Article 358: Tip-Off Classic recap and Player reports

December 1, 2013

Newark Memorial and Monte Vista posted season opening NCP Top 20 wins to highlight the 2013 NorCal Tip-Off Classic. Also see Jalen McFerren's heroics and a monster game from Shon Briggs to start another basketball season.

No. 2 Newark Memorial made an early statement in the 2013-2014 season with a 64-48 win over No. 3 Modesto Christian. The Cougars were paced by their senior guard duo of Joey Frenchwood (15 points) and Mike Pickney II (13 points). Matthew Thomas added 18 points and nine rebounds.

Modesto Christian forward Anthony Townes had 19 points and 11 rebounds in battling the size of Newark Memorial throughout the game. Guard Mason Washington had 15 points for the Crusaders.

Newark Memorial shot 52 percent from the field compared to 27 percent from Modesto Christian. Both teams combined to shoot 5-for-33 from three point range.

The Cougars play Arroyo on Tuesday while Modesto Christian will host No. 4 Capital Christian on December 7.

Rabb leads O'Dowd past Bullard

In the first game of his junior season, 5-star power forward Ivan Rabb had 28 points on an array of dunk finishes as No. 1 Bishop O'Dowd beat Bullard 90-76. The Dragons started the game on a 14-0 run and saw Rabb and fellow junior Paris Austin scored the first 18 points for Bishop O'Dowd. It led by 14 points after one quarter, 12 points at halftime and 15 points after three quarters. Austin also had 28 points, including three made 3-pointers.

Humboldt State signee Calvin Young Jr. had 17 points as the best player for Bullard, who was without junior star Austin Armstead. Sophomore Pardeep Gill made six threes in a losing effort.

The Dragons, playing with Isaiah Thomas and Sebastian Flores due to transfer ineligibility, are off until December 19 when they travel to Las Vegas for the Tarkanian Classic.

Monte Vista wins Top 20 matchup

No. 5 Monte Vista controlled the action from the beginning in a 75-56 win over No. 20 Moreau Catholic. The Mustangs relied on a senior quartet led by player of the game Grant Jackson with 22 points and six rebounds. Cal Poly signee Trevor John had 19 points, including three early 3-pointers to open up the early lead. Spencer Rust had 14 points and Rishi Satoor had 15 points.

Freshman point guard Damari Milstead scored 21 points in his varsity debut for the Mariners, which started four underclassmen. Armond Simmons added 14 points and Oscar Frayer finished with 11 points .

Monte Vista shot 6-for-10 from beyond the three point line and was +15 in the rebounding battle. At times, Moreau Catholic's pressure caused Monte Vista some issues, but Monte Vista always had a counter and executed well on offense.

The Mustangs head to Santa Rosa for the Russ Peterich Tip-Off Classic this week. Moreau Catholic plays Antioch on Tuesday.

Freedom overwhelms Granite Bay

No. 17 Freedom jumped out to 26-13 lead after the first quarter en route to a 77-60 win over Granite Bay, which lost 2015 shooting guard Kendrick Jackson to transfer out of the area over the summer. Going 0-for-4 from three point range, Freedom shot over 50 percent from the field led by 23 points from Elliott Smith. Steven Roxas chipped in with 18 points and Rodney Pope had 15 points with five rebounds and five assists.

Granite Bay was led by 18 points from sophomore Charlie Tooley and 10 points from senior Aidan Naughton.

Freedom takes on No. 13 Salesian on Tuesday while Granite Bay takes on No. 15 Sheldon in its foundation game. The Grizzlies will return to regular season action on December 10 against No. 10 St. Mary's-Stockton.

Oakland holds off Briggs, Heritage

Oakland had a size disadvantage but its guard play and quickness allowed them to defeat Heritage 66-59. The Wildcats ran out to a 36-23 advantage at the half before Heritage was able to close to within six points in the second half. Oakland made its free throws to close out the Patriots.

Game MVP Keith Hunter led Oakland but the Wildcats have a rotation of athletic and versatile guards and wings to throw at their opponents. The Wildcats have a lack of height and size as they will have to outrun and to be more athletic than their competition. Oakland was runner up in the Oakland Athletic League last season but will be formidable again this season.

Shon Briggs had 39 points as the Patriots did not have another double-digit scorer. Opposing teams should key their defense on Briggs and force others to score. Heritage finished third in a competitive Bay Valley Athletic League last season and should be the main challenger against league favorite, Freedom.

Rams start fast, beat College Park

St. Mary's had double digit leads after both the first and second quarters as the Rams led 40-29 at the half. College Park made a strong defensive stand to take the lead briefly against the Rams in third quarter, but St. Mary's was able to counter to lead at the end of the third quarter and to eventually win 65-56.

St. Mary's will lean on Gabe Vincent and game MVP Lance Coleman as they look to repeat and go undefeated in the Tri-City League. The Rams have a good rotation of interchangeable guards and forwards that complement the two main stars. St. Mary's has a spread offense that will fast break when available but look for the 3-point shot in the half court set. Close to half of its field goal attempts were 3-point shots.

College Park has a good balance of inside and outside play, as the Falcons will also look to repeat and to go undefeated in the Diablo Valley Athletic League. The guard play struggled offensively in this game but forward Joe Demers stepped up with a game high 27 points. The Falcons were also outrebounded by seven and had six fewer free throw attempts as they had trouble controlling the paint.

McFerren makes game winner

Castro Valley looked to be outmatched and outsized against Fairfield as the Trojans trailed by seven after one quarter and by four at the half. However, Castro Valley rallied in the second half to win 55-53 on their last shot by senior Jalen McFerren, who was the game MVP.

Castro Valley made 14 field goals out of 20 attempts including four 3-point shots in the second half to rally. The Trojans are undersized and will depend on a multi guard set to pressure and to outpace opponents. Castro Valley finished in last place in the West Alameda County-Foothill Division last season and will look to be a stronger challenger, as Bishop O'Dowd will be the favorites.

The Falcons are undersized as well but have some bulk in the paint that looked to be the difference in this game. They out-rebounded Castro Valley 36 to 24. Fairfield also committed nine more turnovers and had more fouls that allowed for the rally. Fairfield finished second in the Solano County League last season and should be a challenger again.

PLAYER REPORTS:

Plenty of talented prospects opened their seasons at Newark Memorial on Saturday, led by nationally ranked prospects Ivan Rabb and Oscar Frayer. Also see what unsigned seniors stood out, including Shon Briggs, Joey Frenchwood and Elliott Smith.

Keilan Banks 6-foot-1 W Oakland (2014): The senior had 16 points and seven rebounds as he played physical despite being undersized in the paint. Banks will need to improve his ball handling skills and perimeter game, but he can be a lower division college prospect.

Shon Briggs 6-foot-6 PF Heritage (2014): Briggs had 39 points on 17-for-24 shooting and 5-for-14 from the free throw line. He also had 11 rebounds and was often bringing the ball up the court for his team. Despite his bulk, Briggs was comfortable dribbling and creating his shot off the dribble. He will need help from his teammates offensively as opposing teams should focus their defense on him and try to get him into foul trouble. If Briggs continues improvement on his dribbling and lateral movement, then he would be a solid Division I small forward prospect.

Joe Demers 6-foot-2 SF College Park (2015): The junior had a game high 27 points on 11-for-17 shooting with two 3-point shots and three made free throws. Demers also led the Falcons with six rebounds despite being undersized. Demers' best sport is not basketball as he is a highly rated pitcher who has already committed to Washington.

Joey Frenchwood 6-foot-0 PG Newark Memorial (2014): The veteran point guard finished with 15 points, four assists and three rebounds against Modesto Christian. He was able to get to the basket consistently while knocking down a pair of mid-range looks and helping set up the Cougars offense. Add in his stellar defense and Frenchwood continues to establish himself as one of the top lead guards in the region.

Demoriaye Hart-Spikes 5-foot-11 PG Fairfield (2014): The senior had 14 points in the loss. He plays aggressively and tough as he was not afraid to draw contact with seven free throw attempts, but he also had six turnovers and a few offensive charges. Hart-Spikes will need to play more in control and more efficiently to maximize his output and more importantly his teammates.

Keith Hunter 6-foot-1 G Oakland (2014): Hunter had 17 points and eight rebounds as the senior plays efficiently and smart. He had four assists against only one turnover as he ran the team quite well. As a college prospect, Hunter is undersized but is versatile enough to contribute.

Grant Jackson 6-foot-1 G Monte Vista (2014): Jackson is a tough point guard and finished with 22 points and six rebounds. He scored from different areas and handled the ball well while getting Monte Vista into its offense. He started to gain confidence in the second half and carried the action for stretches at a time.

Trevor John 6-foot-3 G Monte Vista (2014): John has legit three point range and a quick release as seen in three early 3-pointers to stake the Mustangs to an early lead. He moves well without the ball and spaces the floor well. He also saw some looks in the post. John can impact the game more defensively as a two-way guard. He is signed to Cal Poly.

Demareyeh Lane 6-foot-0 G Castro Valley (2014): The senior chipped in with 12 points as he was perfect in his six field goal attempts. With Derrick Clayton transferring, the Trojans will need other offensive playmakers to step up. An efficient performance by Lane in this first game will definitely help.

Jalen McFerren 5-foot-9 PG Castro Valley (2014): The Chico State signee had 13 points that included the game winner. McFerren is undersized height wise but he goes hard to the rim and is not afraid of contact anywhere on the court. He ran the team well and plays smart basketball to be a coachable college prospect.

Mike Pickney II 5-foot-11 PG Newark Memorial (2014): Transferring into Newark Memorial this year, Pickney gives the Cougars another dimension. He can break down defenders off the dribble and is a creative playmaker. He can over-dribble at times, but helps make Newark Memorial a tough matchup in the backcourt.

Spencer Rust 6-foot-9 Post Monte Vista (2014): A post in constant motion, Rust is an active 6-foot-9 and finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. He is a very good offensive rebounder and served as a good press break option at midcourt on Saturday. He has good hands, but can sometimes get knocked off his spot on finesse finishes. Good post option left unsigned in 2014 class.

Elliott Smith 6-foot-6 SF Freedom (2014): The unsigned 4-star prospect had 23 points and nine rebounds in picking his spots during an up and down game. Smith is a smooth athlete with a good frame and is becoming a more polished finisher. He is a good defender, but can improve on his outside shot. Smith said he has offers from Nevada, Pacific, Cal State Fullerton and Northern Colorado. He is also hearing from Weber State.

Matthew Thomas 6-foot-8 Post Newark Memorial (2014): Following a good summer, Thomas started his senior season off well with 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He runs the floor well and is finishing better around the basket. Still with plenty of room to add bulk in the coming years, Thomas is the type of post prospect that can blossom at the college level. He would be a good low major option.

Gabe Vincent 6-foot-3 SG St. Mary's-Stockton (2014): The UC Santa Barbara signee had an off night shooting but still had 11 points and eight rebounds. Vincent looked for his shot and can create his own shot with ease. He is athletic and moves well on defense.

Paris Austin 5-foot-10 PG Bishop O'Dowd (2015): Playing with more assertiveness than last season, Austin finished with 28 points highlighted by three made 3-pointers. He got to the line for double digit attempts on Saturday night and played well in an up tempo attack. After hauling in his first offers over the summer, Austin may be the x-factor to the Dragons' state title chances.

Lance Coleman 6-foot-6 W St. Mary's-Stockton (2015): Coleman had 17 points that included three 3-point shots and also had 13 rebounds. He should project as a wing or small forward on the college level but will be a versatile player at the high school level. Coleman is wiry but has a good wingspan and length to be disruptive on defense.

Kendall MacIntosh 6-foot-6 F Freedom (2015): MacIntosh has a raw, but projectable frame and was able to put together a couple of finishes inside. The junior forward certainly needs to add strength and play tougher to take the next step. He can also improve as a shot blocker. He finished with nine points and three rebounds.

Anthony Townes 6-foot-6 PF Modesto Christian (2015): Townes competed well against good interior size for Newark Memorial in finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He is a good rebounder and moves well without the ball. Townes is slightly undersized as a four man and needs to develop his offensive repertoire, but he is among the top 2015 prospects in Northern California.

Ivan Rabb 6-foot-10 PF Bishop O'Dowd (2015): Likely the next McDonald's All-American selection to come out of the region, Rabb notched 28 points with 15 rebounds and four blocks including a number of athletic dunks. He is a quick jumper, has good hands and is very agile working around defenders. He is regarded as one of the top juniors in the country.

Oscar Frayer 6-foot-6 W Moreau Catholic (2016): Already nationally ranked by Rivals.com, Frayer doesn't need to dominate the ball to impact the game. He attacks the glass well, including two big dunks off of misses. Frayer has excellent size and is a good shot blocker. He had a game high four blocks in also seeing time inside.

Damari Milstead 6-foot-1 PG Moreau Catholic (2017): In his first varsity game, Milstead was able to get to the basket and does a good job of avoiding defenders on his finishes. He possesses a good in-between game to supplement his outside arsenal. Defensively, he plays with active hands and takes good risks. Top early prospect in 2017 class.