Article 293: Fireside Chat: Marcus Lee

February 28, 2012

If Marcus Lee's recruiting has not exploded on the national scene, then it will as summer approaches. Lee is a 2013 prospect who is the No. 4 ranked prospect according to NorCalPreps.com. The versatile forward has helped his Deer Valley team to a 20-7 record as they battle in the North Coast Section playoffs.

At 6-foot-8 and 195 pounds, Lee is a versatile forward who is comfortable playing face-up or back to the basket. As a result, he can help any college program with his flexibility in playing various positions.

When NorCalPreps.com last spoke to Lee at the end of last year, he already had an impressive list of colleges. Here is his updated list of colleges and conferences with his opinion of the conferences. Colleges in bold have extended offers to Lee.

Atlantic Coast (Boston College and Virginia Tech): "Playing in the ACC is a challenge. They have top teams every year. They reload with All-Americans and they have great coaching. I love a challenge and they have some of the best players every year."

Big Ten (Northwestern): "They have a lot of solid teams. Northwestern has been a surprising team. When you have Michigan St, Ohio St, Purdue, Michigan, and Indiana in your league, there are no days off. They bang hard. There is always a battle in the post."

Big 12 (Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, and West Virginia): "This is a very athletic league. You have the Texas teams who are always tough - and Kansas, Missouri and Baylor who have been dominant. Texas is always good and I love the location. This league will make a push in the tourney!"

Big East (Georgetown, Notre Dame and West Virginia): "They always have great teams. There are definitely no days off. They are very tough but disciplined teams."

Big West (Pacific, San Diego State, UC Irvine, and UCSB): "They compete every year. Great locations."

Colonial Athletic (Virginia Commonwealth): "Every year they have a Cinderella. It's exciting to think about helping an under dog and shocking the world. Shaka the world!"

Ivy (Harvard): "You get a chance to get a great education and compete all year."

Mountain West (UNLV): "They are picking up some steam."

Pac-12 (Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon State, Stanford, USC, Washington, and Washington State): "These are the schools I grew up around. Stanford and Cal are in my backyard. Every school feels local. UCLA is every kids dream. You have to love the opportunity to support the West Coast."


SEC (Florida, LSU and Texas A&M): "They are tough and they run. I like the feel of this conference. I think I can bang with the bigs and still get out and run."

WAC (Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, UTEP and San Jose State): "I've been seeing a lot of guys go to the WAC from my area. I know some guys from Deer Valley that have gone to SJ state."

West Coast Conference (Loyola Marymount, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and St. Mary's): "They are great local schools. My family could watch a lot of these games."

The summer before a prospect's senior season could really help propel a recruit's stock. Lee plans to play for both the California Supreme and San Jose Hoosiers during the summer. Cal Supreme will give him an opportunity to play in the Elite Youth Basketball League run by Nike that has some of the nation's top competition. As for the Hoosiers, he likes their foundation and they have some of the best workouts that Lee has participated according to him.

With a booked basketball schedule, Lee still plans to play in his second sport of volleyball after the basketball postseason ends. He wants to avenge a De La Salle loss from last season in making a run for NCS in volleyball. Ironically, if the seeding holds true in basketball, Lee may get to have a basketball matchup with De La Salle in NCS as well.

With his exploits in both basketball and volleyball, Lee will definitely be getting several headlines in the next several months leading up to his senior year. If he is not already a national prospect, this Antioch, California prospect will be by the end of the upcoming AAU summer.

Article 292: Just Diew It

February 27, 2012

For prep basketball prospects, height and size are often key indicators for college coaches in the evaluation process. But for some of these players, their physical development may lag behind their peers. As a result, they may not get the playing time or exposure to make the necessary impressions on recruiters.

Head Royce combination guard Ryan Diew, fits into this category. Diew entered the Oakland-based program at 5-foot-6 and 95 pounds as a freshman. As a result, he languished on the junior varsity for his first two years. During this past summer, Diew blossomed to a more prototypical guard size at 6-foot-2 and 155 pounds.

Despite being undersized until this, his current junior season, Diew has always had solid basketball fundamentals. His father, Ryant Diew, played collegiately at Pacific and Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay) as a 6-foot-4 shooting guard with a stint playing professionally overseas. In addition, the elder Diew is a coach for the Oakland Rebels club, which the younger Diew has been a member since the 2nd grade.

Diew utilized trainer Anthony Eggleton of Ant's Mind and Body and trainer Will Powers of Will Powers Basketball Training to help with his physical development during his high school career. In addition, Diew has a tremendous work ethic and got the proverbial growth spurt to give him the confidence to compete. The elder Diew recognizes how these factors have helped his son's development, "I owe everything to those guys. Both of them took my son under their wing and really built him up. His upside is extremely high and I really feel the best is yet to come for him. He's pretty much how I was at his age, and I turned out ok."

Being the son of a former player and club coach, Diew has solid fundamentals that are highlighted by his lockdown defense and shooting. With a wingspan of 77 inches, he is often in passing lanes and disrupting the opponent's offensive flow. His perimeter shooting is solid as he is at 38 percent for three pointers and 45 percent overall and can extend his range beyond 25 feet.

The Jayhawks finished the year with a 19-8 record and were runner-ups in the Bay Counties League East as Diew averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game during his first year on varsity. More importantly, he recently led his Jayhawks to the BCL-East championship as they avenged two regular season losses to Bentley and Diew was named the Tournament MVP. In his first NCS playoff game, he had 30 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists in a 72-61 victory over Bay School. Bentley was able to avenge this BCL-East playoff loss in a following North Coast Section playoff rematch 62-45.

As the postseason wraps up and Diew enters his final high school summer, this late bloomer will benefit from another summer with the Oakland Rebels, who plan to make out of the Bay Area stops at the Spring Spectacular (Las Vegas), Pangos Sweet 16 (Long Beach), Adidas Invitational (Indiana), Bigfoot (Las Vegas), and adidas Super 64 (Las Vegas). Last year's Rebels 17U team had a fairly successful excursion across the country as Eric Green (formerly of Tracy West High but now with St. Mark's Prep in Massachusetts that has Arizona committed Kaleb Tarczewski and Michigan committed Nik Stauskas) signed with Holy Cross, Tanner Giddings (Windsor High) signed with Fresno State, Paris Davis (Skyline High) and Rodney Cook (Bethel High) were selected Oakland Athletic League and Solano County Athletic League players of the year respectively.

Even though Diew has not yet received recruiting interest, his academics will be more than ready to make him college eligible. He has a 3.5 GPA and will take the May SAT exam as his best subject is Math and his intended major is in some Engineering discipline. He wants to play for a fast paced offensive scheme and prefers to be in a slower paced geographic setting.

At last summer's West Coast Exposure Basketball Camp in Walnut Creek, Diew was one of the more impressive participants. In the one on one competition, He was nearly unstoppable in his perimeter shooting and dribble drive to the basket against would-be opponents. His performance at the camp and his attendance at a small Division V program would categorize him as an under the radar prospect.

For players who are overlooked due to size or playing for smaller programs, the challenges to succeed are great in magnitude. But do not expect this Jayhawk to relent, as he will "Just Diew It."

 

Article 291: Boys BB Weekly Spin

February 23, 2012

In this week's Weekly Spin, we look at the big picture questions regarding the section playoffs as teams fight for NorCal playoff bids. Some of the questions the NCP staff takes on are breakout players, surprise teams and the top matchups to watch for. Also, see the top performers from of the postseason.

Who are some breakout players to watch for?

Steve Hu: Last season, Castro Valley was senior laden and was a postseason favorite. This year's team has sophomores Derrick Clayton and Jalen McFerren, both of whom can start a special three year run for the Trojans in this year's North Coast Section Division I playoffs. These two will have a potential matchup with section favorite De La Salle to avenge last year's season ending loss. Clayton projects to be a versatile wing like former Trojan Juan Anderson while McFerren is a good sized point guard like former Trojan Roderick Bobbitt.

El Camino Real is also known as Route 82 and runs from San Jose to San Francisco. El Camino high went 23-4 and is in South San Francisco and ironically is not on El Camino Real. But the Colts have juniors Michael Smith and Elijah White who are undersized at the forward and point guard positions but put up over 15 points per game each. The junior tandem could potentially have semifinal and final matchups with San Francisco based WCAL opponents St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Cameron Schott: One player who has been performing all year and could finally breakout in the Central Coast Section is senior forward Thomas Peters from Mitty. The 6-foot-5 Peters has been a nice compliment to Aaron Gordon, and could use the bigger stages to pick up some recruiting interest. Peters has had minor recruiting action, but that could change if the Monarchs are able to keep moving forward. Also in the Division II bracket is Leigh guard Trevor Peterson. The 6-foot-4 shooter averaged 19.1 points per game for the Longhorns in the regular season, including a 46-point showing against Santa Teresa last week. His three-point shot can be deadly when he gets in a groove and has the looks of a collegiate basketball player.

In the NCS, another second option is beginning to emerge. Junior point guard Kendall Smith from Deer Valley had a great regular season, but might be overlooked because of the attention given to fellow junior Marcus Lee. Smith averaged 16.4 points, 9.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.1 steals during the regular season, and possesses nice size at 6-foot-3. The junior looks like he can become a Division I point guard.

For the Sac-Joaquin Section, senior Bethel point guard Rodney Cook is one of the top unsigned seniors in the area. Cook led his Jaguars to a 21-6 regular season record and a first place 9-1 mark in the Solano County Athletic Conference. He had a 31-point showing against Vallejo last week to clinch first place and took home the SCAC Most Valuable Player honors.

Douglas Benton: Miramonte 6-foot-5 junior forward Kiran Shastri has averaged 22 points per game with seven rebounds as the Matadors went 18-8 and finished in second in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League. He is quickly rising in the class of 2013 and could use a potential run to the section finals in the NCS Division III playoffs to cement his case. Also keep an eye on Antelope's Isaiah Ellis. The junior forward has good length and is a defensive presence inside to complement the perimeter weapons for the Titans. He is another prospect who could enter the 2013 rankings this spring or summer.

Which teams could surprise and win a section title?

Steve Hu: Palo Alto High can surprise in CCS Division III as a six seed and it has nothing to do with Lin-sanity. The team has a good trio of double digit scorers in Aubrey Dawkins, EJ Floreal, and Israel Hakim as the Vikings potentially could face WCAL opponents St. Francis, Serra, and Archbishop Mitty all the way to the finals. Do not expect the Vikings to dethrone the Monarchs but it would not be surprised to see them make it to Santa Clara University for the championship game.

University High is a three seed in NCS Division V and has flown under the radar this year. But if preparation is key in the post season, then preparing for the Red Devils multi guard set and spread the opponent out offense will be difficult. The team is a junior laden team that may not peak till next season but has the pieces in junior guards Harold Getz and Chris Mah to make a run this postseason.

Cameron Schott In the CCS, the Division II bracket is Mitty's to lose, but Palo Alto and Leigh are two public school teams who may pose a threat to the three West Catholic Athletic League powers. Palo Alto's trio of EJ Floreal, Israel Hakim, and Aubrey Dawkins has the potential to pull off a couple upsets and Leigh can beat anyone if Peterson is knocking down his threes.

For the NCS, De La Salle will face some tough competition to win the Division I title. Deer Valley is a team that creates match-up problems with 6-foot-9 Lee and top scorer Olajuwon Garner adds perimeter scoring for the Wolverines. Watch out for Deer Valley to possibly pull off the upset.

The SJS Division I bracket is wide open. Pleasant Grove, a six seed, is a major threat, but 13th seeded Oak Ridge might be the Cinderella in the bracket. Led by Lafayette signee Bryce Scott, who averaged 21.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in the regular season, the Trojans' 14-12 record is mainly due to the tough Delta River League schedule. They are battle-tested, and even beat top seeded Sheldon earlier this year. I wouldn't expect them to beat Sheldon again, but they have the potential to reach the semis. Jesuit and Franklin will also be threats to take home the title.

Douglas Benton: The SJS Division I field is one of the deepest brackets in Northern California and that's maybe no more evident than Burbank as a No. 9 seed. The Titans have been ranked in the NCP Top 20 for much of the season and will provide an interesting match-up for likely Sheldon in the second round. It will be a tall order for Burbank to win, but it still makes them a daunting No. 9 seed that can get on a run. With Sacramento moving up to Division II, the Division III race is wide open and team like Center is capable of getting on a roll and making a run at No. 1 seed Foothill-Sacramento. Overall, expect many of the favorites in the different sections to take home titles.

What matchups are you most looking forward to watching?

Steve Hu: The SJS Division I bracket may have the most loaded teams and that is heavily thanks to the Delta River League with Sheldon, Jesuit, and Pleasant Grove. Throw in Franklin Elk Grove and the quarterfinals has a Franklin and Pleasant Grove matchup that could be have the winner facing Jesuit in the semifinals in the bottom half of the bracket. The top half of the bracket assumes Sheldon to roll through and have a potential rematch with any of the aforementioned three teams.

The NCS Division I bracket has a potential semifinal matchup of Deer Valley and Freedom. Freedom lost both Bay Valley Athletic League regular season games by six to Deer Valley. Unlike last year, NCS will give NorCal spots to all four semifinal teams in Division I. But seeding will be at stake in a potential third matchup between the two league rivals. The teams are fairly evenly matched up with both team's exterior and interior players. The two earlier games were offensive shootouts and another matchup should not differ.

Cameron Schott: The CCS is always intriguing during playoff time, since the public schools get the chance to show if they are able to compete with the WCAL teams. If Palo Alto wins their first matchup, they would face St. Francis. This would pit Dawkins against his former Lancers and could possibly be an upset. There could also be a third meeting between Serra and Mitty in Division II, with this one to take home the title. The teams split their meetings in the regular season, and the 'tie-breaker' would have much higher stakes.

For the NCS, the Division I bracket has plenty of intriguing potential matchups. There is an abundance of 2014 talent, with Shon Briggs from Heritage, McFerren and Clayton from Castro Valley, and Elliott Smith from Freedom. Team-wise, the lower half of the bracket features three BVAL. How will the results in the playoffs differ from the ones in the regular season?

The bottom half of the SJS Division I bracket looks to have multiple exciting matchups. Franklin and Pleasant Grove could meet in the second round, which would be a game that most thought would come later in the tournament. The winner of that would most likely play Jesuit (unless there is an upset) which would be another intriguing matchup. This bracket is full of talent.

Douglas Benton: While CCS Division II and III titles look to stay in the WCAL, Division I could be a different story with programs like Piedmont Hills and defending champion Santa Teresa able to challenge top seed Bellarmine. The top NorCal contenders figure to come from the Sacramento area and the East Bay, but this should be a fun bracket to follow.

With the NorCal playoffs expanding in recent years, it has taken some of the excitement from the section playoffs in needing to just reach the semi-finals. The SJS Division I field will bring some of this excitement with possible match-ups like Franklin-Elk Grove and Pleasant Grove playing on Friday for a NorCal spot and a trip to Power Balance Pavilion. This will be the most excitement from the first week of action.

Scanning the Region

Oregon head coach Dana Altman was at Foothill College on Saturday night to watch Gordon and his Mitty teammates beat Sacred Heart Cathedral 50-47.

Briggs, one of the top 2014 prospects in Northern California, had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in Heritage's 66-50 win over Berkeley. Berkeley's Langston Morris-Walker ended his prep career with 23 points in the loss. He will play at Oregon State next year.

Brandon White is a 6-foot-11 senior post from King's Academy and scored a game high 17 points in a 60-45 win over Pacific Grove. Next up for King's Academy is Seaside on Thursday.

Kyiron Thomas continued his recent strong play with 25 points in a 78-43 win over Pitman. Sheldon will next play Burbank on Friday.

Yuba City went on the road, despite being a league champion, to beat Del Campo 74-65 behind 32 points from senior guard Matt Hayes. The Honkers will take on McNair this Friday.

Article 290: Carpe Diem for Leonard

February 20, 2012

Life has twists and turns that can bring challenges and opportunities at the same time. For the Salesian Pride, the transfer of Dominic Artis was such a moment. Fortunately, the Pride have not skipped a beat as junior guard Markel Leonard has seized the day with the opportunity to start in the backcourt.

Leonard is the No. 27 ranked prospect according to NorCalPreps.com while averaging 8 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals as the Pride hold a 17 game winning streak going into the postseason. The 6-foot, 165 pound point guard is a versatile threat.

Bay Area Hoosiers Coach Philippe Doherty has worked extensively with Leonard. "Markel is a tough point guard who can lead and direct his team to success. He is a relentless on ball defender and unselfish play maker."

Artis' transfer to national powerhouse Findlay Prep was big news in the prep ranks. But Artis' commitment to UCLA, reneging on that commitment, and subsequent commitment to Oregon was also big news. The Pride's current starting point guard, Leonard may not yet be a nationally recognized recruit but has a laundry list of colleges that are impressive nevertheless.

Big Sky (Montana): "This conference is an under the radar conference with a lot of pretty good teams. The academics are pretty good also. These schools don't really get the top players but they develop the kids into the best basketball players as well as students as they can."

Big West (Cal Poly, Pacific, UC Davis, and UC Irvine): "The Big West usually has a team or two in the NCAA tournament that makes a little noise. I see this conference to be coming up in a few years. The schools in the conference have good academics as well."

Ivy league (Penn and Princeton): "The Ivy League has the best academics in America. They prepare their students for the real world and most become very good people in the world. As for the athletics side of this conference, I don't know too much and I am looking forward to catching some games on them so I can find out more about the conference."

Pac-12 (Arizona and Cal): "This is the best conference on the west side of the map. There are a lot of great teams in the Pac-12 that get a lot of great players. They usually have a good amount of teams that make the tournament and the teams always make noise while in there. I expect big things to come out of the Pac-12."

Sun Belt (Denver): "Sun Belt is a conference that doesn't make tons of noise in the postseason or regular season but when I watch them play on TV against larger schools, they usually are competing and staying in the game. I'm sure all those schools are great academically. I have to learn more about the conference."

WCC (Pepperdine, Portland, San Francisco, and Santa Clara): "To me, this conference is an excellent conference with a lot of great teams that don't really get the recognition they deserve. They always have two to three teams in the tournament and the academics are top notch up in the conference."

In this social media age, Leonard's three favorite Twitter handles that he follows are @KyrieIrving, @RajonRondo, and @StephenCurry30. Here is what he says about some of the top contemporary point guards.

Stephen Curry: "Curry is a poised point guard that I watch often due to his shooting ability and basketball IQ. Curry reminds me a lot of myself because he isn't a very high jumper but he is smart and uses a lot of ball fakes and double moves to get himself open. He also isn't very fancy with his dribble as he just knows how to get the job done, which is similar to myself."

Rajon Rondo: "Rondo is a very crafty point guard who uses his high basketball IQ to his advantage. He attacks the rim with the best and uses the glass very well. He also uses a ton of ball fakes to free up his teammates. Although he doesn't shoot well, he is an excellent passer. I try to be creative with my passes and ball fakes like Rondo."

Kyrie Irving: "Kyrie Irving is a new player that I just started watching. He has a great feel for the game and he never let's his defender speed him up. He is very under control and is an excellent decision maker. He also can shoot the ball pretty well. Kyrie also is a great defender."

"Markel has the ability to break down defenses and read defenses to help his team score whether it be by breaking down the defense off the dribble, or slicing passes to the open man, or hitting the open shot," continues Doherty.

For Salesian, they will presumably have the services of Leonard for the next two seasons. This Pride has truly seized the day in Richmond, California.

Article 289: James Knighted by the Irish

February 14, 2012

As the postseason begins, players who have developed over the course of the regular season will need to step up in order for their teams to make a deep run. For Sacred Heart Cathedral, the core of their team lies with 2012 prospects Josh Fox and Taylor Johns. But one wildcard for the Fightin' Irish in the upcoming postseason could be 2013 guard Khalil James.

At 5-foot-8 and 130 pounds, James is undersized for the prototypical point guard. But he makes up for this with his savvy ball handling, aggressiveness, toughness, and overall basketball skills.

Sacred Heart Cathedral Head Coach Darrell Barbour says, "Khalil strengths are his toughness and he competes. He plays hard and is very coachable! Khalil's chance to play in college will depend on his commitment to spending the time in the gym to improve. In school, he works hard."

James is the No. 35 ranked 2013 prospect according to NorCalPreps.com as he plays the game with flair similar to former Kentucky Wildcat Rajon Rando or Connecticut Huskie Kemba Walker. James is the first player to come off the bench for the Irish and is their sixth man. In the regular season finale against league rival Archbishop Mitty, James came of the bench to score 13 points to help the Irish stay close in an eventual 60-58 overtime defeat.

James did not back down in taking the ball to the paint and was able to free up shots for himself or teammates with his hesitation move. His ability to push the ball in transition was evident as he had an extra gear. Despite being undersized, James utilized his quickness to stay in front of his man on defense and was not afraid to stand in the paint for charges.

During the summer, James plays for his Roadrunners club. He has a speed advantage over most of his opponents but will need to bulk up, as most college level guards will be bigger and stronger. His perimeter jumper is respectable but still has room for improvement.

James leaves the house every morning at 4:45am to take public transportation to make the trip to his school in the Fillmore District. So, his commitment and perseverance to reach the next level is there. Watch for James to be knighted as his Irish makes a run in the upcoming postseason in San Francisco.

Article 288: Somogyi fills big shoes

February 14, 2012

At 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds, one would think that Gabor Somogyi would stand out at the 370-student Woodside Priory in picturesque Portola Valley. But four years ago, Somogyi's older brother, Greg, led the Panthers to a 25-6 record. His brother, who is a 7-foot-4 center, then matriculated to UC Santa Barbara.

Woodside Priory plays in Division V, which is reserved for the schools with the smallest enrollment numbers. But the Panthers are still one of the favorites come postseason in the Central Coast Section. This holds true especially with the versatile play of Somogyi.

The Hungarian born Somogyi fits the European style play of big men in that he is a good perimeter shooter, can handle the ball well, and is comfortable playing face up. He likens his game to that of Dirk Nowitzki because of the similarities in style. Somogyi can either play a finesse or power game where he can either shoot the jump shot or drive to the basket.

Somogyi came to the United States after his freshman year where he has been a three-year starter. During the summers, he works on his shooting and conditioning. In addition, he plays for his Roadrunners club.

Priory Head Coach David Moseley says, "Gabor's strengths are his outside shot, inside moves, and the ability to handle ball for his size. He is a very composed and intelligent player that has been asked to play all five positions this season and has done it well. He is an outgoing kid who loves hanging out with friends, doing school work, and getting extra shots up in the gym."

The bilingual Somogyi is academically qualified as he has a 3.40 GPA and 1700 SAT score. He wants to play for a team with lots of movement on offense with pick and roll plays with the guards because it creates lots of opportunities to score. On defense, he wants to have the responsibility for one offensive player for which a man to man defense would allow.

Moseley who is familiar with the Somogyi family had this assessment of Gabor. "I think he will be better than 7-foot-4 brother UCSB Greg Somogyi. His skill level and size make him a very dangerous player on the D1 level. He is the third Somogyi to attend the Priory. Older brother George is a mathematician and middle brother Greg is a D1 player with NBA aspirations. Gabor currently holds Priory records for blocks and rebounds."

Maine, Nevada, Northern Florida, and San Diego have all expressed interest in Somogyi. His versatility, size, and ball handling makes him an intriguing prospect who can fill many holes for a college program. Watch for Somogyi to fill some big shoes at the next level in the fall of 2012.

Article 287: Mitty hits Blackjack

February 12, 2012

In the regular season finale, Archbishop Mitty and Sacred Heart Cathedral both entered the game with 20-3 records. The Monarchs had already wrapped up the West Catholic Athletic League title while Sacred Heart was still battling for second place with Serra. In the end, the team from San Jose hit Blackjack with win No. 21 in a 60-58 overtime thriller in San Francisco.

In the first quarter, the teams were anemic in their offensive execution as Irish senior Taylor Johns scored the first basket with 6:28 left. Mitty junior Aaron Gordon accounted for all six points in the quarter for the Monarchs as they trailed 7-6 after the first quarter.

The second quarter had more offense as Gordon paced Mitty with seven points. Johns had six points while junior Khalil James provided a spark at point guard for the Irish as they went into the half with a 24-22 lead.

The third and fourth quarters had similar themes in that Mitty pulled ahead only to have the Irish rally to tie at the end of the period. The Monarchs were leading 38-33 with less than two minutes in the third but Sacred Heart ended the scoring in the quarter with a three-point bank shot to tie the game at 38-38. Mitty had a game high 47-40 lead with less than five minutes in the fourth but the Irish tied the game at 51-51 behind senior Josh Fox's three-point shot with less than three seconds left.

In the overtime period, Mitty went up 58-53 with less than two minutes that looked to seal the fate of the Irish. But Johns scored on a three-point play while James followed it up with a nice runner in the paint to tie the game at 58. However, Gordon followed up his own miss to win the game for Mitty.

Archbishop Mitty (60): Gordon 28, Peters 15, Abajelo 5, Messer 4, Short 3, Peterson 2, White 2, and Biebel 1

Sacred Heart Cathedral (58): Fox 14, James 13, Johns, 13, Pratt 9, Petroni 4, Sera 3, O'Reilly 2

Aaron Gordon F Mitty (2013): Gordon scored close to half of his team's points. No surprise everything goes through the national prospect on both offense and defense. He showed his versatility in bringing the ball up, hitting one three-point shot, getting offensive rebound put backs, defensive rebounds, and block shots.

Thomas Peters F Mitty (2012): Peters came up big in the second half as he had a few jump shots, a three-point shot, and some key rebounds. He complemented Gordon and was the only other Monarch with double digit scoring with 15 points.

Josh Fox F Sacred Heart (2012)
Taylor Johns F Sacred Heart (2012): Give the Irish frontcourt duo credit for not backing down to the taller Mitty frontcourt. Both Johns and Fox played aggressive and took the ball to the basket without hesitation.

Khalil James G Sacred Heart (2013): James came off the bench and was a spark for the Irish. He has good hesitation moves and is not afraid to go into the paint. If James can be a third offensive scoring choice in the postseason, then the Irish could really be dangerous.

Mitty analysis: What would happen if teams begin to double or even triple team Gordon more and force the other four players on the floor to be playmakers? The guard play will have to be more effective in order for Mitty to repeat last year's state run. If an opposing team can neutralize Gordon, the Monarchs could be in trouble then. Teams that play with good discipline and proper matchup schemes could present a challenge for Mitty in the postseason. Mitty will see either Sacred Heart or Serra again in the WCAL playoffs. Newark Memorial is in Division II and would have the size and scheme to be a matchup challenge for the Monarchs as well.

SHC analysis: On the flip side, the Irish are quite balanced with the senior interior duo of Fox and Johns but guard James could be the wildcard in terms of how far the Irish can go in the postseason. The Irish look to be favorites along with Bishop O'Dowd in Division III for this postseason. But first thing is first as the Irish may have another meeting with Mitty in the WCAL playoffs.

Article 286: O'Neal gets buckets

February 8, 2012

On the playgrounds, one will often hear "Get Buckets." The self-explanatory phrase means to score points on the basketball court. For the Freedom Falcons, they turn to 2013 guard James O'Neal for this all-important task.

O'Neal is the No. 30 ranked 2013 prospect according to NorCalPreps.com as he is averaging 16 points in league games as the Falcons are 17-5 and are in a fight for the Bay Valley Athletic League title. He put up 18 points against Heritage, 28 points against Deer Valley, and 18 points against Liberty. But things have not always been so rosy for the 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds scoring machine.

Freedom Head Coach Drew Torres comments on O'Neal's maturation. "James has really grown as an individual in the past year. He is taking his workouts in the weight room more seriously and he is stepping up as a leader. Also, last year, he let things outside of his control affect his game such as referees. This year, he has done a great job of not letting things outside of his control affect his game. I tell him that the only person that can stop him is he. It has been very rewarding to watch him mature and grow as a person."

O'Neal has a wiry frame but has the ability to score both on the perimeter and taking the ball to the basket. His accuracy and aggressiveness to the basket also gets him to the free throw line often. And left alone from the three-point mark, O'Neal can consistently convert.

But Torres does not see O'Neal as only a scorer. "James' strengths are his court vision, passing ability, dribbling with either hand, finishing at the rim, outside shooting, and defense on and off the ball. He is very skilled. He also has a very high basketball IQ," said Torres. "On the court, James has a calm demeanor. He is very confident in his ability. He is a leader by example during games and has become more of a vocal leader during practices. He is very unselfish. He gets as much gratification in assists as he does with scoring. He also has a knack for knowing when to take over a game."

According to Coach Torres, O'Neal has heard from various colleges but Northern Colorado and the Pacific have expressed the most interest. As a result, a strong upcoming summer and senior year next year can help with his recruiting.

"I believe James can play at the Division 1 or 2 level," says Torres. "In order to do that, he needs to get quicker and stronger. He also needs to work on getting his shot off quicker since there is less time and space at the next level. James has the best court vision of anyone that I have ever coached. He is able to pass off the dribble with either hand. His teammates love playing with him because he is so unselfish."

Expect Freedom to be a postseason threat in the current season. If any spectator in Oakley, California hears the phrase, "Get Buckets," then do not be surprise to see O'Neal scoring in waves.

Article 285: Fireside Chat: Darin Johnson

February 7, 2012

At the recent MLK Classic in Berkeley, Franklin High of Elk Grove pulled out a 54-51 victory over Deer Valley. A major contributor to the win was junior Darin Johnson who is the No. 13 ranked prospect in his class according to NorCalPreps.com. The wing prospect has helped his Wildcats to an 18-5 record and his team is likely the league favorites in the Delta Valley Athletic League.

At 6-foot-5 and 188 pounds, Johnson is an athletic wing who can slash or play above the rim with ease. But in the MLK classic, he hit several perimeter shots to make him a truly versatile offensive threat. Playing with the local Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U club during summers, Johnson is getting national attention.

Here were some comments from Johnson about the schools that have expressed interest and their conferences.

Atlantic Coast (Virginia Tech): Johnson says, "I love the way Virginia Tech recruits big guards that have a dream of going pro. Especially being on the east coast, this is a reason why it is my favorite. They play big time schools like Duke and North Carolina."

Big West (Pacific and UCSB): Johnson says, "Pacific and UCSB are cool schools. My sister goes to Pacific. UCSB lets you play your game, and Coach Williams is outgoing with his players."

Mountain West (UNLV): Johnson says, "UNLV is a school you go to, to make things happen. Especially being in Vegas that have an upper hand. They have an up tempo style and they get after it."

Pac-12 (Arizona State, USC, and Washington State): Johnson says, "Washington state is amazing, great campus, and wonderful coaching staff. I would be glad to play in their system. They get buckets and play good D. I also have taken an unofficial to Washington State. Arizona State is a school you want to be at. Players like Eddie House and James Harden have came out of ASU. Plan on taking a visit soon to check it out. USC is a Pac 12 powerhouse that I am really interested in. Great coaching, I love coach O'Neil's personality. He's a funny guy. I see myself fitting in at USC."

SEC (LSU): Johnson says, "LSU is in the SEC, pros come out of LSU, and coach Trent Johnson loves his wing players. They have an up tempo style which is crazy - that's something I want to be a part of."

WAC (Fresno State, Nevada, and San Jose State): Johnson says, "Fresno State is a school where you go to compete, they are moving up the charts in rankings, a great option. Nevada is a school that produces pros, for example Armon Johnson, Will Mcghee, Kurt Snider. San Jose State is a school of talent. A very big school that also has a big time schedule."

West Coast Conference (San Francisco and Santa Clara): Johnson says, "San Francisco is a school that wants players to go pro. Coach Rex is straight up and says 'you won't fit in if you don't want to go pro.' Amazing quote, they also love to compete and win. Santa Clara is an amazing school with great education and has the best library in the country. Coach Keating also is a straight up guy, and that's what I love about his program."

As the regular season ends, watch for Johnson leading his Wildcats in the postseason in Elk Grove, California. Then watch for this high flyer to be on the national recruiting spotlight.

Article 284: Crosthwaite crossing over

February 3, 2012

Northgate High ran the table in league play last season but this season has not been as smooth for the Broncos as they are 12-8 overall while 4-2 in league. But the drop off cannot be attributed to the play of senior wing Jonny Crosthwaite.

At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Crosthwaite is averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds, as Northgate is still very much in the battle for the Diablo Valley Athletic League.

Earlier in the season, Crosthwaite had set his career game highs in points and rebounds as he had 35 points in a win against Richmond and 19 rebounds in a loss against Skyline. In addition, he has had two other 20 plus point games and nine double digit rebound games.

Crosthwaite has the ability to slash to the basket in addition to hitting the perimeter shot. He considers his defense to be his best skill as he can guard any perimeter player as well as post player. On an undersized team, this Bronco is expected to multi task in all aspects of the game.

This ability does not go unnoticed by Northgate High Coach Steve Mitchell. "First of all, Jonny is the most improved player that I have ever coached. He has gone from a good solid player to someone that the other team has to game plan for on offense and defense. Jonny has many strengths, but to me his number one strength is that he loves to challenge himself and has the utmost confidence that he will succeed. At 6-foot-4, he is extremely versatile, able to defend all positions on the court. On offense, he has worked very hard this summer to become someone who can score inside or out and has become a huge weapon for us. He is a true senior leader, vocal when he needs to be, but primarily leads by example."

During the past summer, Crosthwaite played for his Lakeshow 17 team. Crosthwaite worked hard on his ball handling skills as he believes that will be a skill needed on the college level. But his versatility in defense may be his calling card for the next level.

Lakeshow Coach Joe Fuca assesses his player. "Jonny is one of the most tenacious defenders I have coached in many years. Jonny loves the challenge of holding the other team's best offensive players to way below their season average. Jonny is an excellent rebounder and 3 point shooter. Jonny was very strong from the arc in the summer where he helped his team to a winning record." Adds Lakeshow Coach Terry Ahern, "I always put Johnny on the other team's best scorer and he did a great job of limiting their scoring. Because of his defense, I found myself playing him more and more in crunch time."

Cal Lutheran College, Chapman, Chico State, Emery Oxford, La Verne, Occidental, Willamette, and William Jessup have expressed interest in this 3.10 GPA and SAT eligible student athlete. He wants to play for a fast paced transition style but also has a huge emphasis on defensive play. Watch for this Walnut Creek, California prospect to cross over to the next level in the fall of 2012.

Article 283: Fireside Chat: Gokul Natesan

January 31, 2012

Gokul Natesan is the No. 29 ranked prospect in the Class of 2012 according to NorCalPreps.com as the Cupertino High senior has led his Pioneers to a 13-6 record in the current season. He is averaging 23.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 steals per game.

At 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, Natesan is being sought after by UC Santa Cruz, Colorado School of Mines, and MIT. The shooting guard is a prolific scorer who has had to play big for an undersized team. His length and versatility should prove to be useful at the next level.

Natesan's basketball statistics are impressive but his academics probably put him in the 99 percentile of high school basketball prospects as he goes to the overly hyped Cupertino school district. Natesan has a 4.38 weighted GPA and 2170 SAT score. "Academics for me are very important in college," he said. "What you do in the four years of college determines the rest of your life. Being raised in a family which stresses the value of academics, I am very serious about the education opportunities I will have in college."

Academics is, therefore, naturally high on his list of criteria for selecting a college. "I am looking for a school which can offer me a good education as well as a chance to pursue playing the game of basketball at a high level. In terms of location, it would be nice to go to school close to home, but I am definitely open to going anywhere given the right opportunity."

During this past summer, Natesan played for his Bay Area Ballers club. The team had a successful run in Las Vegas at the Fab 48.

Bay Area Ballers assistant coach Creighton Lane has this to say about his pupil. "First off, he's a basketball junkie! Loves the game and wants to do whatever it takes to improve and help teammates succeed. Has a tremendous work ethic while he searches how to increase his basketball IQ. Off the court, he is very friendly and down to earth. His core values are in place and have his priorities in order. Family oriented and keeps his perspective clear. Coaches dream I will take a team of him any day. Has to get a lot stronger to play at the next level, become a more tenacious perimeter player. Great upside in that he wants to learn."

The exposure on the road has piqued the interest level from some colleges. Here are Natesan's thoughts on those schools.

UC Santa Cruz: "A very solid academic school, which has been interested in me since my sophomore year. I know a few old basketball players who played there, and they have told me good things about the school. I have talked to the coaches, and I plan to check out the campus out in the future."

Colorado School of Mines: "A really good division II basketball school, they are currently ranked 9th in the nation. The program started recruiting me over the summer, as they came to see me play in Las Vegas. They play in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, one of the toughest division 2 conferences in the nation. I feel that the school is a good fit since it's an all-engineering school as I plan to major in engineering, and it has a good basketball program. I am going to take a visit once basketball season is over."

MIT: "MIT is a highly competitive division 3 school, which is very well known for its academics. The school recently became interested in me, and I have built a good relationship with Head Coach Larry Anderson. The school is well known for its engineering program, but the basketball team is currently ranked 3rd in the nation. It's a very intriguing option that I have."

"Gokul has improved a great deal on both ends of the floor," says Bay Area Ballers coach nelson Washington. "He has improved his mid-range game and he can create his own shot better. He doesn't settle for 3's anymore. Defensively he has become a nightmare for guards who try to bring the ball up the court against him and his extremely long arms makes it very difficult to pass against. He here his hands on a lit of passes."

As a South Asian, Natesan has no role models in the sport. But that has not deterred him from pursuing his goals.

"Even though I didn't really have a South Asian basketball role model growing up, I still continued to have a high level of interest due to my passion for the game," says Natesan. "The household in which I was raised, wasn't really familiar with the sport, meaning that I had no relatives who ever played organized basketball. However, I fell in love with the game once I started to play it. My South Asian background affects how I approach the game in a way. Due to my ethnicity, I often get overlooked at certain times. Consequently, this has made me mentally stronger and more determined to succeed on the court. I am also very lucky to have two great AAU Coaches, Nelson and Creighton, who were able to see my talent, and be willing to work with me despite my ethnicity."

"His being Eastern Indian has hurt his recruiting," said Washington. "He's not looked at the same way by Division I schools as other players who have a different ethnicity. He can score. He can defend and with a 4.5 GPA he has the grades. He just needs someone to not judge him based on the fact that he's Indian but that he's from Northern California."

Watch for Natesan to continue his high level of play as his Pioneers battle for the De Anza League. Then watch Natesan make the move to the next level in the fall of 2012.