Article 439: Milstead ready for more at Moreau

8/25/2016

Four-year starters are rare at either the high school or the college level for any team sport. Even more rare is the four-year starter for programs that have successful postseason runs. For the Moreau Catholic program, senior Damari Milstead is looking to cap off such a run.

The point guard started from day one and has led his Mariners to succeeding win totals of 27, 23, and 25. His stats at Moreau progressed from 15.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 3.3 steals to 16.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 3.4 steals to 19.1 points, 3.65 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 3.0 steals.

In his 17 number years of Bay Area high school basketball coaching, Moreau Catholic Head Coach Frank Knight says, “Damari's game is so unique that it’s really hard to find a player that he reminds me of in particular. But he is a cross between Kwame Vaughn (Skyline Oakland) and Will Cherry (McClymonds). Kwame and Damari both have that offensive game that's not flashy and not littered with highlights of dunks but will have filled up the stat line at game’s end. Will Cherry because of his defensive intensity and they just have that will to win down the stretch. They both will have finished high school with lots of wins.”

In his first three seasons, Milstead missed only six games out of 94 total regular and postseason games. Despite that, he has a strong chance to be the all time leader in points (will likely break the 2,000 point mark in his senior year), assists, and steals in Moreau Catholic history. As the point guard who runs the Mariners, Milstead has guided Moreau Catholic to two league championships, a NCS Division 4 championship, a NCS Division 3 Championship, a NCS Division 3 runner up, a NorCal Division 4 NorCal Championship, and a Division 4 State Championship runner up.

The 6-foot-3 and 175 pound prospect previously played for the Oakland Soldiers program. Milstead says about the move to Splash City, “I was going to leave the Oakland Soldiers after the summer of my sophomore year before Splash City was even formed. I just felt it wasn't a good fit for me and I wanted something different.”

The chance to make a mark on the newly formed Splash City 17 program was too good to pass up on as he averaged 16.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists. The team’s inaugural season in the Under Armour circuit, Splash City made it to the championship game. Milstead says about the summer season, “Being the first year for Splash City and playing on the UA Circuit was a lot of fun and we did really well as a team in the spring as well in the summer. I feel like we put Splash City on the map and set the bar for the organization going forward.”

Coach Frank Knight provides an anecdote of Milstead’s toughness, “When Damari was a freshman and we were playing Salesian in the NCS D-4 championship game he sprained his ankle pretty bad at the end of the third quarter. Salesian started to pull away in the fourth while he was out and he was adamant on returning. After our trainer taped him back up, he walks up to me during game and said he is ready to go back in. I asked him was he sure and he said he wanted to be out on the floor with his brothers in this game. He did the same thing last season in the first round of the Open Division playoff against Sheldon. Came back with a partially broke nose, and we cut a 20 point lead to a one possession game with less than one minute remaining. He has an ultimate desire to win.”

Moreau Catholic has the chance to send another four-year starter to a Division I program. Oscar Frayer was a four-year starter who is now with the Grand Canyon Antelopes program of the Western Athletic Conference. In addition from last year’s team, Terrell Brown is at San Jose State, Brandon Lawrence is a preferred walk on at St. John’s, and Armond Simmons is at Columbia College in Southern California. Milstead’s strong summer bolstered his recruiting exposure. In addition, he was invited and attended elite camps during the summer that included Pangos All American Camp (June 3-5), Steph Curry Select 30 Camp (June 28 - July 1), and Under Armour All American Camp (July 5-8).

Knight says about his point guard’s future, “Damari has worked on every one of his deficiencies each summer, tackling one specific one each year and has really made himself a good all around player. I think what he needs to work on most to play immediately at the next level is his speed and athleticism. If he can keep improving his overall speed and agility and his ability to change pace in traffic with the ball, he will be tough to deal with.”

Milstead holds offers from Grand Canyon, Montana, New Mexico, Pacific, Pepperdine, Southern Utah, St Mary's, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, USC, and Wyoming. Schools showing interest include Iowa State, Oregon State, Stanford, Utah, UNLV, and Virginia Tech. As of now, he has official visits scheduled for Wyoming (October 7) and St Mary's (October 14).

Knight says about Milstead’s leadership, “He is like another coach on the floor. The one final piece of development Damari has left at Moreau Catholic is his ability to lead a team. He is a winner. Now, can he lead a team that is younger, not as experienced but oozing with potential? We will learn a lot about his character after this up coming season. I’m excited on what kind of legacy he leaves here at Moreau.”

After working to improve his jump shot during the summer, Milstead will be looking to be more efficient running his team to make a deeper postseason run. His Moreau Catholic roster is young but includes Kyree Walker, Maxwell Anderson, LJ Anderson, and Dvan Molden. Look for Milstead to guide this team as he caps off a successful four-year run with the Mariners in Hayward, Calif.

Article 438: Calcaterra looking to light it up

8/23/2016

Joey Calcaterra has been a proficient scorer throughout his high school years. At Marin Catholic, he averaged 5.8 points as a freshman and 20 points as a sophomore. In a 19-11 season for the Wildcats last year, the shooting guard prospect averaged 27 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

Coach Mike Saia considers Calcaterra a unique talent, “In the 6 years of coaching at Marin Catholic, I can’t think of an accurate comparison to Joey. His unique style on the offensive end of explosiveness, body control, toughness in getting to the rim, and mid and deep range shooting is something I haven’t seen, especially from a player with as ‘slight’ of a build that Joey has. He doesn’t have the bulk that many would think of a guy who puts up big numbers, but he is wiry strong, and a very tough kid. Accepts the physicality of the game, and has the concentration to finish.”

Calcaterra came into his freshman season as a lanky scorer but has also evolved his athletic and defensive skills. Over the past summer, he played for the inaugural Splash City team in the Under Armour circuit. The competition from the circuit pushed his play to a new level.

According to Calcaterra, “Playing against Trevon Duval and Jalek Felton forced me to really work on my defense and quickness because while playing in front of over 75 college coaches every game, I couldn’t have any weaknesses on the court. I'm being recruited as a player who can score as well as handle the ball. All the schools I've talked to are looking for scorers and ball handlers and I feel like I can take on that role at the next level.”

This strong showing of his overall and comprehensive basketball and athletic skill set increased his recruiting status. Pacific, San Diego, San Francisco, Stetson University, and UC Davis have offered while he has decided on his official visits to be Pacific, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and UC Davis. During his junior year of high school and club basketball, over 30 schools contacted him with varying levels of interest with the most recent being Davidson, Hofstra, seven Ivy League schools (out of eight), Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara, Southern Utah, and UC Santa Barbara.

Coach Saia says about what his star guard needs to do during his senior year and thereafter, “Continue to get stronger, and that will come over the rest of his high school and college careers. He is very committed to working on his game in the off-season, and that includes weight room and speed work. I don’t believe he is done growing and filling out. And he has to show that he can defend both the PG and SG at the next level. His offense will get him into games, but his defense will keep him in games. He has a very good feel for the game, and is excellent in the open floor. He has offers from excellent schools and basketball programs. Very excited for him and his family.”

The 6-foot-3 and 165 pound Wildcat is working to gain some more pounds and get bigger during the rest of summer. He is also focusing on improving his quickness, ball-handling, and perimeter shot.

Marin Catholic has had win totals of 17, 23, and 19 during Calcaterra’s first three seasons. Coach Saia walks through his own timeline with Calcaterra on his roster, “Biggest difference is his evolution as a leader on this team. He played with his older brother Frankie his first 2 years. Last year and this year, as a captain, he needs to continue working on leading this team. We, as a team, have goals that we want to achieve, and Joey will lead us, both on and off the court. He was our 7th man as a freshman, and has started every game since the beginning of his sophomore year. On the court, he just keeps getting better and better, and much stronger every year. Early in his high school career, he was the recipient of many passes. We expect him this year to be more of a distributor, even though we will be expecting him and need him to get his share of touches.”

Calcaterra muses about his final high school season, “I’m looking to make another run at a NCS Title like my sophomore year as well as a run at state. We didn’t get as far as we wanted to last year so we need to make up for it. Our team is made up of most of my senior class this year so we have experience and we’re looking to have a strong team this year.” The senior captain is looking to light it up again from the hard wood with his Wildcats in Kentfield, Calif.

Article 437: Bibb holds two offers

8/11/2016

The Salesian program overachieved last season with a young but talented roster that finished 28-5 and pushed eventual state runner-up De La Salle into overtime (51-45) in the Open Division. The Pride’s championship run in the NCS Division IV bracket and high profile Open Division matchup helped increase the exposure of 2018 standout, Jamario Bibb. The junior-to-be parlayed that successful regular season into the summer by getting more recruiting attention.

Bibb played previously for the Fresno-based Team Superstars program that evolved into the Splash City program this past summer. The Salesian prospect played with Splash City at the start of the AAU season before switching to the Bay Area Red & Black program to be closer to his home.

Going into the summer, Bibb had a lone offer from San Jose State. After the summer, Bibb put up impressive numbers for his Red & Black club by averaging 15.5 points and 6.7 assists per game while bulking up to 194 pounds to go with his long 6-foot-5 frame. More importantly after the summer, UC Davis made an offer to him while Boise State, Montana, and Yale have been in serious contact.

The Salesian roster was young this past season with nine underclassmen. Bibb averaged 10.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists as the junior will be one of the leaders of the Pride. The deep postseason imparted on Bibb this thought, “I learned that any five that's on the court have to have chemistry, communication, and motor to win.”

Salesian went undefeated in Tri County Rock League that will have other teams to watch that include El Cerrito, St Patrick St Vincent, and St Joseph Notre Dame. Bibb plans to push his Pride as he has a jungle lion mentality, “Eat while you can, you never know when your life can be taken.”

The Salesian rotation has a talented and battle tested bunch that includes James Akinjo, Derrick Langford, and twins Jaden and Jovon McClanahan. Bibb believes that this is a tough minded group that knows how to finish games in another one of his favorite quotes, “Players play, tough minded players win.”

The Pride may have snuck up on some teams, as they were labeled young and inexperienced. Opponents will have Salesian circled on their scheduled this upcoming season. The new sets of challenges should not intimidate Bibb as he looks to parlay a successful summer with his upcoming junior season for the Pride in Richmond, Calif.

Article 436: JUCO Jamboree standouts

7/8/2016

The annual NorCal JUCO Summer Jamboree normally fields 18 teams but this year’s edition had a reduced 12 team field. Despite the abridged schedule in San Bruno, 15 college coaches (Fresno State and Portland State in Division I) attended day one of the two-day event. Here are some player updates.

Jovian Cormier 6-foot-5 Wing Heritage (San Joaquin Delta) 2015: Cormier has good size but is still agile with his feet. The Heritage product hit several mid range shots, can create through his dribble, and was not afraid of contact in the paint. When grading on an aggregate of athletic, physical, and basketball skill levels, Cormier was probably the highest rated player on day 1.

Marquel Hodge 6-foot-4 Wing WC Overfelt (De Anza) 2015: Hodge is a good all around scorer. His lateral movement allows him to be a strong defender. He plays strong and helps with rebounding.

Jovontae Carleton 6-foot-4 W El Cerrito (Diablo Valley) 2014: Carleton looks more and more comfortable to make the move to the four year college level competition. He has good size and body control as he is effective in perimeter shooting and can finish on the fast break. The El Cerrito alum is undersized for his wing position and could benefit by improving his ball handling.

Karim Ndiaye 6-foot-9 PF Archbishop Riordan (Marin) 2015: Ndiaye was highly publicized during his high school years as his size was always enticing but knee injuries and inconsistency set him back. At the College of Marin, Ndiaye will be a key contributor going into his second year as his defensive presence with his size and length to make a difference in rebounding and defending the paint. Offensively, he looked for his shot but still needs to refine his post moves and finish more consistently.

Soren Carpenter 6-foot-0 PG Lowell (Skyline) 2015: The Lowell product is a crafty guard that moves efficiently on the court. Carpenter displays a nice perimeter touch and made a few athletic baskets going to the rim. He is a bit undersized on the defensive end and could be overpowered by bigger opponents.

Chris Turner 6-foot-5 Wing Pioneer (De Anza) 2015: Turner is long and athletic but needs to add size for rebounding. The wing product has an accurate perimeter shot but needs improvement on his dribble drive moves.

Jeremiah Alston 6-foot-4 Wing San Lorenzo (Contra Costa) 2015: Alston is long and versatile as he has a good shooting touch. As a freshman, he shot close to 44 percent from 3-point range for Contra Costa. Alston is wiry but could add some bulk.

Rodney Pope 6-foot-1 PG Freedom (Diablo Valley) 2014: Pope is another scoring point guard who is athletic. He moves his feet well on defense. Pope can add some bulk and needs to be more of a floor general by distributing more.

Austin Haro 6-foot-3 SG Manteca (Modesto) 2014: The Manteca product has good size for a shooting guard as it shows in his on ball defense and rebounding. Haro also has a good shooting touch and is strong on his dribble drive attacks.

David Lerma 5-foot-10 PG Jim Elliot Christian (San Joaquin Delta) 2015: Lerma is another undersized point guard but benefits from getting playing time at the JUCO level. A good perimeter shooter who is a scoring point guard and also attacks the basket aggressively. On defense, Lerma moves his feet well and uses his body for leverage.

Jaimon Robinson 6-foot-2 PG Vanden (Marin) 2012: The Vanden prospect is the floor leader for the Marin program. He is a scoring point guard that can score anywhere on the floor. He moves well laterally on defense and uses his size to rebound well.

Dru Solis 6-foot-2 CG Concord (Contra Costa) 2016: Solis looks to be a contributor as a freshman at the JUCO level. The Concord alum is comfortable handling the ball, can create his own offense inside or outside, and has good length at the guard position. To play at the four year level, he could add more bulk.

Eric Nielsen 6-foot-10 Post Dublin (Diablo Valley) 2013: Nielsen was part of some high flying Dublin teams in high school. After high school, Nielsen went the baseball path but had Tommy John and rotator cuff surgeries that ended his career on the mound. Nielsen still has college level height and size but is working himself back into game shape. His offense trails his defense as he rebounds well and is a space eater in the paint.

Article 435: McClanahan twins pace the Pride

5/12/2016

In the past twelve years under Bill Mellis, Salesian has won 315 games (26.25 average, 34 high, and 19 low). The Pride outperformed expectations this past season by going 28-5 and undefeated in the Tri-County Rock League. The roster had nine underclassmen including freshman twins, Jaden and Jovon McClanahan.

The twins are 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds as Jaden averaged eight points, five rebounds, and five assists while Jovon averaged sevn points, six rebounds, and five assists. The brothers play both guard positions and are interchangeable in either guard position or with each other.

Mellis believes that the duo has potential for improvement, “Both Jaden and Jovon enjoyed success as freshmen. Jaden started for us and Jovon came off the bench. As far as next year and in the future, I could see either or both of them starting for us, if they continue to progress and develop their skills. They could certainly be on the court at the same time, keeping in mind that we have numerous other players who will be returning. For us, it is not a matter of who starts or who plays the most minutes, it is a matter of making sure that you play hard and unselfishly while you are on the court, and both of them are great examples of this.”

In the recent Nor Cal Spring Showcase, the twins played an attacking style on both sides of the court. Their skill set and activity look seamless as they both disrupt the backcourt and on the full court press. On offense, the twins can attack the rim and but also looked comfortable in distributing on offense.

The twins played for Team Superstar last summer for the first time before transitioning to the Under Armour Splash City 15U program (run by the same Team Superstar coaches). The Under Armour Association stops in Los Angeles next during Memorial Day weekend. The Salesian pair will be at that event before playing a couple of local tournaments and concluding the summer in Las Vegas.

This past year’s Salesian team had its tallest player listed at 6-foot-5 as the Pride played a multi guard set that allowed the brothers to hone their skill set and versatility. In addition, both were on the junior varsity football team as Jaden was the quarterback while Jovon was both at running back and at linebacker. Both plan to go out for the varsity football team next season.

The Salesian program has produced several Division I prospects as Mellis sees that for the McClanahans, “As far as their future in college is concerned, I believe that both of them will be recruited fairly heavily at the Division I level. They are attractive to college coaches because they play extremely hard and they both have a tremendous work-ethic. Specifically, Jaden is a good defender and ball handler, and Jovon is a good shooter and ball handler. Because of their desire to get better, I know that they will improve in the areas that need work and they will become very good all-around players.”

The brothers expect to top out at 6-foot-2, which is a very serviceable height for a college level point guard. Jaden, who is older by one minute and more social, has a 3.57 freshman GPA while Jovon is at a 3.27 GPA. They want to play for a college system that is up-tempo in nature.

Jaden says, “Playing with my brother is a true blessing because we know where each other are on the court on the defensive end, I don't have to tell him anything because we can just read each other’s minds.” They want to play together at the college level. Jovon says, “We have a signal that we made in 6th grade, and it's like a click-click type of sound. When we make that signal to each other, we can read each other's mind. So, he knows what I want him to do or what he wants me to do.”

In the TCAL, Salesian went undefeated in a league that has been historically dominated by El Cerrito. The Pride defeated El Cerrito three times this past season, each victory by five points or less. The Pride’s dominance led them to an opening round overtime defeat (51-45) to eventual State runner up De La Salle in the Open Division. Salesian’s quick growth allowed Jaden to win Freshman of the Year in the North Coast Section in basketball.

The Pride jumped from 19 wins to 28 wins in this past year. Salesian returns the twins plus a talented roster including James Akinjo, Jamario Bibb, and Derrick Langford. Look for the Pride to make a run at 30 wins and a state title with the McClanahan twins in Richmond, Calif.

Article 434: Nor Cal Spring Showcase Day 1

4/23/2016

In April, the college basketball season concludes with a champion while NBA teams begin their playoff passage.  For the high school level, the club season commences with the college evaluation period where NCAA coaches can view future recruits.  Day 1 of the Fifth Annual Nor Cal Spring Showcase at Jamtown in Oakland had five games on each of the four courts.

Here are some players of note on Day 1:

Jaden and Jovon Mcclanahan 5-foot-9 G Splash City 15 (Salesian) 2019: The twins play interchangeably and similarly as they both control the tempo well on offense while being disruptive on the defensive end.  Both can drive and finish well in the paint with contact.  Salesian is young and talented for the next few years.

Kaleb Hedstrom 6-foot-8 West Valley 16 (San Lorenzo) 2019: The sophomore-to-be has good size and footwork.  Hedstrom is a back to the basket player who rebounds well and uses his size for post scoring.

Daniel Bessolo 6-foot-4 Wing Bay Area Warriors Gold (Castro Valley) 2017: The 2017 product is athletic and versatile for size.  He rebounds well and was able to finish around the rim.  Bessolo also competes in track after the basketball season.

Nick Lombardi 5-foot-10 PG Red and Black Basketball 17U (Justin-Siena) 2017: Lombardi is a solid floor leader with a good shot.  The Prolific Prep prospect also displays tenacious perimeter defense.

Miles Tention 6-foot-4 PG Palo Alto Midnight (Palo Alto) 2017: The Palo Alto product has a balanced game as he has good size for a guard as he rebounds well and plays in control.  He has grown almost half a foot in the past year to increase his recruiting stock.

Shemar Morrow 6-foot-4 Wing Oakland Soldiers 15U (Sacramento Country Day) 2020: The current Sacramento middle school product is headed to La Mirada.  Morrow plays with athleticism and strength beyond his age.  If his basketball skills development can match his physical skill level, then Morrow could be a high level recruit.

Tony Covington 5-foot-9 PG Bay Area Warriors Gold (Mt. Eden) 2017: The undersized guard can create on the dribble and finish at the rim.  He has good quickness and directs the team well.

Kyree Walker 6-foot-5 Wing Oakland Soldiers 15U (St. Martin De Porres) 2020: The Hayward native has similar characteristics as Oscar Frayer.  Walker is quite skilled at his age and is a local product to watch in the 2020 class.  He can score inside or outside and has a frame that can evolve well for the college game.

Colby Orr 6-foot-0 PG Red and Black Basketball 17U (De La Salle) 2017: Orr does a little of everything and is a glue guy type of player.  The team focus is consistent with the De La Salle program as Orr dribbles well either hand and is steady at the point guard position.  His perimeter scoring needs to be more consistent.

Notes:

Eric Musselman (Nevada) and Rodney Tention (San Jose State) were in attendance as their sons were competing with their clubs.  Several lower division and junior college coaches were also in attendance.

Brandon McGee 6-foot-3 G KBA Seniors (Salesian) 2016: McGee has several Division II and JUCO offers.  The Salesian product is playing into the summer to see if any other offers come up.

Nikhil Peters 6-foot-4 Wing KBA Seniors (De La Salle) 2016: Another unsigned senior, Peters is a productive guard that can provide instant offense.  His academic status has been squared away and he is playing into the summer seeking additional offers.