June 19, 2011
The Luther Burbank Titans surprised some folks by winning the Metro this past season with a 23-5-1 record that ended in a playoff loss to Jesuit. Admittedly, Sacramento High had some internal turmoil that made the league a bit more dramatic. But going into the upcoming season, the Titans will be on everyone's short list in the Sacramento region as up and coming 2013 prospect, David Straughter, will help with the slaughtering of league opponents.
At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Straughter is a forward who can bench press 195 pounds and squat 195 pounds. He was on varsity for the first time during this past season as he averaged 3.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game for the Titans. During this summer, he is playing for Play Hard Play Smart.
PHPS Coach Renato Porlaris says, "David is getting better at playing defense at a much higher level. He is able to defend right now guys that run the point all the way to the center position and that may be his greatest asset as he develops his offensive skills. Right now, he is nice off the dribble and can finish, but has to develop a consistent jumper. The hard work he puts in the next couple of years should determine what level of college ball he plays. Off the court, he likes to be the jokester among his teammates which loosens and relaxes them."
As a result, how tall Straughter becomes may determine if he will be a small forward, power forward, or combination wing player as he possesses the athleticism and frame to play any of those positions. He is a finesse player who tries to emulate former Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant because he likes to handle the ball but also has the size to post up smaller players. His best basketball move would be his spin move because it creates quite a bit of separation when he goes to the basket.
In addition to playing for PHPS, he will work on his jump shot and dribbling because he wants to be able to take a player to the hole but also be able to switch it up and have a respectable pull up jumper. He wants to average a double double, help his team to take the Metro League again, and get past the second round of playoffs.
He has not gotten contact from any colleges yet but is open to all locations. He wants to play for a team that runs the floor and plays a team game. He will also take into consideration the school's past performance and the competition of its league. Straughter has a 3.50 GPA and will want the college to have a respectable student athlete graduation percentage. He likes his Science course work but plans to major in Business.
Burbank Coach Lindsey Ferrell says about his Titan, "On the court, David has a nice mid range game with a soft touch around the rim. His best game was against Sac High when he scored 22 pts and grabbed 12 boards. Off the court, he's a gentle giant who loves music. He's in the school band where he plays the clarinet and he also loves watching cartoons. During this summer, we went 9-0 at the Chico State team camp with David boarding and scoring."
During this past season, his high school team was involved in a fight in Modesto at a tournament and had to forfeit their first league game. Straughter bounced back and helped his team in the next win over Sacramento High. Watch for this Titan to slaughter the Metro League opponents in the upcoming season.
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