigues, Miramonte's Ross Anderson and Granite Bay's Brendan Keeney as possible three star and higher recruits. The offensive line has high end talent as well with Armstead, Tagaloa, Granite Bay's Gavin Andrews, Independence's Fernando Villanueva and Buhach Colony's Matt Cochran.

3. Who is a play not on the Watch List that people should look out for?

Steve Hu: Bellarmine quarterback Travis McHugh and Pittsburg athlete Feao Vunipola. McHugh is a fundamentally sound quarterback who will be able to direct the Bellarmine offense. Bellarmine may be under the radar in the WCAL, but McHugh could put them at the head of the class. Vunipola is a two way LB/RB. He probably will be a linebacker prospect and would not surprise if he registered triple digit tackles for Pittsburg.

Douglas Benton: It is a group of quarterbacks who were among the players just left off the list. McHugh has good size coming back for Bellarmine and Vanden's Ben Scoot and Terra Nova's Chris Forbes also bring good frames that should draw college attention. Folsom is the defending Division II state champions and new quarterback Tanner Trosin is a quarterback/athlete who will have a big senior year.

4. Which early commit do you think is the best get for the school and why?

Steve Hu: Armstead. Older brother, Armond, is already at USC. Lane Kiffin has a good get in the younger Armstead, who could step right in and contribute immediately. Arik will be able to channel his older brother's experiences as an immediate contributor for the Trojans. The sanctions against USC apparently has not scared away the 2011 nor the 2012 class so far.

Douglas Benton: Anytime you get a talent like Armstead, it is a good value commitment and that is exactly what USC has. Armstead has already been invited to the Army All-American game and should see a steady rise in his national stock this summer and fall. Cosumnes Oaks' defensive back Marcus Rios is another solid get for Boise State. Last year, the Broncos snagged an early commit from Cosumnes Oaks defensive end Robert Ash, who has numerous BCS schools interested in him come the fall.

5. Who is most ready to have a breakout summer performance?

Steve Hu: Pittsburg quarterback Malik Watson. Watson shared QB duties last year, but will now be the main signal caller. He has a cannon for an arm along with all the prototypical QB attributes. Pittsburg had a mediocre season last year, but a solid summer can propel Watson and his team to a strong regular season.

Douglas Benton: Serra running back Erich Wilson is a player on the verge of breaking out as a big play threat who possesses smooth speed. Coming from a good program will help jumpstart his summer. Oak Ridge wide receiver Dylan Collie is another name to watch as he already has cemented his football skills and exposure to wide ranging competition to show he can match up physically will send his stock upwards. Also, Monterey Trail offensive lineman Leonard Wood is a player to watch continue to develop.