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.

Article 380: Win or go home in Vegas

July 27, 2014

Saturday is typically moving day in Las Vegas as losing in bracket play ends summer play for prospects and their clubs. As an example of contrast, the Team Superstar 17U club is finished while its younger Team Superstar 15U and 16U clubs will play into Sunday. Other teams of note from Northern California extending their summer include the E-Time Hoops, Greenline, Nor Cal Pharaohs 17U, Oakland Soldiers 17U Elite, and Oakland Soldiers 17U Blue. Here are some player updates.

Armani Collins 6-foot-5 Wing Stuart Hall (2015) Dream Vision 17: The interest in Collins is there even on a loaded Dream Vision team. He can score going to the basket or from the perimeter. He has length and an active body on defense and in the paint. Adding size to handle the rigors of college ball would be a priority. Montana and UC Irvine have interest.

Joshua Patton 6-foot-8 PF Manteca (2015) Team Superstar 17U: Patton should add to his Sacramento State offer after the summer. He plays defense, rebounds, helps alter shots, hustles after loose balls, and runs the floor. He is not the most polished scorer and still needs more bulk to survive the college post battles but his defensive activity is always full throttle.

Kameron Johnson 6-foot-1 PG Granada (2015) Lakeshow Elite 17U: The summer ended earlier than expected for Lakeshow, but Johnson played well to highlight his attributes. His large size for a point guard, strong dribble, no hesitation in going to the paint, and tenacious ball defense. He shot the perimeter ball more than expected but can adjust his style of play based on his surrounding personnel.

Jemiel King 6-foot-2 PG Lincoln (2015) Bay Area Warriors 17U: King is quick with his feet to the basket and fearless in attacking the paint. He made some nice passes after breaking down the defense. He needs to play with more control as he is a high risk, high reward type of player.

Demarre Walker 5-foot-11 PG Vanden (2015) Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U: A serviceable point guard who has a low center of gravity and quickness to get to the basket to create opportunities for teammates. He helped lead and start several transition baskets in helping his team go into Sunday.

Matt O'Reilly 6-foot-5 SG Campolindo (2015) Team Superstar 17U: The 2015 has had a back and forth year with injuries as he broke a wrist during the high school season and has fought tendonitis in the knee during the summer. At times, he looks tentative but in one game, he put it all together as he played with the frenetic pace of scoring both inside and outside while playing attacking defense. Campolindo has a solid team this upcoming season, especially if O'Reilly can return to full health. He mentioned that Richmond is the latest college that has shown interest.

Demar Dunn 6-foot-0 PG Salesian (2015) Bay Area Warriors 17U: Dunn is undersized at the point guard position but makes up for it with his quickness and attacking nature. Dunn is one of three returning 2015 players on a young and undersized Salesian roster. He should see playing time with his seniority leadership and athleticism.

Stevie Matthews 5-foot-11 PG Sacramento (2015) Team Superstar 17U: Team Superstar had a strong showing on the Under Armour circuit but injuries slowed them down during the Las Vegas week. But point guard Matthews played effectively as a floor general in his passing and control of the tempo. Playing for a talented Sacramento High program should increase his recruiting interest as North Dakota and Northern Arizona have shown initial interest.

Steven Bush 6-foot-3 SG Bella Vista (2015) Nor Cal Warriors 17U: Bush is a bigger, stocky guard who has an adequate perimeter game. He has average quickness but punishes opposing guards physically. He is a lower division college level prospect.

Brandon Lawrence 6-foot-2 G Moreau Catholic (2016) Oakland Soldiers Blue 17U: Playing up in his age category may have been a catalyst as Lawrence contributed on both ends. At times during the summer, he looked tentative in his play. In bracket play, he contributed with perimeter scoring, rebounding, and on the ball defense. Another day of basketball can only help his exposure.

Vince Romeo 6-foot-0 PG De La Salle (2015) Greenline: Romeo is a scoring point guard as he showcased a good perimeter touch while also going to the basket. He is a pesky perimeter defender with adequate quickness. He is a scrappy player who hustles and makes plays in a team oriented system.

Vinnie Safin 6-foot-4. Wing Rocklin (2015) Nor Cal Pharaohs Elite 17U: Safin paced his team in the opening bracket game as he hit several perimeter shots to stretch the defense. He also went strong to the basket as he plays hard but needs to play defense more with his feet. According to his Pharaohs coach, Chicago State has offered while Chico State is interested.

Article 379: Las Vegas brackets in play

July 26, 2014

The Las Vegas Classic ended pool play Friday as the Bay Area Warriors had a nice day-ending win to finish their pool at 2-1. The adidas Super 64 started bracket play as the Oakland Rebels 16 had an impressive win to continue their run in the championship bracket. Here are some player updates.

Anthony Townes 6-foot-6 PF Modesto Christian (2015) Las Vegas Prospects 17U: The Pacific commit does not have the prototypical height for a power forward but makes up for that with his physical style and big hands to allow him to be an effective defender and rebounder. He has good mobility, runs the floor well, and has strong leaping ability. Offensively, he can add to his game with improved shooting range and ball handling.

Case Dufrane 6-foot-8 PF Half Moon Bay (2015) Bay Area Warriors 17U: Dufrane is a tweener in that his size may not be ideal power forward size while his perimeter game is not polished enough for the small forward role. He hit a few mid range shots and held his position in the paint. Half Moon Bay has optimism for another strong upcoming season. His club coach confirmed that Navy has some interest as a Navy assistant coach was in attendance.

Joey Calcaterra 6-foot-0 G Marin Catholic (2017) Lakeshow 16 Elite: With his team struggling in the first half, the 2017 prospect displayed some impressive playmaking abilities. He drove to the basket for a few scores, hit a few perimeter shots, and caused a few steals in the backcourt. He is undersized and thin but still has three years to add size as he was a contributor at Marin Catholic as a freshman.

Noah Blackwell 6-foot-2 G Roseville (2015) Team Superstar 17U: Blackwell is aggressive on offense as he did not shy away from shooting. His size may suit him better at the point guard role as he looked comfortable handling the ball. He has a solid center of gravity to take contact and be effective in the paint.

Kevin Warren 6-foot-2 G St Mary's (2016) Oakland Rebels 16: The 2016 product is a good outside shooter and moves well on perimeter defense. He finishes effectively in transition offense as well. Warren needs to add bulk and strength to his game.

Lewis Hayes 6-foot-5 F Chavez (2015) Nor Cal Warriors 17U: Hayes is a low division college prospect but is a space eater and puts up numbers. At Chavez High in Stockton last season, he put up 10.9 points and 6.9 rebounds. He has good post skills but could add to his perimeter skill set.

Michael Sullivan 6-foot-2 PG Redwood (2016) Lakeshow 16 Elite: The point guard plays fundamentally well as he moves feet on defense and dribbles in control. He has good lower body strength as he is able to go to the basket strong and absorb contact well. Sullivan also displayed an outside touch.

Sayeed Pridgett 6-foot-4 Wing El Cerrito (2016) Oakland Rebels 16: Pridgett has the length and versatility to play any of the perimeter positions. He has solid ball handling and directs his team well as the Rebels 16 team won their bracket game.

Henry Feinberg 6-foot-4 Wing Branson (2016) Bay Area Warriors 17U: Feinberg does not jump out from an athletic nor a size perspective but he made several offensive and defensive plays in helping his club to rally for a second pool win. His game is multi dimensional as he rebounded, defended, scored, and distributed. Only a 2016 prospect, he still has time to develop into a more complete player.

Kendrick Jackson 6-foot-4 SG Granite Bay (2015) Team Superstar 17U: Jackson has bounced around the past few years in terms of both high school and club teams. But the 2015 prospect still has good size and fundamental skills for a guard as his father was former NBA player, Bobby Jackson. Jackson said that he may return to Northern California to Capitol Christian but that final decision will not be till mid August.

Kahliel Wyatt 6-foot-4 Wing Oroville (2015) Nor Cal Warriors 17U: Wyatt comes from the less travelled area of Oroville but shows some versatile ball handling and finishing skills. He has good length but will need some bulk. He is a prospect at the lower division college levels.

Notes

Team Superstar 17U Marquese Chriss did not play as he was at the USA basketball trials while Lance Coleman has mononucleosis.

Article 378: Vegas heats up

July 25, 2014

We spent much of Day 2 in Las Vegas at the adidas Super 64. Dream Vision, which features Bishop O'Dowd point guard Paris Austin and Sacramento's Solomon Young are 2-1 in pool play while the Oakland Rebels are even at 1-1. Here are some player updates.

Chris Hanson 6-foot-7 PF Campolindo (2015) Lakeshow 17 Elite: Campolindo has a good chance of improving on their 23 win season with a solid post player in Hanson. At first glance, Hanson does not have the prototypical height to play the paint and looks like he would be lead-footed. But the 2015 prospect plays bigger than his height, moves with quick feet, and plays with constant effort and hustle. He scored on a few nice post moves and hit one top of the key three point shot. He has skills and plays with effort, but his height and perimeter skills will affect his college level for recruiting.

Isaiah Thomas 6-foot-9 PF Bishop O'Dowd (2015) Oakland Rebels 17: Thomas is trying to parlay this summer into more recruiting interest in the fall. The power forward was battling lower back problems but still displayed a good midrange game and ability in the paint. He rebounds and altered several potential shot attempts. Thomas sat out last year due to transfer rules but should benefit from the exposure of playing for a top California high school program. His Rebels coach said that Cal Poly and Santa Clara have inquired.

Jesse Hunt 6-foot-6 Wing Drake (2015) Lakeshow 17 Elite: Hunt continues the Lakeshow 17 Elite theme of playing with hustle and effort as the team won their opening day game by 25 with the mercy rule in effect. Hunt got a few offensive rebounds with good positioning and also connected from the perimeter a few times. He looked comfortable handling the ball and going to the rim.

Solomon Young 6-foot-7 PF Sacramento (2016) Dream Vision 17: The Sacramento product is one of two 2016 prospects on a talented Dream Vision squad. His size and speed would be comparable to an elite football linebacker. He uses those traits to be an active rebounder and defender. He had an impressive transition lob dunk to showcase his explosiveness. Many of the west coast colleges are interested but his Dream Vision coach confirmed that east coast programs are now sending out feelers about Young.

Osi Nwachukwu 6-foot-4 Wing San Leandro (2015) Oakland Rebels 17: The wing prospect does everything above average. He brought up the ball, can dribble comfortably, display versatile scoring, has length for defense, and goes after rebounds. His height and size do not translate at the college level as he will need to be more perimeter focused. But Nwachukwu has skills for the lower division college levels.

Dontay Bassett 6-foot-8 PF Oldsmar Christian (2016) Oakland Rebels 16: Bassett is attending prep school in Florida as he was at San Lorenzo last year. He is a prototypical power forward who can score from midrange, rebound, and challenge shots. His ball handling and passing are still in progress.

Jeevin Sandhu 6-foot-3 SG Bishop O'Dowd (2015) Oakland Rebels 17: Sandhu is another player overlooked on his high school team. The senior prospect has a good mechanics on his shot and connected a few times when left open. He has good size but needs more ball handling skills.

Jeremi Hanks 6-foot-4 SG Oakland (2016) Oakland Rebels 16: The Oakland product has good athleticism and size for a guard. The 2016 prospect moves his feet well on defense and slashes to the basket. A more consistent perimeter scoring would complement his points at the basket.

Christian Terrell 6-foot-4 SG Sacramento (2016) Dream Vision 16: Terrell has good size for the guard role. He is an active defender and hits the boards hard. He made an open three point shot to show some range.

Paris Austin 6-foot-0 PG Bishop O'Dowd (2015) Dream Vision 17: Austin is a quick point guard who directs traffic and offensive sets well. He is not hesitant about taking perimeter shots. According to his Dream Vision coach, Florida State has offered while Boise State, Cal, Creighton, and UNLV are interested.

Tre Finch 6-foot-1 PG Sacramento (2016) Dream Vision 16: Finch is a scoring point guard as he attacks the basket but also looks for his perimeter shot. On a loaded Sacramento High team, he will have the chance to be more of a distributor and facilitator.

Notes

Stanford Coach Johnny Dawkins was at the adidas64 event. He confirmed son, Aubrey, is on the Michigan roster after playing one year of prep basketball after Palo Alto High.

Article 377: News from LV Classic

July 24, 2014

The final NCAA viewing period started at 5pm on Wednesday. The Las Vegas Classic is one of three major events showcasing high school prospects this week as over 200 college coaches watched the action at Spring Valley High. Here are some player updates.

Chimezie Metu 6-foot-10 Post Lawndale (2015) Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite: Metu held his own against Chance Comanche of Earl Watson Elite. Metu is long in length but looked for his offense aggressively in the post. He altered shots with his height but needs bulk to handle more prototypical centers at the college level. If his perimeter skills progress, he can play the wing or forward positions.

Kyle Spackman 6-foot-7 F San Ramon Valley (2015) NBBA Donnellan: NBBA was overmatched as they were down 25-2 early against a bigger Team CP3 team. But Spackman hung tough and hustled for rebounds and offensives scores in the paint. He needs more perimeter skills and ball handling abilities. His height would limit him to a lower division college prospect.

Stephen Zimmerman 7-foot-0 Post Bishop Gorman (2015) Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite: Zimmerman has improved his confidence and offensive post moves since spring. He looked more fluid in his offensive moves as he has a nice left handed hook shot. But he still took and missed too many perimeter shots. With his size and rebounding abilities, he should focus his game in the paint.

Ryan Stewart 6-foot-9 Post St Patrick St Vincent (2015) Nor Cal Wildcats Elite Black 17u: Stewart has height and length to be a defensive stopper. He needs to add bulk for the next level. His offensive game and perimeter skills have room to grow.

Max Hazzard 6-foot-1 PG Loyola (2015) Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite: The Southern California prospect plays hard nose and attacking when bringing the ball up and to the basket. The Soldiers lost to Earl Watson Elite primarily due to bad guard play. Hazzard made a few turnovers but distributed well when he went to the basket.

Chance Ortega 6-foot-7 F Analy (2015) Nor Cal Wildcats Elite Black 17u: The Analy prospect hustles for rebounds and moved his feet well. He was primarily in the post but probably needs to add to his perimeter game to increase his recruiting stock. Otherwise, Ortega could be a low division prospect at the post position.

Jeff Wu 6-foot-3 PG Modesto Christian (2015) Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue: Wu plays in control and efficiently. He attacked the basket well but also made good outlet passes and found open teammates. The Taiwan native does not play flashy and is not overly athletic but would be a good fit in the right system.

Carlos Johnson 6-foot-5 El Cerrito (2016) Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite: The Arizona transfer plays tough and strong. The expression of bull in a china shop describes his style of play. He is undersized to be a post prospect and did not show a perimeter shot to be a wing. Only a junior, he will have two more years to develop.

Eric Toles 6-foot-4 SG Cosumnes Oaks (2015) Nor Cal Wildcats Elite Black 17u: The shooting guard prospect looks for his offense both inside and outside. He has good size for a guard and moves well on defense.

Eddie Ionescu 6-foot-5 SF Miramonte (2016) Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue: The Miramonte forward has a consistent and clean shooting form as his outside shot is his calling card. He needs to develop his lateral movement for defense, increase his size, and improve his dribble drive offense.

Casey Roquemore 5-foot-11 PG Berkeley (2015) Oakland Soldiers 17 Blue: The point guard has quickness and good dribbling as he was effective scoring to the basket. Roquemore is not a big guard in terms of bulk or height. If he can run the offense well, he has enough of the point guard skills to be a low division college prospect.

Article 376: Cougars' Aussie Movement

July 23, 2014

The Bay Area basketball scene has had a deep relationship with Australia on all levels. Current NBA players Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova, and Patty Mills have connections to both Australia and the Bay Area. Last season's Saint Mary's Gaels program had three team members originally from Australia. Bay Area native Scott Fisher played and coached in Australia for over twenty years before returning state side to be an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii and now head coach at Ohlone Junior College in Fremont. Other Australian basketball players making their mark include Aron Baynes (San Antonio Spurs), Luke Schenscher (Georgia Tech Final Four appearance, Chicago Bulls), Andrew Gaze (San Antonio Spurs), Shane Heal (Minnesota Timber wolves), Nathan Jawai (Toronto Raptors), and Cameron Bairstow (Chicago Bulls).

At the high school level, Campolindo's Austin Clarke may be the next high level prospect from the land down under. At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, the 2016 prospect is ranked No. 24 in the initial NCP 2016 rankings. As a sophomore this past season in a critical role in the second rotation, he helped the Cougars to a 23-8 season in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League before losing to Archbishop Riordan in the postseason.

Clarke has been in the United States since August 2013 when his father, Marty Clarke, became the assistant basketball coach in Moraga for the Saint Mary's Gaels. Clarke played as a varsity starter in his freshman year at Henley High in Adelaide, South Australia. Before moving to America, the elder Clarke played on the professional level and also represented the Australia Under 21 team at the world championships. Thereafter, Clarke's father coached at the Australian Institute of Sport for thirteen years and was the assistant coach of the Australian Team at the London Olympics. Clarke's mother, Julie Wilts, played professionally for Australia and was part of the 1989 bronze medal winning team at the Under 21 world championships in Bilbao, Spain.

During the summer, the younger Clarke is playing for the Lakeshow 16 Elite team. Lakeshow Coach Scott Clark says, "Austin's strengths are his basketball IQ and feel for the game, can defend and play multiple positions, and rebound well. His shooting keeps improving. All around solid player. On the court, he can be trusted to make the right play. Wants to be coached and wants to get better."

Coach Clark, who played at Foothill High class of 2008 and then played at Humboldt State class of 2012 as a shooting guard, says, "I definitely see a future at the next level for him. He comes from a basketball family and it definitely shows on the court. You can tell he has been around the game his whole life and has had some great experiences. He's the type of person you want to have on your team."

His Australian roots are deep as Clarke compares his game to Cameron Bairstow who played at New Mexico before being drafted by the Chicago Bulls last month. Clarke plays with tremendous toughness and has solid rebounding abilities like Bairstow.

A strong showing for the rest of the summer should generate more interest on top of the inquiries from Cal State Fullerton, Portland, Pacific, San Jose State, and UC Irvine. Clarke has no offers yet, has not made any visits, and is open with his recruiting criteria. He currently sports a 3.20 GPA and is undecided on his field of study. From a basketball perspective, he wants to play in a team oriented system with good coaching and mentoring.

Clarke has learned much about basketball from his father. He says, "Pretty much every part of my game has come from what my Dad has taught me. Skill wise, I still have much to improve on and he's always helping me get better. Recruiting wise, he's explained to me how important it is for me to find a school that I will be happy to be at not only basketball wise but also school wise, for my college career."

As for playing for his dad, he says, "I would consider any school with interest in recruiting me. St Mary's would be a great place to play as I think their tough style of team basketball fits the way that I play. I would have no problem playing for Dad as he's a great coach with incredible understanding of the game."

Clarke has a team oriented approach as he likes to focus on rebounding and shot blocking. He considers himself to be an all round competitor who likes to dive for loose balls and hustles on defense. At the recent Nor Cal Summer Tip Off at City College of San Francisco, Clarke displayed a good mid range game and moved his feet well during offensive sets. In addition to playing for Lakeshow during the summer, he is working hard on his ball handling, overall perimeter shooting, and hitting the weights.

Even though English is the common language of his two homes, Clark says about the challenges and differences of being in America versus Australia, "Probably moving to the other side of the world from Australia last August and having to leave behind all my friends and extended family and sporting teams who I all had very close relationships with."

Last season, the Cougars were a senior laden team with eight seniors. The upcoming season returns 2015 guard Matt O'Reilly and 2015 forward Chris Hansen (6-foot-7 and was the MVP of the DFAL) who will complement the 2016 Clarke. With Clarke rising from down under, expect the Cougars to make another postseason run in Moraga, Calif.