Article 412: JUCO Jamboree

July 10, 2015

Skyline Junior College in San Bruno, Calif. was the site of day 1 of the NorCal JUCO Summer Jamboree. Close to 40 college coaches attended day one of the two day event that featured primarily Northern California based junior college programs. Here are some player updates.

Spencer Clark 6-foot-5 W Concord (Diablo Valley) 2014: The second year player has interest from Montana as he is likely to be a wing at the four year level. He is active on the floor and displayed an accurate perimeter touch. The Concord product needs to work on his ball handling skills.

Jalen Canty 6-foot-9 PF St Patrick St Vincent (CCSF) 2014: Canty is physically imposing and plays well in the low post. He headlines a deep CCSF program as he returns from Casper College with teammate Shon Briggs of Heritage.

Chris Bene 6-foot-7 Wing Sequoia (Canada) 2015: Bene is athletic and explosive despite being thin. The recent high school graduate had a strong dunk in one game and shows a solid mid range game. To be effective on the four year level, Bene will need improved dribbling and ball handling skills in addition to adding bulk.

Steve Daly 6-foot-5 Wing College Park (Diablo Valley) 2015: The 2015 high school graduate is active and can shoot from the perimeter. Daly was positioned more at the post during high school but can benefit from JUCO competition to hone his ball handling and guard skills. Daly has the potential to be a low Division I prospect.

Matt Mcandrews 6-foot-1 PG Archbishop Mitty (Foothill) 2014: The Mitty alum handles the ball well and distributes effectively. His shooting is adequate as his best move is an in and out maneuver to create space. Mcandrews has made significant progress since his high school days as he grey shirted this past year.

Jonah Underwood 6-foot-9 PF Willow Glen (San Jose) 2015: The incoming first year player is one of three 6-foot-9 players on San Jose. Underwood has good size and strength as he rebounded well and runs the court. His offensive game and passing skills are still in development. He is academically qualified and has the frame to be a potential low Division I prospect.

Kendall Mcintosh 6-foot-8 W Freedom (CCSF) 2015: The wiry but versatile Mcintosh made plays both inside and outside. Freedom went undefeated in league play during his senior year and he should help CCSF with their winning ways. He is academically qualified and can help a four year college that needs a glue guy.

Derek King 6-foot-2 SG Santa Teresa (Foothill) 2012: King redshirted at NAIA San Diego Christian before transferring to Foothill. The second year player has shot well from the perimeter and has a good frame to attack the basket. The shooting guard needs to work on his ball handling to increase his recruiting.

Case Dufrane 6-foot-8 F Half Moon Bay (Canada) 2015: After coming off of some productive and winning seasons at Half Moon Bay, Dufrane will need to adjust to the physicality and pace of college level competition. The Half Moon Bay product is wiry strong and has a good mid range game. He has a good back to the basket game but is better suited as a stretch four on the four year level.

Jacques Carraway 6-foot-7 PF Mcclymonds (Diablo Valley) 2013: The Mcclymonds product is a legit low Division I prospect based on his blend of size and skills. He is athletic but plays strong too as he can hit the boards effectively. Carraway can work on a more consistent perimeter game.

Rodrigo Puliceno 6-foot-5 Wing Burlingame (Canada) 2011: Puliceno has a strong back to the basket game but needs to improve his lateral movement and quickness. Per his coach, the Burlingame alum has interest at the Division II level from Chico State, West Georgia, and Western Washington while Cal Poly and CSU Fullerton have inquired at the Division I level.

Jerrod Nodar 6-foot-5 Wing St Mary's Berkeley (CCSF) 2014: The second year player has a good perimeter game when left open and has a nice running hook to complement his offensive game. Nodar could improve his lateral movement and ball handling to increase his recruiting.

Damien Banford 6-foot-7 PF Newark Memorial (Diablo Valley) 2014: The vertically undersized power forward has hit the weight room, as he looks different from his Newark days. Banford is solid back to the basket, rebounds effectively, and passes well from the paint. Per his coach, he should be academically qualified and has been getting feelers from low Division I programs.

Notes
Trevor Dunbar was sitting out due to transfer rules, as he will join CCSF after being at Washington State.

Frankie Ferrari is in a similar situation with Canada College as he left San Francisco.

36 college coaches at all division levels attended day one of the event. Many of these coaches will also stay for day 2 in addition to the 2015 Nor Cal Summer Tip Off during the weekend at City College of San Francisco to view the high school talent.

Article 411: Lawrence Bulldogs full ride

June 30, 2015

He can't make it official under the auspices of the NCAA until early November but Brandon Lawrence has made his college call and it will be Fresno State University.

The NCP No. 17 prospect in the 2016 class went with the Mountain West Conference Bulldogs this past weekend for multiple reasons. "It's a great conference and the best opportunity for me. I have a good relationship with Assistant Coach Byron Jones (the recruiting coordinator) and got to know Coach [Rodney] Terry on my visit." Terry is the fifth-year head coach whose team notched a 10-8 won-loss league record in 2014-15 and won 21 games overall the year before.

Moreau Catholic Coach Frank Knight believes that this is a good fit for his 6-foot-3 shooting guard. "I think Brandon will fit well at Fresno State. The Mountain West is a good basketball conference especially on the west coast. Anytime you get to go up against UNLV, San Diego State, Nevada and New Mexico twice a year, then it's a highly competitive conference. Brandon is known for his shooting ability but Fresno will play him as a combo-guard. Brandon will be called upon to shoot the ball and to run the club. I think that was the biggest reason he felt that Fresno was the right fit for him."

Knight has also worked with his senior during the summer and says, "Brandon worked on his shot release and quickness getting his shot off. He also worked on his ball handling skills to better prepare him for his role as both shooting and lead guard. I have witnessed him get stronger, be more athletic and defend better. These were his focuses when we had our end of the year meetings after the season. Brandon really took a step forward in all of the categories we asked him to."

It was a full family vetting process as Lawrence explained. "My parents did the research on the schools I was considering and I explored the basketball side. I feel excited with a little bit of relief."

What was also beneficial in getting to yes is that Fresno State has three senior guards, the top scoring trio on the squad, who will be departing after this coming season.

So what will Bulldog fans be seeing from Lawrence? "I'll bring energy, be a good teammate and do everything coach asks me to do. I can knock down shots and also create."

As for a major, it's between civil engineering, philosophy and a new possibility, music technology. Eligibility should be no issue as Lawrence sports a 3.8 grade point average.

But before college, Lawrence still has his senior year with Moreau Catholic to complete. Knight sees these areas of improvement needed. "I think the remaining things he needs to work on, and what we will address this pre-season and season are his strength and speed. For him to be a major contributor right away, Brandon will need to really focus on building his body and his strength. I think this will help him with preventing nagging injures and allow him to go up against bigger shooting guards and wings. Brandon is working on his lateral quickness and his quick-twitch motor reflexes. This will allow him to guard smaller and faster point guards but still have the explosiveness and athleticism that he already possesses."

Lawrence is coming off a season where he averaged 10.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals each Moreau Mariner contest alongside at least three other teammates who will also go D1.

Moreau finished 14-0 in the Mission Valley Athletic League in 2014-15 and 23-7 overall. Coming off hosting a high school tournament this past weekend, Lawrence offered, "we're looking really good, everything's clicking."

Lawrence wished to thank "first of all God, my parents who have always been there for me, Coach Knight who made me a better player and Oakland Rebels Coach Ray Young who motivated me and pushed me."