Article 316: Ugbaja the Crusaders' savior

July 10, 2012

When basketball season starts in November, the West Catholic Athletic League will boast some of the more highly regarded programs in Archbishop Mitty, Serra, and St. Ignatius. Conversely, Archbishop Riordan has not had a winning season since 2007-2008 and was not as dominant in the WCAL since 2006-2007 when they featured Rob Jones who went on to star for St. Mary's College. The Crusaders finished 10-16 (5-20 forfeited due to an ineligible player) in 2011-2012 but may have hit rock bottom.

Next season's team will feature the No. 36 ranked player in the NorCalPreps.com 2014 boys basketball rankings, Jiday Ugbaja, whose name in his native dialect of Nigerian means "Savior." The combination guard was in and out of the starting lineup in his first year on varsity during this past season but should be a prime contributor next season at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds.

Ugbaja was on the vaunted Oakland Soldiers 15U club last summer. "Jiday is incredibly quick and explosive off the dribble," says Soldiers Coach Nick Enzweiler. "He has a great ability to get to the basket. He is a great ball handler and can go by defenders at will."

This Crusader has the size and explosiveness to be compared to former Memphis Tiger Tyreke Evans because of his ability to get to the basket and can impose his will on smaller guards. Ugbaja is best described as a power player who can slash. He utilizes a quick spin move to create open space for himself.

Enzweiler, who prepped at Campolindo High and spent time at UTEP and Cal Poly collegiately, has this critique. "I would like to see Jiday improve his outside jump shot and his decision making on the court but keep in mind that he was one of the youngest players on the Soldiers 15U team last year. So, he has a lot of time to grow and develop. In my opinion, Jiday is a versatile guard because he can play both point and shooting guard."

Ugbaja will play for the Norcal Panthers for the upcoming July evaluation periods. The rising junior wants to play for a program where the coaches coach and the team plays with an up-tempo but disciplined manner.

"Jiday has a lot of potential because he is a terrific athlete and has a lot of skills that make him a good guard," says Enzweiler. "At least for me, I think it may be too early to project his status at the next level but if he continues to improve and work hard-which I believe he will-he will be a solid D1 prospect."

Players who physically train to get better are no surprise. Players who work on the courts to get better are no surprise. But players who are mentally challenging themselves, that is not always a given.

"One of the things I like most about Jiday is that he wants to be a great player," says Enzweiler. "When I coached him last year on the Soldiers 15U team, he was always asking me questions about how he can improve his game, what things he should be doing to gain an advantage on the opposition. As a coach, you have a tendency to gravitate toward the players with the best attitudes and Jiday is the type of player and kid you gravitate towards."

Archbishop Riordan had a fairly underwhelming season this past year. But things are looking up for the Crusaders. Watch for Ugbaja to be the "Savior" for Riordan off of Ocean Avenue in the City.

Article 315: NorCal Summer Preview

July 8, 2012

July is the month that has three viewing periods for college basketball recruiting. The NorCal Summer Preview at City College of San Francisco was a tune up for college prospects before evaluations begin. Here is a look at some of the top players from the event.

Benson Osayande 6-foot-7 Post Franklin (2014) Team Sage Truth: The lanky post player has time to put on bulk but is already effective with his activity and length. He is not polished on the offensive end but has some serviceable post moves. Franklin loses both Theo Johnson (graduation) and Darin Johnson (transfer) but Osayande could lessen the blow with his potential.

Aaron Cochran 6-foot-9 Post Buhach Colony (2013) Bay Area Hoosiers: The football prospect moves laterally well and runs the court well. His basketball game is raw but he takes up space and poses as a matchup problem just by his size. His hands are soft enough that he is able to corral rebounds. Basketball is probably an afterthought for Cochran, but his size makes him intriguing on the hardwood.

Israel Gutierrez 6-foot-9 PF Tec de Monterrey (2012) Bay Area Hoosiers: Gutierrez just arrived from Monterrey, Mexico to join the Hoosiers' club for their upcoming July road trip. The power forward is quick on his feet and can play physical. He runs the floor well and looks to have solid fundamentals in his movement and positioning. He plays more of the European and International style of power forwards who are versatile and not just low post bruisers.

Cameron Oliver 6-foot-7 F Grant Union (2014) Spirit Got Game Elite: Grant may be on the rise with Oliver as a solid post prospect who runs the floor and moves well for his size on both ends of the court. Oliver has a long wingspan that helps with his defense and rebounding. He stepped into many shots with a fluid motion and just has a nice shooting touch for a post player.

Kendrick Jackson 6-foot-3 SG Granite Bay (2015) Spirit Got Game Elite: Just finishing his freshman year, the son of Sacramento Kings Assistant Coach Bobby Jackson has good size and plays in a controlled manner. As a late season varsity call up, Jackson will be key for his Granite Bay team next season as he creates matchup problems and he facilitates well on offense. He hit several perimeter shots and has good length to be disruptive on the perimeter passing lanes. As a comparison, Jackson is already bigger than his father and projects to be more skilled as well.

Joe Harrison 6-foot-2 SG Lincoln Stockton (2014) 209 Elite: Harrison is an explosive and quick guard who can play above the rim. He plays tough and is effective in the post for a guard.

Justin Patton 6-foot-3 Wing Sierra (2013) Modesto Pirates: The Sierra product has a nose for loose balls and offensive rebounds. He is undersized for his position but his hustle play and defensive effort are intangibles. His recruiting will depend on his perimeter game unless he can add a few inches.

Guillermo Nunez 6-foot-0 G Sierra (2013) Modesto Pirates: Nunez is a gritty guard who has an accurate perimeter game but also works in the paint on both ends. He plays heady but his size may be a factor in his recruiting.

Shon Briggs 6-foot-5 F Heritage (2014) G-Vision Sports: Briggs played primarily in the post as he can throw his weight around. At his size, Briggs looks comfortable handling the ball but will need to extend his perimeter range. He will return to his Oakland Soldiers squad when they are back in action.

Tim Jordan 6-foot-4 Wing Liberty (2013) G-Vision Sports: The Liberty prospect is active and is a high energy player who is comfortable going to the basket. He has quick hands on defense and moves well laterally.

Terrence White 6-foot-1 PG Inderkum (2014) Team Sage Truth: The left handed point guard plays low to the ground and tough as he can overpower smaller defenders. He plays with a subtle calm that would serve a point guard well. White comes across as a gritty player that does not back down on either ends.

Jeremee Churchill 6-foot-2 SG Grant Union (2014) Spirit Got Game Elite: Churchill is a stocky shooting guard who has a nice pull up jump shot. He has good size to allow him to post up smaller guards or help with rebounding. Grant looks to be on the rise the next two years.

Alex Van Dyke 6-foot-6 Wing Cosumnes Oaks (2014) All Star Sports Predators Elite: Van Dyke has good length and size. He is athletic and handles the ball reasonably well. He averaged 10 points and 5.6 rebounds this past season and looks to build on those numbers next season.

Markel Leonard 6-foot-0 PG Salesian (2013) Bay Area Hoosiers: The Salesian point guard looks to remain aggressive both on the court and on the recruiting trail despite having his orbital bone (underneath his eye) fractured earlier in the spring by a teammate's head. Fully healed, Leonard looked for his shot, especially taking the ball to the paint. Recently, he was in attendance at the Princeton basketball camp as he has at least twelve schools interested in him that include Brown, Portland, Princeton, San Diego State, Santa Clara, UC Davis, and Yale.

Jack Gale 6-foot-5 Wing University (2014) Bay Area Warriors 16s: Gale is long and plays bigger than his slight frame in the post. He projects to be a wing at the next level. His size could help University mix things up in their usual multi guard sets.

Joshua Allen 6-foot-7 F Downey (2012) Blue Demons 17U: The Modesto based product displayed a high level of athleticism as he has good leaping ability, quick lateral movement, and high agility. Without full knowledge of his academic status, Allen could be a good but late pick up for a four year program as his athleticism and size allows him to be versatile on the floor.

Temidayo Yussuf 6-foot-6 F St. Joseph Notre Dame (2014) Oakland Rebels Red: Yussuf plays the post for both his high school and club teams but will likely be a small forward or wing on the college level. But he displayed some serious toughness, as he had to take repeated physical blows from the two post players from the Bay Area Hoosiers. Offensively, he used good wisdom in deciding when to pull up for his shots and when to take it strong to the rim.

Derrick Clayton 6-foot-5 SG Castro Valley (2014) Oakland Rebels Red: The shooting guard did indeed do a lot of that as Clayton was looking for his shots on the day. But that is okay as his length and clean shooting form should enable him to put up some big scoring games next season.

Spencer Hollie 6-foot-5 PF Dublin (2013) 707s Finest Elite: Hollie held his own against the Bay Area Hoosiers post players despite being undersize in his height. In addition, Hollie hit some nice mid-range shots. To no surprise, Hollie plays football as a defensive end and offensive tackle for Dublin and probably is a better football prospect.

Matthew Hayes 6-foot-0 SG Pleasant Grove (2013) 707s Finest Elite: Hayes has an accurate perimeter game from anywhere on his side of the court. He is undersize for his position but has the always needed skill of scoring as he can also create space for his own perimeter shots.

Article 314: Up and Away with Galloway

July 2, 2012

"You can't teach height" is a classic basketball axiom. The phrase conveys how taller players are in very high demand in the sport. This is indeed the case for 2014 prospect Johnathan Galloway who stands 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds.

Galloway averaged eight points, eight rebounds, and six blocks as his Liberty Lions went 21-7. The power forward prospect runs the floor well and is advanced skill wise for his grade. Galloway likens his game to former Georgia Tech Yellowjacket Chris Bosh.

Galloway has a solid mid range game, has post moves including a serviceable hook shot, and is comfortable playing with his back to the basket. His height allows him to block shots, play solid post defense, and help with weak side defense.

During this summer, Galloway plays for his Oakland Soldiers 16 club. He is working on getting bigger and is training to be more explosive.

Oakland Soldiers Head Coach Nick Enzweiler says, "Johnathan is very long so he can rebound the ball very well at times. In addition, his length makes him a great shot blocker. He also has a very nice 15 foot shot. He is working on become a more efficient scorer with his back to the basket but it is a work in progress. Johnathan has a strong drive and he wants to get better and is willing to put in the time to improve his game. Johnathan has a lot of potential and he is working with private coaches and personal trainers in order to reach his goal of becoming a great player."

The recruiting process is early for Galloway but he is open in terms of the geography. He wants to play for a program that has a running mentality.

"Johnathan is probably one of the top college prospects on the Soldiers 16U team because of his height and his extraordinary length," says Enzweiler. "One thing you cannot teach is height. If Johnathan becomes 6-foot-11 or 7-foot, then he is going to be in high demand. In order for him to succeed at the next level, he will need to increase his upper body strength and become a more physical player in the paint."

Galloway has a 3.7 GPA currently. He wants to be a leader for his Liberty team that lost a fair number of varsity members. He plans to set a high standard for his teammates and plans to be vocal with them.

"Academically Johnathan is an outstanding student, says Enzweiler. "I believe he has a 3.7 GPA right now and is determined to get that GPA up to 4.0. To my knowledge, Johnathan does not play any other sports, although he would probably be a great volleyball player because of his height. Johnathan puts all of his focus on basketball and school."

Galloway should be one of the next 2014 post prospects in Northern California to get some recruiting buzz after the summer season. Then watch for this Lion go up and away in Brentwood, Calif.