June 22, 2011
With less than two weeks until the opening of the July evaluation period, teams around the country are gearing up to impress college coaches. The 2012 and 2013 classes have already received national attention this spring to signal a big summer ahead for the region. With that in mind, we tackled some of the major questions including a look at the best sleepers.
With the evaluation period limited to July, how will this affect the recruiting process?
Steve Hu: This really comes down to compliance versus exposure for the NCAA in my opinion. Originally, Division I coaches had another viewing period in April but the NCAA wanted to cut back on compliance issues and felt that the shorter evaluation periods would accomplish that. With that, the tradeoff is the marginal prospects will get less face time in front of college coaches. And these same coaches who seem to be measured on their winning percentage will have to evaluate more on game film and secondary sources. If you are a four or five star prospect, the limited July evaluation period probably will not be that big of a deal in that prospect's recruiting process. But if you are a fringe prospect trying to get exposure on both sides of the coast, this does not help. As a result, Northern California club teams that take their show on the road not only on the west coast but also in the major events in the Midwest in Illinois and Texas to the east coast will really help their roster members.
Douglas Benton: I think something we are already seeing is early offers being given out in preparation to actually getting a good viewing of a prospect. With the limited evaluation days, colleges are having to making earlier decisions on scholarships and in some cases, missing on those pre-evaluations. The recruiting process should be set up to best showcase the prospect as well as giving coaches the opportunity to make thorough decisions, but the current rules allow for neither. This fact most affects the borderline prospects either between mid-major/high-major and low D1/high D2 players.
What are some of the better 15/16U club teams with the best up and coming players?
Steve Hu: Oakland Rebels 15/16U guards and Oakland Soldiers 15U post players. The Rebels have a plethora of guards on both squads that include Castro Valley's Jalen McFerren, Newark Memorial's Joey Frenchwood, and Oakland Tech's Leo Smith. The Soldiers post players include Bellarmine's Nathan Thomas, Freedom's Elliott Smith, and Heritage's Shon Briggs. The 2014 rankings will see some of these names and will be some of the higher sought after prospects on the next level.
Douglas Benton: The top teams appear to be Oakland Rebels 15U and 16U teams, Oakland Soldiers 15U, Lakeshow 16U Black and NorCal Supreme 15U. The Rebels have a nice crop of young prospects after graduating a very strong senior class led by Smith and Pinole Valley forward Andrew Cox-Gilmore. The 15U squad boasts St. Joseph forward Temidayo Yussuf and Frenchwood. The Soldiers have a pair of talented 2014s with Smith and Briggs both showing very bright futures. Lakeshow has had Modesto Christian wing Raymond Bowles on the 16s in the past and still have St. Patrick/St. Vincent guard Jason Webster and Freedom's James O'Neal in the fold. Finally, NorCal Supreme is led by Salesian guard Mario Dunn with Bentley's Nate Ellis and Salesian's Markel Leonard for a challenging guard attack.
Which 17U club teams will attract the most following this summer from NorCal?
Steve Hu: PHPS 17 Elite, Team 94, and Oakland Soldiers 17U. More than half of each of their respective rosters will be Division I bound. The Las Vegas and Southern California events should attract a legion of college coaches in their bracket play. It is always interesting sitting next to college coaches incognito and hearing what they are telling each other about the prospects from Northern California.
Douglas Benton: The Oakland Soldiers will attract a crowded coaches sections throughout the summer with an elite national prospect in Bishop O'Dowd forward Brandon Ashley and fast rising point guard Dominic Artis from Salesian. Also, don't forget about the plethora of wings that form the best positional group of any team in the country. Team 94 brings great depth into the summer with Jesuit's Parker Uu and McClymonds' Lawrence Otis bringing the most attention from the 2012 group. Play Hard Play Smart 17 Elite is a young squad which is already starting to make national inroads. The trio of Sheldon Huskies with Kyiron Thomas, Dakarai Allen and D'Erryl Williams II will continue to keep this team on coaches' radars. While it lacks a top tier prospect like last year, Lakeshow 17s Black will have plenty of mid-major/low-major coaches looking to get a read on players like Kendall Jackson, Casey Norris and Tom Witzel.
Who are some of the coaches who have made an impression on the club circuit?
Steve Hu: Bay Area Warriors Randy Bessolo, E-Time Hoops Ernest Taubodo, Norcal Supreme Glen Graham, Oakland Rebels Ryant Diew/Raymond Young, Oakland Soldiers Joe Griggs, and Team 94 Phil Handy.
A Bessolo run team is always fundamentally sound. Watching his team play, the passing and ball movement is always very fluid and efficient. Having attended one of his practices, he stresses basic preparation and fundamental drills.
Taubodo gets the most out of his players and is adept at multi-tasking. He runs five club teams and is often coaching multiple teams at an event. Last year's E-Time 17 Elite team had JT Adenrele (UC Davis) and Chad Haysbert (Houston Baptist). As a result, the success could have been attributed to the talent level. But this year's E-Time 17 Elite team's roster is not as decorated but Taubodo gets them to maximize their abilities and hustle non-stop.
Graham develops his basketball talent well. Coaching wise, he makes good adjustments and does not let up against the opponent. His team reminds one of former Arkansas Nolan Richardson's 40 Minutes of Hell style. If you play for Graham, you better be ready to give 110% or go play for the Norcal Inferior club team.
Win or lose, the post game team huddle for the Oakland Rebels is always entertaining to listen from Diew and Young. The coaches do not hold back in their assessments and some censorship may be required. This old school approach reminds one of Temple's John Chaney and Georgetown's John Thompson II. The players who are receptive will be the wiser from both a basketball and life perspective.
When talking to Griggs about the club basketball circuit, expect to learn a thing or two. His knowledge goes back to the days of LeBron James playing for the Soldiers or Dirk Nowitzki as a skinny kid visiting the UC Berkeley campus. He is blunt in his assessment of his players, but is also nurturing of their potential. Plus, Griggs is in the modern era as you can discern him as he is always on his iPad.
With his NBA and NBDL experience, Handy knows player development. When talking to him, he can breakdown his players' strengths and weaknesses in a succinct manner. He makes it really easy to understand the prospects of his players in layman's terms.
Douglas Benton: This can be a long list, but here are a few coaches who have stood out to me over the years at the 17U division. Lakeshow always plays a nice system and organized brand of basketball under head coach Joe Fuca that allows players to showcase skills to prospective colleges. E-Time Hoops head coach Ernest Taubodo has shown the ability to have success with different talent levels and personnel in building another solid club team out of the Sacramento area. Team 94 head coach Phil Handy usually has one of the most veteran squads on the circuit and is very apt at motivating his team and creating good match-ups. There are plenty of other top coaches to help make up a quality NorCal club scene.
What would you like to see changed or improved in the club circuit?
Steve Hu: A Northern California end of summer tournament. Something that would be similar to the Nike EYBL where the top 16 or 32 teams regardless of age level play in a tournament style format. Presumably, there is enough talent and interest in the state for such an event.
Douglas Benton: The rules and regulations were put in place to limit outside influences into the recruiting process, but it has become too regulated and thusly created more loopholes for "runners" to keep their place in the process. An area I would like to see improved on are a spring viewing period to allow coaches to get an early look on the upcoming classes and make more informed decisions heading into the month of July. By having limited viewings, it takes away available scholarships come July and can force players back on the circuit post-high school.
Which non-ranked prospects are players to watch based on their spring performances?
Steve Hu: 2011: Momir Gataric from Homestead High and Bay Area Ballers. Gataric is a wing that probably was overlooked in the high school season and was hurt during last summer circuit. But watching him play, he has a very complete game and could be a late Division I signing. He has the frame to go to the rim while has a respectable perimeter game.
2012: Paris Davis from Skyline and Oakland Rebels. The OAL will probably have McClymonds as the pre-season favorites. After that, it will be up for grabs. Davis is a scoring machine and is capable of putting up some big numbers in the upcoming season. He has the size and speed to get to the basket with ease. But if Davis develops a respectable mid-range perimeter game, that will really open up his scoring options.
2013: Harold Getz from University High and Bay Area Warriors. Getz was a key rotation on University this past year. Playing for his high school coach, Randy Bessolo, during the summer, Getz will be able to hone his game for the upcoming season to really be a more complete player for the Red Devils.
Douglas Benton: Already with some solid interest from Division I programs, Castlemont's Devereaux Manley should have a big summer playing for Team 94. Manley has already compiled a strong spring on the heels of a good senior year in which he teamed up with Top 40 guard Gary Williams. In the 2012 class, look for Jarvis Watkins to make himself a household name after helping Antelope reach the NorCal semi-finals as a junior. He is a quality shooting guard who should help pace E-Time Hoops. After a strong showing with the Bay Area Warriors at the Bay Area Memorial Day Classic, Serra forward Henry Caruso should continue to push himself toward the Top 40. He was a solid contributor as a sophomore in high school and brings a versatility game to the floor. He is a good name to remember.
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