Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Article 369: More from the Classic

May 26, 2014

The 4th Annual Bay Area Memorial Day Classic completed pool play on Sunday at City College of San Francisco. The Elite Division featured 24 teams mostly from Northern California with bracket play concluding today. Here are some player updates.

Ira Lee 6-foot-7 F Sierra Canyon (Oakland Soldiers 16 Elite) 2017: Only a freshman, Lee has the body and skills that translate to the college level. He can affect the game at either sides of the court and can play both inside and outside. At Sierra Canyon, he averaged 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds on a team that won 29 games.

Remy Martin 5-foot-11 PG Chaminade (Oakland Soldiers 16 Elite) 2017: The other Southern California based freshman on this Soldiers squad, Martin is a good floor leader. He dribbles well and is able to direct traffic. Martin and Damari Milstead made up the starting backcourt and they both complement each other well for this squad. Martin had to sit out his freshman year in high school but should be a difference maker for a Chaminade team that won 27 games this past season.

Greg Polosky 6-foot-10 Post San Ramon Valley (Lakeshow 17 Elite) 2015: Polosky has the size and agility to be a college level post as he had one thunderous dunk over a defender on the day to show those attributes. He has another year of high school to polish his skill set further and to add more bulk. He has offers from San Jose State and UC Santa Barbara.

Tarrez Blaylock 6-foot-2 G Lincoln (Bay Area Warriors 17s) 2015/
Jemiel King 6-foot-2 G Lincoln (Bay Area Warriors 17s) 2015: Both Blaylock and King play similar styles in that they are aggressive guards who like to attack the basket on offense and play frenetic on the ball defense. Blaylock was not afraid to go after rebounds. King had a nice perimeter game going. Lincoln upset De La Salle in the postseason this past year and this backcourt tandem will make them favorites to repeat in the San Francisco Academic League.

Jihad Woods 6-foot-7 F Vanden (Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue) 2015: Woods is a face up type of player who is versatile with his scoring. He hit several three point shots and went hard to the basket while also can execute the pick and roll nicely.

Mo Britten 6-foot-3 Wing Del Campo (Team Sage Truth) 2014: Britten was aggressive with his dribble drive and in the paint. He has bulk but lacks height. Despite that, he plays tough and showed versatility on both ends of the court.

Mustafa Bey 5-foot-11 G El Cerrito (Oakland Rebels 16 Red) 2016: Bey has good size for a guard as he was fearless going to the basket and used his size to get position for scoring and rebounding opportunities in the paint. He plays aggressive on the ball defense as well. He will need to be a better distributor and perimeter shooter.

Tony Covington 5-foot-7 PG De La Salle (Greenline) 2017: The lone freshman on the summer roster, Covington is a shifty, jitterbug type of point guard. He dribbles with confidence and directs the team well. Covington played significant minutes and can grow into a college level prospect the next few years.

Kenneth Tompkins 6-foot-3 F Bishop O'Dowd (Jam Squad Black) 2018: Tompkins will be entering high school next year but his wingspan and athleticism was noticeable. Still raw, Tompkins will most likely be on junior varsity but has potential.

Chris Bean 6-foot-7 Wing Sequoia (Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue) 2015: Bean is long and athletic as he displayed versatile scoring abilities. He is still very thin for a junior and will need to bulk up during his final high school season. Playing for a low profile high school, Bean should benefit with his summer tour with this Soldiers team.

Edra Luster 6-foot-9 Post Skyline (Oakland Rebels 16 Red) 2017: The freshman is the tallest player on this Rebels squad but is quite raw. Luster's length and height make him a player to watch as he still has three years to add bulk and to refine his basketball skills. He ran the floor well and looked to be aggressive but still needs to work on his body coordination.

Chris Hansen 6-foot-7 PF Campolindo (Lakeshow 17 Elite) 2015: Hansen is a back to the basket forward who easily gets a double double per game with his size and skill set. He had a few turnovers in the paint and could work on his perimeter game. Hansen has been getting interest from San Francisco and Saint Mary's.

Recruiting Updates

Austin Clarke 6-foot-5 SF Campolindo (Lakeshow 16 Elite) 2016: Campolindo had 23 wins this past season as Clarke will play a big role in continuing that success. The junior to be is getting interest from UC Irvine. Clarke's father is Saint Mary's Gaels Assistant Coach Marty Clarke.

Calvin Geraci 6-foot-3 SG San Marin (Lakeshow 16 Elite) 2016: Geraci averaged 14.3 points in his sophomore season at San Marin. This has helped him garner interest from Columbia and Princeton.

Charlie Duysen 6-foot-5 Wing Marin Catholic (Lakeshow 17 Elite) 2015: Marin Catholic had 17 wins this past season as Duysen led the team in point, rebounds, and assists. He has solid grades too as Brown and Princeton is in contact.

Jesse Hunt 6-foot-6 F Drake (Lakeshow 17 Elite) 2015: Drake had 26 wins this past season as Hunt averaged 17.7 points and 10.1 rebounds. Eastern Washington and Portland are early inquirers.

Caleb Baskett 6-foot-2 G Washington (Lakeshow Seniors) 2014: Baskett is likely headed for Saddleback Junior College.

Spencer Clark 6-foot-4 SG Concord (Lakeshow Seniors) 2014: Clark is signed with Sacramento State.

Anderson Clarke 6-foot-5 SF Campolindo (Lakeshow Seniors) 2014: Concord had a 22-win season led by Clarke who is signed with Concordia.

Sebastian Flores 6-foot-2 G Bishop O'Dowd (Lakeshow Seniors) 2014: Flores had transferred from College Park to Bishop O'Dowd for his senior year and is planning to go to San Francisco State.

Ryan Imhoff 6-foot-5 SF Napa (Lakeshow Seniors) 2014: The small forward signed with Carroll College in Montana.

Buster Souza 6-foot-8 PF Acalanes (Lakeshow Seniors) 2014: Souza has been one of the more versatile post players in the past few years in the region as he is signed with Western Oregon.

Ben Kone 6-foot-8 Post Archbishop Mitty (Oakland Soldiers 16 Elite) 2016: A deep postseason run at Mitty has helped Kone receive a verbal offer from New Mexico while Oregon has been in contact with his high school coach. A good summer league and two more years of West Catholic Athletic League competition could help garner more interest.

Article 368: City Championship report

May 19, 2014

The 7th Annual City Championship Tournament at City College of San Francisco had 32 teams. The 16s bracket ended with the Oakland Soldiers 15 Elite team and the Oakland Soldiers 16U Blue team as co-champions as the two teams elected not to play against each other after their respective semifinal victory.

Meanwhile, the 17s title game resulted in a 70-56 victory for Greenline over Top Flight Elite 16 Red. As the summer De La Salle travel team, Greenline's play in the event was solid 2016 wing Jordan Ratinho led the team on Sunday. Expect next season's De La Salle program to bounce back from a disappointing past season by Spartan standards, which resulted in only 21 wins and an early playoff exit. Here are some player updates:

Jordan Ratinho 6-foot-4 Wing De La Salle/Greenline (2016): Ratinho can handle the ball, had a nice three-point motion, and was physical in the paint to get rebounds. The wing hit timely shots and fought for key rebounds in helping Greenline win out on Sunday. He will be a junior next year as a good and fairly comparable style of play would be to former Spartan Elliott Pitts.

Tim Falls 6-foot-1 G Dublin High/Oakland Soldiers 15s (2016): Falls is active and aggressive on both ends. He defends tenaciously and goes hard to the basket. Adding height and a more consistent perimeter game will balance his offensive game to allow him to move to the shooting guard role.

Tim Harper 6-foot-1 G Salinas High/Orlando Johnson Basketball Academy JV (2017): Harper is an aggressive on the ball defender and has good size for the guard position. He gets to the basket well and leads his team effectively. The Salinas product was on JV this past season but looks to be on varsity next season. The sophomore to be projects to college level talent.

Negassi Hart 6-foot-5 Wing Sacred Heart Cathedral/Above and Beyond 17s (2015): Hart is versatile on the offensive end as he can post up, shoot anywhere from the perimeter, and finish in the lane. The senior to be is athletic and strong enough to guard both interior and exterior players.

Cole Rothman 6-foot-0 G Aptos High/Orlando Johnson Basketball Academy JV (2016): Rothman can score either from inside or outside. He has a good frame for a guard as it shows in his rebounding ability. The Aptos product projects to be a shooting guard.

Prince Rahjeem Martin 6-foot-7 PF Albany High/Oakland Rebels 15 (2017): The sophomore to be has good height and size as he runs the floor well and has soft hands. He gets good position for rebounds and has a good mid range shot. The Albany product has the size to project to the college level but can improve his lateral movement and quickness.

Cameron Browning 6-foot-4 Wing St Francis/Roadrunners 17u (2015): Browning is a versatile player who does a little of everything. He has enough size and quickness to guard both the interior and the exterior at the high school level. His passing is good while he is also apt at ball handling. Browning is a solid prospect at the DII or DIII level.

Cameron Morgan 6-foot-3 Wing Salesian High/Oakland Rebels 15 (2017): Morgan is an athletic wing who is an energy player. The Salesian prospect has a mid range shot that complements his strong drives to the basket. He was on JV this past year but projects to be on varsity for Salesian next year.

Melvin Estes 6-foot-1 CG Burbank High/NorCal Warriors 15u (2017): Estes plays hard and relentless. The 2017 prospect was active on rebounding and would go up strong on drives to the basket. He also connected on a few perimeter jumpers. He needs to play with more control as he had a few turnovers while being too aggressive.

James Kelbert 6-foot-4 Wing Leland High/Above and Beyond 17s (2016): The Leland prospect can be effective on both ends of the court. He looks to pass first instead of looking for his own shot. Kelbert has enough length and size to guard anyone on the high school level. He disrupted the passing lane several times as well.

Luke Avdalovic 5-foot-9 SG Vista High/NorCal Warriors 15u (2017): Avdalovic is an accurate perimeter shooter as he has good form and connected from a few out of bounds designed plays for him. Only a freshman right now, he has time to add needed height and size to complete his frame.

Michael Pintily 6-foot-1 G Fremont High/Oakland Rebels 17 (2016): The junior to be is an athletic slasher and goes strong to the basket but needs to add a consistent perimeter game. He plays tenacious on the ball defense.

Jadah Smith 6-foot-2 G St Joseph's/Oakland Soldiers 15s (2016): The 2016 prospect is long and versatile. He handled the ball well in the open court and was able to direct the team while being aggressive in rebounding. He scored both by going to the basket and from the perimeter.

Darius Thomas 6-foot-2 CG St Francis/Roadrunners 17u (2016): The junior to be is an all around scorer as he was able to connect from the perimeter while able to get to the basket for points as well. Thomas puts defensive pressure on opposing ball handlers with his quickness and lateral movement.

Emeka Udenyi 6-foot-3 Wing De La Salle/Greenline (2017): Udenyi is the younger brother of former De La Salle guard Amadi Udenyi who is at Pepperdine. The current freshman has good size and moves well on the court. He projects to be a forward as his height and perimeter skills will determine whether he is face up or back to the basket in his style of play.

Casey Roquemore 6-foot-0 PG Berkeley High/Oakland Soldiers 16 Blue (2015): The Berkeley product gets to the basket well and can finish. He plays tough on ball defense. To play at the next level, he needs to be more of a facilitator, as his size and quickness would suit him to the point guard position.

Jase Wickliffe 6-foot-5 Wilcox/Top Flight Elite 16u Red (2016): The Wilcox product has length and bulk to play the inside at the high school level. But he also displayed adequate perimeter skills. His size and skills development should determine if he is an inside or outside player.



Article 367: Soldiers split EYBL games

April 27, 2014

Day 2 of the fifth annual Nike Elite Youth Basketball League continued in Sacramento, Calif. Going into this club season, the Oakland Soldiers are considered to be one of the top travelling teams as they feature two of the top overall players from the 2015 class in Ivan Rabb and Stephen Zimmerman. Yet, the Soldiers played sluggishly and inconsistently in splitting their two games to open league play.

The Soldiers got poor perimeter shooting in their 60-54 loss to the Kansas-based MOKAN Elite team while the second game saw some improvements as the Soldiers defeated Team CP3 from North Carolina 55-45. Rabb was the leading scorer and rebounder for his team in both games and was even called upon to bring the ball up the court to help break the press and start the offense.

The current roster has played together in only one tournament prior to EYBL play and it showed. In the first game, the Soldiers had only 9 assists to go with 23 turnovers attributable to poor guard play. While Rabb is clearly the team's best player, they struggled to get him the ball. The Soldiers will need to bring a more consistent and higher level of play on Sunday as they face off with Mac Irvin Fire and California Supreme, both of whom won their opening two games.

Coach Jules Milstead said that the club would add a few players later in the season as the roster is only eight currently and the league rules still permit roster changes.

Here is some analysis of the current roster:

Max Hazzard 6-foot-1 G Loyola (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: Hazzard is a competitor and plays hard. He attacks the basket and led the Soldiers with 12 free throw attempts combined for the two games. Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of playing with new teammates but Hazzard, who played the point guard position, did not do a great job of setting up his teammates, particularly the bigs, in the half court. His older brother, Jacob, is on the Arizona Wildcats roster as a guard while his late grandfather, Walt, was the former basketball head coach at UCLA.

Bernard Ward 6-foot-0 G Salesian (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: Ward played very few minutes and when he did see the floor, he was out of sorts and only exacerbated the poor play from the backcourt.

Tyrell Alcorn 6-foot-2 G El Cerrito (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: Alcorn has slowly moved his way through the various levels of the Soldiers program. However, he missed point blank layups, had difficulty bringing the ball up court under pressure and appeared intimidated and dispirited by the level of play.

Rex Pflueger 6-foot-6 SG Mater Dei (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: The lone bright spot in the back court for the Soldiers in game one, Pflueger has good size and basketball IQ at the guard position as he anticipated well in making a few open court steals and transition points. Normally a perimeter threat, his shooting was off on both days.

Oscar Frayer 6-foot-6 SF Moreau Catholic (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2016: The only sophomore on the Soldiers roster, Frayer has good length, versatile skills, and athleticism, however he didn't get many opportunities to show it in the first game.

Chimezie Metu 6-foot-10 F Lawndale (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: Probably the least recognized of the three post prospects on the roster, Metu is long and athletic and should benefit from practicing against and playing aside Rabb and Zimmerman.

Stephen Zimmerman 7-foot-0 Post Bishop Gorman (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: Zimmerman is moving from Dream Vision to the Soldiers. The post prospect played tentatively on the offensive side in the first game but bounced back in the second. Defensively, Zimmerman's presence and athleticism for his size will alter many shots and makes him a high level prospect but he needs to improve his toughness, seal better in the block and be more offensively assertive to increase his recruiting stock.

Ivan Rabb 6-foot-11 Post Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland Soldiers 17U) 2015: Rabb validated his potential as he had 28 points on 10-for-12 shooting in the two games with 14 rebounds. Currently, he is a face up four who is very skilled. He needs to get stronger and be more physical in the post as he is too easily uprooted from his established position in the block forcing him to receive the ball further from the basket. Being the longest standing member of the Soldiers 17U team, Rabb is taking over the leadership reins from Aaron Gordon and Stanley Johnson from the past two years.

Other Notes:
Over 120 assistant and head coaches were in attendance in the two Soldiers games. Notable coaches included Roy Williams, John Calipiri, Mike Brey, Dana Altman,
Mike Krzyzewski, Sean Miller, Cuonzo Martin Phil Martelli, John Calipiri, Lorenzo Romar, among others.

Former Oakland Soldiers Leon Powe was with the team.

The EYBL roster has nine freshmen (2017) prospects listed on the 40 rosters. The rosters are not yet finalized and this number could change.

The tallest player listed is 7-foot-5 Elhadji Fall from Florida based E1T1 17U. Fall is not a starter as the E1T1 team has a strong frontcourt.


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