Monday, December 29, 2014

Article 402: Classic: NorCal 2 for 8

December 28, 2014

The 12th MaxPreps Holiday Classic continued its Open Division competition on Saturday at Rancho Mirage High School (Calif). The four Northern California teams in the division repeated their day one results with just one win on day 2 as well.

Sacramento 66, Saddleback Valley Christian 55
Sacramento was the lone winner in day 2 from Northern California as they wore down Saddleback with 38 free throw attempts. Sacramento took a 14-10 first quarter advantage as sophomore guard Sayvon Hines had two of his three 3-point makes in the quarter. The Dragons extended their advantage to 27-22 at the half as Solomon Young was more aggressive and more effective than day one as he had 17 free throw attempts in the game. Saddleback took a lead midway into the third quarter but Sacramento had a 13-4 run to close the quarter with a 43-39 lead. The Dragons' physical play in the fourth quarter allowed them to stretch the lead to a 66-55 victory.

Saddleback had players with height but not with the same length and size as Sierra Canyon that posed problems for Young. Sacramento's interior depth could be exposed if Young gets into foul trouble. Young had 13 of the team's 31 rebounds and Saddleback hacked him to prevent easy scores in the paint. He made 11 of 17 free throw attempts.

The Dragons had seven players who scored more than seven points in a balanced effort. Hines leads the team in the two games with 26 points, including six 3-point shots. Sacramento moves to 7-2 and continues on in the 9th place bracket with a matchup against Rufus King High.

Rufus King (WI) 62, Archbishop Mitty 57
Mitty had the interior size advantage but the guard play was a deciding factor early on. King would take leads of 18-10 and 31-23 after the first two quarters as guard Jordan Poole made five 3-point baskets in the game including three consecutive to start the second quarter. The Monarchs would come as close as 40-38 in the third quarter before losing the game.

Mitty's point guard play was spotty at stretches as they turned the ball over in spurts. The team does not have a true point guard to direct the offense or to break the press. Dakari Monroe is an athletic guard who had a few breakaway steals and plays pressure defense but is not a pure point guard.

Mitty drops its second straight game and are now 5-2. They face Saddleback Valley on Monday who matches up well against the Monarchs both inside and outside.

Damien 68, Folsom 62
Folsom came out sluggish and trailed 19-11 after the first quarter to a more active and athletic Damien program. Jordan Ford was aggressive in looking for his perimeter shots as he helped the Bulldogs pull back from a 38-32 halftime deficit and 53-49 disadvantage. Folsom's 6-foot-9 post Colin Russell looked less tentative in the second half as he helped the Bulldogs to tie the game at 61-61 late in the fourth quarter before losing 68-62.

Folsom has looked flat at the start of both games. They face Issaquah (WA) and should have the size advantage but need to match their guard play to avoid losing a third straight game.

Mater Dei 70, Moreau Catholic 51
Mater Dei is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and the defending state champions. The size advantage was evident as they won every quarter against Moreau Catholic. Moreau cut the deficit to single digits several times but never really threatened to regain the lead. Center MJ Cage set the tone in the interior for Mater Dei, as they were able to kick out for many open shots including eight 3-point makes.

Oscar Frayer was effective scoring inside and outside as he had 20 points including two 3-point shots. He was aggressive and used his athleticism against a bigger Mater Dei frontcourt. The Mariner guard play was aggressive but had many turnovers and was smothered by the bigger Mater Dei team.

As an undersized team, the Mariners will need to win the perimeter shooting battles to be successful. Moreau Catholic evens up to 4-4 as they play in the 5th place bracket on Monday.

Players of Note

Ben Kone 6-foot-8 F Archbishop Mitty (2016): Kone had 23 points in the loss but was effective offensively in all phases as he also had a 3-point make. Against a team with no one taller than 6-foot-5, Kone could have dominated more as his height and athleticism was superior.

Solomon Young 6-foot-7 PF Sacramento (2016): The junior is physical and aggressive in the paint and with his rebounding. Young will be an active defender and rebounder on the college level. His offensive skills development will be critical to taking him to the elite status of players. During the two days, he would often just bull his way to the basket but could benefit from some finesse post moves or a mid-range jumper in his offensive arsenal.

Oscar Frayer 6-foot-6 SF Moreau Catholic (2016): The junior had 20 of his team's 51 points. He looked the least intimidated or frazzled of the Mariner players on the court. The Cal commit is playing out of position in the paint, but should benefit from the gained versatility of battling bigger and taller players like Cage.

Colin Russell 6-foot-9 Post Folsom (2015): The Portland commit has not looked consistent in the first two games so far. He seems to be bothered by contact and pressure in the post. He is Folsom's most legitimate post presence and will need to increase his intensity in order for the Bulldogs to make another postseason run.


Article 401: Holiday Classic Day 1

December 27, 2014

The 12th MaxPreps Holiday Classic started its Open Division competition on Friday at Rancho Mirage High School near Palm Springs, California. Four teams from Northern California are participating in the most competitive bracket at this event. Here is a summary on their games and some of the highlight players.

Sierra Canyon 62, Sacramento 55
Sierra Canyon is the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament even without sophomore forward, Ira Lee (shoulder injury). The Dragons jumped out to a 15-13 first quarter advantage as junior guard Christian Terrell connected twice from 3-point range. Sierra Canyon used pressure defense that led to several fast break opportunities to help them take the 28-23 halftime advantage. Sierra Canyon held double digit leads during the second half as they led 46-36 after the third quarter before finishing off the Dragons.

Sierra Canyon features two other touted sophomores in point guard Remy Martin and post Cody Riley as they outplayed their Sacramento counterparts in the second half. The Dragons battled against an elite team that has a very complete roster.

Listed at 6-foot-7, Solomon Young usually dominates against most high school opponents in the paint. He had to face a taller and longer defender in the 6-foot-8 and 240 pound Riley who limited Young to one made field goal. The lack of depth in the post after Young may cut short the Dragons later in the postseason. Sacramento's leading scorers was Terrell and fellow guard Sayvon Hines with 13 and 15 points respectively. But the two also combined for eight turnovers.

Sacramento drops to 6-2 and into the loser's bracket. They face next Saddleback Valley Christian which has three players listed at 6-foot-8.

Etiwanda 68, Archbishop Mitty 49
Etiwanda had a superior post presence with Wyoming commit Jordan Naughton who is 6-foot-10. Etiwanda had bigger and more physical players at each position to give them a distinct advantage. As a result, the Monarchs lost every quarter and could never stage a serious threat in the game.

For the average high school program, Mitty has good size in Ben Kone and Sebastian Much. Much is a face up forward who hit several perimeter shots with a quick and smooth release. The guard play is composed mainly of Dakari Monroe and Cameron Korb. Monroe is a slasher while Korb is a spot up shooter, but neither seems to be pure point guards to direct the team. Archbishop Mitty drops to 4-1, as they will face against a formidable Wisconsin program in King High who lost in double overtime to Oakley College, a Spanish program.

Moreau Catholic 67, Issaquah (WA) 56
Issaquah is a top program from the state of Washington but the team has no listed player taller than 6-foot-5. Issaquah jumped out to a 9-0 lead but the size and quickness of Moreau Catholic swung the momentum of the game. The Mariners would rally to take a 19-16 first quarter lead and win every subsequent quarter en route to their victory.

The game was the return of point guard Damari Milstead who was finishing a school violation suspension. Prior to this game, he had been part of three team practices. Milstead was rusty early on with some turnovers but settled down in the second half with his attacking offense and aggressive defense. He did not start and came in as the sixth man.

Moreau's size and quickness was the difference, especially that of Oscar Frayer. He altered a few opposing shots in the paint and also went strong to the basket several times. Moreau now has won three straight games to go to 4-3 and will now face Mater Dei who is the overall Np. 2 seed in the winner's bracket.

Prestonwood (TX) 77, Folsom 51
Folsom faced a Prestonwood program that really came onto the scene this decade, as current Los Angles Laker rookie, Julius Randle, is an alumnus. The current program has two 6-foot-11 players in Djery Baptiste and Schnider Herard who are both athletic back to the basket post players.

Prestonwood jumped out to a 20-10 first quarter lead and extended the advantage to 38-23 at the half. Folsom had connected on three 3-point shots midway in the third quarter but still trailed 61-43.

Folsom lost the battle in the paint on both sides of the ball, as they looked tentative in their interior offensive plays. Jordan Ford hit multiple 3-point shots as the perimeter game had its moments. Folsom drops to 9-1 and will face Damien in the loser's bracket.

Players of Note

Sebastian Much 6-foot-7 F Archbishop Mitty (2017): Much returned to action as he was battling a flu virus previously. The sophomore has good height and length as he hit several perimeter shots with a quick release. Opposing teams will have trouble defending the inside-outside combination of Kone and Much.

Christian Terrell 6-foot-5 SG Sacramento (2016): Terrell has a smooth release from the perimeter as he connected on three 3-point shots. He has good length and a long wingspan to help on rebounding and passing lanes. He was sloppy with the ball as he made careless turnovers in the backcourt.

Sayvon Hines 5-foot-10 G Sacramento (2017): The undersized sophomore was fearless in his perimeter looks as he connected on three 3-point shots including two that was at least a few feet from the arc. Hines is an attacking, scoring point guard as he led his team with 15 points. His development of his point guard skills and of his height will be key to watch in his recruiting the next few years.

Damari Milstead 6-foot-2 PG Moreau Catholic (2017): The sophomore made his season debut and looked rusty early on with several turnovers. But as the game wore on, Milstead settled down and scored in the double digits and was aggressive going to the rim. He had a tendency of gambling on steals in the open court which he got away with against a smaller, slower team.

Jordan Ford 6-foot-0 G Folsom (2016): The wiry guard hit several 3-point shots and looked comfortable creating with the dribble or pulling up. Ford is an attacking, scoring point guard but also guides the offense well.

Remy Martin 5-foot-11 G Sierra Canyon (2017): Martin played in another gear, as he was a step quicker than the opposing Sacramento defenders. He created several fast break opportunities and was also fearless in attacking the rim. Martin and teammate, Ira Lee, played with Oakland Soldiers program this past summer.


Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Article 400: Winter Classic recap

December 21, 2014

The Third Annual Catholic School's Winter Classic at Chabot College in Hayward featured primarily Bay Area programs and one from Nevada. The schedule had five boys games with the final two games featuring four of the top seven teams in the most recent NCP Boys Basketball Top 20.

Here is a summary on those two games and some of the highlight players.

Game 1: St Francis 59 Clayton Valley 38
Game 2: James Logan 74 Stellar Prep 32
Game 3: St Patrick's St Vincent 59 Bishop Manouge 52

Game 4: Archbishop Mitty 70 El Cerrito 61 OT
Both El Cerrito and Mitty played turnover prone and poor shooting basketball in the first half. The Gauchos had leads of 8-6 and 21-17 after each of the first two quarters. Mitty had improved guard play and the Gauchos had foul trouble in the third quarter as the Monarchs took a 34-28 advantage into the final quarter. Three Gaucho starters fouled out late in the final quarter but a buzzer beater 3-point field goal by junior Nyima Sherab sent the game into overtime at 56-56. But the Monarchs dominated the extra time with their size by winning 70-61.

Archbishop Mitty stays undefeated at 4-0 as they travel to Rancho Mirage for the Maxpreps Holiday Classic. The Monarchs are the clear favorites in the West Catholic Athletic League. El Cerrito drops to 5-1 as they go to the Modesto Christian Tournament next. The challenging preseason schedule should make the Gauchos the favorites in the Tri County Rock League.

Game 5: Moreau Catholic 59 Modesto Christian 51
The finale turned into a battle of the committed players as Cal commit Oscar Frayer led his Mariners to victory over Modesto Christian's duo of Anthony Townes (Pacific) and Jeff Wu (Sacramento State). The game was tightly contested in the first half as the Crusaders had a 26-25 advantage. Moreau Catholic led 43-39 after the third quarter but Modesto Christian scored the first ten points to lead 49-43 midway into the final quarter. The Crusaders got outscored though 16-2 to end the game as they had several turnovers to self-destruct during that scoring drought.

Moreau Catholic had lost their last three games to out of state opponents but now stand at 2-3. They have a matchup with Castro Valley before making the trip to Rancho Mirage for the Maxpreps Holiday Classic. All the teams in the Mission Valley League have at least three losses each but the Mariners are still the prohibitive favorites. Modesto Christian falls to 5-1 as they had many turnovers that cost them this game. The Crusaders will get a chance to rebound at their Modesto Christian Holiday Hoop Tournament next week.

Players of Note

Ben Kone 6-foot-9 Post Archbishop Mitty (2016): Kone was held scoreless in the first half, but ended with 17 points. He was the most physically dominant player on the floor, especially after El Cerrito got into foul trouble. According to Kone, his most recent recruiting activity includes offers from Cal and San Diego State while Oregon State is very interested.

Riley Grigsby 6-foot-4 SF Archbishop Mitty (2018): The lone freshman on the Monarch roster, Grigsby played significant minutes off the bench as he scored eight points and made the only Monarch 3-point field goal. He has a long body and played well from the perimeter. Grigsby will be a key bench player as he played most of the final quarter before fouling out in overtime.

Cameron Korb 6-foot-1 G Archbishop Mitty (2015): Corb also had 17 points as he is deceptively crafty and quick. Korb did not display much of a perimeter game but found his scoring chances on layups in the paint to keep the defense honest. He could be a lower division prospect.

Carlos Johnson 6-foot-4 Wing El Cerrito (2016): Johnson played in foul trouble through the night but still tallied 13 points. The transfer from Arizona played aggressively on both ends but that may have led to his foul trouble. He has plus strength and athleticism but his ball handling, perimeter shooting, and height will be factors in his recruiting ceiling.

Tyrell Alcorn 6-foot-1 PG El Cerrito (2015): The senior floor leader was basically invisible for the first three quarters as 17 of his 19 points came in the fourth quarter and overtime. After three Gauchos started to foul in the fourth quarter, Alcorn basically took over from the offensive side with strong drives to the basket.

Oscar Frayer 6-foot-6 SF Moreau Catholic (2016): The Cal commit had 22 points to help rally the Mariners. As the tallest player for his team, Frayer was often found battling in the paint against more physical opponents. He looked most comfortable with a dribble start and in the perimeter where he had more space to utilize his length and athleticism.

Terrell Brown 6-foot-3 G Moreau Catholic (2016): Brown is a wiry guard who had 15 points on a combination of drives to the basket, floaters in the paint, and a few perimeter shots. The Mariners will often be running three guard sets and Brown is a good addition to that rotation.

Anthony Townes 6-foot-5 F Modesto Christian (2015): The Pacific commit had all 11 of his team's first quarter points and had 25 overall points. Townes was definitely the most physical player in the paint in the game. He plays active and aggressive but will his height and perimeter game be enough at the college level.

Jeff Wu 6-foot-1 G Modesto Christian (2015): The Sacramento State commit had 13 points and three 3-point field goals. The overall Crusader guard play was at times frenetic and sloppy. Wu was the most calming presence and probably should be the primary ball handler for the team.

Tyler Williams 6-foot-0 G Modesto Christian (2018): The lone freshman listed on the Crusader roster, Williams had six points. His athleticism and size make him an interesting prospect to watch. In addition, he played significant minutes for a Crusader team that seems thin as the listed roster only had ten players.

Additional Notes

Cal Head Coach Cuonzo Martin and two of his assistant coaches arrived for the final two games. Frayer is a Cal commit while Kone has a Cal offer.

Former Cal forward Al Grigsby was in attendance. His son, Riley, is a 6-foot-4 freshman on Mitty.

Moreau Catholic's Damari Milstead will make his season debut at the Maxpreps Holiday Classic next week.


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Article 399: Verhoeven on the loose

December 17, 2014

For Northern California basketball fans, the last name Verhoeven should sound familiar recently. The Stanford Cardinal roster includes junior center Grant Verhoeven who is from the Hanford area as he prepped at Central Valley Christian High. Further north at Manteca High, the Buffaloes have a Verhoeven of their own in sophomore, Tydus Verhoeven.

Manteca was the runner up in the Valley Oak League (VOL) last season with a 19-9 overall record (10-4 league). As a freshman, Verhoeven was the sixth man as he averaged nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists per contest. In the current season through seven games, he has been quite effective, averaging 15 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks.

Most of the past Verhoevens who have played basketball had positions in the post. Verhoeven is related to second cousin, Grant Verhoeven, as Tydus' mother is a cousin of Grant's father. Grant's father, 6-foot 9 Peter Verhoeven, played collegiately at Fresno State and then competed professionally for the Portland Trailblazers. Kenneth Wooten is another cousin (through their fathers) who is a 6-foot-8 post on the same Manteca team.

This Buffalo has post size at 6-foot-8 and 192 pounds but expects to be a guard at the next level. He compares his game to both Magic Johnson and Kyle Anderson who are taller point guards with good vision and feel for the game.

During the past summer, Verhoeven competed with the Team Superstar program based in Fresno. Team Superstar Coach Lerohn Dodson started the program in 1997 with the goal and mission to help local talented high school basketball players in Central and Northern California to gain exposure to the college recruiting system. This was Verhoeven's first year with the program as he had been with the Manteca Wildcats for the previous four summers.

Dodson comments on Verhoeven's strengths, "At 15 years old, being a 6'8 wing with his skill set and basketball IQ make him special. He is a very smart player who very seldom hurts his team. Can impact a game without scoring. Very good passer, also a really good rebounder and shot blocker."

Verhoeven competes on the football and track and field teams as well but plans to only play basketball in college. He considers his best play to be the pick-n-roll, which creates space and provides options for him to pass or to shoot. He is a versatile player who can play anywhere on the court that his coach may need him. He prefers facing the basket as he is an unselfish player.

Coach Dodson believes Verhoeven will be a major prospect, "Reminds me of DJ Wilson, who is now at Michigan. Might even be more skilled than DJ was at this age. Sky is the limit with Tydus. If he ends up being a 6'10 wing, there won't be too many kids in the country with his size, length and skill set when it's all said and done. He is big time in the classroom. His academics will open up many doors for him. His mom was a former student athlete (played basketball at Fresno State) and works in the education field so academics come first in that household."

Despite only being a sophomore, Verhoeven has an offer from Fresno State. In addition, he has made unofficial visits to Cal (Coach Hufnagel), Cal Poly SLO (Coach Fortier), Fresno State (Coach Terry), San Diego State (Coach Hutson), and UCLA (Coach Grace). His freshman GPA was 3.50 as he considers History to be his best subject and he would like to major in Sports Management.

Manteca has started this young season at 6-1. Watch for the Buffaloes to be on the loose with Verhoeven leading them in Manteca, Calif.


Article 398: Wooten leads Buffaloe herd

December 10, 2014

Manteca was the runner up in the Valley Oak League (VOL) last season with a 19-9 overall record (10-4 league). With the addition of athletic 6-foot-8, 205 pound center Kenneth Wooten, the Buffaloes are looking to be the top herd in the VOL this upcoming season.

The junior transfer had been playing for Stagg in Stockton his first two years with his sophomore year being on varsity with 10 wins. As a sophomore at Stagg, Wooten averaged eight points, nine rebounds, one assist, and five blocks per contest. The 2016 prospect will be teamed with his cousin, Tydus Verhoeven, to establish a formidable frontcourt for Manteca.

During the past summer, he competed with the Team Superstar program based in Fresno. Team Superstar Coach Lerohn Dodson started the program in 1997 with the goal and mission at the time to help local talented high school basketball players in central and Northern California to gain exposure to the college recruiting system.

Dodson comments on Wooten's strengths, "His freakish athleticism! Kenny has done things in games that have made me say WOW, did he just do that. He's a natural shot blocker and can control the glass."

Wooten competes on the track and field team as well but plans to only play basketball in college. He considers his style of play to be a combination of finesse, craftiness, and athleticism with plus shot blocking abilities.

Coach Dodson believes the best is yet to come from Wooten, "While still raw offensively, his game has improved drastically over the past 6 months. He's starting to see what his potential is on the court. His hunger and desire to be better is what's going to put him over the top."

Wooten has good size, height, and mobility for his grade level. With a winning season at Manteca and another summer with Team Superstar, he should garner more collegiate interest. Currently, Cal Poly SLO (Coach Fortier), Grand Canyon University (Coach Benson), Fresno State (Coach Terry) and Portland (Coach Pfaff) have been in contact. Wooten is still open with his recruiting and has no real geographic preferences. He wants to play for a team that runs an open and spaced offensive scheme to take advantage of athleticism.

Dodson assesses his college potential, "I think he's a solid mid major prospect right now. If his offense catches up to his shot blocking and rebounding, no question high majors will jump onboard. He reminds me of Jordan Bell (LB Poly/Oregon). Attacks the rim on offense and protects on defense."

Wooten will be eligible to play the first week of January after sitting out due to his transfer. He should enable the Buffaloes to make a run for the VOL title. Watch for Wooten to lead the Buffalo herd in Manteca, Calif.


Sunday, November 30, 2014

Article 397: Diaz headed for Dominican

November 27, 2014

In the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League (SCCAL) for the past four seasons, the Soquel program has been a mainstay as they have had 43 league wins during that time. A big reason for the basketball success for the Lady Knights has been due to their star guard, Natalie Diaz. As a junior last season, she helped Soquel go 19-10 while averaging 12 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Diaz will be going into her fourth year of varsity high school basketball as she has been playing competitively for over eleven years. Her 5-foot-11 and 155 pound size has garnered her much attention that she decided last month to commit to Dominican University in San Rafael. Second-year Soquel head coach Kananiomalama Thomas says about Diaz's decision, "The coaching staff is great. They are focused on their student athletes as students first and then athletes. It is a smaller school in a beautiful area. Natalie picked her school not purely on the basketball program but on the academics and campus itself. She knows she can't play basketball forever and wanted to make sure she got a great education first. Playing basketball on a full scholarship is just the result and a perk of the thousands of hours of practice she has dedicated herself to, to achieve a dream of hers."

Diaz characterizes herself as being a slasher as she is comfortable cutting in the paint to get her offensive looks. She also has the physical size to post up, but is also adept at shooting from beyond the arc. Her long arms and plus jumping abilities makes her turn around jumper effective while she is also able to affect opposing offenses with her blocking ability.

Coach Thomas continues, "Natalie is an incredible athlete. There are not many players that can match up to her speed and strength. Like Elena Delle Donne, she is quicker and more agile than most posts that attempt to guard her. If you try to play her on the perimeter, she can slice to the basket and finish over smaller guards. She is an incredible rebounder with a relentless pursuit of the basketball. She will not stop until the ball goes through the hoop. Recently, she has expanded her game to become more consistent from the 3 point line which is just going to make her more deadly this season and in college."

As stated by Coach Thomas, Diaz was looking for a balance in academics and athletics in college. Diaz has 3.62 GPA as her best subject is either Biology or Spanish while she is exploring to major in Physical Therapy, Communications, or Marine Biology. Before making the verbal commitment to Domincan, Diaz also had offers from Cal Poly Pomona (Danelle Bishop), Cal State San Marcos (Crystal Harris), and Sonoma State (Coach Rigby) while Cal State LA (Cassandra Renno), Cal State Eastbay (Kelsie Kruger), Portland University (Brianna Chambers), Northern Colorado (Anna Bateman), and Sacramento State (Coach Baxter) were still communicating.

Coach Thomas opines about Diaz's potential contribution at the college level. "Natalie will excel at the next level. Her versatility as an athlete will allow her to step into almost any position that Dominican Coach LaKose will challenge her with. The PacWest is an excellent and competitive conference. I played for Hawaii Pacific University several years ago and know that those Hawaii schools will keep her on her toes. Though what will make her such a valuable asset to Dominican is her work ethic and coach-ability. She still refuses to leave practice until she's made 10 free throws in a row. Dominican has scored themselves a competitor, who loves playing basketball and who will work and fill whatever role her team needs her to fill to be successful."

During her high school summers, Diaz has competed with the Palo Alto Midnight program. She works heavily on her ball handling as she is a tall guard who plays primarily the post during the school season. Diaz is looking to improve her off hand usage and ball handling during the upcoming season while helping her team win league and CCS. She also competes in track and field in the 4x100, 4x400, high jump, 200 meter, and 400 meter events but will be basketball only at college.

Coach Thomas sums up her 2015 hardcourt leader, "It's hard to put into words what makes a student athlete special. Natalie is starting her senior season 314 points shy of 1000 Soquel points, at which point, she'll join other great Soquel ladies who went on to have successful college careers. She always has a smile on her face, even during a 6AM practice. She is super humble about her abilities, almost to a fault. She has the most unique collection of crazy socks. She is a student of the game, who consistently strives to never stop learning how to improve herself and her team. Her passion for the game and her team is exemplified in her constant hustle, servant leadership, and relentless pursuit of excellence. What will give her the ability to thrive on the court and off is her mistake response. Everyone makes mistakes, it is a part of life and especially basketball. What makes special athletes truly stand a part from the rest is not their talent but their ability to respond and animate after a mistake. She plays to make her mistakes irrelevant. She chooses to give life and energy to the situation and her team. Like other great team leaders, her teammates play better when she is with them."

Soquel is a sleepy coastal town in Santa Cruz County. But watch for Diaz to put her Lady Knights back in the basketball limelight in Soquel, Calif.


Article 396: Classic tips off season

November 7, 2014

Thanksgiving weekend is when the high school basketball seson starts to count in Northern California as the 8th Annual Nor Cal Tip Off Classic features seven games starting at 11:00am on Saturday, November 29th at Newark Memorial High. The previous seven events have included competitive high school programs and have featured over 50 eventual Division I prospects.

The event will culminate with a battle between California power Bishop O'Dowd and Nevada stalwart Bishop Gorman. Three of the nation's top ten players from the 2015 class in this game will include Ivan Rabb of Bishop O'Dowd, Chase Jeter (Duke commit) and Stephen Zimmerman of Bishop Gorman. Five Northern California 2014 state finalist teams are participating in the event: Bishop O'Dowd (Open Division), Folsom (Division II), Drake (Division III), Moreau Catholic (Division IV), and St. Joseph's-Notre Dame (Division V).

Game 1: 11:00 am - College Park (Pleasant Hill) vs. St. Mary's (Stockton)
College Park won the Diablo Valley League as the Falcons went 18-7. 6-foot-6 senior forward Kevin Crosno will be the focal point for the team. The Rams won this same game last year 65-56 as Gabe Vincent (UC Santa Barbara) spearheaded a 27-2 season. Replacing Vincent's productivity will fall on seniors Lance Coleman and Jacob Aruta.

Game 2: 12:30 pm - San Ramon Valley (Danville) vs. Cordova (Rancho Cordova)
The Wolves went 24-6 last season and will have the size advantage with two seniors in 6-foot-7 Kyle Spackman and 6-foot-10 Gregg Polosky. San Ramon Valley tied with De La Salle to finish behind Monte Vista in the East Bay League. Senior guard Jordan Roberson will lead Cordova as the Lancers look to repeat in the Capital Athletic League.

Game 3: 2:15 pm - Moreau Catholic (Hayward) vs. Drake (San Anselmo)
Both Moreau Catholic and Drake reached the state finals but their Southern California opponent also dominated both in their final game. Pirate forward Jesse Hunt (Eastern Washington commit) will do battle with Moreau Catholic's forward Oscar Frayer (Cal commit). But the tone of the game may be determined by the guard play of senior Malik Huff of Drake against sophomore guard Damari Milstead.

Game 4: 3:45 pm - Berkeley vs. St. Joseph's-Notre Dame (Alameda)
Game 4 will be big public school against small private school but the advantage may go to the Pilots. The Pilots won 30 games last year in route to the state title while Berkeley made an early playoff exit despite 22 wins. Sophomore Jade' Smith of St. Joseph's-Notre Dame will be a prospect to watch as the season progresses.

Game 5: 5:30 pm - Modesto Christian vs. Bullard (Fresno)
The 5:30pm game is a battle between Central California opponents separated by 90 minutes on Highway CA-99. Both Modesto Christian and Bullard went undefeated in their respective leagues and are the league favorites going into this new season. The Knights will be a guard-oriented team headlined by senior Austin Armstead while the Crusaders will be led by senior leaders Anthony Townes (Pacific commit) and Jeff Wu (Sacramento State commit).

Game 6: 7:00 pm - Newark Memorial (Newark) vs. Folsom
Host Newark Memorial always plays tough on their home court but the Cougars graduated nine seniors from last year's 25-win team. Conversely, Folsom only lost one senior from last year's team that won 32 games in route to a state final loss. The Bulldogs' season will be led by junior guard Jordan Ford, junior guard Tre Finch (Sacramento High transfer), and senior forward Colin Russell (Portland commit).

Game 7: 8:30 pm - Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) vs. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)
Last season, Bishop O'Dowd defeated Bishop Gorman 68-54 in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas before Christmas as Rabb easily outplayed the Bishop Gorman frontcourt. Jeter and Zimmerman have shown great improvement during the summer as they look to avenge last year's lost. Coming off the bench for Bishop Gorman is 6-foot-10 Zach Collins who easily would be a starter at any other high school program. The Dragons also feature point guard Paris Austin as they look to maintain their Northern California dominance in the upcoming season.


Friday, October 31, 2014

Article 395: Vanderdoes elevates Hillmen

October 31, 2014

Placer had a 15-13 season that ended in an opening round playoff loss to East Union last season. But the future is bright for the Hillmen as they are led by forward Baylee Vanderdoes. The 6-foot-2 Vanderdoes has been a varsity starter since her freshman campaign as she averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist last season.

The 2016 prospect is a versatile scorer with a consistent perimeter game to go along with a deceptive drop step move in the post. During this past summer, she played for her JBS Basketball club where she worked on improving her perimeter skills to complement her post strength and skills.

Vanderdoes has had the benefit of a supportive family in her athletic endeavors. Her grandfather, Bernard Peat, has been her personal trainer since her 2nd grade. He played collegiately at Cal on the football team while playing basketball professionally in Switzerland 1978-1981, Giessen Germany 1981-1984, Ulm Germany 1985-1989, and Ulm Germany 1990-1994 (both player and coach) in Europe for seventeen years. In addition, Vanderdoes' older brother is Eddie Vanderdoes IV who is a defensive tackle for the UCLA Bruins.

Girls basketball does not have the variance in height and size as the boys game. As a result, being versatile and having multiple skills are highly desired in the girl's game. To no surprise, Vanderdoes has those traits and has been attracting college programs.

Arizona, Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Fresno State, Hawaii, Loyola Marymount, Oregon State, Portland, San Diego, San Diego State, San Francisco, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UNLV, and Yale have been in contact. Vanderdoes has had home visits from Cal State Northridge, Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, and San Diego State. She has received offers from Florida Atlantic, Hawaii, Loyola Marymount, San Diego State, San Francisco, and UNLV.

She has no favorites in her college selection process but would prefer a family atmosphere while a basketball program that can utilize her post skills and perimeter shooting. Vanderdoes lists Communications or History as her possible college majors.

Placer Head Coach Tony Camillucci sums up his key player, "Baylee has the unique ability to play inside and out. She has great post moves and can also hit the 3-ball with consistency. She can also handle the ball and has become a great a passer. She is becoming a good leader on the court and has a strong competitive attitude. Off the court, she is very funny and easy to be around. She loves to be goofy and laugh. I feel she can and will play at the next level and hope she can get a quality education and enjoy four years of basketball at the same time. Baylee has put in the hours in the off season to deserve the success she will have."

Vanderdoes wants to help Placer to win the Pioneer Valley League and make a run in the postseason. Watch for Vanderdoes in the upcoming season to break out in Auburn, Calif.


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Article 394: Bessolo striving for No. 1

October 28, 2014

Valley Christian (Dublin) has gone 58-8 over the past two seasons while being undefeated in the Bay Area Counties (East) League as well. A big reason for the Lady Vikings success has been the play of their 2016 prospect Nina Bessolo.

The two-year varsity starter helped key last season's league tournament title and the team's run to the Northern California quarterfinals. Bessolo primarily plays as forward on her high school team but her 6-foot-0 and 140 pound frame projects her to be a college level wing. That versatility allowed her to average 13.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game last year.

During the previous decade, the Lady Vikings were consistent losers on the hardcourt. But this decade has been different, as the team has transitioned from Coach Scott Babinat to Coach Jeff Gadd. Babinat, who coached Bessolo during her first two years says, "Nina is a very good athlete with length. She reads the lanes well on the break and can either fill the lane or direct the break with good finishing skills. She is also able to play inside and outside. As her coach, I had to use her more in the post, but she is fully capable of hitting the outside shots and drive well from the wing, which will be more of her position in college. Her greatest strengths on defense are her rebounding and shot blocking ability - very good timing."

Height and size does not vary in the women's game as much as it does in the men's game. As a result, being versatile and having multiple skills are highly desired in the women's game. Bessolo models her game after Candice Wiggins because the former Stanford Cardinal was apt with her outside shooting and ability to drive to the basket. Similarly, Bessolo is trying to develop a versatile game by finishing with finesse or power.

These qualities in Bessolo have led her to being in contact with Colgate (Justin Paluch), Cornell, Portland (Brianna Chambers) and UC Davis (Jennifer Gross). Even though it is early for her recruiting, she had taken an unofficial visit to UC Davis and liked what she saw. She wants to play for a team where the coach can utilize her size and skills as a freshman. Bessolo sports a 3.25 GPA and is undecided about her college major.

Coach Babinat says, "I know she is getting looks since early last year. She has been playing out of position in high school for what she would play in college, but she is versatile enough to make this transition. She does need to get stronger physically for the college game. She definitely has the ability to compete well at the D-1 level on down."

During the past high school summers, this junior has been playing for her Palo Alto Midnight club where she honed her dribbling, ball-handling, and hesitation moves to help her be a greater offensive threat. In addition, she competes on the high school track and field team primarily in the middle distance running and in the long jump events. Bessolo has been playing basketball since the first grade and considers this sport to be her only college level goal.

Those efforts will slowly transition to her on the court performance as well. Babinat says, "Nina's on court demeanor is quiet. She has been surrounded by older players on the team. So, she has not had to be assertive verbally. As a junior, she could probably start to exercise more assertiveness there, but she has been able to dominate play on the court without being loud."

For many Bay Area, Chicago, and New York City basketball fans, the Bessolo name should sound familiar. Bessolo's uncle is Randy Bessolo who played high school basketball in Southern California for Thacher High, played collegiately at Columbia, coached the high school circuit in Chicago, and is currently coaching at University High in San Francisco.

In addition, Bessolo's parents competed at the collegiate level at Lewis and Clark College in Oregon. Her father, Jim, played basketball as a guard and forward while her mother, Nicole, competed in track. As a result, her parental influence has carried on in the sports that she competes currently in high school.

This Lady Viking wants to play harder and smarter while focusing on rebounding and boxing out during her junior season. She hopes all her efforts will help Valley Christian make a run to state. Watch for Bessolo to strive to be the best in the upcoming season in Dublin, Calif.


Article 393: Gators run to 6-0

October 18, 2014

Sacred Heart Prep and Terra Nova played to their strengths on Friday evening in Pacifica as the Gators ran for seven touchdowns while Tigers scored on four passing touchdowns. The Gators remain undefeated at 6-0 while Terra Nova drops to 2-4 after the Gators posted a 49-28 win.

Sacred Heart Prep jumped out to a 20-0 advantage with scoring runs by running back Lapitu Mahoni (five yards out), quarterback Mason Randall (29 yards out), and JR Hardy (14 yards out). Terra Nova finally scored in the second quarter on an Anthony Gordon to Eric Viana 10-yard pass to end the half with a 20-7 deficit.

Mahoni and Hardy would add second touchdown runs of five and 26 yards respectively in the third quarter to increase the lead to 35-7. The Tigers cut the lead to 35-28 with three straight possessions of passing scores to wide receiver Jordan Genato (29, 25, and 15 yards out) that included recovering an onside kick.

Ben Burr-Kirven made his season debut by scoring from 48 yards out to increase the Gator advantage to 42-28. Genato would return the ensuing kickoff to the Terra Nova 37 and then make two consecutive catches to the Gator 15. But the second reception dislocated his hip, which required paramedics to cart him off. The long delay was both a mental and physical drain on Terra Nova, as Gordon would throw his second interception to Mitchell Martella in the end zone. On the next offensive play, Burr-Kirven would race 80 yards to conclude the scoring.

The Gators were 5-0 without Burr-Kirven and look to be that much stronger with him. A tantalizing matchup with the other undefeated Peninsula Bay League member Burlingame (6-0 currently) in three weeks could decide the league title. The Gator passing game is suspect but it seems moot, as the running game is deep.

Terra Nova squares off against Burlingame next week in a must win game if they still aspire to win league. The defense has not been competitive all season and the offense has had to shoulder the burden.

Ben Burr-Kirven 6-foot-0, 200 pounds RB/LB Sacred Heart Prep (2015): The Washington commit made his season debut with 143 rushing yards. He quietly made sure-handed tackles in the first half but made his mark in the running game with the last two touchdown runs of 48 and 80 yards to put the game away.

Anthony Gordon 6-foot-3, 180 pounds QB Terra Nova (2015): Gordon ran the high pace passing attack well with 320 passing yards. He could make all the throws but was a bit inaccurate on some of the long passes that led to interceptions. He needs to add some bulk for the college level but could fit nicely in a pass friendly scheme.

Lapitu Mahoni, 5-foot-11, 185 pounds RB/LB Sacred Heart Prep (2016): Mahoni is a bruising back who was able to run up the middle for good yardage. The junior had two running scores in the victory.


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Article 392: Filipovics to Portland

October 15, 2014

Before even stepping on the court to play a regular season high school game in America, Marko Filipovics made the decision to play for the Portland Pilots next year. The 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds Hungarian import made the move to United States at the end of summer. After playing for the Hungarian U18 national team, he decided to join up the Prolific Prep program in Napa.

Filipovics says about the decision to come to the Bay Area, "I came to the Bay Area because Coach Doherty and Coach Russotti are professionals and that was the perfect opportunity for me to develop my game." He adds about the Portland decision, "I chose Portland because Coach Michael Wolf saw me play on film and at the European championship and then contacted my Hungarian coach."

The current Pilot roster has Northern California alums in Jesuit's Bryce Pressley and Cardinal Newman's Bobby Sharp. But more telling is that the roster has five international transplants including four from the European continent. Hence, Filipovics' Northern California and European pedigree makes him a natural fit for the Portland program.

The 2015 prospect with his size and skills set will remind many of the European style of play for larger players. His signature skill is his shooting but he can also slash to the basket. He is not the traditional a post player as he plays more of a wing position. Filipovics can stretch defenses with his outside shooting.

The Hungarian is from Kaposvar, which is a city in the southwestern part of the country. He last attended Munkacsy Mihaly Gimnazium as the school won their league championship. Despite the proliferation of European players being drafted in the NBA, the only NBA player ever from Hungary was Kornel David who played in the league in the late 1990s.

Filipovics will be attending Vintage High while he plays his first and final year of high school basketball. Fittingly, he will be doing so at the newly formed Prolific Prep program. Watch for this Hungarian import to shine in Napa, Calif.



Article 391: Matthews brings leadership

October 13, 2014

The Sacramento Dragons have consistently been averaging 25 wins per season for the past decade. Last season, the Dragons had a solid 23-6 record that ended in a sectional playoff loss to Grant 93-61. The team consisted heavily of underclassmen with one junior and no seniors.

That one junior, now the lone senior, is Stevie Matthews. The 6-foot-0 and 165 pound point guard has been on the varsity program since his freshman year and will be entering his third year as a starter. Matthews plays similar to former Santa Clara Bronco Steve Nash because of his decision making, shooting ability, and passing skills.

The Dragons had four players average double digit scoring. Matthews averaged 11.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, as he was also one of the captains of the team. During the summer, the 2015 prospect travelled with the Team Superstar program. Matthews was busy working on his ball handling and shooting as he wanted to be able to get anywhere on the court to score the basketball.

Team Superstar Coach Grady Dodson says, "Stevie is a solid on ball defender. He is a surprisingly good scorer. Shoots the three as well as attacks the rim. He has been adding mid range and floater shoot. Stevie is a good PG who likes to get others involved. Handles the press."

Northern Arizona, South Dakota, Southern Utah, and Sacramento State have shown interest in Matthews. The point guard prospect wants to play in a system that is runs a half court system with an up tempo pace because of his style of play. He prefers an urban city setting that has a good engineering program. Matthews has a 3.5 GPA, ACT score of 19, and would like to major in Civil Engineering.

Dodson assess Matthews' college potential, "Stevie would be a good fit for the Big Sky, WAC, and Big West. His size and style play fits those schools. Stevie is a solid student with a good feel for the game."

Matthews is also confident about his abilities, "I believe I can contribute and benefit a DI college program and make an impact based on my abilities. Knowing that, I am still in the weight room working on my strength and in the gym adding to my skill set. Being that I'm only 16 years of age, I have much more room to grow as an individual player."

As a freshman, Matthews played behind then senior guards Darius Graham (UC Davis) and Erik Kinney (CSU Bakersfield) on the Dragon program. In the upcoming season, he will be the lone senior and team captain leading a talented duo of 2016 prospects in Christian Terrell and Solomon Young (Tre Finch transferred). Watch for Matthews in the upcoming season to make a run for state title in Sacramento, Calif.


Article 390: Padres stay perfect in West Catholic Athletic League

October 11, 2014

In its only allotted annual evening home game in San Mateo, Serra was able to pull away to a 32-20 victory over St. Ignatius. After going winless in their first two games, Serra is now 3-2 and undefeated in two league games. Conversely, the Wildcats started with three wins but have lost both of their WCAL games to also stand at 3-2 overall.

The Wildcats have not won against the Padres since 2005 and started the game with a fumbled kickoff that resulted in a Dominic Scarpino touchdown return for a 6-0 Serra advantage. St. Ignatius would drive their second possession for a 23-yard scoring pass from Ryan Hagfeldt to Dylan Elder. The Wildcats would extend the lead to 10-6 with a 36-yard field goal to end the quarter. Serra would counter with Sitaleki Nunn's two touchdown runs of 63 and nine yards respectively to end the half with a 19-10 advantage.

Serra's opening third quarter possession was an interception returned for a score by the Wildcats to cut the deficit to 19-17. The Wildcats had a chance to take the lead but missed on their field goal attempt. The Padres would drive 80 yards capped by Kelepi Lataimua's 22-yard touchdown run to give Serra the 26-17 margin after three quarters. The Wildcats would narrow the deficit with a field goal but Nunn would run 75 yards to cap the Serra scoring with the 32-20 win.

Serra was breaking in transfer quarterback Hunter Bishop who statistically did not have a great game but shows good size, has good arm strength, and is mobile. He replaces Nunn who provides an explosive running option in the backfield as opening season starter Kava Cassidy was lost to a collarbone injury in their second game. The Serra defense is versatile and quick as the unit registered five sacks and two interceptions. The special teams recovered a kickoff for a touchdown but also missed two PATs.

The Wildcats could not muster a running game with -8 yards rushing and that lack of balance put constant pressure on the Wildcat passing game. When given time, Hagfeldt was accurate with his passing. The defense gave up big running scores just like they did against Bellarmine in their previous game.

Creighton Felise 5-foot-10, 230 pounds DL Serra (2015): Felise is an undersized lineman but showed quickness in registering 2.5 sacks and 6.5 tackles in the game. Felise could move to the linebacker role in college if he has enough lateral movement and cover skills.

Ryan Hagfeldt 6-foot-3, 195 pounds QB St. Ignatius (2015): Hagfeldt was under duress in the second half and could not get into a rhythm. He accounted for the only offensive touchdown but also threw two interceptions. The Wildcats will need to have a more consistent running attack to give Hagfeldt more time.

Hunter Bishop 6-foot-3, 180 pounds QB Serra (2016): Statistically, Bishop had an off game as he had two interceptions too. He displayed mobility and leadership while having the arm strength to make all the throws, albeit they were not always accurate. If the running game can be this effective, Bishop should eventually ease into a comfort zone.

Sitaleki Nunn 5-foot-10, 160 pounds RB Serra (2017): The sophomore ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. He switched from quarterback to running back and will have a big role on the offense going forward. Coming into the game, he led the team in rushing with 160 yards and likely will be the leading rusher for the season.

Jack Dreyer 6-foot-8, 290 pounds OT Serra (2015): The Stanford commit just stands out with his height and size on the field. Nunn's long runs came on the left side, which is also the side that Dreyer mans.




Monday, October 6, 2014

Article 389: Bellarmine stays perfect

October 5, 2014

Going into Saturday's West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) matchup, Bellarmine and St. Ignatius won their first three games in contrasting ways. The Bells dominated their games by double digits while the Wildcats won by one score. St. Ignatius was positioned to pull out another close victory but fell short 31-28 to the Bells.

Bellarmine rotated quarterbacks but the Bells leaned on an effective running backfield in Anthony Guttadauro and Kyle MacAuley as Guttadauro ran 67 yards to setup a 4-yard running score by MacAuley on the first possession. Bellarmine fumbled on their next possession in their own territory that allowed Wildcat quarterback Ryan Hagfeldt to convert on a 7-yard passing score to wide receiver Danny Conte to even the score at 7-7. The Bells converted on a 4th and 1 in their own territory that led to a 59-yard catch and run score by MacAuley to give Bellarmine a 14-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The team exchanged punts and then turnovers as the Wildcats were able to return an interception to the Bellarmine 4-yard line. Wildcat running back Brian Vollert ran it in to tie the game at 14-14. The Bells drove down the field for a 39-yard field goal to end the half with a 17-14 advantage.

St. Ignatius took the second half kickoff down the field methodically that ended with a 13-yard touchdown reception for Conte to put the Wildcats ahead 21-17. Bellarmine responded quickly as MacAuley sprinted 70 yards for the score and the 24-21 advantage. St. Ignatius engineered another time-consuming drive that ended with a 3-yd running score by Rob Meagher.

Trailing 28-24 early into the fourth quarter, Bellarmine got a big running score by running back Antonio Garcia from 31 yards out to give the Bells the final advantage of 31-28. The Wildcats had the ball three more times and went into Bellarmine territory twice. On the final possession, Hagfeldt made an accurate 30-yard pass to Conte that could have been the game winner but was dropped. The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs to end the game.

Bellarmine utilizes a dual quarterback system with Troy Martig and Griffin Quinn. Martig was the better runner on Saturday as he had a 74-yard running score nullified by penalty while Quinn has the prototypical size. Neither quarterback was effective with downfield passing while they accounted for the team's two turnovers. The Bellarmine skilled positions are deep as Macauley highlights this group of versatile playmakers. The defense had trouble stopping opposing drives but did not give up the big yardage plays.

The Wildcats have a good ball control offense led by Hagfeldt who has a plethora of receivers. The defense made big plays with two turnovers caused but also was gashed by big running plays. The special teams helped with field position, as Freddie Gaines was elusive in the return game.

Bellarmine will travel to Valley Christian while St. Ignatius makes the trip to Serra. Serra defeated Valley Christian 24-10 on Friday evening. Starting WCAL play with two losses would probably end that team's chances for the regular season crown while starting with two wins would make that path easier.

Kyle MacAuley 5-foot-10, 170 pounds RB Bellarmine (2016): MacAuley scored three times on the day. The junior is versatile as a playmaker either as a runner or receiver. He produces like a Wes Welker type of player.

Anthony Guttadauro 5-foot-10, 170 pounds RB Bellarmine (2015): The senior had a big run on the opening drive. Guttadauro complements Macauley well in the backfield, as he is more of a power runner.

Troy Martig 5-foot-11, 165 pounds QB Bellarmine (2016): The Bells employed a quarterback rotation. Bellarmine is a run control offense and Martig was effective running it on Saturday. He displayed good speed as he broke a few big runs.

Ryan Hagfeldt 6-foot-3, 195 pounds QB St. Ignatius (2015): Hagfeldt is efficient in his passing and makes good decisions. He was sacked only once and did not put his team in bad down and yardage situations. His arm strength is good as he was able to make all the throws accurately and with good placement for his receivers.

Danny Conte 6-foot-0, 150 pounds WR St. Ignatius (2015): Conte had two touchdown receptions and almost had a game winning third touchdown reception. The senior had a knack of getting open throughout the game as he also made several drive extending catches.

Jack Mckeon 6-foot-1, 180 pounds DE/TE St. Ignatius (2017): The sophomore made the fumble recovery that led to the first Wildcat score. Mckeon was active and made several of the running tackles. He projects to be a linebacker at the next level who can direct the defense.

Article 388: Elan looks to be Prolific

September 30, 2014

One of the top stories in the upcoming high school basketball season will be the inception of the Prolific Prep Crew basketball academy in Napa. The roster will be deep and noteworthy. One of the players to be on the team will be former Lick-Wilmerding point guard, Micah Elan.

Elan is the No. 28 player in the NCP 2016 basketball class as the point guard had been a two-year varsity starter for Lick-Wilmerding. Playing time was not an issue for Elan at his former Division 4 school, as his teams won 18 and 13 games respectively during his first two years. With a 3.81 GPA and being a high potential basketball player, Elan was invited to transfer to the invitation only Prolific Prep program, as his academic studies will be at nearby Justin-Siena High.

Elan says about the decision to transfer, "I decided to transfer to Prolific Prep for both training and competition reasons. Jeremy Russoti is one of the best trainers out there, and I believe the best way to maximize my high school basketball productivity would be to train with him every day of the year. The competition that I play against every day at practice, and against other teams in games is some of the best in the country, and will no doubt improve my abilities as a player, as well as prepare me for college. I also love the coaching style of Coach Doherty, and am extremely excited to play for him."

The 6-foot-3 and 165 pound point guard has good size and athleticism. He plays similar to former Santa Clara Bronco Steve Nash, as he is able to protect the ball and to play with control. Elan goes to the basket strong and is able to setup his teammates.

Elan played for Team Superstars 16U during this past summer. Team Superstars Coach Grady Dodson says, "Micah's strengths are getting to the rim to score and being a solid jump shooter. He knows where to insert himself and not force things. He is surprisingly athletic and has a high basketball IQ. He will be a low DI player mainly because of his size. He will be about a 6-foot-3 combo PG/SG. Now that HS school visits are open, he may have picked up more college interest."

A big, multi-skilled point guard is always in demand. Cal Poly (Coach Fortier), UC Irvine (Coach Tons), Montana (Coach Cobb), Portland (Coach Pfaff), and San Francisco (Coach Wicks) have been in contact. Elan wants to play in a system that is fast pace, pick and roll, and cutting / off ball screens. He cares more about the academic programs of the school than its geographical location.

Elan will be switching schools midway in his high school career. He measures his success for his final two years as such, "My measure of success for my final two years of high school basketball will be how coach Doherty and Russotti help me improve to become a contributor to start, and success of Prolific Prep, as well as if I am able to earn a scholarship to a competitive basketball school as well as high academics like I aspire to."

Prolific Prep will begin its journey in the upcoming season with a number of high profile transfers, some of whom had to journey from out of state. Elan, only had a journey across the Golden Gate Bridge, says it was a difficult decision nonetheless, "The opportunity was too good to pass up on, but it was hard leaving my friends, my high school team, and my home city to join the new academy." Watch for Elan this upcoming basketball season to help the Crew in Napa, Calif.


Article 387: SI rallies in wild one

September 21, 2014

St. Ignatius pulled out a double overtime victory of 27-24 at home against St. Mary's-Stockton. The Wildcats remain undefeated at 3-0 and are one win away from matching last season's four win total. The Rams go to 2-1 and have another tough non-league game against Los Gatos.

The Rams scored within the first minute of the game as quarterback Noah Righetti ran 57 yards for 7-0 lead. The defenses battled for field position for the rest of the half, as St. Ignatius was able to start in Ram territory and driver 47 yards that culminated with a Brian Vollert 1-yard rushing touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. The Rams ended the half with a Righetti 3-yard pass to Stephen Gudino to give St Mary's a 14-7 advantage.

On the first offensive play for the Rams in the second half, a key fumble in their territory setup a Ryan Hagfeldt to Rob Meagher 3-yard touchdown pass to trim the Ram lead to 14-13 with the missed extra point. St. Mary's had all the momentum as Righetti ran 31 yards to give the Rams a 21-13 lead early in the final quarter. The Wildcats were able to come up with several key conversions on their final drive that allowed Vollert to run for his second touchdown from 2 yards out with less than a minute in regulation. The two point conversion was caught on a misdirection pass to Dominic Burke to tie the game at 21-21. The Rams frantically drove down the field but the 35-yard field goal attempt on the final play of regulation was no good.

In the first overtime, the teams started in the red zone at the 10-yard line. Both teams were stopped short of the endzone and exchanged field goals to make the score 24-24. On the second possession for the Rams, a deflected Rightetti pass ended up being intercepted by Peter Katz. The Wildcats ran one play before kicker Andrew Fererro converted on his second straight attempt to win the game 27-24 for St Ignatius.

St. Ignatius has a bye week before starting league play against Bellarmine. The team has played with a "bend but don't break" approach as each victory was by one score. West Catholic Athletic League play has always been tough but the Wildcats look like they will finish in the upper half of the standings this year.

The Rams committed the only two turnovers of the game. In addition, they seem to play too conservatively after going up 21-13. St. Mary's has two more non-league battles in Los Gatos and Buhach Colony before looking to challenge for the Tri-City Athletic League.

Ryan Hagfeldt 6-foot-3, 195 pounds QB St. Ignatius (2015): Hagfeldt made the necessary plays at the right time and did not make any costly mistakes. He converted several third downs on the Wildcat scoring drives including a fourth down conversion on the game-tying drive in regulation. He passed for 166 yards on an efficient 21 of 28. Hagfeldt said that his recruiting is mostly limited to feelers from Ivy League schools currently.

Dylan Elder 6-foot-1, 165 pounds WR St. Ignatius (2015): Elder is a possession receiver who made several critical catches. In the final possession in regulation, he snatched the ball from a defender in keeping the game tying drive alive. He also was the recipient of the key fourth down play.

Jack Mckeon 6-foot-1, 180 pounds DE/TE St. Ignatius (2017): Mckeon is a sophomore to watch as he made several key tackles both on special teams and in the opponent's backfield. He made the key fumble recovery that led to the Wildcats second score.

Noah Righetti 6-foot-1, 206 pounds QB St. Mary's Stockton (2015): Righetti is a dual threat quarterback who accounted for all three touchdowns for the Rams. He has the arm strength to make all the throws and made good decisions on the offense. The Rams also have skilled playmakers to complement Righetti.

Myles Cunningham 5-foot-11, 208 pounds DE/G St. Mary's Stockton (2015) and
Cutler Salmon 6-foot-5, 245 pounds DL St. Mary's Stockton (2015): Cunningham is undersized for the next level but he was providing a solid pass rush as he got to the opposing quarterback a few times. Salmon is probably a few inches shorter than his listed height but he also met Cunningham in the backfield on several occasions. The duo was effective in applying a consistent pass rush.

Marcell Spady 5-foot-10, 220 pounds RB St. Mary's Stockton (2015): Spady is a big bruising back who was able to get chunks of yards on his rushes. Spady does not have lightning speed but is difficult to take down on the initial hit. He should be the team's leading rusher for the season.


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Article 386: Roquemore can do more

September 10, 2014

Bishop O'Dowd ran away with the West Alameda County Foothill League last season as they went undefeated. But the Berkeley Yellowjackets gave the Dragons their closest league battle with a six point defeat in mid January in Berkeley. A big reason for this spirited battle was the guard play of Casey Roquemore.

The Yellowjackets had been coming off of two mediocre seasons of 15 and 16 wins but was led by the junior Roquemore in rebounding to a 22-5 record. The 5-foot-11 and 155 pounds point guard averaged 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists as a first time varsity starter.

During the past summer, he was a starter in the backcourt for the Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue squad as he has been with the Soldiers since the previous summer. Roquemore is a younger high school student, as he will graduate at 17 years old. He has a balanced game and compares his game to Patrick Beverly because of his tenacious defense and his maximum effort on the court.

Soldiers 17 Coach Ray Thomas says, "I challenged Casey when he started playing with our 17 blue team. I told him that he was a small guard and colleges would use that against him. I told him that he had to be almost perfect with his skill set, decision making, defense and effort. We clashed early but he got the message and by the end of the summer he was our starting point guard. Casey made it hard at times to take him off the court. Casey will most likely be a major target for D2. He should have a great season for Berkeley High School."

Despite being undersized at the point guard position, Roquemore has a quick dribble and is aggressive in his moves to the basket. His experience with the Soldiers during the summer was good experience to direct a team and helped with his decision making process.

Coach Thomas continues, "Casey can play both sides of the ball. On offense, he can get to any spot on the floor. His quickness and ball handling creates a lot of problems for defenders. His mid range jumper also keeps a defender honest. On defense, he is a ball hawking defender. He keeps opposing guards in front of him and crashes the boards well for a kid his size. He was our best player against So Cal Allstars in the opening game at the Big Foot tournament. He lead us to the upset win with 18 pts in front 30 coaches."

At this point, Cal Poly Pomona has been the only college that has inquired. Roquemore wants to attend a Division I program with a solid education with a basketball team that plays a fast break style. He has a 3.64 GPA and wants to major in international finance.

The Yellowjackets' return to prominence and relevance would be validated with another 20 plus win season and a deeper run in the postseason. In addition to Roquemore, Berkeley returns Asa Allen and Adrian Rico. Expect Roquemore to look for more with the Yellowjackets this upcoming season in Berkeley, Calif.


Friday, September 5, 2014

Article 385: Milstead making an impact

September 5, 2014

In 1968, the NCAA allowed freshman eligibility in all sports, except football and basketball. This rule was later extended to those sports effective with the 1972 academic year. At any level for a team sport, making an impact as a freshman or rookie is difficult.

Last season, Moreau Catholic's Damari Milstead started from day one as a freshman as his Mariners went 27-7 while he averaged 15.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 3.3 steals. The point guard upped his scoring in the postseason as he averaged 18.8 points in the seven games. As a result, the Mariners were able to win their first North Coast Section and Northern California championships, and advance to the school's first ever state championship game.

Moreau Catholic Coach Frank Knight says about Milstead's abilities, "Damari's strengths are his ability to get to the basket at will. He is awkward for a defender to guard. He drives left better than he does right, but can finish with both hands at the rim. He is crafty with his moves so for many defenders at the high school level, it is just too hard to figure one way to deal with him. He makes great decisions with the ball so many times he can beat his defender off the dribble and then force the other team to help which creates many open looks for our perimeter players. He is a coach's son so he has a high basketball IQ, he seems to know where to be on the court, in the right place at the right time and he knows how to use his body to get contact from defenders."

Milstead started playing club basketball in the 3rd grade with the Oakland Rebels. For the past two summers, the right-handed prospect has been playing up with the Oakland Soldiers 15U team as an incoming freshman and he was playing for the Oakland Soldiers 16U team after his freshman year. He will be on the top Oakland Soldiers 17U club next spring as a young sophomore (September 1999 birth month/year).

Milstead has good genes and family support for his basketball goals as his father, Jules, is an assistant coach for Moreau Catholic and is also a Director for the Oakland Soldiers. The elder Milstead prepped as a forward at St Joseph Alameda and Fremont Oakland. He had multiple scholarship offers and was set to join the Washington Huskies but did not qualify academically as he would go on to Diablo Valley Junior College before finishing his collegiate career at Western State in Colorado.

Coach Knight assesses why his point guard is a high level college recruit, "Damari is a warrior on the floor. He wants to show that he is the best player on the floor. We usually get his best performances when he is up against other high rated guards. He takes it as a personal challenge and wants to see where he measures up. He is soft spoken but leads by example, when a guy plays that hard it's tough not to play just as hard and that starts to spread throughout the team. I think he is a high major player and will potentially have an opportunity to make money playing a game he loves. If his improvement curve continues working on his shot and point guard skills along with weight training, it will be the sky's limit for this young man."

Being productive during his freshman year and playing for a high profile summer team has garnered college offers from Cal, Hawaii, Loyola Marymount, Montana, and New Mexico State while Stanford, Texas A&M, and USC have solid interest. He wants the college style of play to be up tempo but structured with a coach that emphasizes defense. He does not have a geographic preference. Milstead finished his first year of high school with a 3.3 GPA.

Recent freshmen in the Bay Area who had both a statistical and team impact include Archbishop Mitty's Aaron Gordon and Bishop O'Dowd's Ivan Rabb. Along with their 2016 forward prospect, Oscar Frayer, the Mariners will continue to have an intriguing inside outside combination. The 6-foot-1 and 160 pound point guard has worked hard to be good but he has stressed to his coaches that he wants to work on being great.

Coach Knight has been coaching East Bay high school basketball for close to two decades and will be going into his fifth year at Moreau Catholic. He believes Milstead is a unique talent. "I haven't really came across too many Bay Area guards that are like Damari. I'm not saying that there aren't any but it's tough to find one guy to compare him to. I would say in my opinion he is a combination of Penny Hardaway, Jalen Rose, and Russell Westbrook. He has a knack for getting to the basket at will like Penny used to do, not with a whole bunch of flash just very efficient with three dribbles and he is at the rim. He has the competitive nature and confidence that Jalen used to have in high school and at Michigan. He pushes the players around him to play harder, he wants to go up against the other teams top guard or guards around the area and he is crafty with his moves. Lastly like Russell, he takes on challenges to improve his game. Russell had to improve his jump shot and PG skills to really be elite. He worked on those things and you can see it in his game now. Damari wanted to work on his jump shot and become a better ball handler and he worked on that all summer and during the season. He will be a special player coming out of the bay in three years."

Last season, Moreau had no seniors and only one junior on their roster to make their postseason run. The Mariners will start the season off with Drake in the Tip Off Classic, battle Modesto Christian in their own Winter Classic in Hayward, trek to the Duel in the Desert in Arizona, end the year in Palm Springs for the Max Prep Holiday Classic Invitational, and will be at the MLK Classic at UC Berkeley. Watch for Milstead to build on a strong freshman year and to continue to make an impact in the upcoming season with the Mariners in Hayward, Calif.


Thursday, September 4, 2014

Article 384: Wu's eventful summer

August 31, 2014

The past twelve months have been a whirlwind experience for Modesto Christian's Jeff Wu. The 2015 prospect began his junior year with the Crusaders before being eligible midseason after sitting out due to transfer rules. After a run by the Crusaders to the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division, Wu joined the Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U club for his first taste of club basketball in the United States.

High school basketball players use the club season to help increase their exposure for the college recruiting process. The practice and travel schedule are rigorous as the action begins in the spring and goes through summer. For an international transfer student such as Modesto Christian's Jeff Wu who came to America for his sophomore year of high school, the transition can be even more difficult.

Soldiers Coach Ray Thomas says, "Jeff plays the game with passion and determination. He is a really skilled guard. His ability to attack the rim is relentless. Adding his very good shooting touch from all over the court, makes him a very dangerous offensive player. On the court, Jeff plays very fast. He sometimes plays too fast where he can get into bad spots. Energy level is at a high level right from the opening tip."

The 6-foot-2 and 170 pound point guard left Taiwan two years ago to attend Union High in Vancouver, Washington. Last summer, Wu made the move south to Modesto Christian but went home to Taiwan as he did not play in the club season. Wu was a relative unknown before the club season started but the experience with the Oakland Soldiers has netted him offers from Eastern Washington and Sacramento State while Colgate and Whitman have expressed interest.

Coach Thomas continues about Wu's college potential, "No question Jeff can play at the NCAA Division I level. This is his first time on the club circuit. He definitely will garner interest. With Modesto Christian being a high profile school, Jeff will get thoroughly evaluated."

Wu has adapted well to America as he is originally from the East Asian island country and had competed at Chin-Hwa junior high school in the Xinyi district in Taipei City (Taipei City is one of five special municipalities in the country). His academics are solid as his high school GPA is close to an A minus average. For a student who started midway in high school in America, Wu has good command of the English language in addition to the two standard languages taught in the Taiwan education system, Chinese Mandarin and Taiwanese.

Wu is not the first high profile international prospect from the Soldiers program. Coach Thomas says, "Jeff is our third foreign player. We had a guard from Finland named Rudy Memba and a 7-foot-6 kid from Iran named Jabba. Jeff is our first player from East Asia."

Modesto Christian will be one of the favorites in Northern California to return to the Open Division. A full season with the Crusaders should provide Wu with more recruiting exposure as he leads Modesto Christian to another deep postseason run in Modesto, Calif.


Article 383: The other Ionescu

August 12, 2014

Stretching defenses and creating space in a half court set is a common goal for most teams on offense. A common way to achieve this is by having accurate perimeter shooters who force defenses to stretch out to the perimeter. For the Miramonte Matadors, they have that threat in shooting guard, Eddy Ionescu.

The 2016 prospect has been on the varsity team since his sophomore year and will likely be a starter in his junior year. Last season, he was in the playing rotation as he helped his Matadors to an 18-13 record before losing in the Northern California quarterfinals.

Ionescu had a solid summer as he played up with the Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U club as a sophomore. He previously played with MVP Flight Elite from 5th through 8th grade but did not play in club basketball in high school till this past summer.

Soldiers Coach Ray Thomas says, "Eddy has tremendous upside. With improvement in the strength department, it will allow him to attack the rim better. His athleticism will only get better. In several of our games this summer, he made over four 3-pointers and colleges have taken notice. Pepperdine, Whitman, and Sacramento State have noticed. At this point, he is a low DI player but from the improvement he has shown from the spring to the summer, Eddy's ceiling is high. I absolutely expect Eddy to make a lot of noise at Miramonte this coming HS season."

At 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds, Ionescu has good size for the shooting guard position. He uses a jab step to create enough separation to give him an open look. As he is expected to take on a more prominent role on the team, Ionescu works hard during the summer to add strength to be able to handle more physical punishment in the paint and to take the ball to the basket with more effectiveness.

Coach Thomas continues, "Eddy's main strength is his ability to shoot the basketball. He moved up to the 17u circuit from 16u level and made an immediate impact on our team. With his 6-foot-4 frame and his athleticism also proved to help us in the rebounding department. On the court, Eddy has a good basketball IQ. Team first guy. He has a good motor on offense and defense. He seems like he makes all the right decisions. Off the court, he is very popular with his teammates. Eddy is a funny kid that gets along with everyone."

Ionescu's twin sister, Sabrina, is a national level prospect at the shooting guard. His sister holds almost two dozen offers from BCS level schools. When asked about their college decision making process and if it would be a packaged deal, Ionescu says, "Most likely we would both like it if we could play basketball at the same school. Ultimately, it just depends where she wants to go. We would both like to stay together and play basketball at the same school."

Miramonte will have a potent team next season as seniors Jake Linares, Jackson Wagner, and Moneer Mujadiddi will guide the team. With junior Ionescu helping stretch the defense, watch for the Matadors to make a bull run in Orinda, Calif.


Article 382: Hewitt excels in basketball

August 3, 2014

In Silicon Valley, the startup culture lauds workers who can multi-task across different functions that are both business and technical in nature. Analogous in the sports world, the athlete who can play and excel in multiple sports is highly prized at the college level. In the heart of Silicon Valley, St. Francis Lancer Peter Hewitt is such an athlete as he has competed on the varsity basketball, track, and volleyball teams.

NorCalPreps.com first saw Hewitt at the Hot Prospects camp in 2012 as a mop top haired and active prospect that had plus height and athleticism for his age group. At a current 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, the 2016 prospect is trying to help lead the Lancers back to significance as they have won 14 and 17 games respectively during his first two seasons. Hewitt moved up to varsity basketball during the playoffs in his freshman year and then was a starter in his sophomore season.

In addition to playing basketball, Hewitt competed on the volleyball team his first two years while he competed on the track team during his sophomore year. The volleyball team was a dominant 28-7 as they went undefeated in West Catholic Athletic League play and was the 11th ranked high school volleyball program last season. Hewitt competed in the high jump by achieving a personal best of 6-foot-4 inches on the track team. Hewitt is still uncertain if he will participate in either track or volleyball for his junior year.

During the summers, Hewitt has been playing club basketball. Last summer, he played for Chris Mcswain's Top Flight Elite program. During this current year, he played with the Oakland Soldiers first in the spring before switching to Lakeshow Elite 16 this June. Lakeshow Coach Scott Clark says, "Peter has a good feel for the game, his go to move in the post is a jump hook which is very efficient, he's got good hands and can run the floor well. Also is a good passer out of the post. He doesn't fight being coached."

The experience from this summer has been fruitful. Hewitt says, "I was very happy with my play in Anaheim and at the Fab 48. I thought I played well and was happy with the college coaches in attendance. I want to continue to focus on my rebounding, playing above the rim, and getting to the rim." Hewitt has also been training with former NBA post player, Gary Plummer in the South Bay.

Coach Clark, who played at Foothill High class of 2008 and then played at Humboldt State class of 2012 as a shooting guard, says, "For the next level, I see a Division I kid. He has skills you can't teach as far as his feel for the game and coordination for his size at a young age."

Size and athleticism are rare traits that are highly desired by the college teams. As a result, Hewitt has generated inquiries from Montana (Coach Cobb), Oregon (Dana Altman and Tony Stubblefield), Pepperdine (Coach Amaral), Portland (Coach Pfaff), San Jose State (Coach Tyler), and Temple (Coach Dunphy and Coach Killings). Hewitt has no offers yet but has made three unofficial visits to Oregon and plans to have unofficial visits to Pepperdine and Portland in the fall. He currently sports a 3.50 GPA and is undecided on his field of study. From a college perspective, academics are the first criteria while a competitive basketball program would be the second criteria in his decision making.

The WCAL has been dominated by Archbishop Mitty for the past few years. With a multi-skilled and multi-tasking athlete in Hewitt, look for the Lancers to make a run at league play in Mountain View, Calif.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Article 381: Leaving Las Vegas

July 28, 2014

For the teams that got to play on Sunday, it culminated a long week in the desert and an even longer summer. But the final day of summer basketball was also a prime chance to play in front of the college coaches on the final day of the final recruiting period before school starts. 


Tydus Verhoeven 6-foot-6 PF Manteca (2017) Team Superstar 15U: The last name should a ring a bell as his cousin, Grant, is on the Stanford roster. Verhoeven is a stretch four forward who is a good shot blocker and strong rebounder. He has a nice lefty stroke and has the height and vision to make good passes when pressured. Manteca High is rumored to get a high profile post transfer to team with Verhoeven. Even though he just finished his freshman year, Verhoeven has gotten interest from Harvard, Pacific, and Sacramento State.

Chris Snyder 6-foot-10 Post Ponderosa (2014) Nor Cal Pharaohs Elite 17U: The Nor Cal Pharaohs are not a household club expected to make it to the semifinals in a Las Vegas event. A big reason for their showing was 2014 prospect, Snyder. He has a good mid-range jumper and plays the pick and roll well. He has good size to rebound at the next level. Three years ago, Snyder's mobility and lateral movement was quicksand slow but he looks much lighter on his feet now. According to his Pharaohs coach, he is headed to Division II Regis College in Denver even though Division I programs have still been in contact.

Justin Asuncion 5-foot-6 PG Woodcreek (2016) E-Time Hoops 17U: The 2016 prospect is a quick point guard who is a lock down defender. He is a floor general that breaks down the defense and creates for his teammates. He was able to connect from the mid range as well. His size will be a big parameter for his recruiting.

Nikhil Peters 6-foot-4 Wing De La Salle (2016) Greenline: Peters just returned to playing two weeks ago as he had both an ACL and a thumb injury. On Saturday, he looked tentative at times in the morning game. On Sunday, he looked more comfortable as he played well on both ends. Peters returns as the leading three point shooter from last year's De La Salle team. On his Greenline team, he was playing the post at times as he does have good size for a guard to help with rebounding and post defense.

Zach Chappelle 6-foot-3 G Capitol Christian (2018) Team Superstar 15U: Chappelle looks bigger and taller than someone who just finished middle school. He has good length and is a lean guard who was not unnerved playing against older competition. Older brother, Ryan, is also on the Capitol Christian program.

Justin Abney 5-foot-11 G Enterprise (2015) E-Time Hoops 17U: Abney is an efficient scoring guard with sneaky athleticism. He plays with a Steve Nash style of being able to control the tempo to set up his perimeter shots or to use a change of pace to get to the basket. In Sunday's morning game, he hit several shots to keep his team in the game and eventually a win in overtime.

Kevin Dent 6-foot-4 Wing West Campus (2015) Nor Cal Pharaohs Elite 17U: Dent is a versatile player as he can play any of the perimeter positions. He has good ball handling and is a versatile scorer. He plays for West Campus which is in the same division as Capitol Christian and may be overlooked at times. Biola, Chico State, and La Verne have shown interest.

Jordan Ratinho 6-foot-4 SG De La Salle (2016) Greenline: Ratinho continues his strong summer play as he played well on both Saturday and Sunday. His three-point shooting was consistent. He was comfortable breaking down the press. He still needs to bulk up for the college level physicality.

Brandon Gray 6-foot-1 PG Cosumnes Oaks (2017) Team Superstar 15U: Gray is a pesky defender who gets after it on the full court press and on the half court perimeter defense. He has good speed and can slash to the basket with ease. He hit a few perimeter shots to keep the defense honest.

Notes

Six Northern California teams made it to the semifinals or better for the various Bigfoot Las Vegas Live brackets including E-Time Hoops, Greenline, Nor Cal Pharaohs 17U, Oakland Soldiers 17U Elite, Oakland Soldiers 17U Blue, and YBA. The Oakland Soldiers 17U Blue team finished as the only champion (co-champions in their bracket).

Nor Cal Pharaohs' Snyder was drawing interest from college programs on both days that were still looking to add a 2014 post player. Snyder is headed to Regis as of now.

For college coaches not from the west coast, they were quite impressed with the Greenline system. And many of the college coaches were there to view Peters and Ratinho.


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