Article 175: Great Scott! - On the Move

March 31, 2011

The expression, "Great Scott," usually implies surprise or amazement. For the Oak Ridge Trojans, 2012 point guard Bryce Scott provided his opponent's plenty of those amazed reactions with his scoring output. As a junior, he averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists as his Trojans went 21-6 but loss in the SJS playoffs to McNair.

Oak Ridge High Coach Bob Christensen says, "Bryce is a pleasure to coach. Due to his work ethic, he has shown tremendous growth and improvement from sophomore to junior year. He has a passion for the game and is dedicated to getting better. Bryce's strength might be his desire to improve. The biggest area in which he has improved from last year is his strength. On top of being stronger, he has benefited from mental maturity and improved confidence. He's a throwback, a gym rat who loves the game."

At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Scott can run 4.70 seconds in the 40-yard dash, can bench press 250 pounds, squat 300 pounds, and has a vertical of 32 inches. He compares his game to St Mary's Mickey McConnell because he can create scoring opportunities for his team but at the same time he can shoot the ball from any distance.

Coach Christensen says, "He has the ability to score in multiple ways - off the dribble, off screens, at the basket, and 3-pt range (40%). He is aggressive in taking the ball to the basket while drawing contact and finishing or getting fouled. He shot 180 FTs last season (76%). He broke Ryan Anderson's record for FTM and FTA in a single game 15-19. He has good court vision and understanding of the game and can play the 1 or the 2."

Scott has several colleges in contact with him that include Army, Biola, BYU, Colgate, Hawaii, Oregon St, Point Loma, Princeton, Stanford, USC, San Diego, San Francisco, UC Davis, and Yale. He likes the west coast schools as he has always followed them on television. With a 3.80 GPA, he would like to major in sports management while he looks for a basketball program with good coaching and an up-tempo offense.

Coach Christensen says, "With his continued rate of improvement, Bryce will play at the next level. He has improved in all areas of his game, is getting stronger to guard at the next level and continues to work on the mental aspects of the game."

In addition, Scott is the consummate team player. "On the court, he is an encouraging teammate and a leader who wants to make others better," Coach Christensen continued. "A selfless player who this year asked me before a tournament championship game that if he was nominated All Tournament or MVP but that he wanted to give it to a deserving teammate instead. In turn, the award was given to teammate William Findlay."

Oak Ridge will have a battle in the Delta River league with the likes of Jesuit and Sheldon. However, expect opponents to be exclaiming "Great Scott" as this Trojan guard scores in El Dorado.

Article 174: Tajai Johnson Fireside Chat

March 30, 2011

Tajai Johnson is the No. 13 ranked prospect in the NCP 2012 Top 40 as this Vallejo High junior led his Apaches to a 16-12 record. The shooting guard averaged 25.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.4 assists en route to a Sac-Joaquin Section playoff appearance.

At 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, Johnson is a national prospect that is being sought after by Boston College, Prairie View, Santa Clara, TCU, and USC. This lefty is a prolific scorer who has had to play big for an undersized Apache team. These skills would definitely translate into being useful at the next level.

Vallejo High Coach Duke Brown says about his star pupil, "Tajai Johnson is a premier student athlete who works hard, both in the classroom and on the basketball court. He currently ranks #22 academically (3.50 GPA) out of 317 juniors in his class. Tajai was awarded the SCAC League MVP this past year. Some of Tajai's strengths are his leadership and ability to make those around him better. He is very coachable. He is a team player and exhibits the passion for the game every time he steps on the court."

As a nationally recruited prospect, Johnson has had some initial thoughts about these schools and their conferences.

Atlantic Coast (Boston College): "The ACC holds the reputation of having most of the top players and teams. I would love the opportunity to play in this conference. I didn't get a chance to really watch Boston College this year but I know that they did pretty good this year. I plan to go down there for an elite camp this summer and see what they are up close and personal. Also, I know that they have great academics."

Big East (TCU): Johnson says, "I haven't been down there but I got to watch them on television once or twice and I like the way they play. They recently moved conferences (Mountain West to Big East) which mean that they get to play against top competition. From what I seen through letters, they have great facilities and academics."

Pac-12 (USC): Johnson says, "I really like USC. I've been down there for two unofficial visits and one elite camp. I love the vibe the coaches and players give off. They seem to be willing to make you better academically and athletically. I got to watch them play a couple times this year on television and I liked what I saw. They play up-tempo and get after it on defense. I would love to play for them in the Pac-12 conference, especially now that they are competing at the top and losing the reputation of just being a football school"

West Coast Conference (Santa Clara): Johnson says, "I don't really know much about them other than what I've heard about players from the Rebels and Soldiers going there."

"On the court, [Tajai] understands the game and situations that arise throughout a game," said Coach Brown. "He thrives for competition. He has a mental toughness second to none. He shoots well from the outside, but has a knack to attack the basket and get to the free throw line. He also rebounds well and plays solid defense. He never shies away from competition at any given time. Tajai will definitely make it to the next level! Whether it's mid or high level D-1 depends on his success during the summer circuit and his performance during his senior year."

During this summer, Johnson will be playing for his Oakland Soldiers 17U team. He plans to work on all aspects of his game, but really focus more on shooting, getting stronger, and improving his off hand. Expect Johnson to get more college contact and looks after a successful summer campaign to bolster his college choices.

Article 173: Fireside Chat with Cole McConnell

March 28, 2011

Cole McConnell is the No. 19 ranked prospect in the NCP 2012 basketball Top 40 as this Sacred Heart Prep junior helped lead his Gators to a 25-3 record. The small forward averaged 8.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists en route to the Gators winning the Cenral Coast Section Division IV title. He also used his basketball quickness and smarts to lead the West Bay Athletic League with 2.7 steals per game.

At 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, McConnell is being sought after by several Ivy League schools including Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Penn, Princeton, San Francisco, and Yale.

McConnell has the following perspectives on each conference.

Ivy League: "The Ivy League is a very prestigious league to play in. The schools have the best academics in the world and are highly regarded both academically and athletically. The teams in the Ivy League are always solid and do well against out of league competition. Although this league doesn't receive the same press as other major leagues, Ivy League teams can always pull off a major upset against other big time programs."

West Coast Conference (USF): McConnell says, "The West Coast Conference is one of the best leagues on the West Coast. All the WCC schools have amazing campuses and great academics as well. Their basketball programs are on the rise and are starting to receive more national attention."

Sacred Heart Prep Coach Tony Martinelli says about Cole's abilities, "Cole has a tremendous upside because he understands the game so well and has an unmatched passion to succeed. Due to the fact that Cole shoots the ball so well, a lot of the little things he does get overlooked. He has a knack for rebounding on the offense and defensive end, he gets steals and he sees the floor like a point guard. At 6'5, this makes him extremely dangerous. Cole also understands angles well which helps him defend quicker perimeter players. His long arms always seem to be in the passing lanes or blocking shots."

During this summer, McConnell will be playing for his Oakland Soldiers club team. He says, "During the summer, I want to become more of a scorer rather than just a shooter. Right now people view me as just a shooter but as I become stronger and more athletic, I hope to change that opinion. One of the best parts of AAU is to see where I stand against some of the top players in the nation. Playing for the Soldiers allows me to experience top-notch competition in the biggest tournaments. Playing these players shows me my strengths and my weaknesses that I need to work on in the offseason."

Coach Martinelli says about Cole's senior year and college prospects, "Cole's challenge as he prepares to play at the collegiate level will be his ability to get to the basket. There is no question that he has DI shooting range and accuracy but that can be taken away by players that are his size or bigger. There is no doubt that Cole will put the time into getting stronger and quicker and by the end of his senior year, he will be able to meet this challenge. Cole's love for the game and willingness to add to his strengths and address his weaknesses make him attractive to any college program."

McConnell's older twin brothers, Reed and Will, will be graduating this year. As a result, his leadership will be needed more than ever in his senior year. McConnell says, "Playing without my brothers will definitely be weird. For the first time, I'll be expected to take the big shot rather than deferring to Reed or Will to score at the end of the game. It will be fun though because I'll have much more of a scoring role on the team. With Reed and Will leaving to play at UC Irvine and Dartmouth respectively, it will be hard to return to a 25-3 record and a CCS championship. We have a fair amount of returning players from last year, so I believe we can win CCS again and make a deep run into Nor Cals."

Watch for McConnell to have a breakout summer with his club team to propel his recruiting exposure. Then, watch for him to lead his Gators to another deep playoff run in Atherton. And like his twin brothers, watch McConnell on the college level in 2012.

Article 172: Casey at bat on the hard court

March 25, 2011

The famous baseball poem about a fictional Casey, details how the mighty long ball hitter would swing and miss on the third strike. Conversely, the Newark Memorial Cougars have a go to player on the basketball hard court in Casey Norris who is more dependable than the famed Mudville slugger.

At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, Norris has been on varsity since his freshman year and has been a varsity starter since his sophomore year. During his freshman year, Norris was a key part of the rotation and made an immediate impression by scoring 20 points in his first game against a strong Sacramento High team.

As a sophomore last year, the Cougars were able to be runner-ups in the state Division I title game. The Cougars went 30-5 as Norris was the only non-senior starter on the team. As a combination guard for the 2012 class, Norris averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game as the Cougars went 22-7 this past season. The Cougars were defeated by Castro Valley in the NCS playoffs. Norris broke his left hand two weeks before the season but was still able to return early in the season and still be effective for the Cougars.

Norris is a multi-dimensional player who can be a contributor on both the defensive and offensive ends. He can slash to the basket but finish with finesse. He has quick anticipation and basketball smarts to be a defensive presence. And he has a blue collar mentality on the boards. He compares his game to local stars Jason Kidd and Steve Nash because Norris can catch and shoot quickly from perimeter while he has good court vision to advance the ball with sharp, strong passes. To the spectator in the bleachers, Norris does resemble the former Florida Gator Jason Williams in both appearance and playing style.

Newark Memorial Coach Craig Ashmore says, "Casey's strengths include his shooting, hard work, ball handling, and passing. Currently, he is a low to mid major division 1 player. I think he is mature beyond his years. He is a team leader by example and truly a joy to have on our team. I love that he continues to work on his game and is a positive influence on our younger players. I am looking forward to his senior year when he and the Cougars will have great success."

During the offseason, Norris is constantly working on his game that includes his ball handling and shooting. But playing basketball has been a lifelong passion. From 2nd to 8th grade, Norris played in the CYO league for his Holy Spirit middle school team that won the Oakland Diocese championship two times. He has also played for the Bay Area Buck club team during his 6th and 7th grade. More recently, he played for the Oakland Soldiers during his 8th, 9th, and 10th grades while this summer he will be joining the Lakeshow team.

Norris has been attracting attention from several colleges. At this point, he did not want to disclose the colleges that are in contact with him. However, he is working hard to make sure that he is attractive from both an academic and basketball perspective. He currently has a 3.60 GPA and an academically qualifying SAT score. He would like to attend a school with the best opportunity to contribute for a successful program. He wants to play for a solid coaching staff that appreciates all aspects of a player's game as it relates to the team concept.

Norris considers himself to be a tireless worker. Aside from breaking his left hand this past season, he also fractured his arm during his freshman year. As a result, he knows the commitment and effort to be a healthy and effective player. Norris also was a strong performer on the football field and in the swimming pool. Before high school, Norris had successful stints with the Glenmoore Stingray swim team (East Bay Swim League) and the FFL Rams of the Fremont Football League.

Norris has already set his goals for his senior year at Newark to include Gridley Invitational Champion, a strong showing at the Torrey Pines Tournament, MVAL league champion, NCS D2 champion, NorCal D2 champion, and CIF state D2 champion. Expect Casey to be clutch at the bat for his Cougars on the hardwood in Newark next season. And then watch for this Cougar to be called up to the big leagues in the NCAA in 2012.

Article 171: Third Olugbode's a charm

March 24, 2011

Like the expression "Third Time's a Charm," Kenneth Olugbode of Bellarmine will be a difference-maker for the Bells in the WCAL next season. Olugbode is the third of three brothers to have played consecutively for the San Jose school in the past decade.

He follows older brothers, Kyle and Kristoffer Olugbode. Kyle was a defensive back and running back at Bellarmine who graduated in 2010 and is now at Stanford. Kristoffer, who also starred at running back graduates this summer and is still in the college decision-making process.

Like his older brothers, Kenneth possesses great athleticism and is officially listed at the athlete position. At 6-foot and 180 pounds, Olugbode earned underclassman wide receiver MVP at the Schuman National Underclassman Camp held in Hayward, CA.

As of now, he believes that his athleticism will allow him to play outside linebacker, quarterback, running back, or wide receiver at the next level. But that will also depend on what he plays on the field for Bellarmine during the next two years. He plans on visiting some colleges and attending some camps during the summer. The first of which will be the New Level Athletics 7 on 7 in Las Vegas in March 2011.

Olugbode is a downhill runner with speed and strength. He models his game after his older brothers as he has been playing football for seven years now. In addition, he plays the wing position on the basketball team but would like to play football at the next level.

Brother Kristoffer says, "In both football and basketball, Kenneth is different from me in his position as he plays wing while I play point, and as he plays primarily wide receiver while I play running back. He is more of a defensive minded player like Kyle. Kenneth is hard working on and off the field and should be a key part of the team's success next year."

Kenneth is an exciting combination of his two older brothers as both are exceptional athletes as well. He has the height of the oldest brother Kyle, while he has the strength and muscularity of the middle brother Kris. He competes with the same determination and reliability that both of his older brothers have displayed at Bellarmine.

Kenneth has the size and athleticism to compete at a high level, but what sets him apart is his knowledge of the game after following his older brothers to understand what it takes to be successful. That understanding can be seen as he takes proper angles on the field and he is patient. He is always on top of his football assignments and he knows what to do to win. As he continues to grow and develop physically and mentally and continues to work in the classroom and on the field, Kenneth could be a special player.

As a result, these qualities translate directly to the youngest Olugbode's football game. Olugbode is a natural at linebacker with the size and mobility to play inside or out, and when necessary can drop into deeper pass coverage. On offense, his skills allow him to play wide receiver or tight end. He has also demonstrated the ability to play all positions in the backfield - quarterback, running back, or full back.

For Bellarmine, having just one Olugbode on the football field has definitely been fruitful. But to have a third Olugbode who may have the highest ceiling of the three brothers that may really be hitting the proverbial jackpot. Watch for Kenneth in San Jose this upcoming season as this third Olugbode football brother may truly be a charm for the Bells.

Article 170: Top seeds advance from Folsom

March 20, 2011

The NorCal Regional Division IV and V championship games, held at Folsom High, stayed true to the script as the top seeds all advanced to next week's state title games. Pinewood and St. Mary's of Berkeley got the victories for the girls, while St. Joseph and Salesian earned spots for the boys.

Division V Girls

Pinewood Panthers 41
St. Joseph Pilots 36

This game was a defensive struggle for both teams the entire game. St. Joseph took an 8-7 first quarter lead. Panther standout Hailie Eackles had five points to lead her team in the quarter.

In the second quarter, Panther Miranda Seto picked up the scoring as she hit three 3-point shots for her game total of nine points. Pilot Ashlee Wood had seven of her team high 14 points in the quarter. St. Joseph held on to a one point lead of 19-18 at the half.

Pinewood increased the defensive pressure as it limited the Pilots to six points in the third quarter. The Panthers hit another three of their eight total 3-point shots in the quarter. The quarter ended with Pinewood holding a 31-25 margin.

The Pilots only got as close as four points in the fourth quarter, had several open 3-point shot attempts that did not fall and made too many turnovers in the quarter.

Pinewood analysis: Pinewood was undersized but played big from the outside as it had eight 3-point shots. Eackles also showed some key hustle in the end of the fourth quarter as she was able to rebound her missed free throw and cause a jump ball situation on another Pinewood missed free throw to earn extra possessions. Pinewood will now face the fourth seed from Southern California, St. Bernard.

St. Joseph analysis: Big games require some clutch shooting and winning the 50-50 balls. The Pilots only hit one 3-point shot and lost out on some key possessions in the final quarter. They also had a size advantage in the post that could have been exploited more.

Division V Boys

St. Joseph Pilots 61
University Red Devils 43

The Pilots ran out to a 15-0 margin in the first quarter as University would not score until the 2:00 mark. The Red Devils were able to finish the quarter on an 8-2 run to trail 17-8. Dominic Lippi had eight points for the Pilots in the quarter.

The second quarter was not much better for University. Lippi had six points in the quarter while guard Jacari Whitfield was effective in breaking down the University press. The Pilots doubled up the Red Devils 32-16 at the end of the half.

The Pilots extended their lead to 20 points at 38-18 in the third quarter. University made a run to cut the deficit to 40-31 at the end of the quarter, but the nine point deficit was the closest the Red Devils would get in the second half.

St. Joseph would go on a 15-2 run to start the fourth quarter to lead 55-33, which was the largest lead of the game. The starters were gradually pulled midway into the quarter. The Pilots cruised to a 61-43 win and defeated University all three meetings for the year.

St. Joseph analysis: Having a 15-0 lead to start the game provided a comfortable cushion as Brendan Keane and Lippi had 19 and 16 points respectively to give an inside/outside scoring combination. Cal State East Bay commit Whitfield was a solid floor general in dealing with the press and in making passing decisions. St. Joseph will now face the 10th seed from Southern California, St. Bernard.

University analysis: Noah Springwater had only two points as he was battling an ankle injury. But give credit to his teammates as they never gave up and battled to single digits at the end of the third quarter. University falls short in the Northern California championship game again.

Division IV Girls

St. Mary's-Berkeley Panthers 70
Modesto Christian Crusaders 42

The Panthers jumped to a 12-1 lead in the first quarter and held that 11 point lead at 24-13 at the end of the quarter. Navy commit April Bernal scored five of her seven points in the quarter.

The Panthers would not let up in the second as they extended to a 20 plus point lead at 39-18. The quarter ended with Modesto Christian trailing 45-23. Fordham commit Cody Sims had seven of her 10 points in the first half.

Freshman Gabby Green added four of her nine points in the third quarter as the Panthers led 58-35. Green is a long and quick freshman who will be one to watch in the years to come. The Panthers graduate three Division I-bound college athletes.

The Panthers had their biggest lead in the fourth quarter at 68-37 and will now face second seed Windward of Southern California next week.

St. Mary's-Berkeley analysis: The Panthers won every quarter of this game and had no problems in their road to the state final as they won every Northern California playoff game by more than 20 points. The team is loaded depth wise.

Modesto Christian analysis: Once the Crusaders fell behind, they could not play catch up. The season was still solid with a Sac-Joaquin Section title. MC was arguably the best team in Division 4 after the Panthers.

Division IV Boys

Salesian Pride 59
St. Mary's-Berkeley Panthers 53

The first quarter was an offensive struggle as both teams had open looks but just had trouble making shots. The Panthers ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to lead 11-4. Despite the lead, they settled for perimeter shots and could have possibly had a bigger lead.

Salesian was playing somewhat unsettled basketball but shot the penalty free throw with 6:26 left. The Pride defense was also able to limit the Panthers to only seven points in the second quarter. Salesian grabbed the lead at the half at 22-18.

With less than seven minutes left in the third quarter, Panther starters Glenn Baral and Taylor Thompson picked up their fourth personal fouls. This allowed Salesian to run out to a game high lead of 33-22. The Panthers battled back to only trail 37-32 at the end of the quarter.

The fourth quarter was played at a frenetic offensive pace as Salesian's Jabari Bird picked up his fourth foul at 5:43 and then his fifth foul with 1:20 left as Salesian was leading 54-46. The Panthers cut the lead to 56-53 with 0:43 left and had two possessions to tie the game but could not convert. Salesian went on to win 59-53 to advance against second seed Windward of Southern California next week.

Salesian analysis: Salesian had an off game as they were able to score only four points in the first quarter. But an off game for the Pride is not an end all as they were able to score more than 15 points in the other quarters. Bird led all scorers with 19 points as he battled foul trouble throughout the second half.

St. Mary's-Berkeley analysis: The fifth meeting was the most competitive for the Panthers as they had a chance at the end. Isaiah Taylor and David Andoh had 16 and 14 points respectively. But the early foul trouble for some of the starters threw the rhythm off in the middle parts of the game.

Article 169: Dickey: Lancers' next post threat

March 17, 2011

As the NorCal finals approach, St. Francis will be a spectator after having a dominant 30-4 season last year while advancing to the state title game. The current season had the Lancers with a very pedestrian 15-14 record and a first round loss to Woodcreek in the NorCal regional playoffs.

But next year's team will be able to build around 2012 center Drew Dickey. At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, Dickey will provide a post presence that could dominate games on either offense or defense. This past season, Dickey broke his hand mid-season and was less effective thereafter.

A healthy Dickey in his senior year would be like when the San Antonio Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997. Duncan was able to play right away and contribute at a high level in both rebounding and interior offense that would help the Spurs make a dramatic improvement in his rookie season. Dickey potentially could have that same effect by turning a .500 Lancer team into a top tier WCAL team.

The Lancers would need Dickey's size as the WCAL has some very good post players. Next year, the WCAL will boast Mitty's Aaron Gordon, St. Ignatius' Stephen Domingo, Sacred Heart's Taylor Johns and Josh Fox, and others. As a result, Dickey's presence will be needed to match up in the grind of the WCAL.

Dickey has been on varsity since his sophomore year and has been a starter since his junior year. He plans on working on his dribbling and shooting to make himself a more complete player during the summer. He hopes his efforts will allow him to earn First Team All-League and WCAL Champions.

Despite being injured, Dickey has been in contact with Chico State, Harvard, UC Davis, and Yale. He is looking for a program that has a solid blend of academics and athletics.

Dickey's rise as a post player specialist is not surprising. His father, Mark Dickey, played collegiately as a center at Cal. Dickey says about his father, "He is my greatest coach and mentor. He has gone through college basketball and knows what it takes to play at the next level. My dad is always there with support, but he also critiques my game and gives me advice on ways to improve my game. His influence has made me the player I am today."

Watch for Dickey to be a rising post player threat in Mountain View next year. And watch for him to be on the NCAA level thereafter.

Article 168: Morris-Walker fireside chat

March 14, 2011

Langston Morris-Walker is the No. 127 ranked prospect in the 2012 Rivals150 as this Berkeley High junior helped lead his Yellowjackets to a 21-5 record. This athletic wing averaged 23.4 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists as Berkeley advanced to the second round of the NCS playoffs.

At 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Morris-Walker is a national prospect that is being sought after by Boston College, Cal, Cal Poly SLO, Marquette, Nevada-Reno, Oregon, St. Mary's, Stanford, UC Davis, UC Riverside, UC Santa Barbara, USF, Utah, Washington, Washington State, and West Virginia. Cal Poly SLO, UC Davis, UC Riverside, USF, and Utah have already extended offers to the South Side native.

As a nationally recruited prospect, Morris-Walker has many programs from throughout the country pursuing him. As a result, he looks at each conference from the following perspectives.

Atlantic Coast (Boston College): Morris-Walker says, "ACC is a top notch conference that usually makes their basketball programs first on the list. They will always be one of the better conferences and always respected."

Big East (Marquette and West Virginia): Morris-Walker says, "Every Big East player can go play any sport and be good in it. That's just how athletic an average Big East player is. The difficulty it is to play in the Big East is crazy. People don't realize how hard it is to play and stay healthy in the conference. You have to always play your hardest and never take a day off. No cupcakes."

Big West (Cal Poly SLO, UC Davis UC Riverside, and UC Santa Barbara): Morris-Walker says, "The Big West is an up and coming conference that many people sleep on. Lots of quality players come out of the Big West but just takes a bit longer because most of them stay four years. That is good because a lot of Big West schools are beautiful and have very good academics."

Pac-12 (Cal, Oregon, Stanford, Utah, Washington, and Washington State): Morris-Walker says, "I grew up always loving the Pac-12. The skill level of all the players and how good everybody is impressive. I feel like any Pac-12 school gets players and develops them dramatically."

West Coast Conference (St. Mary's and USF): Morris-Walker says, "WCC is a great place to play. They always have good support from their school and play very good basketball. Is just a really great environment to be in. Every year, teams in the WCC get big out of conference upsets. I feel like that's because teams take them lightly and they play with a chip on their shoulder and that's what makes them so fun to watch."

During this summer, Morris-Walker will be playing for his Oakland Soldiers club team. He says, "This AAU summer is huge for me. Just so I can compare myself to the top players and show the AAU circuit my growth. Also to play with the top players from my area and put CA back on the map." California has not sent any players to the McDonald's All American game for a few years now. On the other hand, McDonald's is not exactly the proper metric for nutritional standards and as a corollary would not be a proper metric for the level of the high school basketball talent in the Golden State either.

Morris-Walker will be striving to get better as he would like to lead his Yellowjackets to an NCS title in addition to a trip to the state tournament in his senior year. He says, "But most importantly, I want to get better! I want to polish myself as a player and be looked at more as a basketball player than as an 'athlete.' I do not want to enter my senior year the same player I am now."

If Morris-Walker can take his game to another level, expect him to break into the Rivals top 100 rated 2012 prospects. More importantly, he will be on the wish list of more colleges and conferences. Keep an ear open to find out where this future D1 prospect ends up playing for.

Article 167: Favorites advance to finals

March 13, 2011

In both semifinal games at St. Mary's College in Moraga, the higher seeded home team had to rally to win. The opening game saw Carondelet defeat visiting St. Francis in the girls semifinal game 77-66. The nightcap had De La Salle winning 47-45 against the Sheldon Huskies.

St. Francis Troubadours 66
Carondelet Cougars 77
Carondelet played at a frenetic pace in the first quarter that gave them a 23-11 lead. Hannah Huffman had 9 points while Erica Payne had 7 points to pace the Cougars. With their two key scorers poised to have big games and a double digit lead, the Cougars looked to be comfortably ahead.

However, the Troubadours were resilient and their defense only allowed Carondelet to score 9 points in the second quarter. In addition, the Troubadours were able to tie up the game at the half at 32-32. Inexplicably, Briana Charles came back into the game with 1:50 left to pick up her fourth personal foul in the half.

St. Francis would hold on to a 44-41 lead into the middle of the third quarter. But then the Cougars made an 11-1 run to end the quarter. Huffman would score 7 points in the quarter to help Carondelet to be up 52-45.

The Troubadours could get no closer than 58-54 in the fourth quarter. Carondelet would go on a run to extend the lead to double digits. The Cougars would win 77-66 to advance to the finals against Berkeley.

How this game was won: Carondelet picked up the pace in the second half. Huffman would have a monster game of 34 points. St. Francis had key players in foul trouble that caused Charles and Ellie Earley to foul out.

St. Francis analysis: St. Francis had a size disadvantage but making 7 three-point shots helped offset that. Earley and Charles had 17 and 14 points respectively. The foul trouble may have caused the team to play more tentatively as they would falter midway into the third quarter.

Carondelet analysis: Huffman came up huge in this game. The size advantage also made it difficult for the Troubadours. The Cougars will get to face Berkeley for a fourth time for the Northern California finals.

Sheldon Huskies 45
De La Salle Spartans 47
In the first quarter, the Spartans showed good ball movement to take a 12-6 lead but Travis Pacos picked up his second foul with 4:14 left. Sheldon would lean on senior Darius Nelson as he would score the next 8 points to cut the deficit to 16-14. In addition, the Huskies would shoot the free throw penalty with 30 seconds left in the quarter.

The second quarter would be the Ramon Eaton show as he accounted for 10 of the 15 Sheldon points. In addition, the Sheldon defense played a more aggressive press and zone to limit De La Salle to 7 points. Sheldon would go into the half with a 29-23 lead.

De La Salle came out in the second half more aggressively as they attacked the Sheldon press and was able to convert more layup chances. In addition, the Spartans were shooting the free throw penalty with 36 seconds left in the third quarter. Regardless, the Spartans were only able to cut the deficit to 41-36.

The fourth quarter was a defensive struggle as the first points were scored by De La Salle with 5:20 left. Sheldon would take a 45-42 lead with 3:30 left in the game but would not score again. Amadi Udenyi would score on a breakaway layup with 20 seconds to give the Spartans their first lead since the first half at 46-45 and subsequently De La Salle would win 47-45 to see Castro Valley next Saturday for a second time in the month.

How this game was won: An emotional Coach Frank Allocco said that his team defended well, played with toughness, and made good plays down the stretch. The bench was able to step up as some starters had foul trouble. Udenyi had a team high 11 points and highlighted the team rebounding and the ability to reverse the ball against the zone defense.

Sheldon analysis: Compared to the earlier season matchup, Sheldon tried to speed up the game this time around. That strategy seemed to work early on but the offense stagnated and was held scoreless for the last 3:30 of the game. Sheldon returns a good core for next season despite losing seniors Nelson and Eaton who had 21 and 14 points respectively.

De La Salle analysis: If De La Salle can slow the tempo and play their style of game that is in the 40s, then they will have a good chance of winning. They were able to limit the Sheldon offense in the second half and rally to win. If the Spartans impose their tempo on Castro Valley in the finals, then the game could be a battle.

Article 166: Dakarai defends the Huskies

March 11, 2011

The Sheldon High Huskies feature two solid seniors in Darius Nelson and Ramon Eaton, who are moving on to UTEP and Pepperdine respectively. On any given night, either player can take over from an offensive standpoint. Throw into the mix, junior Kyiron Thomas who can be a blur on the court. As a result, a key defensive piece to this pack of Huskies is often overlooked, sophomore guard Dakarai Allen.
At 6-foot-5 and 160 pounds, Allen has good length with an 81 inch wingspan and quickness to be a defensive stopper. In Sheldon's current season, he is instrumental in guarding the opposing team's key offensive guard or small forward. As a result, the Huskies were able to repeat as San Joaquin Section champions. Despite being thrown into the fire, Allen averaged 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.

Allen along with fellow sophomore D'Erryl Williams II were freshmen contributors in last year's Sheldon team. The Huskies achieved a 28-6 record that ended with a loss to Newark 75-61 in the state playoffs.

During the summer, he plays for his club basketball team, Play Hard Play Smart. Before joining PHPS, Allen was playing for his Beyond Basketball team which also had four of his other sophomore Sheldon teammates. Beyond Basketball was a 7th and 8th grade level AAU program run in Sacramento. As a result, the Sheldon nucleus for the next few years should be quite cohesive.

Sheldon Coach Joey Rollings says, "Dakarai's strength is going to the basket. His length allows him to attack the rim and he is very slippery inside. He also is developing a nice three-point jump shot. Dakarai is very intense and hates to lose or make mistakes."

Despite being a sophomore, Allen is on the radar for Cal Poly, Loyola Marymount, UC Davis, UTEP, and Washington State. He has also received an offer from San Francisco. Allen is looking for the right blend of academics and basketball in college.

Coach Rollings says, "Dakarai is laid back and likes to have fun. On the NCAA level, I think he will do great, once he gets a little stronger. Any team would be lucky to get him. He does well in the class room as he has about a 3.40 GPA right now. He cares about academics and sports equally. He has a good sense of humor and a great personality. He is very respectful to everyone."

Sheldon is attempting to make a run for the state title. Allen will be expected to be a defensive stopper. In addition, Allen was named to All Delta River League first team. His older brother, Marcus Paige-Allen, will be attending Cal Poly on a football scholarship. Allen's uncle is former Sonoma State offensive lineman, Larry Allen, who won a few Super Bowl rings with the Dallas Cowboys. Expect Dakarai to defend to win as the Huskies make their run to state.

Article 165: Bruins-Gators repeat history

March 11, 2011

One year ago from today, the St. Patrick/St. Vincent Bruins defeated Sacred Heart Prep 64-47 in the Northern California D4 playoffs. Yesterday, the two teams met again and the results were the same. But this time, the Bruins had to make a furious rally to win the game on a last possession layup to win 49-48 and advance to the semifinals.

In the first quarter, the Bruins came out more aggressive and forced several turnovers. St. Pat's was able to lead by as much as 10-5 before ending the quarter up 10-7. St. Pat's was somewhat fortunate to be only down by that much.

The Bruins would take a 13-9 lead in the beginning of the second quarter but the Gators would go on a 9-0 run to lead 18-13. SHP ended the half with a 23-19 margin.

The Gators led 23-22 in the third quarter when they went on a 7-0 run to take a 30-22 lead. At the 1:04 mark, they were leading 34-25 when senior Reed McConnell sustained a deep cut in the head that forced him to sit. As a result, the Bruins would take advantage of the Gators who were without their team co-captain and would only trail 36-31 at the end of the quarter.

McConnell would return at the 7:20 mark as the Gators were only leading 36-33, but they would extend that lead to 48-41 with 3:27 left. The Bruins would keep the Gators scoreless for the rest of the game. Senior Robbie Herndon scored on a game winning layup with 7 seconds left in the game to give the Bruins a 49-48 victory.

Herndon finished the game with a team-high 15 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter. Jason Webster also played well, adding 11 points.

How this game was won: Coach Derek Walker was proud of how his team persevered and played with grit to rally to win the game against a very talented Gator team. Walker said that the last play was to give the ball to Herndon and let him create. The Bruin defense was able to keep the Gators scoreless in the last 3:27.

St. Patrick/St. Vincent analysis: Herndon led all scorers with 18 points and came up big at the end for the team. Herndon stated that the team picked up the defensive intensity and became more aggressive in taking the ball to the rim on the offense in the second half. Despite being undersized against the Gators, the Bruins played physical throughout.

Sacred Heart Prep analysis: Coach Tony Martinelli did feel that the loss of McConnell for those two minutes limited the offense. His team did adjust to the quicker pace of the Bruins in the second quarter and was able to take a half time lead. Despite what is said about the Gator's league, the team went 25-3 and showed that they are very competitive with a CCS title in the season.

St. Patrick/St. Vincent-St. Mary's Berkeley Preview: The Northern California D4 Finals could potentially be a BSAL matchup if top seed Salesian defeats Santa Cruz. The Bruins lost to St. Mary's Berkeley in their one regular season matchup while the Bruins lost to Salesian four times already. The Bruins have the guard play to keep up with St. Mary's Berkeley but will they have the size to contain David Andoh.

Article 164: Duffy, Stafford lead Knights' win

March 9, 2011

In an opening round game of the NorCal regional D2 playoffs in Walnut Creek, the Las Lomas Knights capitalized on the home crowd energy to take an early lead over Cordova. However, the Lancers battled back to take the lead. In the end, the Knights were able to put on an offensive onslaught in the second half to advance by winning 71-62.

In the first quarter, the Knights would rush to a 9-4 lead behind their senior guard duo of Treaven Duffy and Kevin Stafford. However, Lancer guard Pogos Trunyan had 2 three-point shots to help Cordova to go on a 12-3 run. The Lancers would take a 16-12 margin at the end of the quarter.

Cordova would extend the lead to 22-13 in the second quarter which would be their largest lead of the game. Las Lomas made several bad turnovers that would lead to easy Cordova baskets but the Knights were able to connect from three-point range to keep it close. As a result, the Knights would only trail 34-31 at the half.

Las Lomas, specifically Stafford, would come out firing as he made 3 three-point field goals to start the third quarter to give the Knights a 40-34 lead. Cordova would tie the game with 1:46 in the quarter at 46-46. The quarter would end with the Knights leading 51-50.

Cordova would grab a 58-56 fourth quarter lead but would then go on an offensive drought. Duffy would score 12 of the quarter's points for Las Lomas as they would have a game high lead at 70-60. The final score would be Las Lomas winning 71-62.

How this game was won: Las Lomas as a team made 12 three-point shots with Stafford accounting for 8 of them. Duffy and Stafford were able to score from anywhere as they had 25 and 29 points respectively. Despite giving up some runs to Cordova, Las Lomas was able to string together defensive stops and have their own offensive rallies.

Cordova analysis: Trunyan had 18 points while forward Nazariy Yakimchuk scored 19 to form an inside and outside duo. The Lancers were able to match all the Las Lomas runs except at the end. The Lancers finish the season at 22-8.

Las Lomas analysis: Coach Jeff Loving cited how the team played better defense in the second half while also hitting some critical shots. Stafford said that the 8 three-point shots were the result of the Cordova defenders keying too much on Duffy and stopping drives to the baskets. Duffy played to a different level in the fourth quarter as he said that he wants to keep the intensity level up both in game and practices.

Las Lomas versus St. Mary's Stockton: The two keys stats for this game will be rebounding and three-point shots. St. Mary's has 6-foot-10 Chris Magalotti and will give them a significant interior advantage. This could be moot if Las Lomas hits a high percentage of their three-point shots. If the Knights do not, then they will need to win or be close in the rebounding battle to have a chance. St. Mary's is peaking as they took the 7th seed in the SJS playoffs to win it which included a convincing win over these same Cordova Lancers. If this is a high scoring and up tempo game, then Las Lomas should win. If this is a half court game, St. Mary's with their size advantage should win. The survivor will get a chance to play against the winner of Mitty and Casa Grande.

Artice 163: NorCal Playoff Roundtable

March 8, 2011

The NorCal playoffs are upon us with numerous storylines to dissect over the next two weeks, including dominant No. 1 seeds in Division II and IV as well as star power in Division I. Prior to the games tipping off, the NorCalPreps.com staff gave their thoughts on what will unfold from underrated teams to breakout performers and of course, predictions.

1. Which teams have the best chance of winning a potential state title?

Carl Foster: Salesian in Division IV and St. Joseph in Division V.

Douglas Benton: If it gets to this point, Salesian has a great opportunity to win its second state title in three years with a deep and talented team in Division IV. Another NorCal possibility is St. Joseph in Division V. The Pilots have an experienced point guard in Jacari Whitfield and one of the best senior post prospects in Brendan Keane.

Lee Hubbard: Salesian. A very deep team with talent like LA schools. With Dominic Artis, Bryce Thompson and Jabari Bird in guard spots, the Chieftains will be very hard to stop on the perimeter.

Lorenzo Harris: Salesian has both the talent and motivation to win its second state title in 3 years. Last season, the Pride was 4 points shy of returning to the state finals and has not allowed the loss of their best player for numerous games and forfeit losses in what many consider an unfair ruling by the NCS to affect their play on the court. Playing with a chip on its shoulders gives Salesian a huge edge.

Steve Hu: Division I would favor Southern California teams as they have several D1 prospects. Ryan Anderson is a Boston College commit for Poly, Long Beach. Corona Centennial has New Mexico bound Dominique Dunning. Taft has Spencer Dinwiddie going to Colorado and a big time post prospect in Kevin Johnson. Castro Valley, Oakland, and Sheldon have some nice 2011 D1 prospects, but give the edge to the Southern California teams. Whichever team comes out of the brutal Southern California bracket will be the title favorite. Division II could have a battle of sophomore stars in Mitty's Aaron Gordon and Lincoln San Diego's Robinson twins. Once again, the Southern California bracket is a tougher bracket. Hoover San Diego is the sixth seed and has Arizona commit big man Angelo Chol. Lincoln San Diego also has UCLA commit Norman Powell. Mitty would seem to be the only serious Northern California opponent but give the big edge to the Southern California survivor. Division III should favor the Northern California representative. The bigs from Northern California should overpower the Southern California bracket. Division IV will have Salesian as the clear overall favorite. Division V is a tossup between the two regions.

2. What are some under the radar teams to look out for regardless of division?

Carl Foster: Some of the under the radar teams are Santa Teresa (will give Sheldon a good game), Northgate (will beat Antelope and Chico in making the semis), El Cerrito (will reach the NorCal finals), Sacred Heart Prep (makes the NorCal finals and gives Salesian a great game) and St. Elizabeth (a 12 seed and will make the NorCal semis).

Douglas Benton: Oakland is a dangerous one and down team and should beat Jesuit before falling in a close contest to No. 1 Castro Valley. Las Lomas will reach the semi-finals and give Mitty its best game in the NorCal D2 playoffs. In Division IV, St. Patrick/St. Vincent have a bona fide scorer in Robbie Herndon and nice complementary parts to make a run at the NorCal semi-finals and upset Sacred Heart Prep. Mid-Peninsula is an interesting team in Division V that could have made a run, but was dealt a blow in having to play St. Joseph in the second round. This could be an interesting opener for the Pilots.

Lee Hubbard: You can never count out a Frank Allocco coached team at De La Salle and Oakland in Division I. Chico is pretty good. They have Sterling Smith and have some size and could be a dark horse in Division II. If Stuart Wesonga can get on a roll, it can be a San Marin-Sac High final. The bottom half of the Division III bracket is wide open and Sacred Heart Cathedral can be another dark horse. In Division IV, Sacred Heart Prep is a very talented team, is well-coached and has the McConnell brothers.

Lorenzo Harris: Despite a No. 2 seed, San Marin has only emerged in the last two weeks and is only ranked 5th in its division in NorCal. Which team will show in the NorCals - the one that beat O'Dowd and El Cerrito to win the NCS title or the team that lost to Montgomery and Terra Linda by a combined 46 points?

Steve Hu: Division I - Sheldon. After a poor showing early in the season, Sheldon is clicking towards the second half of the season. Any of their starting five can give a big game changing performance. Division II - Las Lomas. They have a high octane offense that can keep them in games. But can they handle the bigger teams down the stretch? Division III - Bishop O'Dowd. It is funny to say that Bishop O'Dowd is an under the radar team. But not winning league and not reaching the section finals can give that impression. But the core of last year's championship finalist team is still intact to make a run. Division IV - Sacred Heart Prep. Prolific offense and solid fundamental guard play could cause matchup problems for any opponent. Division V - University. After getting pasted by St Joseph in the NCS finals, University would seem to be on a downward trend. But Coach Randy Bessolo should be able to tweak things to get his team's high powered offense back on track. A third match with St. Joseph for the Northern California title would not be surprising.

3. Who are the top players to watch?

Carl Foster: Denzel Copeland - Santa Theresa, Stuart Wesonga - San Marin, Brandon Ashley - O'Dowd, Brendan Keane - St. Joes', Jabari Bird - Salesian, Darius Nelson - Sheldon, Jabari Brown - Oakland, Juan Anderson - Castro Valley, Roderick Bobbitt - Castro Valley, Reed McConnell - Sacred Heart Prep, Eric Nelson II - El Cerrito, Darius Johnson - St. Elizabeth, Robert Garrett - Sacramento, Aaron Gordon - Mitty, Ben Freeland - Montgomery, Connor McGrath - Serra

Douglas Benton: These teams all have excellent players at the forefront and one of the reasons they are still alive in the NorCal playoffs. What follows is a list of players who will impact the most in each division. For Division I, it's Darius Nelson of Sheldon. He is a bona scorer who can take over a game with his shot and driving ability. If he can string complete games together for a week, Sheldon will be headed back to Power Balance Pavilion. In Division II, it's Sterling Smith of Chico. The Wildcats are the big unknown in this division and Smith has put up some great numbers this year. Can he carry Chico into the finals? Division III could hinge on the play of super junior Brandon Ashley of Bishop O'Dowd. He is a polished post prospect who can command double team and control the glass. If he can stay out of foul trouble, the Dragons could repeat as NorCal champions. Division IV is the most clear cut bracket on the boys side and if the Pride can get the solid play point guard Dominic Artis has given them this year, nobody will touch them. The 2012 prospect has become more consistent with his jumper and does a nice job of getting to his spot on the floor. Point guard is also the key position in Division V with Jacari Whitfield of St. Joseph. The Pilots will already have a mismatch with Brendan Keane on the block and if Whitfield can dictate the game with his quicknes, it gives them two decided advantages.

Lee Hubbard: Darius Nelson (Sheldon), Roderick Bobbitt (Castro Valley), Jabari Brown (Oakland), Aaron Gordon (Mitty), Sterling Smith (Chico), Robert Garrett (Sacramento), Darius Graham (Sacramento), Stuart Wesonga (San Marin), Brandon Ashley (Bishop O'Dowd), Jabari Bird (Salesian), Reed McConnell (Sacred Heart Prep), Will McConnell (Sacred Heart Prep), Jacari Whitfield (St. Joseph), Brendan Keane (St. Joseph), Noah Springwater (University)

Lorenzo Harris: Juan Anderson/Roderick Bobbitt-Castro Valley, Jabari Brown/TJ Taylor-Oakland, Darius Nelson/Ramon Eaton-Sheldon, Stuart Wesonga-San Marin, Brendan Keane/Jacari Whitfield-St. Joe's, Ben Freeland-Montgomery, Max Fujii-Analy, Chad Haysbert-Center, Noah Springwater-University, Sterling Smith-Chico, Eric Nelson-El Cerrito, Chukwuemeka Iroegbu-Franklin, Robert Garrett/Erik Kinney-Sac, Alex Simmons-St. Mary's (Stockton), Treaven Duffy/Kevin Stafford-Las Lomas, Robbie Herndon-St. Pat's, Denzel Copeland/Trevor Priest-Santa Teresa, Brandon Ashley/Richard Longrus-O'Dowd, Jamaree Strickland-Mack, Dominic Artis/Freddie Tagaloa-Salesian, Parker Uu/Akachi Okugo-Jesuit, Glenn Baral-St. Mary's, Will and Reed McConnell-Sacred Heart Prep, Josh Fox/Taylor Johns-Sacred Heart Cathedral, Rodrigo Puliceno-Burlingame, Travis Pacos/Amadi Udenyi-De La Salle, Aaron Gordon/Kyle Toth-Mitty, Robert Duncan-Granite Bay, John Peska/Devin Murphy-Woodcreek

Steve Hu: In Division I, Juan Anderson and Jabari Brown. Anderson has had a near flawless season while Brown has had an up and down senior year with injuries and his team having losing stretches. But both are peaking now in the playoffs and are capable of carrying a team. A rematch of their preseason matchup is possible for the Northern California semifinals. In Division II, Aaron Gordon and Treaven Duffy. Gordon has also had a near flawless season as well. Duffy is having a breakout year. An offensive slugfest is in the making between Mitty and Las Lomas in the semifinals. Division III features the most high rated post prospects. Sacramento's Robert Garrett, El Cerrito's Eric Nelson, Burlingame's Rodrigo Puliceno, SHC Josh Fox and Taylor Johns, O'Dowd's Ashley and Longrus, Mission's Theo Hill, Center's Chad Haysbert, and San Marin's Wesonga. In Division IV, the BSAL is well-represented with players from Salesian, St. Mary's Berkeley, and St. Patrick/Vincent. SHP has the three McConnell brothers (Reed, Cole and Will). Division V Mid-Peninsula has a hidden scorer in Lydell Cardwell. If he can light it up, his team has the personnel to match up well with St. Joseph to give them a run in the second round.

4. Which players are in line for breakout performances in NorCals?

Carl Foster: Mario Dunn - Salesian, D'Erryl Williams II - Sheldon, Dulani Robinson - McClymonds, Cole McConnell - Sacred Heart Prep, Robert Upshaw - Granite Bay, Elliott Pitts - De La Salle

Douglas Benton: Castro Valley junior guard Dawson Johnson had a good NCS Division I final and if he can step up along with the big three, Castro Valley will be a daunting out of the NorCal playoffs. He has nice handles and is a non-ranked prospect to watch for 2012. Antelope's Jarvis Watkins was instrumental in the upset win over Woodcreek with his ability to get to the rim off of his dribble. Another rising 2012 prospect to look for this week. El Cerrito Sophomore guard Marcellus Pippins can score in bunches when he gets hot and strong play out of him can make the Gauchos a very intriguing team the NorCal D3 playoffs. While he is already a known name, David Andoh of St. Mary's-Berkeley will use these playoffs as a springboard to a big summer. He is a versatile forward with an expanding confidence in his offensive game. Mid-Peninsula senior Lydell Cardwell is averaging 24 points per game and showed well at points on the summer circuit. Can he use a big March to garner a college opportunity?

Lee Hubbard: Shawn Hadnot of Sacramento is an up and coming sophomore forward. Jabari Bird should have a monster playoff to start cementing his high school legacy. Jacari Whitfield has been there. He's battle tested and can cement himself as one of the great guards at St. Joseph. Also, 6-foot-5 forward Josh Fox of Sacred Heart Cathedral. If Fox can get it going, they have a chance to upset Bishop O'Dowd in a possible second round match-up.

Lorenzo Harris: While St. Mary's Chris Magalotti is ranked No. 21 in NCP's 2011 Top 40, Alex Simmons is the man on this team and will improve his stock considerably during the NorCal regionals.

Steve Hu: For Division I, the Sheldon starting sophomore duo of Dakarai Allen and D'erryl Williams. If these two combine for 20 points per, expect Sheldon to make a serious run to state. Sheldon's defense translates into their offense. Hence, if these two don't score, then expect Sheldon to go home early. Division II has Ben Freeland of Montgomery. This 6-foot-10 center has the size to match up with either Mitty or St. Mary's Stockton. If Montgomery wins it all, he has to put up consistent double doubles in each game. In Division III, Stuart Wesonga has been putting up 20 points plus 20 rebounds plus in the regular season and in the NCS playoffs. There is no reason why he would not continue this trend in the playoffs. He'll have to in order for San Marin to advance. O'Dowd's Longrus is often overshadowed by national star Ashley. But Longrus is great with the hustle plays and defensive tenacity - he'll need it if O'Dowd expects to make a return trip to finals. Watch for David Andoh of St. Mary's Berkeley in Division IV. After finishing a solid but not spectacular first full season, he'll have to pick it up in the playoffs as a fourth match against Salesian is in the seeding. If St. Mary's wants to make a return to state title like last year, Andoh will have to show why he is a top tier national prospect. In Division V, watch for Noah Springwater of University. A prolific scorer who will be heading out to Columbia next year, his team lost the NCS finals to St. Joseph. They've lost the first two games this year but a third match is possible but only winnable if Springwater starts shooting to his potential.

5. What potential match-ups are the most intriguing?

Douglas Benton: A potential rematch of Castro Valley-Sheldon in the Division I finals would be very entertaining and features some of the toughest match-ups in the region. I also like the first round match-up in D2 of St. Francis-Mountain View and Woodcreek, which is a rematch of the NorCal title game from a year ago. I think most fans would be very excited about a possible Bishop O'Dowd-San Marin final in what should be a lively gym on Saturday night. With the rivalry and familiarity of Salesian and St. Mary's-Berkeley, this possible D4 final will be great theater at Folsom High School. In Division V, I like a possible second round tilt with Mid-Peninsula and St. Joseph. Can a scoring star top a talented team in a tournament format?

Lee Hubbard: I will say some of the better match ups in the divisions will include a potential match-up between Bishop O`Dowd and Sacred Heart in D3. This is intriguing as it pits a WCAL team up against an east bay team. St. Mary's versus Salesian in DIV will be another good battle of teams that have played each other the entire year.

Lorenzo Harris: The most intriguing match-up would be an O'Dowd-San Marin rematch.

Steve Hu: Division I - McClymonds and De La Salle. Mack's interior size against the DLS system. The contrast would be an interesting matchup. Division II - Mitty and Las Lomas. Can the Las Lomas two scorers in Duffy and Kevin Stafford offset Aaron Gordon and the Monarch team offensive schemes? Division III - San Marin against anybody. Wesonga in the last few weeks has probably separated him as the top post player in Northern California. A potential second round matchup would have him against Center's Chad Haysbert. A semifinal matchup would be against either O'Dowd's twin dragons again or against SHC's Fox/Johns. And a finals matchup could be against Sacramento's Robert Garrett. A successful run against that gauntlet would solidify Wesonga as the top post player this year in Northern California. Division IV - Salesian and SHP. Sacred Heart Prep has the scorers to put up numbers. But the question would be if they have the defense to slow down Saleisan. Division V - St. Joseph and Mid-Peninsula. Mid-Peninsula has enough interior size to give Brendan Keane a battle. And Mid-Peninsula has the guard play to keep up with St. Joseph.

6. Prediction time: Who makes the NorCal finals and eventually wins a NorCal title?

Carl Foster: Division I - Castro Valley vs. Sheldon for Title - Castro Valley by 6 points. Division II - Montgomery beats Mitty for Title - Eight point victory. Division III - Bishop O'Dowd beats El Cerrito for the Title - BOD by 4 points. Division IV - Salesian beats Sacred Heart Prep at buzzer for Norcal Title by 1! Division V - St. Joes' squeaks by Pinewood for Norcal title.

Douglas Benton: Division I - Castro Valley will beat Sheldon in the finals. Teams need to find their "it" factor to make a state run and the Trojans have found theirs. Division II - Mitty over Chico. The Monarchs are the clear favorite to win this division, but don't discount a talented Chico club which has a star guard to lean on. Division III - Bishop O'Dowd over Sacramento. Taking a loss is never a good thing, but expect the early exit from the NCS playoffs to refocus O'Dowd as it defends its title. Division IV - Salesian over St. Mary's-Berkeley. The Pride has too much talent and depth and will avenge last year's NorCal final loss. Division V - St. Joseph over University. Star players step up this month and the Pilots have a real good start in Keane, who should have a dominant run.

Lee Hubbard: Division I - Sheldon and Castro Valley in a pick'em with Sheldon winning. Division II - Mitty will win. Division III - Bishop O'Dowd and Sacramento will play in a rematch of last year's final and O'Dowd wins in a pick'em game. Division IV - Salesian is the winner. In Division V - University overcomes a section final loss to St. Joseph to win the D5 title.

Lorenzo Harris: Division I - Castro Valley. Division II - Mitty. Division III - O'Dowd. Division IV - Salesian. Division V - St. Joe's

Steve Hu: Division I - Castro Valley/Sheldon rematch winner. Castro Valley has had a near unblemished season. But expect the Sheldon sophomores to complement Darius Nelson and Ramon Eaton and give the Huskies a home court state final matchup in addition to avenging the earlier loss to Castro Valley. Division II - Mitty/Montgomery winner. Mitty will win by going inside to Gordon but the Mitty perimeter shooting will be the difference in this matchup. Division III - Toughest bracket to pick, especially the bottom half. The winner of the O'Dowd/San Marin rematch in the semi finals will beat Sacramento in the finals. Give San Marin the edge as they are peaking and Wesonga seems undeterred of a long playoff run. One of the most figuratively hungry players. Division IV - Salesian. Their second 5 could probably be a formidable starting 5. Division V - University. St. Joseph is the easy pick and clear favorite. But University is well coached and will make the necessary adjustments with a third time's a charm anecdote.

Article 162: Wildcats win OAL in 2OT

March 6, 2011

In the Oakland Athletic League championship game at Laney College, McClymonds was the top seed and set to face Oakland High for a third season matchup for the title. The game was a fierce defensive battle. But in the end, Oakland prevailed with the 59-56 win in double overtime to win the OAL title.

In the first quarter, the Warriors ran out to an 11-2 lead as Oakland would not score again until a TJ Taylor three-point field goal with 2:35 left to cut the lead to 11-5. Wildcat Jabari Brown scored 8 points in the quarter that included a three-point field goal. Despite the early scoring disparity, the Warriors would lead 19-11 at the end of the quarter.

The Warriors would take a game high lead of 10 points at 21-11 in the second quarter. The Wildcat defense would pick up as they would limit the Warriors to two more points and several missed perimeter shots for the rest of the quarter. Oakland High would chip away on a 10-2 rally to cut the deficit to 23-21 at the half.

Oakland would score the first 3 points in the third quarter to take a 24-23 lead at the 7:00 mark. The rest of the quarter would go back and forth. Oakland would be up 36-34 at the end of the quarter.

McClymonds would get to the penalty shooting bonus at the 7:13 mark in the fourth quarter but the Warriors struggled at the line during the entire game. The game was tied at 45-45 before Dalvin Guy had an offensive rebound and put back dunk that would give the Warriors a 47-45 lead with 1:20 left. Brown would go back door with Taylor to allow Oakland to tie the game at 47-47 and send it to overtime.

The first overtime was sloppy as both teams committed turnovers and made offensive fouls. Barry Bell hit a difficult wing jumper to give the Warriors the 51-49 lead. But Oakland's Tyrell Murray hit two clutch free throws to tie the game at 51-51 and a second overtime would be needed.

The Wildcats would have a 7-0 run that was keyed by a Brown three-point field goal and an acrobatic Taylor driving basket. Despite being down 58-51, McClymonds was able to cut the deficit to 58-56 but thats as close as it would get.

How this game was won: Oakland made fewer mistakes and were better at the fundamentals. McClymonds was 7 for 16 on the free throw line while Oakland was 14 for 19. In the second overtime, McClymonds committed turnovers in the first few possessions to not give them a chance to score.

Oakland analysis: Coach Orlando Watkins said that the team executed the game plan. His team battled defensively and settled down after the first quarter by committing fewer turnovers. Brown had 30 points while Taylor added 16.

McClymonds analysis: Coach Brandon Brooks said his team did not execute after being up 11-2 and allowed the Wildcats to rally. Junior Jamaree Strickland is still not at full strength as Brooks is still regulating his center's playing time. Sophomore Dalvin Guy showed some interior strength by scoring 12 points and a few dunks in the game.

What is next for Oakland: Brown said that the team has set high expectations for the season and winning OAL was part of them. He feels that the team is peaking as Oakland will wait for its seeding in the Northern California playoffs. Coach Watkins is glad to be in the playoffs and hopes the team can host at least a game for them.

What is next for McClymonds: Coach Brooks is also glad to be continuing the playoff season. He wants to see his team to play with more pressure and tempo. At 16-14, McClymonds has a mediocre record going into the Northern California playoffs but will still be a tough out for their first round opponent.

Article 161: Pilots cruise in finals

March 5, 2011

In the first quarter, the Pilots jumped out to an 11-3 lead with five minutes left. Pilot center Brendan Keane picked up his second foul midway in the quarter and sat out for the rest of the half. Despite his absence, the Pilot bench was able to increase the margin to 23-9.

St. Joseph continued to push the ball up the court and take it to the paint. They started the second quarter with a 14-3 run to give them a first half high lead of 25 points at 37-12. The quarter ended with the Pilots leading 39-16.

University would hit their first shot of the third quarter to trim the lead to 39-19 but were held scoreless for the rest of the quarter. St. Joseph would score the remaining 13 points to increase the lead to 52-19.

The fourth quarter would be procedural as St. Joseph would achieve a game high lead of 35 points. The Pilot bench replaced the starters midway into the quarter. The final score would be 63-32.

Notes

How this game was won: St. Joseph attacked the basket and forced the issue on offense. University made foour three-point shots out of 29 attempts and five two-point shots. The Pilots attack offense gave them several layup chances and open perimeter attempts as they made five three-point shots and 22 two-point shots.

University analysis: The Red Devils average over 70 points a game but were kept to half of that. Coach Randy Bessolo said this was the worse game that his team played all season but also credits St. Joseph. The loss snapped a 14 game winning streak in addition to easy double digit wins in the earlier rounds of the D5 NCS playoffs.

St. Joseph analysis: Dominic Lippi led the Pilots with 13 points, but the scoring was balanced as seven Pilots scored more than 6 points each. Keane said that the Pilots wanted to attack the paint and to avenge last year's losses to University. Coach Don Lippi was confident in his bench when Keane picked up his second foul as the team intensity and team defense was at a high level.

What is next for University: University will try to make a return trip to Northern California CIF finals. Bessolo will try to get his team to refocus on what was working well for the next game. The Red Devils will be without Max Savage, James Burton, and Ryan Lee in the playoffs.

What is next for St. Joseph: St. Joseph will look to make a deeper run in the Northern California CIF playoffs. Coach Lippi feels that the team defense, speed, and tempo are peaking in the past few games. The Pilots will likely be the favorite to come out of Northern California for the state title game.

Article 160: CV's Foster brings down rim

March 3, 2011

The semifinal NCS Division I battle between NCP No. 1 Castro Valley and No. 14 Newark Memorial was expected to be a highly contested battle at the Fremont Washington Gym. However, Castro Valley came out in high gear and never let up as Newark could never get any consistency on either end of the floor. The Trojan starting five accounted for 60 of the team's 64 points in the 64-41 victory. Trojan Alex Foster also had a two hand dunk that caused the rim to collapse in the middle of the fourth quarter causing a brief delay. The collapsed rim summed up the Newark performance as Castro Valley will look to win the NCS title against De La Salle.

In the first quarter, the Cougars' only lead of the game was at 4-3 as senior Kendall Andrews was the only Cougar to score double digits in the game with 18 points and seemed to be the only Cougar to play with any fire. Castro Valley would step up the defense and cause several Newark turnovers that resulted in easy transition points. The Trojans would end the quarter on a 9-1 run to lead 18-7.

The second quarter played out the same as the first quarter as the Trojan defense limited Newark to six points. Castro Valley would cause several turnovers leading to easy baskets and would end the quarter on another 9-1 run. The Cougars were still seeking a spark as they would go into the half trailing 31-13.

Castro Valley would keep the pressure on in the third quarter as they would run out to a 44-17 margin. The 27 point lead was the largest of the game for the Trojans. The Cougars would trail at the end of the quarter at 52-25.

With the game more or less decided, the fourth quarter would seem to be a mundane exercise of running clock. The highlight was Foster dunking with 3:01 left on a breakaway that caused the rim to collapse as he stated that he did not do anything out of the ordinary on that dunk after the game. The minor delay did not stop the inevitable as Castro Valley would win 64-41.

How this game was won: Marquette commit Juan Anderson felt that the team played four solid quarters of defense. The Trojans limited the Cougars to only 13 two-point field goals and 3 three-point field goals for the entire game. Conversely, Castro Valley made 24 two-point field goals and 2 three-point field goals as they shot 54% for the game from the field.

Newark Memorial analysis: The Cougars made too many turnovers that led to many easy baskets. In addition, they missed several close range shots and layups and had several offensive rebound put back chances that missed too. Metaphorically, Castro Valley made the first punch and Newark never seemed to be able to recover as things snowballed into an avalanche for them.

Castro Valley analysis: The starting rotation scored 60 of the team's 64 points: Dawson Johnson (9 points), Foster (12 points), Chris Read (14 points), Roderick Bobbitt (13 points), and Anderson (12 points). Typically, Castro Valley has depended on the Big Three of Anderson, Bobbitt, and Read for their offensive output. If the other two starters or the bench starts to provide double digit offensive output, the Trojans will be difficult to beat in subsequent playoff games.

What is next for Castro Valley: Castro Valley is 27-1 and will face De La Salle who defeated San Ramon Valley 50-42. Castro Valley senior point guard Johnson said that the team practice hard on their pressing defense and transition offense against Newark memorial. The Trojans will go up against a De La Salle team that is the NCP No 3 team and is too fundamentally sound on both ends of the court to be rattled by pressing defenses or transition offenses.

Article 159: Underdogs prevail in Division II

March 2, 2011

TITLE: Underdogs prevail in Division II

Many thought Woodcreek was destined to roll through Division II and defend its section title. Along the way though, Antelope showed why many feel it is a budding athletic power in knocking off the Timberwolves with some late game heroics from Jarvis Watkins. In the day's opening game, St. Mary's locked down defensively to beat Cordova and march on as a difficult seven seed.

Antelope shocks Woodcreek

There will be a new SJS Division II champion as Woodcreek fell to Antelope 62-61 in the nightcap at Power Balance Pavilion. The night didn't start out well for the Titans as they got down 10-0 at the start and 23-8 after one quarter. Woodcreek got whatever it wanted on the floor with Devin Murphy scoring eight points and John Peska putting in nine points. Antelope slowing got back in the game with a 9-0 run at the start of the second quarter and a 12-0 run to end the half and take a 30-28 lead. Kei'shaun Sinclair had 11 first half points, but the story was Antelope holding Woodcreek to five second quarter points. The Timberwolves didn't score until the 4:51 mark and didn't get its first field goal until the 2:37 mark.

"I think we showed a lot of resilience coming back and showing a lot of composure down the stretch," Watkins said. "We've been in situations like that before, so it was nothing new to us."

Woodcreek put together a 10-0 run to start the third quarter behind hot shooting from Peska, who scored 12 points in the frame. Antelope, showing fight and experience beyond expectations, overcame a nine point deficit to close on a 10-2 run in being down 49-48 heading into the fourth quarter. This was when junior Jarvis Watkins took over in scoring 10 of his 20 points. A pair of driving lay-ups from Watkins gave the Titans a 60-56 lead before Luke Summers had a rebound put back for an and one to cut the deficit to 60-59. He added another put back following an Antelope turnover to give the Timberwolves a 61-60 lead. Antelope got the ball back with time winding down and Watkins went on the right baseline for a driving lay-up plus the foul. He missed the subsequent free throw and a half-court shot from Tyler Milani was no good to end an exciting night of basketball.

Antelope: Watkins was the star with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists in shooting over 50 percent. He is dangerous when isolated and driving to the rim, but can keep defensives honest with his passing. Antelope head coach Robert Richards said Watkins is a complete player who can rebound, defense, get by the defense and also isn't afraid to pass the ball for a better look. A nice player to remember for the 2012 class. The length and athleticism inside of John Winters and Isaiah Ellis caused its share of problems, though Antelope was -19 on the boards Tuesday night. Ellis is a 2013 prospect who is a long 6-foot-4, but plays inside. Sinclair was solid early as a playmaker in the backcourt. Whether Antelope can gain the athletic advantage against St. Mary's on Saturday will be key in deciding this title game.

Woodcreek: It's hard to imagine a better start for Woodcreek, but it couldn't maintain it in a surprising semi-final exit. The Timberwolves got a strong game from Murphy with 19 points and 17 rebounds in bringing great energy to the floor. He's a tough rebounder who can start the transition game from anywhere on the floor. Peska is a talented shooter who was a bit sporadic in going 8-for-27 on the night. He did have a nice stretch in the third quarter. Summers had 10 points and 10 rebounds and will be counted on more the rest of the season as starting center Sam Anderson is lost for the year due to injury. The Timberwolves struggled in corralling in the dribble drives of Antelope and seemed to take too many chances on outlet passes. Still, they were far off from winning this game, which is a common theme at this point of the year.

Rams Ram tough on defense

In a Division II SJS semifinal battle between No. 3 seed Cordova and No. 7 seed St. Mary's Stockton, the Rams put the defensive clamp on the Lancers. The Rams scored the first 17 points of the game. St. Mary's was able to maintain a comfortable cushion to win 48-35.

In the first quarter, the Lancers had the jitters as they made several turnovers and missed many shots from the paint area. As a result, Cordova was held scoreless in the quarter. St. Mary's took advantage and ran to a 13-0 first quarter lead.

Cordova was trailing 17-0 before the Lancers scored their first points with 6:28 left. The first half had only 11 personal fouls and was fast flowing. St. Mary's was able to increase their lead to 25-10.

The third quarter did not see much improvement for the Lancers as they seem to have trouble with the Ram height advantage. 6-foot-10 Chris Magalotti had seven rebounds and six blocks as he altered several Lancer shot attempts. The Rams extended to a 38-20 margin at the end of the quarter.

Despite trailing most of the game, Cordova did not give up. The Lancers played an intense and scrappy fourth quarter. However, the Rams still held on 48-35.

How this game was won: Coach Ken Green said that his team came out focused and attacked the basket. As a result, the team had the early lead and was able to keep the cushion. Neither team nor any players really stood out from an offensive standpoint as this game was a defensive struggle.

Turning point: The Rams coming out with the 17-0 lead. With that early margin, St. Mary's was able to hold off any run by Cordova.

St. Mary's analysis: Chico State bound Magalotti said that the team has been motivated throughout playoffs as they did not win league and have been a lower seeded underdog. The aggressiveness showed as they shot seven more free throws than Cordova. The Rams will now take on Antelope for the SJS title on Saturday.

Cordova analysis: The Lancers started slow offensively and did not improve much as the game went on. They shot 25 percent from the field and were also out rebounded. They will await the seeding for the Northern California playoffs and will have to improve the execution and intensity.

Article 158: Delta River final in SJS DI

March 2, 2011

Jesuit hopes the third time will be the charm as it will face Sheldon in the SJS Division I finals following both teams' wins on Tuesday. While Jesuit comes in playing good basketball and fresh off its win over Franklin-Elk Grove, it will have to deal with a tougher challenge on Saturday night as Darius Nelson continues to leave his imprint on section playoff history.

Sheldon rides Nelson into section final

Playoff performances can leave lasting impressions and Nelson is making sure his legacy reads big game performer. The UTEP-bound wing finished with 37 points, many of which coming in the second half, and scored on a rebound as time expired to give the Huskies a 67-66 overtime win over Granite Bay. The basket ended a long night for Sheldon, which played with talented junior Kyiron Thomas (groin injury) and trailed most of the night.

Granite Bay came out with excellent energy in running clean sets on offense to take a 15-8 lead after one quarter. The Grizzlies ended the frame on a 9-1 run. After Sheldon got off to a quick start in the second, Granite Bay cemented its hold on the game to stretch the lead to 15 points at 32-17 after a buzzer beating shot from Kyle Howarth heading into halftime. It was led by Robert Duncan with 11 points and Jonathon Davis, who had 10.

Nelson started out the second half trying to bring the Huskies back with 11 third quarter points. However, Granite Bay wouldn't give in as Duncan put in seven of his 21 points for a 49-36 lead going into the fourth. While the pressure picked up from Sheldon, the Grizzlies showed very good resolve and even held a 55-46 lead with two minutes left. Sheldon trimmed the lead to 56-53 as the teams traded missed free throws which had observers on the edge of their seats. Down 58-56 with just seconds left, Nelson missed a shot, but fellow senior Ramon Eaton made a put back to send the game into overtime.

Duncan fouled out for Granite Bay with 3:44 left in overtime, but clutch junior guard Nathan Brillington kept the Grizzlies in the game. He made a three pointer with Granite Bay down one and after Dakarai Allen split a pair of free throws, it was up 64-63 with 1:06 left. Brillington knocked down both of his free throws to make the game 66-63. A Nelson put back left Sheldon down one as they got the ball back with less than 10 seconds left. The ensuing possession saw frenzied action around the rim. Eaton missed a turnaround and Nelson missed the put back before getting his second attempt to go through as the clock ticked down to zero and Sheldon escaped with a chance to defend its SJS Division I section title.

Sheldon: It wasn't the best effort for Sheldon, but at this point of the year, it's about winning and advancing. In an off night for most of its players, Nelson was excellent in scoring 37 points. He is a highly skilled offensive player who can score from multiple areas on the floor. Granite Bay didn't have an answer for him as he used his strength especially on his drives. He really seems to thrive on a stage like this. Sophomore Armani Hampton stepped in well to play major minutes tonight and score seven points. Areas of concern are the fact Sheldon seemed to get comfortable in the half-court offense and the defensive intensity was lacking prior to the fourth quarter run. This is an extremely talented team who beat a good Granite Bay squad without a key contributor, but first halves like Tuesday don't play long in the NorCal playoffs.

Granite Bay: The Grizzlies were a very tough opponent which had a clear game plan of slowing tempo and running through their sets. Duncan was able to get open and show himself as a capable shooter scoring and working off the dribble. Davis was a nice post presence who can hurt a defense with his versatility. Joe Eyen didn't score on Tuesday, but is an apt point guard who looked comfortable pushing the tempo from time to time. Granite Bay wasn't intimidated on this stage and was a couple of inside bounces away from pulling off the victory. The NorCal road will be tough from here on out, but the Grizzlies could be a tough out in the coming week.

Jesuit to Get Third Attempt against Sheldon

In a Division I SJS semifinal battle between No. 2 seed Franklin and No. 3 seed Jesuit, the Marauders executed better and committed fewer turnovers. As a result, Jesuit was able to pull out a 64-56 win over the Wildcats. Jesuit will now get a third chance to defeat league rival Sheldon in the championship game on Saturday.

In the first quarter, neither team could seem to get their offense going as the score remained 2-2 until the 3:52 mark. With Jesuit up 8-4, Franklin went on a 6-0 run to end the quarter with a 10-8 lead. Both teams shot poorly as they missed several layups and open shots.

The second quarter was not much better as both teams shot poorly and it was a defensive struggle. The referees were allowing the teams to play as neither team was in the penalty free throw bonus. Jesuit was able to outscore the Wildcats 13-8 in the quarter to take a 21-18 halftime lead.

The scoring picked up in the third quarter as Jesuit extended to a 30-24 margin and as high as 38-29. Franklin closed the quarter to cut the deficit to 40-33. Franklin picked up the tempo in the quarter that led to some easier transition baskets but they also committed several turnovers to allow for easy Jesuit baskets as well.

Franklin was able to get as close as 48-45 in the fourth quarter. Jesuit would go on a run that would give them their largest lead at 60-46. The Marauders would hang on to a 64-56 victory.

How this game was won: Jesuit guard Akachi Okugo said that the pick and roll was working for them in the game. Parker Uu added that the defense was able to limit the Franklin guard play. Jesuit was outrebounded by five but did a good job considering that they were undersized against the bigger Wildcat frontcourt.

Turning Point: After cutting the deficit to 48-45, Franklin gave up a Uu 3-point shot. Jesuit would go on a 12-1 run that would increase the lead to 60-46 late in the fourth quarter. Any Wildcat comeback attempt would be too late at that point.

Jesuit analysis: Coach Greg Harcos was pleased with the team defense, help defense, and rebounding. Uu had 20 points to lead the Marauders while the guards only had 13 turnovers. Jesuit lost to Sheldon twice in league play by 3 points in each game and will get a third attempt at the Huskies in the championship game.

Franklin analysis: Franklin had seven more turnovers than Jesuit and gave the Marauders eleven more field goal attempts. Chukwuemeka Iroegbu had 17 points and 9 rebounds as the Wildcats had more dunks and spectacular plays than Jesuit. But the turnovers and second chance possessions were too much to overcome for the Wildcats.