December is the prime month for high school basketball tournaments as the Dougherty Valley Shootout was host to a five game event in San Ramon. Here is a recap, top performers, and team analysis.
De Anza 72, St. Elizabeth 32
De Anza cruised in the opening game as St. Elizabeth only suited six players. The Dons scored 25 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 50-18 half time lead and the second half was played with a running clock to speed up the inevitable conclusion.
Rashard Williams is a 6-foot-1 wing who can slash to the basket for the Dons. The senior is a versatile defender and is a high-energy player. He had 15 points in the win. Steve Evans is an undersized shooting guard at 5-foot-10 who can flat out shoot. The four-year varsity player had all 26 of his points in the first half.
De Anza runs its record to 10-1 as the Richmond program has run out to a fast start. El Cerrito and Berkeley have been getting all the publicity in the Alameda Contra Costa Athletic League but De Anza will hold the clich?sleeper role in the league.
Moreau Catholic 61, El Cerrito 58
Without Justin Johnson, El Cerrito took a 14-8 first quarter advantage against Moreau Catholic. The Gauchos had a 30-13 lead midway in the second quarter before going into the half up 30-20. El Cerrito held a comfortable 45-33 third quarter advantage but double digit leads inexplicably mean nothing in high school basketball as Moreau Catholic tied the game at 56-56 with 1:05 left. The Mariners experienced the lead for the first time in the game at 59-58 with 15 seconds left.
Deryck Ylanan is a combination guard who handles the ball comfortably and can take on smaller guards in the paint. The Mariner had 8 points before fouling out early. Ylanan projects as a Division II or III prospect.
Joe Calub had 19 points at point guard who made all nine of his free throw attempts. More importantly, the sub 6-footer handled the ball pressure well down the stretch and helped with pressure.
Moreau Catholic moves to 3-5 with the win as most of its losses were close ones. The team showed determination and grit when it easily could have folded. Bishop O'Dowd was the preseason pick to win the Hayward Area Athletic League, but the Mariners could be a strong contender for runner up.
Tyrell Alcorn played crucial minutes as the freshman had 11 points. This Gaucho projects well as he is over 6-foot and long for a guard.
Jonathan Savage had 14 points including two 3-point shots. His length makes him an effective defender and rebounder. The junior is a good second scoring option after Johnson returns.
Even without Johnson, the Gauchos have depth to make up his absence, as he should return next week. Big picture is that El Cerrito has trouble closing out games that it seems to have in the proverbial bag and figures to be the top challenger against Berkeley High in the ACCAL.
San Leandro 59, Santa Teresa 47
In a sloppy start to the third game, San Leandro had an 8-5 first quarter lead that was extended to 30-18. The Pirates maintained a 42-29 margin before closing out the win at 59-47.
Andre Russell had 18 points and 9 rebounds for the Pirates. The small forward is rugged and physical with his play. The senior has a legitimate chance to play on the next level.
Dejon Budreaux is a guard who is active in the passing lanes. He is disruptive on the defensive end with his steals.
Ishi Ali is the younger brother of Hameed Ali from last year's team. The younger Ali is a good on the ball defender, handles the ball well and distributes it wisely.
San Leandro goes to 7-0 with the win. Coach Sean Mackay expects the HAAL to be wide open and feels that his team can compete for the top spot. The Pirates are a bit undersized but make up for it with athleticism and defensive intensity.
Trevor Priest plays the wing position well as he had 16 points for Santa Teresa. As the tallest player on his team, Priest does a good job inside, runs the court well, and has good vision. He should do quite well at Chico State.
Derek King is a 6-foot-3 wing who is the second scoring option for Santa Teresa as he had 19 points. The senior is an undersized wing who also has ball-handling duties. Puget Sound and Occidental are in contact with him.
Santa Teresa drops to 1-4 as the team has two key players academically ineligible and one player hurt. The secular and parochial duo of King and Priest will have to shoulder the load for the aptly named Saints till the return of those players. The Mount Hamilton League is not out of the question for the Saints.
Freedom 67, Amador Valley 41
Freedom had a 17-9 first quarter lead before Amador Valley made a half court shot to end the half trailing 27-23. The Falcons extended to a 44-30 third quarter advantage before winning 67-41.
Jelani Hardaway is a long point guard as the senior Falcon is getting serious interest from Diablo Valley College and Fresno City College. Coach Drew Torres said Hardaway has strong grades and has been getting some feelers from Division I programs. The senior could be a sleeper prospect.
James O'Neal can flat out score as he had a nice up and under scoop layup in the first half that demonstrated his athleticism. Coach Torres has been pleased with the growth and maturity of his junior. His scoring ability will create matchup problems and will free up his teammates.
Elliott Smith seems to keep getting taller every few months. The sophomore looks comfortable with his ball dribbling but will likely be a power forward. Coach Torres said that San Francisco and Santa Clara are interested in Smith.
Freedom is 6-1 with a quality win against Berkeley High. Deer Valley was the consensus favorite in the league but Freedom has the pieces to play with anyone. This team will speed up the game and turnover opponents in a frenetic pace.
Amador Valley was overmatched by the athleticism and pressure of Freedom. After starting the season 4-0, the Dons are now 4-3. The East Bay League has De La Salle as a strong favorite.
Hayward 62, Dougherty Valley 59 OT
The fifth game was both a defensive battle and struggle as host Dougherty Valley had an 11-9 first quarter margin and 23-21 half time lead. Hayward was able to take a 32-31 third quarter lead before the game was tied at 50-50 at the end of the fourth quarter. Hayward was able to pull out the 62-59 overtime win.
Majari and Marjani Ellison are twins and provide some size and length for the Farmers. With both of them on the court, they could present some matchup problems for opponents.
Hayward goes to 2-3 with the win. Hayward was physically bigger than Dougherty Valley but did not play more complete till later in the game. Without a complete effort in each game by Hayward, the HAAL will be hard to compete.
Dougherty Valley is undersized but is well coached and plays well together. The senior backcourt of Rufin and Wong is undersized but they play smart and can make plays for themselves or for their teammates. The interior is manned by Winkler who did not back down and went to the free throw line 16 times in the game. The loss drops the Wildcats to 6-2. The Diablo Foothill League is up for grabs this year, as no clear favorite exists. The Wildcats under Coach Mike Hansen are now in its fourth year of existence and have gone from 2 wins in 2008-2009, to 11 wins in 2009-2010, to 19 wins in 2010-2011, and possibly another increase in 2011-2012.
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