May 22, 2011
The 4th Annual City Championship Tourney at City College of San Francisco (CCSF) took place on a bright, sunny San Francisco Saturday. Randy Bessolo, coach of the Bay Area Warriors and University High, has been running this event since its inception and believes it was a success again this year.
According to Bessolo, the City Championship attampts to attract as competitive of a field as possible. In addition, he does not separate the teams by age. Hence, one can conceivably see a talented 15U team play against and defeat an older 17U team. Bessolo had several teams denied participation as he capped this year's event to 33 teams. The top eight teams that went unscathed in pool play would advance to the top Gold bracket.
One of the brighter teams that performed was Play Hard Play Smart Elite which suited up in Velveeta Yellow and Hot Tamales Red uniforms. PHPS limited its first opponent to 20 total points and won both its games by close to 30 points each. This PHPS team features a stable of interchangeable athletes who all seem to be able to get up and down, play pressing defense, and have the ability to finish at the rim.
One PHPS player of note is Shawn Smith of McClatchy High. The 6-foot-6 2011 player showed versatility from all aspects of the game. He runs well, has good leaping and blocking ability, and was physical in the paint. Like former PHPS alum Charles Standifer, Smith is planning to attend Bridgton in Connecticut. Smith could be a proverbial hidden gem waiting to be discovered from the Sacramento area.
In addition to PHPS Elite advancing to the Gold bracket, the other seven teams include Bessolo's Bay Area Warriors 16U, Lakeshow Black 17, North Coast Express 1, Team 94, Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U, E-Time Hoops Elite, and Oakland Rebels 17s. The team that can win three straight games Sunday will take the title. Separate Silver and Bronze brackets exist for teams that were not able to go undefeated.
Players to Watch
Mike Pickney II 5-foot-4 PG St. Mary's Berkeley (Bay Area Warriors) 2014: Pickney's play has shown consistent improvement at each major tournament. He plays with savvy that is beyond a freshman. University of Portland is the first school to contact his high school coach about this floor general.
Parth Radia 6-foot-1 G Dougherty Valley (Bay Area Warriors) 2013: Multifaceted scorer. He was able to hit several three point shots in addition to taking the ball to the rim. Radia could be an interesting find for the evolving Dougherty Valley program.
Jehiah Genraro 6-foot-3 W Freedom (Blue Devils 16) 2012: Has a good game going to the basket. He has the on the floor leadership presence for this team.
Tim Jordan 6-foot-3 F Freedom (Blue Devils 16) 2013: Made plays in spurts. Is a work in progress. But has a high ceiling.
Jose Flores 6-foot-3 F Rodriguez (707 Finest) 2014: Plays more mature than his freshman status. If he gets the sufficient height, a very good forward prospect in the making. Plays defense and has a good mid-range to inside the paint game.
Maurice Trotter 6-foot-3 C Fairfield (707 Finest) 2014: Another freshman who plays beyond his current age and also could be something special if he gets enough height. Trotter rebounds well and takes physical contact well as he was able to get a couple "and 1" baskets.
Ryan Imhoff 6-foot-2 SG Napa (707 Finest) 2014: All-around perimeter game. A good mid-range shooter. He sees the floor well. Defends the perimeter well.
Joey Frenchwood 6-foot-0 PG Newark Memorial (Oakland Rebels 15) 2014: All-around point guard prospect. With enough height, he can fit the desired prototypical big point guard
Jalen McFerren 5-foot-10 PG Castro Valley (Oakland Rebels 15) 2014: Same as Frenchwood. Good point guard prospect. Will be replacing Roderick Bobbitt for Castro Valley next year and will see if he can fill those shoes.
Sam Greenwall 6-foot-2 F Head Royce (Oakland Rebels 15) 2014: Greenwall plays with hustle and intensity. Not afraid to be physical.
David Andoh 6-foot-7 F St. Mary's Berkeley (Team 94) 2012: Can put the ball on the floor well and is a good athlete with a mid-range touch. Team 94 Coach Phil Handy, who played for the Golden State Warriors and coaches the NBA D-League Reno franchise, says that Andoh reminds him of former NBA player Cedric Ceballos.
Chukwuemeka Iroegbu 6-foot-4 F Franklin (Team 94) 2011: Strong forward with power and athleticism. Has good hands and moves feet well.
Drew Dickey 6-foot-8 F St. Francis (KWA Pride) 2012: Very aggressive interior play and does not back down.
Michael Bryson 6-foot-4 G Foothill (PHPS Elite) 2012: Very complete player. Explosive jumper. Has a perimeter game that will demand some respect from the defender.
D'Erryl Williams II 6-foot-3 PG Sheldon (PHPS Elite) 2013: has good size and lateral movement. Nice up and under move to score inside. Has quick hands for a guard.
Stevie Oliviera 6-foot-1 G Monte Vista (Lakeshow Black 17's) 2013: Oliviera showed his smarts as a guard who lead many fast breaks successfully. He was aggressive to the basket and hit many mid-range jump shots. He was able to guard all five positions.
James O'Neal 6-foot-1 G Freedom (Lakeshow Black 17's) 2013: His first step is really quick and can get by defenders. He scored off the dribble consistently and could finish in transition. He used his long arms to get in the passing lanes on defense.
Andrew Brinson PG Wood (Lakeshow White 17's) 2012: Brinson has a good perimeter shot and could handle the ball well.
Jeffrey Parker 6-foot-5 F Salesian (Lakeshow White 17's) 2012: Parker has a good all around game. The summer could be very important as he may be overlooked on his own Salesian team. Parker has good length and jumping for a possible interior player.
TJ Daniel 6-foot-6 F Bishop O'Dowd (Lakeshow Black 17's) 2012: Posts double digit rebounds easily. Just a very big body inside that takes up space. Reminds one of a Glen Davis type interior player.
Michael Lazarus 6-foot-2 F Berkeley (Oakland Soldiers 15U) 2014: Another rebounding machine that has a high ceiling. Berkeley's lack of interior play this past year could be alleviated with Lazarus' addition to varsity.
Trevor Dunbar 5-foot9 PG St. Ignatius (Oakland Soldiers 15U) 2014: A solid point guard - especially in transition. Made the right pass often and early on the break. Dunbar could make for an interesting St. Ignatius team with the interior play of Stephen Domingo.
Ivan Rabb 6-foot-7 C Montera Middle School (Oakland Soldiers 15U) 2015: Middle school player who will be attending Bishop O'Dowd next year. If he grows an inch a year, he should reach close to seven foot by his senior year. Still learning how to play with his height but the ceiling is literally higher for him.
Miguel French 6-foot-5 W Lindhurst High (PHPS) 2012: He is a high flyer as he had a few demonstrative dunks. Plays with full effort. He is long, fast, and athletic.
Leroy Abraham 6-foot-3 G Natomas (PHPS) 2012: Solid mid-range shooter. All-around game as he can defend, pass, and go to the basket. Physical guard who does not back down.
Recruiting Updates
Trevor Priest 6-foot-6 SF Santa Teresa (West Valley) 2012: The versatile forward is in contact with UC Davis, Montana, Northern Colorado, Pepperdine, Portland, San Jose State, St. Mary's, and UC Santa Barbara.
David Andoh 6-foot-7 F St. Mary's Berkeley (Team 94): Penn has offered
Chukwuemeka Iroegbu 6-foot-4 F Franklin (Team 94): Iroegbu has a walk on opportunity with Washington State. He also confirmed that youngers brothers Ikenna and Uchenna will be transferring to Oak Hill Academy and Capital Christian respectively.
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