Article 416: 2017s shine in Vegas

July 24, 2015

Thursday was a full day of basketball in the final NCAA certified evaluation period of the summer in Las Vegas. Many college coaches need to plan ahead for their recruiting needs as Northern California has a strong 2017 class that should begin to get more recruiting attention.

Here are some players of all classes of note on Day 2:

Sebastian Much 6-foot-8 PF Oakland Rebels 17 Red (Archbishop Mitty) 2017: The Mitty prospect has battled against bigger bodies in the paint but has held up well. Much spent part of the summer with the German national team. With a European influence, Much looks like a face up power forward that can stretch the defense but still has enough size to contribute in the post. He is the lone 2017 prospect on the Rebels top team.

Stone Smart 6-foot-3 PG NorCal Pharaohs 16s (Del Oro) 2017: Smart is the likely starting quarterback for the football power, Del Oro. The dual threat quarterback displayed similar leadership and athletic skills on the basketball court. He has good leaping abilities as he swatted a few shots while also connecting from the perimeter a few times. Per his coach, CSU East Bay, Portland, Sacramento State, and San Jose State have expressed interest for basketball.

Keith Smith 6-foot-0 PG Team Superstar 17 Elite (San Ramon Valley) 2015: Smith has graduated already and will be going to Mount Verde prep school in Orlando despite having a few Division II offers. Smith plays low to the ground with crisp movements with and without the ball. He directs the offense well and moves up and down efficiently. He finished a few difficult driving baskets as well.

Joey Calcaterra 6-foot-2 SG Lakeshow 16s Elite (Marin Catholic) 2017: Calcaterra is quite advanced from a skills perspective for a guard. He moves well without the ball to find his open spots, has an accurate shooting motion, and moves well on defense. Adding size and bulk would improve his recruiting stock and effectiveness on the college level.

Kai Tease 6-foot-1 PG NorCal Pharaohs 17s (Antelope) 2016: Tease led Antelope to 23 wins with a team high 16-point average. The senior is crafty and takes the ball strong to the basket. He has a good perimeter range while also able to play good on the ball defense. Fresno State, CSU East Bay, Portland, and San Jose State have interest.

Oscar Frayer 6-foot-7 Wing Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite (Moreau Catholic) 2016: Frayer is not afraid of contact as he attacked the basket several times with dunk finishes. He has good length and looks like he glides like a gazelle when running the court. The Cal commit is looking more versatile with his abilities and physical attributes.

Arash Poorsina 6-foot-10 C PHPS (St Ignatius) 2016: Poorsina is a back to the basket center that runs the floor well. He has good size and uses it to rebound and to position in the post. St Ignatius has a tough schedule in the West Catholic Athletic League but should improve on the four wins in league with Poorsina leading them.

Bryson Ryan 6-foot-11 C NorCal Pharaohs 16s (Tokay) 2017: Tokay should improve on their 15-win season with Ryan in the fold. The traditional back to the basket center deters shots in the paint and is a good rebounder. He displayed a nice jump hook. Per his coach, Portland, Sacramento State, and San Jose State are interested.

Ryan Chappell 6-foot-4 Wing Team Superstar 17 Elite (Capitol Christian) 2016: Chappell is an athletic wing who has nice body control as he had a few spin moves to create scoring opportunities in the paint. The senior plays above the rim as he had a few dunks and block shots. He currently has some Division II schools interested but can get more interest with another solid year at powerhouse Capitol Christian.

Article 415: Hoops tips off in Vegas

July 23, 2015

On Wednesday evening, the final NCAA certified evaluation period of the summer tipped off in Las Vegas. Some of the higher profiled Northern California clubs were in action including the Oakland Rebels, Oakland Soldiers, and Play Hard Play Smart.

Here are some players of note on Day 1:

Sayeed Pridgett 6-foot-5 SG Oakland Rebels 17 Red (El Cerrito) 2016: Pridgett is a versatile scorer as he attacked the basket and connected from 3-point range a few times. He has a wiry frame but does not back down. Several mid majors seem interested but one mid major coach had questions regarding Pridgett's academic status.

Kevin Warren 6-foot-3 SG Oakland Rebels 17 Red (St Mary's Berkeley) 2016: Warren is a flashy scorer as he can score both inside and outside. His frame is thin which can raise durability questions on the next level. But Warren is athletic and has developed skills.

Carlos Johnson 6-foot-5 Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite (El Cerrito) 2016: Johnson had a strong all around performance against a club from his former home state of Arizona. The senior prospect plays intense and hard all the time. Johnson had several attacking drives to the baskets and strong moves in the paint. He hit two 3-point shots in the first half to round out his game.

Robinson Idehen 6-foot-9 Oakland Soldiers 17 Elite (Modesto Christian) 2016: Idehen's calling card is his athletic defense. He runs the floor well and can help on weak side defense with his length and shot blocking. The few offensive opportunities were in the paint on offensive rebounds or close range passes but he had trouble converting the high percentage attempts. Idehen, however, did show a nice lefty free throw touch.

Jordan Brown 6-foot-10 PF Play Hard Play Smart (Woodcreek) 2018: Brown is already skilled around the basket with versatile scoring moves. Despite being a sophomore playing up, he took initiative in his rebounding and defense against opposing teams. He has thin limbs but still has three years to bulk up to be college level in size.

Phillip Fayne 6-foot-8 PF Play Hard Play Smart (Franklin) 2016: Fayne made several athletic offensive moves and rebounds in the paint. He has a good wingspan for defense and has enough lateral movement to defend smaller, quicker guards. Per his club coach, a few mid majors are interested with one wanting him to walk on as a freshman.

Notes
Day 2 gets into full swing as Fab 48 begins as well. All three major events will have games that run from 8am till 10pm.

Article 414: Ben Kone Update

July 21, 2015

Peach Jam just concluded with the Oakland Soldiers finishing a disappointing 1-4 record without advancing to the quarterfinals. But one of the key members of this past summer's team is Ben Kone, who is looking to finish the summer strong in Las Vegas this upcoming week as the Soldiers will compete in both the Bigfoot Las Vegas Classic and the Chris Paul Jordan 8 Tournament.

The Archbishop Mitty senior helped his Monarchs to a 20-11 season that ended in a double overtime loss in the CIF State Division II finals. The 6-foot-10 and 240 pound power forward averaged 20.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per game during the season and shot 58 percent during his junior campaign. In his final three playoff games, he averaged 25 points and 18.7 rebounds.

As a junior, Kone was the focal point on both the offensive and defensive ends for the Monarchs. He feels that the attention that he got from opposing teams helped him develop his game and leadership, "Having the opportunity to play in a league against guys that go hard every game has really pushed me to be better. There are no easy baskets or rebounds. At Mitty, we all need to support each other as a team in order to succeed and I do everything I can to support my teammates on and off the court. Together we can be great."

The No. 2 prospect in the 2016 NCP rankings has garnered interest from Arizona (Coach Pasternack), UNLV, and Oregon (Coach Stubblefield) while receiving six offers from Auburn, Cal, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oregon State, and San Diego State.

Mitty Head Coach Tim Kennedy, who played at Loyola Marymount at the college level, says, "Ben makes a good division I prospect because he has shown how dominant he can be on the high school level. He has elite strength and athleticism with a desire to improve that resonates with college coaches. He has the ability to dominate a game from the offensive and defensive end."

Kone's current top four is Auburn, Cal, Oregon State, and San Diego State in no particular order. He has these comments about these programs and the coaches that he has been in contact.

Auburn, Coach Pearl
"The opportunity to play in the SEC which is a physical league and against schools like Kentucky would be huge. Coach Pearl and I just started talking and I really like him."

Cal, Coaches Webster and Martin
"Coach Martin and his staff have created an amazing family atmosphere. They have done a great job recruiting top players. Being close to home and having friends already on the team is a big pull."

Oregon State, Coaches Gottlieb and Tinkle
"I love the entire coaching staff and everyone I met at Oregon State. When I think about who I want to become as a player, I know that there I would have all the support and guidance I need to be successful. Their plans to develop me and the entire team are solid. It would be an opportunity to be a part of something really special."

San Diego State - Coaches Velasquez and Fisher
"The coaching staff has a great history of success and I fit well within their style of play. Of course the location is great, but I was most impressed with the Aztec fans. They are focused on winning and loyal to their players. It would be fun to play there."

After playing for the Oakland Soldiers 16U Elite club most of last summer, Kone moved up to the Oakland Soldiers 17U Elite club for the event in Las Vegas at the end of last summer and going into this summer. Peach Jam in South Carolina is considered one of the elite summer events that feature many of North America's top prep talent while attracting all the major college programs.

During the EYBL regular season, Kone averaged 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. At Peach Jam, he averaged 10.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. His overall EYBL shooting percentage was 56 percent while at Peach Jam he shot just over 60 percent.

Kone's experience playing on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit helped him grow in his words, "My teammates, the coaches, and the entire Oakland Soldiers organization are like family to me. I've been with them since the 7th grade when they told us that the odds were that maybe one of us would make the 17u EYBL team. I was the one that made it. I thought about that before every game. I have worked hard over the years and things haven't come easily. To be able to take on the best players in the country with my Soldiers family behind me has been a great experience. Every game I learned something and it's made me a better all around player."

Kone wants to make his decision early fall so that he can make the most of his senior year and keep focused on academics. He is working hard on his ball handling and shooting to help his Monarchs make a run to the California State Open Division Championship.

Coach Kennedy continues, "After having Ben for two years, the three things he has improved the most are his footwork, his shooting and his ability to defend multiple positions. All of these are related to the fact he has been able to transform his body and has become more committed to the weight room and his nutrition program. We want Ben to continually improve his ball handling for his senior year and ability to deal with double teams. His decision making and passing will be key to our success."

As the summer ends, watch for Kone (note about pronunciation of last name is "Ko-nay" and not "Cone" as in ice cream cone) to continue going strong for the Monarchs in San Jose, Calif.