After starting 2-4, the Wolverines have won seven straight including a 74-60 win over El Camino for the St. Francis Tournament title. El Camino drops to 10-2. Deer Valley will look to defend its Bay Valley League title while the Colts will look to challenge Burlingame as league play starts the New Year. Deer Valley's recent streak has justified its lofty preseason ranking.
Olajuwon Garner can score in a multitude of ways as the senior shooting guard had five 3-point shots in addition to driving to the basket for layups or free throw attempts. His athleticism and comfort level in handling the ball was evident as he scored 25 points. Garner has been overshadowed by some of his Wolverine teammates last year and this year but is one of the more complete scorers in Northern California.
Marcus Lee had 19 points and 8 blocks as his defensive presence was felt at 6-foot-9. Deer Valley's offense should go through him while he provides a defensive backstop. However, he has had some foul trouble in some early season games including this one, as the Wolverines will need him on the floor in order to be successful.
Kendall Smith chipped in 17 points as the junior point guard finishes in transition well. Garner and Smith form a productive offensive backcourt. But their performance in breaking the press, decision making, and perimeter defense will go a long way in determining Deer Valley's postseason longevity.
El Camino was led by lefty junior Michael Smith as he scored 25 points in showing a good perimeter touch while also being comfortable going to the basket. Junior point guard Elijah White at 5-foot-6 was crafty with his ball handling as he added 19 points. The Colts are undersized but play well as a team and could challenge for their league.
Third Place - St. Francis 52, Palma 44
St. Francis goes to 7-3 with the win while Palma goes to 4-7. St. Francis has the size to battle West Catholic Athletic League favorites Archbishop Mitty and Sacred Heart Cathedral. Give Palma's football players time to transition into basketball to be more effective as Tri County League begins play.
Drew Dickey has drawn interest from some of the mid major programs in the state. The 6-foot-9 post player accounted for 26 of the team's 48 points in their Thursday game loss. He runs the floor well and shows a penchant for offensive rebounding as he had 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Abu Tratter confirmed interest from Cal Poly, UC Davis, and several Division II programs. Tratter is active on the floor but is a bit of a tweener in his size as wing. His ball handling skills and perimeter game could determine his college recruiting results.
Khalid Johnson was solid as a point guard with his quickness and passing as he had 8 points and 8 assists. Twin brother, Khalil, displayed another gear on fast break opportunities as he had 7 points and 4 steals. The juniors will be a solid basis for the Lancers next season.
Palma was led by junior Noah Allen with 20 points. Allen is athletic enough to play either basketball or football at the next level. His size is ideal as a wide receiver while his ball handling skills are sufficient to be a wing.
Fifth Place - Analy 49, Leigh 48
In a game that Leigh led comfortably 33-22 at the half, the Longhorns let one get away. Leigh was winning 48-47 with less than a minute with Analy having to foul several times to put the Longhorns into the bonus. After the sixth foul, Leigh turned the ball over that led to a layup for the Analy win at the buzzer.
Junior Mohhaned Jalaweh had 19 points in the victory for the Tigers. Analy goes to 6-8 for the season. The Tigers may struggle in the Sonoma County League.
Sophomore point guard Kyle Morrison had 16 points and sophomore forward Jared Williams had 14 points for the Longhorns. The Mount Hamilton League should be a battle but Leigh should be a contender as they are 7-3. Leigh has a young foundation for the next few years as well.
Seventh Place - Mountain View 59, San Ramon Valley 53
James Watanabe accounted for 19 points on five 3-point shots in the victory. The Spartans go to 8-3 with the win to break a three game losing streak. Palo Alto looks to be the favorites in the De Anza League but Mountain View has solid backcourt play to provide leadership and stability.
Point guard Jerry Karczewski had 24 points on five 3-point shots as he was the only double digit scorer for San Ramon Valley. The Wolves drop to 5-7 as they lost nine players from last year's squad. De La Salle is the prohibitive favorite in the East Bay League this season.
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