Friday, July 30, 2010

Consumne River College's Jamelle Barrett to...

We certainly didn't see this one coming -- sounds like it is academically related:
Saskatchewan Huskies reload with California native Jamelle Barrett
Darren Zary
The Star Phoenix
July 24, 2010


The show must go on, even without Showron (The Show) Glover.

Looking for a new point guard -- given the anticipated departure of Glover to the Swiss Pro A League -- the University of Saskatchewan men's basketball team may have found a replacement in another import from California.

Jamelle Barrett auditioned for the U of S Huskies the past two days, with a scrimmage Thursday night and individual workout Friday morning.

By the end of it all, he didn't leave much doubt as to where he is leaning...
Go here for the remainder.

Saskatchewan plays in the Canada West Conference and posted a 27-9 record last season.

An update on Curtis Haggins and the Roadrunners

John Reid provides an update on some of the mid-peninsula basketballers playing club team hoops:
Traveling teams showcase hardwood talent
John Reid
Daily News
7/29/2010

Mid-Peninsula boys basketball coach Curtis Haggins has been busy marketing a myriad of local players at showcase tournaments this summer. Haggins coaches the 17-and under Roadrunners, who have gone 3-0 in the prestigious West Coast Challenge at the Hanger Athletic Exchange in Hawthorne. The Roadrunners played Compton Thursday night. HAX, as it is known, is where many NBA players work out during the summer.

"James Harden and Russell Westbrook were watching our game the other day," said Haggins, a Woodside alum of '96.

Davante Adams, who will be a senior at Paly, has been drawing raves, Haggins said. Schools such as Santa Clara, Portland State, Weber State and Loyola Marymount have shown serious interest...
Go here for the remainder.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Jack Fertig with a pair of interesting columns

Jack Fertig offers a pair of columns as he has returned from the club basketball tournament centrals -- Las Vegas and southern California -- with more grist for the mill.

Go here and here.

By the way, here is Jack's personal site where you can read about his college coaching background and also order his books. As for the latter, here's one entry from "Life's A Joke"
Search for the positives

On many teams, lack of confidence by certain players is not something you have to worry about. On almost every team, there are guys who, if you bought them for what they are worth and sold them for what they thought they were worth, you could erase the national deficit. We had one such player on our team at USC. He would never admit to a mistake and was one of the most difficult guys to coach.

One day he came up to me and complained that the coaching staff was constantly on his case and that we never complimented him. Wasn't there anything he was doing well?

I looked at him, searched for a while and finally said, "You're the best at creating rebounds."

Unfortunately, it was the truth.

A free basketball clinic for players aged 9-12

Free Youth Basketball Clinic with Alfred Grigsby
Saturday, August 7
10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
West Valley Middle School, 801 Hibiscus Lane, San Jose

Players (9 -12) are invited to participate in a FREE basketball clinic on August 7, 2010 featuring instruction from former University of California Berkeley star, Alfred Grigsby.

Grigsby's jersey, number 4, is one of just four retired jerseys in the history of CAL Basketball and is featured proudly in the rafters of Haas Pavilion.

To reserve a spot for your child, call the staff at WVMS: (408) 985-2138

A video interview with Chad Haysbert

We've never seen anything like this before so a big-time tip o' the hat to Daniel Smith and Chad Haysbert for putting together this YouTube video on Haysbert, who plays for Center High (near Sacramento) and the E-Time Hoops club basketball team. It runs 2:45. This is the kind of media that can easily be sent out to any numbers of college coaches -- more prospects should be doing this.

Andy Katz interviews Kyle Smith

Kyle Smith is one of the good guys in the college coaching profession -- make that a great guy. So it's good to see the former St. Mary's assistant receive some national exposure in his new venture:
Ivy's Lions are the right fit for Smith
Andy Katz
ESPN
July 26, 2010


LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Saint Mary's assistant coach Kyle Smith realized what Leon Rice and Billy Grier found out for themselves when they were promised to succeed Mark Few at Gonzaga: Don't hold your breath.

Grier anticipated at some point that Few would leave Gonzaga and be plucked by a power-six conference. But he never showed signs of really leaving so Grier had to find his own path and left for San Diego, a fellow West Coast Conference member. Rice was next in line for the Gonzaga throne but came to the conclusion in March that it might be time to go off on his own. He's now at Boise State.

Last season, Smith figured Randy Bennett would be on the move after the Gaels made a run to the Sweet 16. The timing would have been perfect. The Gaels made the NCAA tournament in two of the past three seasons, including last season after Patty Mills and Diamon Simpson had departed. But Omar Samhan's dominating presence in the middle and the collection of sharp-shooters led the Gaels to a historic run in the NCAAs...
Go here for the remainder.

Monday, July 26, 2010

The latest on Damon Powell

The latest word we heard (no, this is not the beginning of our rap career) is that former McClymonds High star Damon Powell is headed to Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff. The connection: Justin Standley is already there (since last January) -- the two played together in club team basketball.

Powell was at Los Medanos College this past school year.

Here is a YouTube video of Powell at LMC.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The latest from Coach Taubodo

Coach Ernest Taubodo of E-Time Hoops Academy is back with the latest results:
Please see the below updates from Day 3 in Las Vegas:

16/Under Elite Time Hoops

Day tjree saw more of the same for ETH against Hope 2 from New Mexico. After a slow start, ETH once again applied pressure defense. This strategy forced numerous turnovers and created easy offensive opportunities. After a second double foul call and a technical foul on a Hope 2 player, an already intense ETH team began to steamroll.  The final score was a 46 point victory, scoring 86 points! The single elimination tournament begins today at 2:30.  If ETH is victorious, they will then compete at 9:10 p.m. to advance to the championship game tomorrow scheduled at 11:15.

17/Under Elite Time Hoops

The Platinum Bracket drew New York Heights from NYC as the first opponent for ETH. The Heights are one of the favored teams in the tournament and are a number one seed from a "super" pool. The "super" pool teams are nationally ranked and have competed on the AAU national circuit. ETH started the game by dictating the tempo and delivering the first blow. NYC took a time out at the 11:20 mark down 0-8 to ETH. After a small run by NYC, the game was tied 17-17. JT Adenrele picked up his third foul with 2:23 to go in the first half. NYC took advantage by drawing things even at the half 21-21. The second half was a battle, possession for possession. ETH saw a slight lead with five minutes to go. JT Adenrele saw more action on the sidelines then on the court due to foul trouble.  NYC imposed their will on defense and forced several turnovers in the last 3 minutes. The Heights team also out muscled a smaller ETH team on the boards. In the end ETH, saw their tournament run end with a 52-60 loss to NYC Heights.

In conclusion ETH had a good showing in the 186 team tournament. Winning our pool and almost knocking off a nationally ranked opponent were steps in the right direction for our team. There were over 60 college coaches in attendance to view ETH over the three day period.  We are hopeful that this will begin or further the recruiting process for the student/athletes in our program.

We will depart for Los Angeles on Monday to compete at the Double Pump "Best of Summer" Tournament. This is the last event on the NCAA tour.

Thank you all for your continued support,

Coach

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Emmanuel Ochenje

 We come across so much material and sometimes fail in recalling the source -- so apologies to whoever for the following item:
Six-foot-nine forward Emmanuel Ochenje - ­ a native of Nigeria who played at Brehm Prep in Illinois last season ­ was part of Team Odom. Why? It's possible that he may be joining Darius Nelson and Ramon Eaton at Sacramento's Sheldon next year.
Here is an November 2009 ESPN evaluation: Ochenje, a native of Nigeria, is a long and athletic post prospect with a very high upside. Extremely agile for a young big man, he changes ends quickly and runs the floor well in transition. While he needs to add strength, he's active on the glass and uses his...

Here is a November 2009 article on the young man -- a 2012 recruit.

Just came across this

It tends to happen this way: while looking for something on line, you discover another thing:
Sports Editorial: University pulls truly classless act
The Guardsman
May 17, 2010

Sophomore forward Da’Ron Sims, a player who turned his life around at City College playing hoops for Rams head basketball coach Justin Labagh the past two seasons, recently found out his full-ride basketball scholarship to Sacramento State had been retracted.

Apparently, after doing a Google search, the Sacramento State athletic department came across a feature story on Sims published in a fall 2009 issue of The Guardsman. The feature illustrated the many hardships overcome by Sims, a man who grew up in West Oakland surrounded by drugs and violence...
Go here for the remainder.

Da'Rons Sims is now headed to West Georgia.

JT Adenrele and Robert Duncan receive some Las Vegas accolades

Doug Benton of Rivals' NorCalPreps site offered a Las Vegas-based commentary on a pair of El;ite Time Hoops players:
JT Adenrele 6-foot-6 F Oakmont (2011) E-Time Hoops: In a very workman like performance, Adenrele showed why he is one of the prospects on the rise this summer. He has a really good frame right now and the build to add more strength once in college. One area of his game which was very good on Friday was his passing from the high post in tallying three assists and a handful more that could have easily been made shots. He also does a good job of obtaining post position and making quality moves once he gets the ball. The Oakmont forward doesn't take many jump shots and could make a dynamic power forward in the right spot.

Robert Duncan
6-foot-3 G Granite Bay (2011) E-Time Hoops: While he isn't flashy, Duncan is a solid guard who impresses each time we have seen E-Time Hoops. Duncan finished with 20 points against Abyssinian Crusaders through an array of three pointers and finishes near the rim. He is a good ball handler and has active hands on defense to be a two-way guard. Quickness though is the question for Duncan as he tries to build on a little early recruitment.
Go here for the full article (a sub is required) -- a very good read containing other player evaluations.

Coach Taubodo of EliteTime Hoops checks in from Vegas

Coach Ernest Taubodo of the Elite Time Hoops Academy offers what is happening with his squads in Las Vegas:

16/Under Elite Time Hoops

The 16/U ETH team is competing in the Center Stage tournament July 22-26 in Las Vegas. Day One saw young ETH take on the Arizona Future All-Stars. The game started off with ETH taking an early 12-6 lead. Arizona then brought in their bigger post players to neutralize the quickness of the ETH guards. The game took on an erratic pace with both teams committing multiple turnovers. In the end, ETH took control and defeated AZ by a 16 point margin. The ETH player of the game was Gabe Bealer. Gabe scored with a balance attack inside and out. His athleticism really took a toll on Arizona. ETH takes on One Pass Ahead, the home team from Las Vegas. The 2:30 game will be the 2nd pool play game in as many days.

17/Under Elite Time Hoops

The 17/U ETH team is competing in the Adidas Super 64 tournament July 22-26 in Las Vegas. Day One started at 9:00 a.m. taking on DGibbs Hoops from Houston Texas. Team Gibbs was a scrappy group of long range shooters.  ETH jumped to a 44-28 half time lead by imposing their will inside. There were 11 college coaches in attendance for the early morning game. The second half showed the true spirit of Team Gibbs. ETH struggled to stop the offensive three-point barrage from the young Texas guards. Coach Sondhi adjusted with three different defenses to finally contain the TX offense. ETH outlasted DGibbs 72-64 to start the tournament 1-0 in Pool Play. JT Adenrele was the most balanced player for ETH offensively and defensively. The next game is scheduled at 7:40pm against Mass Rival Elite from Massachusetts. 

ETH battled the Rivals back and forth for the first four minutes without either team extending the lead on the other.  After a late surge in the first half, ETH took an early 38-26 lead at the half. The second half started with stifling defense from ETH causing three straight turnovers from the Rivals. ETH took advantage and extended the lead before a quick time out from the Massachusetts coach. On the next possession, Chad Haysbert took a one on one advantage and drove baseline with a 2-handed dunk attempt on a Rivals player. Chad's agressiveness earned him a trip to the free throw line where he converted on both attempts. ETH then raised it's level of intensity and dictated the tempo for the rest of the game. The end of game result was a 73-48 victory over the talented team from Massachusetts. ETH will take on the Las Vegas Dynasty Friday evening at 5:00pm.

More updates to follow...

Coach
_____


16/Under Elite Time Hoops

The 16/ ETH made quick work of "One Pass Ahead" from Las Vegas. Suffocating defense saw a 24-2 start within the first six minutes of the game. The final outcome was a 42 point win and the opportunity to qualify for the Platinum bracket. 

16/Under Elite Time Hoops

After a slow first half, ETH started to roll against the home crowd favorite Las Vegas Dynasty. Robert Duncan paved the way with multiple steals and a 20 point performance. ETH has now qualified to compete in the Platinum Division single elimination tournament. Their reward is the highly ranked New Heights team from New York.  New Heights won a tough late night affair against the high flyers of DC Assault. Mike Krzyzewski from Duke University, was in attendance.

More updates to follow...

Coach
_____

Chad Haysbert, Joel Davis and Kendall Jackson receive some ESPN press

ESPN's Joel Francisco lauds Chad Haysbert of E-Time Hoops plus Lakeshow's Joel Davis and Kendall Jackson:
"One of the bigger of surprises this summer has been the emergence of 6-7 senior Chad Haysbert (Sacramento, Calif./Center). He possesses a versatile game and can hurt his opponents inside and out. He needs to get stronger but his offensive game is pretty solid from 17 feet in.

U-17 Lakeshow has a pretty potent backcourt in 6-1 senior James Davis (San Pablo, Calif./Arroyo) and 5-8 junior Kendall Jackson (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd). Davis is a knock-down shooter with a smooth release, while Jackson can break down defenders at will to find teammates for open looks. "

Friday, July 23, 2010

Jeremy Lin comes home

Who knows what intricacies were involved, let alone the numbers, but free agent Jeremy Lin chose to sign with the Golden State Warriors over at least a couple of other interesting teams. Congrats to Jeremy.
Jeremy Lin makes good
Kevin Arnovitz
TrueHoop
July 23, 2010


The Bay Area's newest rock star is Jeremy Lin, an undrafted rookie guard from Harvard whose primary résumé item until recently was being the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists and 200 steals. The Dallas Mavericks were the only team to extend Lin an invitation to summer league to play behind highly touted guards Roddy Beaubois and Dominique Jones.

Then something phenomenal occurred in Las Vegas: 
Go here for the remainder.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Dior Lowhorn to...

USF's (and also Berkeley High's) Dior Lowhorn has landed a contract to play in Belgium.

From the Sportando site: "Stella Artois Leuven-Bears inked for the coming season three more players. The Belgian team announced the arrival of Jared Quayle, Ade Dagunduro and Dior Lowhorn."

Congrats to Dior.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Jeremy Lin to the Lakers?

Wow. Imagine former Palo Alto High star Jeremy Lin making the roster of the world champion Lakers? It very well could happen.
Harvard guard Lin piques L.A.'s interest
Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com
July 19, 2010

A new name has emerged as a candidate to fill a spot on the Los Angeles Lakers' bench as a backup to starting guards Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant.

Jeremy Lin, an undrafted 6-3, 200-pound combo guard from Harvard, is being considered by the Lakers after the team opened contract discussions with Roger Montgomery, Lin's agent, over the weekend.

"We're just trying to sort out the best roster fit, the best situation for Jeremy, but we're highly considering the Lakers," Montgomery said in a phone interview Monday...
Go here for the remainder.

Bill Paterson is on fire

Hats off to Bill Paterson of the Sacramento Bee for his continuous coverage of Sacramento area club team basketball. Thank you Bill.

In AAU, area's eggs aren't in one basket
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
July 20, 2010

 Fletcher Johnson is amazed that so many area Amateur Athletic Union boys basketball teams continue to compete for a limited pool of top talent each season.

"We have too many clubs trying to play at the elite level," says Johnson, who coached AAU for 11 seasons.

At least 10 Sacramento-area senior AAU teams will join hundreds of other boys teams from across the nation in several high-profile tournaments this week in Las Vegas...
Go here for the remainder.

Monday, July 19, 2010

E-Time Hoops Academy in two southern California events

E-Time Hoops Academy is coached by Ernest Taubodo, who also coaches at Center High in Antelope, CA. Coach Taubodo has been providing updates on the ETH teams and players as they participated in a pair of events recently in southern California and generously agreed to our request to re-post his writings:.

Double Pump All-Star Camp

ETH had seven members from the 17/U team compete at this years All-Star Camp.  Devin Crisosto, Devin Murphy, Daniel Smith, Chad Haysbert, JT Adenrele, Jon Davis, and Robert Duncan all participated and represented ETH with pride.

Devin Crisosto was placed on Team Arizona.  The Arizona team was very talented and won the majority of their games over the three day period. Although the team was talented there wasn't much team play. Devin really fought through the selfishness of his teammates and competed hard through out the camp. He was still able to grasp the eye of the on-looking college coaches with savvy moves and clever plays.

Devin Murphy competed with Team Nevada. Team Nevada was an average team at the camp. Devin really shined on his team and showed lots of leadership. His team responded by trusting him with the basketball and responding to his instructions.

Daniel Smith was a Longhorn for Team Texas. Daniel suffered a finger injury in San Francisco which really slowed him down through out the camp. Texas really struggled early and lost most of their games the first two days. During the single elimination tournament, the Texas team went on a five game win streak and finished two games shy of the championship.

Chad Haysbert represented Team Iowa, arguably the most talented team at the camp. The Hawkeyes went undefeated until the final day of camp losing to Team Texas but Iowa was missing two of their top players for this game. Chad Haysbert was named to the all Senior team and was recognized as one of the top seniors at the camp.

JT Adenrele was the inside force for Team Colorado. Team Colorado was up and down for the 3 day event. JT had a few exciting plays during the camp but had a tough time getting his team in the championship game on the final day.

Jon Davis is our newest member to ETH and represented our club with pride. Team South Carolina used Jon inside as their physical imposing force. Jon responded with solid footwork and a great display of fundamental post moves. Jon made his team better as the camp progressed.

Robert Duncan carried team Florida to the championship game at the All-Star Camp.  Robert showcased himself and made his team better by dictating tempo and involving his teammates.  Robert was also recognized as one of the top seniors and participated in the All-Star game.

I am extremely proud of all of the players that represented ETH at the camp. Feel free to give these guys a pat on the back when you see them in the very near future.


*****

3 Stripes Adidas Tournament (Los Angeles)

Day One saw our 16/U team take on LA Elite at El Camino City College. ETH started off slow but grinded out a nine-point victory. Our second game in pool play will be against the very reputable Southern California All-Stars.
 

Day One - Our 17/U began the tournament against the number one team in pool M, O/C Pride White.  ETH started off slow as well and saw a 17-point deficit mid-way through the first half. Once we settled down, we methodically chipped away at our deficit one possession at a time. JT sparked the team with a block on a dunk attempt and returned the favor with a facial two-hander himself. The last three minutes E-Time played lock down defense while Devin Crisosto and Robert Duncan sealed a nine point victory  (77-70) at the free throw line.
 

Day Two - Picking up where they left off, the 17/U ETH team took on Branch West. Branch West is a big time LA-based program founded and coached by Bob Gotlieb. His son, Doug Gottlieb, was an All-American in college. Doug is currently an NCAA college basketball analyst on ESPN. ETH continued their strong play and defeated Branch West with a (77-43) victory. Our next opponent is TBA at 4:00pm.
 

Day Two - The 16/U ETH team will compete at 6:20 against SCA...

More updates to follow soon,



Quick update recap continued from Day 2


17's competed against Inland at 4:00pm, won (75-45). Second game was against CTB and we won a close one (59-54). ETH is now in the final 4 and plays the Bay Area Warriors for the right to play in the championship.
 

16's completed pool play with a victory over the Southern California All-Stars by 17. Our guys really started to click this game and look forward to continuing this morning at 8:00 a.m. The opponent is TBA...



Day 3 of the Adidas 3 Stripes NCAA Showcase:
 

The ETH 16's took on the South Eastern All-Stars at 8:30 to advance to the semifinals. ETH was victorious (70-62) after being up 22 early and watching a furious comeback from SEA.
 

A strong Arizona Pump n Run team, was standing between ETH 16 and a championship berth. Arizona, with fresh legs, seemed to wear on the short bench of ETH. After a hard fought effort, ETH fell to Pump n Run (87-98). ETH showed tremendous heart while only having a roster of 7 at this event. We expect an even better effort next week at Center Stage in Las Vegas.

ETH 17's:

ETH took on the Bay Area Warriors ,who added big name Stuart Wasonga to it's roster for the 3 Stripes Tournament. The winner of this game moves on to the championship game as a Nor Cal representative. The Warriors jumped on ETH early with three-point field goals and uncontested lay-ups. After a quick four man substitution, ETH methodically chipped away at the lead and tied the game with 4 minutes to go in the first half. The half-time score showed ETH with a 9 point lead. ETH dictated the second half with fast break points and stellar defense. The final score reflected a complete turn-around with ETH defeating the Warriors (65-39).


(The following description was not written by Coach Taubodo)
 
The 54 team tournament left two teams standing ready to rumble for the 3 Stripes championship title. LakeShow from Danville was re-matching ETH from Sacramento. ETH defeated LakeShow 6 days earlier in San Francisco at the Nor Cal Tip Off. LakeShow's coach Joe Fuca stated to me that his team was looking forward to the re-match. After the initial tip, LakeShow scored two quick baskets. ETH answered with a field goal to keep it close. After a back and forth battle for the next four minutes, Lakeshow began to impose its will. Kendall Jackson used his quickness and athleticism to breakdown ETH. His unselfish play created easy uncontested scoring opportunities for his teammates. James Davis hit two long range threes to extend the already double-digit lead. After a quick time out to break the LakeShow momentum, ETH looked to re-group. Mark Tollefson picked up where James left off with a three pointer of his own. ETH came up empty again and Mark took the ball to the hoop with a finish and foul. E-Time never recovered and the worn out team took a hard (39-65) loss to take 2nd place.

(Back to Coach Taubodo's writings)


After the game. the coaching staff engaged the players with a post-game talk. I took a softer stand and looked at the tournament as a whole and commended the team for their accomplishment. Coach Sondhi took a short direct approach and told the team to re-focus for Las Vegas. Coach Renee Wright decided to focus on the championship game and really took a firm stance with the team. She educated the ETH team with honest emotion and competitive tough love. Her challenge to them will definitely prepare them for the Adidas Super 64 Tournament in Las Vegas where the competition will be at a national level with teams from all over the United States.
 

This past week was a busy, tough, yet rewarding week for E-Time Hoops Academy. I'm extremely proud of our players, parents, coaches, and other supporters. At your next opportunity, please feel free to pat these young men on the back for their hard work and success.

Finally, the info on Omar Samhan and Lithuania

Get ready Lithuania because Omar is coming and basketball and other life won't be the same after his arrival. Go here for the details.

Jabari Brown receives more offers

Adam Zagoria is back again with an update on Jabari Brown's recruiting: "...Brown played great at the Nike Peach Jam despite his team not being able to win it all. Three major schools noticed his excellent performance and decided to offer. Georgetown offered a day after Jabari’s Soldiers were knocked out of play. Kansas waited until a few days after to pull out an offer for Brown. And St. John’s offered Sunday night. They join the ranks of most Pac-10 schools, as well as Maryland, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest..."

Go here for the entire post (primarily focused on east coast prospects).

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The latest on Remi Barry

Adam Zagoria is reporting -- speculating -- this today: "6-7 French wing Remi Barry of Del Oro High he still hasn't heard from the NCAA Clearinghouse. He may well not get cleared to play in 2010."

We are speculating that UCLA is out of the mix for a number of reasons (Ben Howland typically doesn't involve his program in such an up-in-the-air situation plus how could Barry get through the UC enrollment process at such a late, and getting later, date), that Arizona State remains a possibility, as does St. John's (even though Dwayne Polee plays the same position). We also know another school is involved, a WAC one, but cannot disclose who.

Omar to Lithuania

Heard late last night on Channel 2 that Omar Samhan had signed a contract to play in Lithuania. Nothing yet on his Twitter account -- here -- (Omar, you're slowing down) but that should change soon.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Get to this basketball skills clinic in Fairfield

Here is opportunity to work learn under the top basketball trainer in the west, plus a player who virtually came out of nowhere who is now making a living playing professionally.

Skills Clinic In Fairfield
when: July 23, 2010
where: Allan Witt Sports Center, 1741 W. Texas Street, Fairfield
time: 10 a.m. and runs 2 1/2 hours
cost: $40

Here is the link to register.

The clinic is being ran by Jeremy Russotti (1% Club Basketball) and Josh Akognon (who averaged 20 ppg in Euroleague this past season).

Contact Coach Bass @ First Step Basketball, 707 803-1003, for more information.

Khion Sankey heads to Wyoming

Newark Memorial's Khion Sankey has a home at a junior college in Wyoming -- congrats to him:

Northern California Standout, Khion Sankey, Signs with Sheridan College
Monday, June 21, 2010

Sheridan, WY – Sheridan College head men's basketball coach Steve Smiley announced today the signing of Newark Memorial High School power forward Khion Sankey to a national letter of intent.
Sankey, a 6-5, 225 pound power forward played at Newark Memorial High School but resides in Stockton, CA. Sankey averaged 14.6 points, 8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 2.8 assists per game in leading his team to a 30-5 finish, a Northern California Championship, and a second place finish in the entire state (CIF)...
Go here for the remainder.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

One more article on Omar Samhan

Rob Mahoney at The Two Man Game site has posted an entertaining  article with video on Omar Samhan -- go here.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A fitting tribute to Coach Taubodo

Ernest Taubodo coaches at Center High in Antelope and also runs the E-Time Hoops Academy (read more about his club team here). 

The Sacramento Bee also recently posted an article in which E-Time was prominently featured.

Club team basketball has produced many a story, with far too many unfortunately featuring inappropriate behavior on the various parties. Coaches and players with their hands out and so on.

So there can be no better accolade for a coach than what we recently and inadvertently came across -- a note from the mother of one of Taubodo's former players. As soon as we read it, the decision was made that it needed a larger audience. Permissions were granted -- here it is:

"Coach Ernest,

We are very proud of you and your team. I hope those young men know how fortunate they are to have you as their coach. I am sure that they do. You have taught our son, Jonathan, when he was on your team so much more beyond basketball. You are a fabulous coach who our family respects highly. You go beyond your role as coach and teach important life skill lessons that the players will need all through their lives. Thank you for impacting our youth with your basketball skills and wisdom, but more importantly with impacting them with excellent character traits that will take them to even higher places.

Good Luck in the remaining tournaments.

We are cheering for great things to happen with the team.

LoAnne Jackson & family"

Doing things the right way, whether it be in prep or club team basketball setting, is always admirable. Keeping the bigger picture and the best interests of the young individuals in mind deserves recognition and applause.

Thank you Coach Taubodo.

More on Omar Samhan

Selfishly, we can't eait for Omar Samhan's professional basketball playing career to conclude because we want to see him behind a mike at TNT or ESPN. He's already that good.

Here's the latest on Omar, who is playing this summer for Dallas:

From Kevin Arnovitz at ESPN: Omar Samhan: "After the draft, I felt like I was drowning, and I was really upset," Saint Mary's big man said about not hearing his name called on June 24. "Dallas feels like a life vest for me." A quick glimpse at John Hollinger's Draft Rater suggests that Samhan might have the skills to play NBA ball."

and

Here is David Thorpe on Samhan: "The thing I like best is that he's emotionally engaged in the game. Everything means something to him -- his teammates, how they're playing, how he's playing. He's invested in the game -- but not just how he's doing. We all knew he had scoring talent and good hands, but unless he can improve his athleticism, it's going to be hard for him to show those skills on a nightly basis."

and

Here's a recent Mercury News article on Samhan.

One more junior college note

Collin Chiverton, formerly of Archbishop Mitty, St. Mary's and Salt Lake City College, is now at San Francisco City College.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Community college thoughts on Monday

Rambling thoughts and disconnected items of the community college variety:

* Is Cañada's Peter Pappageorge a D-1 recruit? Opinions from various coaches in attendance at the Foot5hill Juco Summer Slam were mixed.

* Chabot's Kyle Luckett is quite the intriguing prospect.There was nobody to match up with him over the weekend at the Foothill Juco Summer Slam but the 7-footer needs additional strength and bulk in order to accentuate his other skills and athletic ability in the play-for-pay next step. He has no D-1 eligibility.

* We are fascinated and will be following where Yuba's Michael McChristian eventually ends up. He bring multiple skills to the court but will D-1 coaches see him as a point? Is his outside shot enough of a threat to force defenders to come out on him?

+++++

* Here's the current Denny Aye-coached Chabot roster:
Randy Newell 5-foot-9, PG, 165 (Washington Prep - Los Angeles)
Terrel Gates 5-foot-9, PG, 150 (James Logan HS) 
Damon Jones Jr. 6-foot-2, G, 170 (St. Elizabeth HS - Oakland) 
Howie Manzo 6-foot-0, 175 (James Logan HS - Union City) 
Jourdan Demuynck 6-foot-6, G, 200 (Castro Valley HS) 
Christopher Gray 6-foot-6, F, 195 (Weston Ranch HS - Stockton) 
Ifeanyi Ezeofor 6-foot-5, F, 235 (Newark Memorial HS)  
Jacob Noisat 6-foot-8, F, 230 (Elsie Allen HS - Santa Rosa) 
Colin Chadwick 6-foot-9, F, 235 (Justin Siena High - Napa)
Jason Silsdorf 6-foor-11, C, 220 (Emcinal High - Alameda)
Kyle Luckett 7-foot-0, C, 230 Wisconsin
+++++

Bellarmine College Prep's 6-foot-4 Freddie Eberhardt has signed on with Coach Shanan Rosenberg and Foothill College.

Besides Eberhardt, here's the current Foothill roster:
Keon Ghafouri, 5-foot-9 sophomore, Saratoga High
Suhail Modhammadi, 5-foot-11 freshman, Carlmot High
Jordan Ruedy, 6-foot-0 freshman, Serra High
Ben Neves, 5-foor-10 freshman, Westmont High
Kyle Hypes, 6-foot-3, sophomore, St. Francis High
Shawn grant, 6-foot-4 sophomore, St. Francis High\
James Weimer, 6-foot-2 freshman, Westmont High
Rakeem Willaims, 6-foot-3, freshman, John Fremont High
Brendan Carroll, 6-foot-3 freshman, St. Lawrence High
Mike Carson, 6-foot-6 freshman, Cupertino High
Matt Davies, 6-foot-6 freshman, Leigh High
Jimmy Reneke, 6-foot-5 freshman, Willow Glen High
Edwon Prins, 6-foot-7 sophomore, Netherlands
Andy Muenier, 6-foot-9, freshman, Lynbrook High
Bill Collier, 6-foot-5, freshman, Thurgood Marshall High
+++++

In the recent Foothill Juco Summer Slam, backcourter Juilan Welch (UC Davis) and frontcourter Julian Scott didn't appear for Yuba College but the 49ers still looked fine.

+++++

Besides Roman (Rodriguez High) Robinson and former Grant High star Saajid Polite returning as sophomores, Coach Keenan McMiller at Merritt has these players coming in:
Isaiah Bohmann, 6-foot-8, Sutter High
Nicolas Capiti, 6-foot-1, Bishop O’Dowd High
Elliott Herald, 6-foot-3, Center High
Tyler Idowu, 6-foot-4, Rodriguez High
Kareem Ransom, 6-foot-3, Inderkum High
Khalil Ray, 6-foot-2, Sacramento High
Gurprett Sandher, 6-foot-3, San Lorenzo High 
Five of McMiller’s newbies, two of them points, will grayshirt:
Contrail Dixon, 5-foot-9, Benicia High
Marcos Castrillo, 6-foot-5, Pinole Valley High
Austin Kavasnicka, 6-foot-9, 235, Pinole Valley High
Eric King, 6-foot-0, Deer Valley High   
Jisuan Randle, 6-foot-2, Newark Memorial High

A feature on Oakmont's Tony Gill

Oakmont High star Tony Gill has a plan and Bill Paterson -- of course -- offers the details:
Ex-Oakmont basketball star has learned much from his AAU experience
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
July 10, 2010

Former Oakmont High School star Tony Gill considers himself a late bloomer, partly because he didn't play high-level Amateur Athletic Union basketball until after his junior season.

Gill was a Cal-Hi Sports All-State Division II and Bee All-Metro first team selection this past season in leading the Vikings to the Sac-Joaquin Section D-II championship game. The 6-foot-8 center-forward credits an eye-opening summer last July for helping him have a breakout senior season in which he averaged 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds.

That's when he got his first taste of big-time basketball playing with the Rocklin Warriors (now NorCal Pump N Run) during the July viewing period for college coaches.

"To be perfectly honest, it was a slap in the face," Gill said. "Back home I had had a pretty good amount success and was a little cocky...
Go here for the remainder.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Sacramento area basketball and players get deserved attention

Bill Paterson has a great feature today -- built around J.T. Adenrele -- on Sacto area basketballers:
Prospects hope for scholarships at summer tournaments
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
July 11, 2010

J.T. Adenrele is considered one of this area's top boys basketball prospects in the Class of 2011.

NorCalPreps.com ranks the 6-foot-6 Oakmont High School senior forward the 13th-best player in Northern California...
Go here for the remainder.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

A Matt Simpkins update

Former heralded prepster, 6-foot-9 Matt Simpkins was connected to Nevada at one point last season. This was when he was sitting out the season but attending classes at Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, CA).

Eventually, both parties moved on and now Simpkins is listed as a member of the Garden City Community College (KA) team.

Here is his resume as listed by Memphis State, the last team Simpkins was on before being booted for a myriad of problems:

Named No. 36 player in the country in RiseMag.com's Fab 50 Basketball Recruits ... Ranked No. 74 by Scouthoops.com ... No. 24 power forward by Scouthoops.com ... No. 80 in Rivals.com ... No. 25 power forward in Rivals.com position rankings ... Rated the No. 70 player in the nation by RiseMag.com in its final 2008 rankings ... In 2007-08, played for head coach Chris Chaney at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C. ... Helped the Bulldogs to a 32-2 overall record ... Averaged 17.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks for Patterson ... Named to Northern Cal's Best starting five in summer of 2007 by highschoolhoop.com ... In summer of 2007, had 22 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in second annual Sac vs. Bay Showdown ... Also participated in 2007 Pangos All-American Camp and was the camp's third-leading scorer at 20.3 ppg ... Highest scoring game at camp was a 33-point performance (second to Brandon Jennings' 36 points at the camp) ... Was named MVP of the showdown's underclass game ... As a junior at Berkeley in 2006-07, helped lead the Yellowjackets to a 21-7 overall record and a 12-2 Alameda Contra Costa League mark ... Berkeley won the league regular season title ... Selected to the California All-State Junior second team by calhisports.com ... In summer of 2006, ranked among the top 10 players at the Adidas Camp (one of two 2008 recruits in the top 10) ... As a sophomore in 2005-06, averaged 16.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 6.2 blocks for Capital Christian

Here's a link about Simpkins' departure from Memphis State. He will get another shot or two as someone is always willing to take (another) chance.

More on Remi Barry

Barry attracts scouts now that he's on court, not in it
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
July 8, 2010

Remi Barry is making up for lost time.

Denied a chance to play basketball at Del Oro High School last season, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound French national has been the focus of frenzied Internet college recruiting buzz and an impact player on the Amateur Athletic Union basketball circuit this spring and summer.

Barry did not play his senior season for the Golden Eagles after the CIF ruled that his transfer last August from a private school in Florida to Loomis, via France, was athletically motivated...
Go here for the remainder.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Not northern California related but an interesting read

PeacePlayers International lends assist to groups with long-standing conflicts
Jorge Castillo
Washington Post
July 7, 2010

Amir Abu Dalu grew up in the village of Beit Safafa in East Jerusalem, skipping school and causing trouble on the streets with his friends. And like the great majority of Palestinians, he rarely interacted with Israelis.

"I grew up knowing that any Jew was like an enemy of mine," Abu Dalu said, speaking fluent English in a telephone interview. "To tell you the truth, with Jews I didn't have a connection. It was, 'I hate them, they don't know about me' and it was just no connection at all."

Now, at just 17, Abu Dalu has spent four years playing basketball side-by-side with Israelis and counts Jews among his friends. He also volunteers to help coach a girls' basketball team made up of 15- and 16 year-old Palestinians and Israelis. The team will soon become one of two mixed girls teams ever to join Israel's national basketball league, the highest level of club basketball in the country. Arabs have played on Israeli teams in other parts of the country, but not in Jerusalem...
Go here for the remainder.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Drills, tempo and actually incorporating such into games

Alan Stein, is a Nike trainer who also works at DeMatha High. He has gained tremendous respect for his work and achievements. Stein recently did a post at his site about people he admires and it contained an interview with Kevin Eastman.

Here's one Q-and-A:
Question: What aspects of the game do coaches need to emphasize more with their players?

 Coach Eastman: Most coaches are great with drills. They know millions of them. But they need to teach their players to transfer those drills into playing the actual game. That transfer is the ultimate goal. Most high school (and many college) players don’t really know how to play. Coaches need to emphasize time and score, proper spacing, ball movement, help defense, post feeds, tempo, etc.
 Here is another:
Question: What are the biggest skill deficiencies you see in high school players?

Coach Eastman: They play too fast, they over dribble, and they care too much about “me” and not enough about “we.” Getting players to understand tempo is extremely challenging, but it is a quality that all of the top players have
.
Go here for this specific post.

This might not float the boat of many but this is material we love. How and why do Coach Bo Ryan's players at Wisconsin improve their individual numbers every season?

Kismet? Pure luck?

How and why do Coach X's players rarely get better throughout their eligibility?

Steve Nash (and many others) understand tempo (as well as so ,many other aspects of basketball). That's one of the reasons Nash succeeds despite not being the strongest, quickest or the best jumper.




The Stephen Powell story

Thank you for Scott Ostler for providing the backstory on the late Stephen Powell -- it was necessary to get beyond message board postings:
Slain Bayview athlete soared high, fell hard
Scott Ostler, Chronicle Staff Writer
July 4, 2010

San Francisco, like every big city, has a mythical basketball team of lost souls who are remembered with sadness and with stories of their feats and their wasted potential.

Stephen Powell Jr. is now on that team. His dream of becoming a real basketball star died a week ago Saturday night when the 19-year-old was shot and killed at the corner of Market and Castro.

Three years ago, Powell, a pint-size high school sophomore from the Bayview, scored 50 points in a game. He had dazzling skills and a personality to match.

"I had the misfortune of coaching against him (in high school), and the pleasure of coaching him (in Amateur Athletic Union ball)," said Randy Bessolo, coach at University High. "He was just a joy to be around. He had a great sense of humor. Everyone around him enjoyed his company, and none of his fun or humor ever detracted from his productivity."

What did detract, and prove fatal, was Powell's inability to pull himself away from old friends on the streets of the Bayview. Police say Powell's killing was gang-related...
Go here for the remainder.

Bill Paterson's notes on the Shelton-Trail Jam

Prep notes: Sheldon-Trail Jam plans to expand
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
July 4, 2010

Monterey Trail boys basketball coach Ken Manfredi calls summer high school basketball "a mixed bag."

But it's clear he has something going with the Sheldon-Trail Summer Jam Tournament that was held last weekend at Sheldon, Monterey Trail and Valley high schools.

The event, which is in its third year and expanded from 40 to 50 teams, might grow even bigger next season and include Cosumnes River College as a playing site based on this year's success...
Go here for the remainder.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Sacto's Guss Armstead is featured

The Sac Bee's Aaron Hilton offers insight into the profound effect Guss Armstead on those players in his orbit:
Guss Armstead mentors basketball talent
Aaron Hilton
Sacramento Bee
July 1, 2010

He's been called "Reverend Do Dirty." Those who know him best call him "MC Gusto." But most players just call him "coach."

No matter what they call him, players remember Guss Armstead. He is again running the Sacramento Professional Developmental League out of Capital Christian High School this summer, where the league will stage its 14th annual All-Star Game at 7 tonight...
Go here for the remainder.