Friday, February 28, 2014

Meet Troy Stevenson

The Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) basketball program attracts guard prospects for multiple reasons with one in particular standing out: much more often than not, Bear Cub backcourters possess a DI basketball address once they depart.

Coach Craig McMillan has a long lineage of such, most recently consisting of Sama Taku at Pacific, Kevin Aronis with New Mexico State and Bobby Sharp residing in Portland.

But one of the secrets behind this success is Troy Stevenson, who wear many hats at SRJC including one in the classroom and another as recruiting coordinator, but also works with Bear Cub backcourters on honing their shooting prowess.

The facts: SRJC has attempted 591 attempts beyond the arc thus far this season, the most in the Big 8 Conference and possesses a 42.1 connection rate which is also best in the league.

Stevenson, who played at Montgomery High and at Santa Rosa JC, owns Master's Degrees from Howard University and USF and is a member of the SRJC counseling staff as well as an instructor in the Communications Studies Department there.

He is the first to acknowledge this aim-fire-connect prowess is not all his doing.

"Good shooters have had good coaches along the way in high school and CYO ball," he said, adding, "we've had a lot of good clay to mold."

But with shooting at a premium, what does he add to the mix?

"Drills and repetition, with a variety so the guys don't get tired of it. It's muscle memory."

Stevenson calls shooting "a confidence game" offering the famously funny with a grain of truth line "a hot shooter shoots until he cold and a cold shooter shoots until he's hot."

He also believes using a group setting "because it helps guys get mental toughness." The drills last long enough for a degree of fatigue to set in "as that is what players will face during games. We also work on drills that will get you open" which is too often a lost art.

Another element important to Stevenson and coaching overall is knowing your guys and working with them. For example, who get fired up and who needs firing up? Or if a play is drawn up real quick, figuring out who will get it and who will need to hear it again? "A good coach keeps all that in mind," according to Stevenson who recalled a time during his playing days explaining to a 6-foot-8 teammate what he needed to do on a certain play after the original instructions were issued.

In response to the topic about how highlights too often override the fundamentals, Stevenson called it "the ESPN Sports Center effect. What about the guy who set a back screen to get his teammate open? Or the guy who blocked out his opponent on every play?"

So what was the genesis of all this basketball involvement?

"In the third grade, one of my neighbors was going to a basketball camp at Santa Rosa Junior College. My mom asked me if I wanted to go and I said 'sure.'"

Craig McMillan was not running the Bear Cub basketball program at that time but this exposure led Stevenson to eventually hanging out at campus open gyms.

So after playing for Coach Tom Fitchie at Montgomery High, Stevenson moved over to Coach Steve Done's roster at Santa Rosa Junior College

Some time later, once Stevenson returned from earning his graduate degree at Howard, he again began making it over to the SRJC campus. Running into McMillan, he was first asked "if I had any eligibility. When I told him I was looking into coaching, he then asked if I was interested in helping out with the JC. I thought I had to work my way up. Timing is everything. Kind of like shooting."

Thus began Stevenson's basketball 'Shot Doc' tenure.

Dyachenko powers HP to victory

Hawaii Pacific downed Fresno Pacific last night over in the islands with Yevgeniy Dyachenko providing a game-leading 27 points. He shot 5-10 from beyond the arc.

Trying out for the Napa Valley Basketball Alliance squad

Via the Napa Valley Register:
Napa Valley Basketball Alliance, a nonprofit AAU club, will hold tryouts from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at Grace Church, 3765 Solano Ave., Napa. The gym is in the back of the property.

This is the first of two required tryout sessions. The second will be announced on the NVBA website and provided to registering players. Current AAU Youth Athlete Membership is required for participation for $16, available online only for extended insurance coverage at www.aauboysbasketball.org/Membership/SignUp.aspx.

Those who try out should bring AAU membership proof and completed NVBA Player Registration Form as signed by adult parent or legal guardian, available at www.nvbasketballalliance.org/

Eligibility for players in the ninth, 10th and 11th grade is determined by the player AAU National Date of Birth rules.

To play in the 10th grade division, an athlete must have been in the 10th grade as of Oct. 1, 2013 and be no older than 17 on Aug. 31, 2014. An athlete in the 11th grade as of Oct. 1, 2013 who wants to play in the 10th grade division can be no older than 16 on Aug. 31, 2014. If an athlete’s age is outside the 24-month window for their grade, the athlete must play in the grade division that is corresponds with their age

Interested players should bring their own ball, water and be ready for an intensive evaluation of basketball skill, speed, agility, teamwork, attitude, sportsmanship and game performance. These tryouts are for a travel team to compete in highly competitive AAU Tournaments and the focus will be player development for readiness of players at the high school varsity level. Players need to be committed and serious about improving and working together. A meeting with parents will be held after the end of the tryout to answer questions. Tryouts are open to Napa County residents, referrals and players attending Napa Valley high schools.

The head coach is Carson Carattini, a veteran AAU varsity coach, former high school coach and current Canada College assistant men’s coach and head strength and conditioning coach for the college’s basketball program. Carattini brings a wealth of successful coaching experience in addition to the unique advantage of being a certified youth physical trainer, to optimize player development. He led the NVBA 15U Spring AAU Team to a 70-percent overall win ratio in 2013.

For players selected for the travel team, team fees are $450 per player for 22 two-hour practice sessions and a minimum of three AAU tournaments, and will require a uniform deposit of $55 for NVBA-provided high-quality game uniforms. Practices will start March 11 at Napa High’s Messner Gym and end May 22.

One Bay Area college exposure tournament is planned and parents are responsible for player transportation to all practices and tournaments.

For more information, visit www.nvbasketballalliance.org or facebook.com/NVBA1, or email teams and programs manager Cliff Sherlock at interrace@gmail.com and put “16U AA Spring 2014 Team in the subject line.

The Fresno Bee on Ed Madec

Marek Warszawski serves up a feature on uber-successful Fresno City College Coach Ed Madec.

Morris-Walker aids in OSU victory

Down south, Oregon State bested USC 76-66 last night with Langston Morris-Walker netting 11 points plus four rebounds in 23 minutes.

JC games for tonight (Friday)

* Lassen College - Cosumnes River College

CRC basketball game previews -- this is the fourth meeting between these two teams this season.

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* Cabrillo College - Yuba College

Andy Arrenquin game previews.

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* San Jose City College - Butte College

* College of the Sequoias - Ohlone College

The California Pacific Conference tournament begins Saturday

Via Cal Pac SID Matt Davis:
The format is new but the goal is the same for four California Pacific Conference men's basketball teams—advance to the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Branson, Mo. Cal MaritimeWilliam JessupSimpson, and Menlo will converge on Haynes-Prim Pavilion at Menlo College for the semifinal round on March 1 to play for the opportunity to extend the season at least one more game. 

For the first time in almost a decade, the tournament will be held at one location instead of the higher seeded team hosting the game. In recent years, all teams advanced to the conference tournament, but this year the Cal Pac has gone to a uniform format for all its sports where the championship tournaments are pared down to a final four with all games played at one predetermined site.

Cal Maritime earned the top seed by virtue of completing the Cal Pac schedule with an 11-1 record, 25-5 overall. The Keelhaulers will take on #4 Menlo (6-6 in the Cal Pac, 9-17 overall) in the 3:30 game on March 1. In the first semifinal contest, #3 Simpson (9-3, 11-19) takes on #2 William Jessup (9-3, 15-11) at 1:30. The two teams split their Cal Pac games this season, both winning on the road.

The winners of the two games will play at 8:00 on Monday, March 3, with the winner earning the right to play in the national tournament, which begins March 12-13 at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks.

1:30 Semifinal

Listen live on KAHI 950 AM or streamed at Kahi.com with Dave Rosenthal and Matt George. Menlo will have live video

#2 WILLIAM JESSUP
The Warriors lead the conference in scoring defense (69.1 points per game) and are tied for second (with Simpson) in defensive field goal percentage (42%).  Jessup's offense is led by Corey Clement, who ranks among the league's best in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and free throw percentage.  Clement is third in points per game (18), tops in field goal percentage (59.5%), third in rebounding (8.7), and first in free throw percentage (86.2%).  But he is not the only offensive weapon the Warriors have. Caleb Richey is scoring at a 10.9 points per game clip and leads the team in assists, averaging 4.7 a game—the best in the Cal Pac.  Anthony Edwards is putting in 8.3 points per game to go along with his 6.2 rebounds while Kelton Newman is adding 9.4 points per contest.
VS.
#3 SIMPSON
The Red Hawks have an explosive offense, with three players capable of having huge games.  The trio averages double figures for a Simpson offense which ranks second in the conference in points per game (74.3) and field goal percentage (44.2%).  The Red Hawks are led by Dalton Thacker's 13.4 points per game while Anthony Williams and Ian Corella are both scoring at a 12-point clip.  Shaquille Jones in putting 9.8 a game while Jonnie Washburn, the team's leading three-point shooter, is tossing in 9.7 per contest.  Defensively, five players average at least one steal per game, led by Williams's 51 on the season. The Red Hawks know how to win close games; they have had several nail-biters in Cal Pac this winter:  three conference wins have been decided on the last possession—twice against La Sierra (the first in overtime) and a buzzer-beater at Menlo.

3:30 Semifinal

#1 CAL MARITIME
Cal Maritime has five players averaging in double figures, led by Grant Blaser's 14.2 points per game. Casey Healy is scoring at a 12.1 clip, and is the team's leader in assists.  Anthony Simi averages 11.1 points per outing while Erik Hanson and Dominique Barnes provide the inside power for the Keelhaulers: Hanson is averaging 10.5 points and 5.1 boards per contest, and Barnes is averaging 10.2 points and a 4.7 rebounds per game. Jaquai Wiley averages 8.4 points on the season, but it is on the defensive end that he stands out.  The reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the Cal Pac, Wiley spearheads a defense that is giving up 69.5 points a game while holding opponents to 41% shooting.
VS.
#4 MENLO
The offense revolves around Keith Bowman, arguably the top post player in the Cal Pac.  Bowman ranks second in the conference in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 18.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game (eighth best in the country).  He has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, and he ranks second in field goal percentage (50.7%).  Bowman has teammates who can also generate offense.  John Smith is scoring at a 10.1 clip while Charles Barnes (9.0), Dylan Severson (7.5), and Colin Wan (7.0) are capable of putting up big numbers if teams focus too much on Bowman.

Cal State Stanislaus tourney bound

Brian VanderBeek reports that Cal State Stanislaus basketball has earned entry into the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.

Bay Preps previewing all divisional matchups plus more

Pat O'Rourke/Bay Preps has been uber busy and below are his latest offerings:

* NCS Division I Quarterfinal Preview

* NCS Division II Quarterfinal Preview

* NCS Division III Quarterfinal Preview

* NCS Division IV and V Quarterfinal Preview

Plus, audio interviews with Leigh Coach Patrick Judge and Half Moon Bay Coach Rich Forslund


The SF branches of the WCAL

Will Reisman looks at the doings of the San Francisco-based West Catholic Athletic League teams in the playoffs.

Weber over Sac St.

Weber State slowed down Sacramento State's momentum Thursday night with a 79-67 homecourt victory. Davion Berry posted a 20 point, 11 assist double-double and added six rebounds. For the Hornets, Mikh McKinney countered with 21 points plus nine assists while frontcourt teammate Eric Stuteville enjoyed an 18 point, eight rebound evening.

The Gaels win

Up in Moraga Thursday, St. Mary's took care of Portland 70-61. Matt Waldow just missed a double-double with 14 points plus nine boards while Beau Levesque contributed eight points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. For the Pilots, Bryce Pressley posted a 10 point, seven assist line.

EW over Northern Colorado

Last night, Eastern Washington bested Northern Colorado 80-66 in Greeley. Dominique Lee posted eight points, seven boards and three steals in the losing cause.

Irvine bops Santa Barbara

In Irvine last night , the Anteaters lassoed the Gauchos of UC Santa Barbara 71-60 as Chris McNealy led all scorers with 17 points on a perfect shooting night (5-5 overall, 2-2 from long distance and 5-5 from the foul line). Teammate Will Davis finished with 14 points, eight boards and two blocked shots.

Davis over Cal Poly

UC Davis picked up a win over visiting Cal Poly last night 85-73. In 25 minutes, senior guard Ryan Sypkens totaled 14 points on 4-9 shooting from beyond the arc. It looks like he needs five more three-pointers to become the all-time Big West Conference leader in that category.

Here Sypkens is earlier burying his 300th trey:

Thursday, February 27, 2014

O'Rourke's first round takes

Pat O'Rourke takes a look at a number of last night's high school matchups.

Dawkins with a couple of offers

Alex Kline tweeted: "Dayton & Utah State have offered 2014 New Hampton (NH) guard Aubrey Dawkins"

Stuteville loaded with good offers

A Gerry Freitas tweet: "...Mason Stuteville of CR says offers from Cal, Wash, Pacific, Sac St, Weber St"

Out of Casa Roble High, he's a 6-foot-9 power forward whose brother is a freshman at Sacramento State.

Bobbitt posts a tripleD

Roderick Bobbitt posted his second triple-double of the season --12 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds -- in the Indian Hills win over Southeastern last night.

McKinney getting noticed

Ryan Kuhn gives Sacramento State guard Mikh McKinney some much-deserved press.

Particelli steps away

Marty James reports that Ray Particelli has stepped down as the head basketball coach at Justin-Sienna High, after 32 years of running programs.

High School Roundup

Doug Benton/Nor Cal Preps serves up a bevy of scores and notes from last night's games.

The MIJ reports that a Duysen-less Marin Catholic still had enough to take down Piedmont last night.

Joe Davidson game reports on the Del Campo High victory against Burbank. Here's all the game scores from in and around Sacramento as Pleasant Grove lost while Jesuit, Grant and Sacramento each won. Here's even more scores from the area.

Howard Senzel game reports the Cardinal Newman win over Lick Wilmerding.

Joe Cortez game reports the Riverbank High triumph versus Summerville.

Danny Penza game reports on Fortuna High's run past Cloverdale.

Andy Arrenquin game reports on Escalon's turning back of Marysville.

Mitch Stephens works his way around the Bay with various game reports.

John Hull looks at some game results out of the Sacramento area.

Impressive numbers for some NorCal-connected CCAA players

A number of northern California-connected California Collegiate Athletic Association talents have put up impressive numbers thus far this season.

Here's a sampling:

* Humboldt State's David Howard leads in scoring at 19.5 point per game, Nefi Perdomo is third at 17.6, Cal State Stanislaus' Marcus Bell fourth with 17.3 and Cal State East Bay's Gabe Kindred rounds out the first five at 16.3.

* Each of the top five boardmen here are Nor Cal-lers: Marcus Bell with 10.5 rebounds each outing, Chico State's Jordan Semple stands second at 7.8, CSS's Rob Walters is third with 7.3, Cal State East Bay's Ryan Hebebrand is #4 at 6.6 and Howard completes the group with 6.5

* In shooting from the floor overall, Chris Read of CSS is tops at 58.3, followed by Sonoma State's Justin Herold in third place at 57.2 and Semple fifth with 55.9.

* In beyond the arc accuracy, Kindred stands second at 45.9, Clint Tremeling of CSS is fourth at 42.5 and Howard fifth with 41.9.

The Monticello Empire League honorees

Below are the selections for the All-Monticello Empire League:

* Tyrie Carrie, Armijo High

* Sam Gabbart, Vacaville High

* Cameron Moore, Wood High

* Chane Pippin, Vacaville High

* Steve Santora, Napa High

* Darrius Washington, Wood High

* Keanu Williams, Rodriguez High

Player of the Year: Rishod Abraham, Rodriguez High

Coach of the Year: Nate Rankin, Rodriguez High

Benton on basketball

Here's an all basketball Bay Area Preps podcast featuring Doug Benton/Nor Cal Preps.

Cosumnes River College's basketball honorees

For Cosumnes River College, AJ Bridges (16.3 points, 5.3 assists) and Jaycob Velasco (16.3 points, 9.3 rebounds) were named to the Big 8 All Conference team.


Fellow Hawks TJ Williams (10.8 points, 7.5 boards) and Brenden Glapion (9.4 points) achieved honorable mention status.

All are sophomores.

A trio of Seahawks honored

From the Cabrillo College Men's Basketball Facebook page:
For four consecutive years a Seahawk has been named the MVP of the Conference with Warren Jackson becoming the most recent member to join that club. Jackson led Cabrillo in scoring, assists, steals and several other statistical categories that helped earn him the MVP award voted on by the the coaches in the conference. Allen Wilcher was named 1st Team All Conference, he was the 3rd leading scorer for the Seahawks in conference play, led the team in rebounding and was 2nd to Jackson in assists. Latrell Wilson was named 2nd Team All Conference, he was the 2nd leading scorer for Cabrillo in conference play, led the conference in three point shots made and attempted and was the only non-starter named All Conference.

JC scores from Wednesday night -- both home teams win

* Foothill College 65 - DeAnza College 63

FC - Kevin Toth 5 3-3 16 (three treys), Gabe Martins 5 2-3 14, Janvier Alady 3 3-4 9

DAC - Shaquille Gilbert 5 4-9 14, Jack Pasquini 5 4-5 14, Kyle Connor 5 0-0 13 (three treys), Nate Viera 3 1-2 7

Vytas Mazeika game reports.

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* San Joaquin Delta College 62 - Diablo Valley College 58

Bob Highfill game reports.

Creighton Lane has passed

Darren Sabedra writes of the passing of Wilcox High Coach Creighton Lane.

Wright is a value adder

Pachoops is all over the rim shot statistical numbers and the resulting value produced by Delon Wright. Amazing.

Mid major is no more

Dave Skretta reports on the end of the 'mid-major' label.

Getting to know Jordan Salley

Bill Paterson features Sacramento State senior Jordan Salley, who has endured the two biggest losses a young person can experience.

Johnson to the Kings

The Sacramento Kings have signed former Palma High and UC Santa Barbara player Orlando Johnson to a 10-day contract.

More on De'End

Bonta Hill profiles De'End Parker who is on his way to a college degree and then playing professionally somewhere.

Taylor with another big game for the Longhorns

Frosh guard Isaiah Taylor posted a 13 point, seven assist, six rebound line in leading host Texas to a 74-69 victory over Baylor on Wednesday.

Arizona over Cal

In Tucson, Arizona handled California 87-59 Wednesday evening with Aaron Gordon sinking 5-6 free throws on his way to 13 points

Manley with 16

Devareaux Manley's 16 points led Kent State Wednesday night but it wasn't enough as Bowling Green won 73-66. He shot 4-9 from beyond the arc.

Fresno has no trouble with Boise

Fresno State took down visiting Boise State 76-56 Wednesday night with Tyler Johnson providing 15 points, seven boards, six assists and a pair of steals. The Bulldogs led 46-25 after the initial 20 minutes.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Geographic demographics

Interesting tweet from Mitch Stephens: "No coincidence that the BVAL has emerged as a top basketball league at same time OAL has faltered. Oakland families have moved East."

Robbie Lemons noted

Tom Fitzgerald shines a light on what Robbie Lemons has contributed to Stanford basketball this season. Great young man, good to see him getting an opportunity and producing.

Sac State rolling

Big Sky Basketball offers "How Did Sacramento State Turn Their Season Around?"

Making lemonade out of lemons

Bill Paterson writes that UC Davis lost its two best frontcourters early on but next season now looks especially promising.

High School Roundup

* Derek Lytle/Nor Cal Preps was on press row for Pittsburg's victory over Berkeley.

* Michael Coit game reports on the Maria Carrillo High win over Clayton Valley Charter.

* Howard Senzell does ditto on Ukiah's loss to Dublin, Analy's fall to Dublin, El Cerrito's takedown of Piner, Newark Memorial taking Windsor by 30 points, Redwood topping Casa Grande and Bishop O'Dowd pulverizing Elsie Allen.

* Tim Menicutch game reports the Drake win over Novato.

* Glenn Reeves writes about St. Ignatius' exclusion and other prep hoops items.

* Will Reisman looks at the Division V playoffs and the three teams from The City.

* Pat O'Rourke provides a look at some of the D III pairings and the D II pairings.

* From The Times-Herald: "The St. Patrick-St. Vincent High boys basketball team had players honored for the Tri-County Athletic League Rock Division. Senior Jose Flores was first team, Jordan Hickman was on the second team while B.J. Standley was honorable mention."

Two JC games tonight

* Diablo Valley College - San Joaquin Delta College

Bob Highfill previews the pairing.The winner gets City College of San Francisco.

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* DeAnza College - Foothill College

Vytas Mazeika looks at Foothill's season.

DRinCA previews the Friday JC game matchups

DRinCA goes crystal ball-ing on Friday's Yuba College - Cabrillo College, Ohlone College - College of the Sequoias, Butte College - San Jose City College and Consumnes River College - Lassen College battles.

DRinCA previews the Wednesday Nor Cal JC games

DRinCA previews Wednesday's Foothill College - DeAnza College matchup and the San Joaquin Delta College - Diablo Valley College pairing (it takes some scrolling down past the SoCal game previews).

Make this change - (insert Matt Stanley for Peter Diepenbrock's name as the Foothill coach)

Hayes nabs MVP honors

Santa Rosa Junior College guard Matt Hayes, just a freshman, has been named the Big Eight Conference Player of the Year. The 6-footer averaged 15.6 points per game this season, shooting a remarkable 45%, 45% and 84% respectively.

Below are some video highlights of Hayes from this season:

Jackson garners MVP honors

Cabrillo College freshman guard Warren Jackson has been named the Coast Conference South Division Most Valuable Player. He averaged 17.4 points per game this season, shooting 47%, 34% and 71% respectively. Jackson also compiled 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists a contest.

Three DeAnza Dons honored

From DeAnza College, sophomore forward Jack Pasquini (10.4 points, 9.2 rebounds each night on 49%, 39% and 77% shooting) has been selected to the Coast Conference South First Team, with freshman point Nate Viera (14.1 points, 5.1 assists a contest) honored as a Second Team member and sophomore Shaquille Gilbert (10.3 point a game) receiving Honorable Mention status


Two MPC talents honored

Monterey Peninsula College sophomore Jai Bransford (8.5 points per contest on 56%, 40%, 65% shooting) and Donovan Salvant (9.5 points an outing on 51%, 32% and 69% shooting, plus 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists) have earned Second Team All Coast Conference South honors.

Four Comets recognized for outstanding play

Contra Costa College sophomore guard Davion Mize has been selected as a First Team All Bay Valley Conference honoree as well as being nominated for the All-State team. He averaged 21.8 points per game on 46%, 33% and 77% shooting respectively. Add on 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists to his game day output.

Fellow backcourter Armein Outing, a freshman, also received First Team All Bay Valley honors, earned by his 14.3 points an outing.

Frosh center Daris Workman (7.2 points plus 8.2 rebounds) and guard Marcel Jones (6.0 points, 3.7 boards a night) earned placement on the All Bay Valley Conference Second Team.

Spanish exchange student also a basketball player

Andrew Matheson features Ferran Margalef, a 6-foot-4 exchange student from Spain who is attending Harbor High and is looking to continue his education and basketball-playing in this country after he finishes his senior year.

Porter's tenure ending after this season

Brian VanderBeek reports that Modesto Christian Co-Coach Gary Porter is departing.

Dunbar interviewed

Justin Lum interviews WCAL MVP Trevor Dunbar.

Utah State falls

Utah State went into The Pit versus New Mexico last night and gave the Lobos a game before falling short 67-58. Spencer Butterfield totaled eight points and also eight rebounds while teammate JoJo McGlaston finished with five points plus two assists.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The James Logan Four

James Logan High Coach Chris Fortenberry is graduating four seniors off his 2013-14 team, one that currently owns a 13-13 overall record, 10-4 in the always tough Mission Valley League.

After a 52-49 loss to Newark Memorial on February 12, the Colts took consecutive wins against Moreau Catholic, Mission San Jose and Irvington to conclude the regular season and now face Freedom High on the road as part of the North Coast Section playoffs.

Fortenberry's upperclassmen quartet consists of :

* Marquis Godfrey

* K'hari Leno

* Jesus Loza

* Chad Schaper

At 6-foot-8, Godfrey recently committed to Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, a member of the the West Coast Conference where the likes of Gonzaga, St. Mary's, USF, Santa Clara and others reside. He will sign a national letter-of-intent in April. "Marquis can handle the ball, passes well out of double teams, he rebounds well and has an inside-outside offensive game."

The 6-foot-5 Leno, a four-year varsity player, is exploring a number of option among the historically black colleges with Langston University and Tuskegee University as frontrunners.

Loza is an honors student, sporting a 4.5 grade point average. "He has never gotten a B and never missed a practice," according to Fortenberry, who added, "he's a guy who just doesn't cut corners." The 6-foot-1 backcourter's desire is to attend Stanford University and he's awaiting word of acceptance. Cal Poly Pomona has already told him yes.

Schaper is also a 6-foot-1 guard and another four-year varsity player who led this season's team in scoring and steals. He is being eyed by Belmont-based Notre Dame de Namur and William Jessup University up in Rocklin.

Eleraky to Pacific

Via CCSF Men's Basketball: "Congrats to big man Sami Eleraky on committing to University of Pacific!"

First, Gabriel Aguirre, then Dulani Robinson, now Sami Eleraky. Can someone say pipeline?

Nordquist aids Hawaii Pacific win

Host Hawaii Pacific downed Fresno Pacific last night 80-69 with a northern California talent playing a large role in the victory: freshman Colfax Nordquist went for 12 points, six assists and a trio of rebounds in 22 minutes of play for HP.

Yuba likes home cooking

Jimmy Graben reports on Yuba College's nabbing a home game to begin the community college basketball playoffs.

Jim Seimas writes of Cabrillo College heading north to Marysville.

10 questions

Joe Cortez has compiled 10 questions emanating from the Sac-Joaquin Section matchups.

The CCCAA has announced the brackets

The CCCAA has announced the northern brackets.

It's fascinating that Foothill College and DeAnza College are matched up once again.

If you're the coach, which side of the bracket do you want to be on?

The WCAL honorees

Below are the honorees for their play in the 2013-14 West Catholic Athletic League. The First Team selectees are all seniors, the same for the Second Teamers, save one:

Player of the Year

* Trevor Dunbar, St. Ignatius

First Team

* Danny Mahoney, Junipero Serra, senior
* Connor Peterson, Archbishop Mitty, senior
* Matt McAndrews, Archbishop Mitty, senior
* Jiday Ugbaja, Archbishop Riordan, senior
* Chiefy Ugbaja, Archbishop Riordan, senior
* Deondre Otis, Sacred Heart Cathedral, senior
* Julian Marcu, Saint Ignatius, senior

Second Team

* JB Rindfleisch, Archbishop Mitty, senior
* Ben Kone, Archbishop Mitty, sophomore
* Liam O’Reilly, Sacred Heart Cathedral, senior
* Alex Frazier, Saint Francis, senior
* Stephen Ellis, Valley Christian, senior
* Sean Watkins, Junipero Serra, senior
* Dylan Tarpening, Bellarmine, senior

Honorable Mention

* David Parsons, Sacred Heart Cathedral, junior
* Noah Stapes, Saint Francis, sophomore
* Curtis Witt, Saint Francis, sophomore
* Troy Rike, Saint Ignatius, senior
* Tristen Wentworth Saint Ignatius senior
* Zach Masoli, Archbishop Riordan, senior
* Jimmy Wohrer, Junipero Serra, junior
* Cory Cravalho, Junipero Serra, senior
* Masa Swain, Bellarmine, junior

Pat O'Rourke is all over NCS basketball

Pat O'Rourke/Bay Preps weighs in on the NCS Division II playoffs, the NCS Division playoffs and the NCS seedings.

David Howard, turnaround artist

Tom Trepiak/Humboldt State athletics, writes of the recent history of Lumberjack big man David Howard, who hit the proverbial wall and, rather than keep on trying to demolish the insurmountable, turned his life in another direction.

CRC's Jaycob Velasco

Cosumnes River College big Jacob Velasco receives much deserved attention in this Joe Davidson article.

Haysbert named PoW

Dominican University senior Connor Haysbert is the PacWest Conference Player of the Week:
Player of the Week – Connor Haysbert (Dominican)
C, Jr., Sacramento, Calif./Center
Haysbert may be the key to Dominican's eight-game winning streak and ascension to the No. 2 spot in the PacWest Tournament standings. He played his biggest game of the season to lead the Penguins to their biggest win, scoring a season-high 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds against Dixie State. He shot efficiently from the field (9-12) and the free throw line (11-14). Haysbert is averaging 19.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game during the winning streak.

Babineaux honored as MVP

From CCSF Mens Basketball: "Congrats to Kori Babineaux on being named Coast Conference-North MVP"

Babineaux played his freshman year at Drake so he has two years of eligibility remaining.

Shastri honored as Frosh of the Week

Kiran Shastri has been named the Freshman of the Week in the Pac West Conference:
Kiran Shastri (Chaminade)
G, Fr., Orinda, Calif./Miramonte
Shastri guided the Silverswords to two wins, snapping their three-game losing streak. He averaged 23.0 points per game on 63.2 percent (15-23) shooting from the field. He made a league-best 11 three-pointers. He made six three-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points in Chaminade's 101-point effort against Fresno Pacific.

Chris Read named PoW

Chris (Castro Valley High, Ohlone College) Read of Cal State Stanislaus is the California Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Basketball Player of the Week honoree.
The San Pablo native averaged 20.5 points on a blazing 77.3 percent shooting from the field to lead the Warriors to a 2-0 record on the road to move into sole possession of fourth place in the CCAA standings. 

Read contributed 16 points in Friday's 92-61 victory at Cal State East Bay, hitting six-of-eight field goal attempts and four-of-six attempts the free throw line.

The following night, the junior guard was the Warriros top scorer with 25 points, shooting 78.6 percent (11-for-14) from the floor with three shots made from the free throw line.

On the weekend, Read scored 41 points in just 57 minutes played, while tallying six assists, four steals, and two blocks.

Baker selected

Former Diablo Valley College player Ronnie Baker is honored as the Alaska Nanook Player of the Week:
Baker is a repeat recipient of the weekly departmental accolade after he led the team in scoring and helped the Nanooks (16-9, 11-6 GNAC) to a home split over the weekend.

He scored 30 points on 12-of-21 (.571) shooting and added six rebounds, seven assists and two steals in the two games as Alaska clinched its second consecutive Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship tournament berth with the win on Saturday.

In Thursday's outing against Western Oregon, Baker scored a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, which included four made 3-pointers. He also dished out three assists while bringing down five rebounds. Two nights later, the senior overcame an early-game injury to finish with 10 points while tallying four assists and a pair of steals.

Baker has scored in double figures in four straight games and 19 of the team's 25 games heading into the final week of the regular season.

For the season, Baker ranks 14th in the GNAC with a team-best 14.6 points per game. He is shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and better than 43 percent from downtown. Baker averages 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per outing.

Faruqbey honored

Arizona Western College guard Ali (San Leandro High) Faruqbey has been named to the Second Team All-ACCAC based on completing "his first regular season in a Matador uniform with a team leading 16.4 points per game to go along with 4.2 rebounds per game.

Arizona Western finished the season 23-7 overall, 17-5 and in second place in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

The Penguins top the Urban Knights

Last night, host Dominican University turned back Academy of Art University 83-69 as sophomore guard Christopher Schwartz-Edminsten finished with 21 points. He shot 8-13 on the night, 4-6 from beyond the arc. boxscore

Brandon Davis, Dominican athletics game reports.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Coach - player relationships

Really liked this from an article on UCLA Assistant Coach David Grace, who traveled a very different road to reach his current home:
“What I want to do is, I want them to know that they have me for life,” Grace said to Basketball Insiders. “I want a young man to trust me and let them know how much I care about them, and more than just on the court. And once a young man has that trust, he will go through a brick wall to try to reach his goal. Those are the most important things for me, is to make sure that young man knows that I’m not just using him to win basketball games; he’s got me for life. And all the kids up at Oregon State still text and call me. There’s kids that I recruited that didn’t come to Oregon State, or haven’t come to UCLA, and they still keep in contact because they know they have for me life.
Read more at http://www.basketballinsiders.com/uclas-david-grace-ready-for-the-next-step/#3W8PsmtbUA64aKRf.99
“What I want to do is, I want them to know that they have me for life,” Grace said to Basketball Insiders. “I want a young man to trust me and let them know how much I care about them, and more than just on the court. And once a young man has that trust, he will go through a brick wall to try to reach his goal. Those are the most important things for me, is to make sure that young man knows that I’m not just using him to win basketball games; he’s got me for life. And all the kids up at Oregon State still text and call me. There’s kids that I recruited that didn’t come to Oregon State, or haven’t come to UCLA, and they still keep in contact because they know they have for me life...
“What I want to do is, I want them to know that they have me for life,” Grace said to Basketball Insiders. “I want a young man to trust me and let them know how much I care about them, and more than just on the court. And once a young man has that trust, he will go through a brick wall to try to reach his goal. Those are the most important things for me, is to make sure that young man knows that I’m not just using him to win basketball games; he’s got me for life. And all the kids up at Oregon State still text and call me. There’s kids that I recruited that didn’t come to Oregon State, or haven’t come to UCLA, and they still keep in contact because they know they have for me life.
Read more at http://www.basketballinsiders.com/uclas-david-grace-ready-for-the-next-step/#3W8PsmtbUA64aKRf.99
“What I want to do is, I want them to know that they have me for life,” Grace said to Basketball Insiders. “I want a young man to trust me and let them know how much I care about them, and more than just on the court. And once a young man has that trust, he will go through a brick wall to try to reach his goal. Those are the most important things for me, is to make sure that young man knows that I’m not just using him to win basketball games; he’s got me for life. And all the kids up at Oregon State still text and call me. There’s kids that I recruited that didn’t come to Oregon State, or haven’t come to UCLA, and they still keep in contact because they know they have for me life.
Read more at http://www.basketballinsiders.com/uclas-david-grace-ready-for-the-next-step/#3W8PsmtbUA64aKRf.99

Lillard to put best feet forward

Grant Hughes/The Bleacher Report notes a report indicating that Damian Lillard will become a free agent...in the shoe endorsement market.

Massey still has CCSF #1

Mel Grussing serves up this week's Massey ranking, with CCSF still on top.

Duysen named PoY

The MIJ reports that Charlie Duysen of Marin Catholic High is the Marin County Athletic League Player of the Year.

The full list of MCAL honorees can be found here. (scroll down a bit)

More on Brandon Berkovatz

Skyline College's Brandon Berkovatz knows his next school and basketball-playing location. It's Cal State University East Bay under Coach Gus Argenal once he signs for his scholarship in April.

But a lot of basketball aficionados in the Bay Area are unfamiliar with what Berkovatz will be bringing to the Pioneers. Try a current 10.7 points plus 7.6 rebounds a game on 62% FG and 74% FT shooting. The 6-foot-9 frontcourter is also swatting away 3.3 shot attempts an outing which places him third in the state.

But the person who can assess Berkovatz the best is the individual who witnesses him everyday, Skyline Coach Justin Piergrossi, who got his big man out of Mills High two years ago.

"Brandon has improved every aspect of his game the last two seasons. He has worked hard to become bigger and stronger. He has put in the reps to become more comfortable as a back-to-the-basket post player, and as a result increased his scoring and FG% considerably this season. He's also developed some of the finer points of post play -- footwork, positioning, and decision-making." That Berkovatz played prep football as a quarterback may come as a surprise to many and is indicative of his ability to determine the best course of action. As a result, he currently also ranks third on the team in assists.

About the shot rejections by Berkovatz, Piergrossi said, "he has really good timing and stays on his feet. He doesn't commit unnecessary fouls and he's usually in the right position -- he plays smart."

One other element of improvement Piergrossi noted "is Brandon has improved at being more selfish" which sounds oxymoronish on its face but the context is that Berkovatz is asserting his talents more and not deferring offensively.

He has also put in the time to dramatically improve his FT shooting. This season he is hitting 74% from the line, compared to 52% a season ago.

A good student (3.2 grade point average), Berkovatz "is respected by his teammates for his work ethic. He does everything you can ask from a player."

The current Cal State East Bay roster isn't populated with a bevy of bigs so the opportunity for earning playing time looks promising.

It's not all X's and O's

We as fans too often think that college and NBA coaches simply push this or that button to achieve a desired result, when it all, like most everything in life, is about relationships.

Go here and then here to read about first-year Denver Nugget Coach Brian Shaw and what he is encountering.

Plus, all of the above isn't even taking into consideration the 'helicopter' parents (or worse) of high school infamy.

"The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA."

Deadspin offers an exceprt from Taylor Branch's "The Cartel: Inside the Rise and Imminent Fall of the NCAA." It's all fairly ugly, yet true. This is an institution that lives on cognitive dissonance.

Investing defensively as a prospect

More advice to recruits from Coach Bob Walsh.

"So he better like to work. And he better get better.”

Rob Delaney has constructed an excellent column based on his playing days and the process, not necessarily the end results -- do read it.

Cole Welle: basketball or volleyball

From John Murphy : "Aptos two-sport star Cole Welle has been offered a scholarship for volleyball by UC Santa Barbara, he said."

The 6-foot-7 Welle is also a basketball player who will be receiving Santa Cruz County Athletic League honors and is in the running for MVP.

The Sacto area pairings

Joe Davidson works through the Sacramento-centric matchups in all the divisions, promising more in The Bee come Thursday.

Central Coast Section pairings

Darren Sabedra writes about the various hoops matchups in the Central Coast Section.

Congrats to Trevor Dunbar

...for being named the West Catholic Athletic league Player of the Year:


Utah Wright-powered again

In Salt Lake City, Utah bested Arizona State 86-63 yesterday with Delon Wright leading the Utes in points (22), rebounds (9), assists (6) and steals (3).

Sunday, February 23, 2014

And a babe shall lead them

From Mel Grussing's latest post: "...Ismail Ali, freshman point guard 12 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, a steal..." as Antelope Valley College wins the Western State South Conference.

More on JoJo McGlaston

Utah State Coach Stew Morrill speaking after the latest Aggies game:
Morrill said earlier in the week that Utah State’s younger players could earn minutes if they were productive on the floor. Freshman JoJo McGlaston made that push Saturday night.

He finished with career highs with 8 points and 3 assists. A shot he made in the second half ­— a 3-pointer in the face of Fresno’s Tyler Johnson while being fouled — was a high point in the contest. McGlaston ended up 3-for-5 from the field with three assists.

Still, Morrill said, his weak spots did show. Johnson did take a little advantage of the rookie on the defensive end, hitting a few shots while McGlaston was guarding him.

But all-in-all, it was positive, Morrill said. His teammates agreed.

"I feel like he affected the game," Jarred Shaw said. "He just took what was there. He got some threes, I think he got in the lane and made a floater. I think that just gave him some confidence to play better."

More on the Mitty victory

Derek Lytle/Nor Cal Preps is all over the Archbishop Mitty win over Sacred Heart Cathedral, one powered by the contributions from big Ben Kone.

High School Roundup


* Santa Cruz High met up with Aptos High for the Santa Cruz County Athletic League tourney championship last night and the former won in overtime 72-69.

Andrew Matheson game reports. The big three for the Cardinals: Kaijae Yee-Stephens totaled 23 points, Kiree Hutchings was right behind with 22 plus and Spencer Schwartz finished with 11 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks. Cole Welle led Aptos with 25 points
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Darren Sabedra/Glenn Reeves co-report on Archbishop Mitty's winning the WCAL tournament championship over Sacred Heart Cathedral 61-56 Saturday night. Plus, they cover Burlingame High's Frankie Ferrari-powered 58-46 victory over Mills High to earn the PAL tourney championship.

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Ed Yevelev game reports, including video, Branson High's 41-38 MCAL championship tourney game success versus San Marin High on Saturday evening.

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Danny Penza game reports Fortuna High's 67-40 Niclai title victory over Hoopa Valley Saturday as Nate Ambrosini led with 20 points.

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Howard Senzell game reports Montgomery High's 57-45 Saturday triumph over Maria Carrillo High as Alec Raven finished with 20 points for the victors. The Vikings are the North Bay league tournament champions.

JC scores from Saturday

* DeAnza College 58 - San Jose City College 56

DA - Kyle Connor 5 0-0 12, Nate Viera 3 2-5 10, DJ Rodriguez 4 0-2 10

SJCC - Maurice Joiner 7 4-4 18, Stevenair Young 5 1-2 11

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* Fresno City College 74 - Merced College 58

The Fresno Bee game reports.

Meet the Averbucks

Phil Barber serves up a wonderful feature on the First Family of Sonoma County hoops -- the Averbucks.

The tag quote of the article:
“Look, basketball is not a game to any of the three of us,” Ned said recently, all three Averbucks arranged around a table in Chico’s backyard near downtown Santa Rosa. “It’s a way of breathing. It’s oxygen. It’s who you are.”

The Anteaters handle Hawaii

Host Hawaii battled UC Irvine Saturday night but came away on the short end of a 60-56 score. Will Davis enjoyed 11 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots for the Anteaters and Chris McNealy concluded with 11 points plus four boards.

Gordon powers Arizona to victory

With a second half points explosion, Arizona downed Colorado 88-61 in Boulder last night as Aaron Gordon went for 23 points plus eight boards, shooting 10-13 overall. He nailed both treys he attempted but shot 1-3 from the foul line.

Freshman Elliott Pitts buried two of his three long-distance shot attempts and finished with six points for the Wildcats.

San Berdoo over SF State

Down south, Cal State San Bernardino took out San Francisco State 75-57 on Saturday. Derrick Brown led the Gators with 13 points with Nefi Perdomo and Udun Osakue each scoring 10. boxscore

Gator athletics game reports.

CSU Stanislaus over CSUMB

Cal State Stanislaus had its way with Cal State Monterey Bay 72-54 on Saturday evening, led by Chris Read's game high 25 points. He achieved his total on 11-14 shooting. boxscore

Cal State Stanislaus game reports.

Humboldt tops Dominguez Hills

Way up in Arcata, Humboldt State got the better of Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday 83-72. HSU freshman guard Parker Farris finished with 20 points (5-10 from beyond the arc), three rebounds and three assists. boxscore

Chris Myers game reports as does Danny Penza.

The Wildcats best the Pioneers

Chico State took on Cal State East Bay over in Hayward and notched a 70-56 victory. Amir Carraway led the victors with 20 points while Jacari Whitfield's 13 paced the Pioneers. boxscore

Luke Reid game reports.

The Seawolves grab a win

Down in La Jolla, Sonoma State beat UC San Diego 76-58 on Saturday with David Ahern offering 19 points plus five rebounds. boxscore

Tyler Lobe game reports.

Lescault with another big game

Hayden Lescault's team-leading 23 points, plus four rebounds and four assists just weren't quite enough as Azuza Pacific downed Point Loma 87-84 in double overtime Saturday afternoon.

Sac State is en fuego

Host Sacramento State handled Northern Colorado Saturday evening 78-59 with two double-doubles being achieved. Mikh McKinney provided 29 points and 11 boards (plus six assists) and freshman teammate Eric Stuteville enjoyed 14 points plus 11 rebounds. For UNC, Dominique Lee posted an eight point, four board line in 18 minutes of action.

Montana by one

Way up in Missoula, Montana eked out a one-point win over Idaho State on Saturday with freshman backcourter Mario Dunn's 15 points leading the offensive output. He shot 5-5 overall, 3-3 from long distance.

Smith with another solid contribution

Sterling Smith finished with 14 points, four rebounds and two assists but Coppin State fell 73-68 Saturday to Norfolk State

BYU takes down Portland

In Provo on Saturday, BYU bested Portland 89-72 despite the Pilots receiving 16 points and three assists from Bobby Sharp plus Bryce Pressley's 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Ali leads TAMCC

Texas A&M Corpus Christi took down Houston Baptist 66-61 last night with point Hameed Ali leading the way via 13 points, four assists and a pair of steals.

UDub handles OSU

In Corvallis, Washington had no trouble with Oregon State, winning 86-61 on Saturday evening. Desmond Simmons posted an 11 rebound, 10 point double-double for the Huskies.

Weber wins another

Weber State went into Bozeman and topped Montana State 86-68 last night with a pair of northern California connected talents leading the way. Davion Berry finished with 20 points (on just eight shots plus he went 10-10 at the foul line) and Jordan Richardson totaled 19, aided by 3-6 from beyond the arc.

Fresno State over Utah State

Fresno State bested host Utah State 72-69 Saturday night again with Tyler Johnson leading the way via 21 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for the Bulldogs. For the Aggies, Spencer Butterfield totaled 10 points, six assists and four boards while freshman guard JoJo McGlaston played 17 minutes and posted eight points plus three assists.

Mizzou falls but Brown stars

Missouri fell 80-73 last night to and in Alabama, with Jabari Brown totaling 25 points plus five assists.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Many thanks to DRinCA's great work -- projected seedings

From DRinCA:
North (as of noon 2/22)

Coast-North: The state's toughest division should have 4 teams, including the state's best team.

Playoff teams/projected seeds: San Francisco (1), Ohlone (3), Chabot (5), Foothill (14)

Coast-South: With Cabrillo's loss to DeAnza on Wednesday, all San Jose has to do is beat those same Dons on Saturday to win the title outright. A win by DeAnza, on the other hand, might be enough to bump Marin out of the field...but doesn't seem all that likely.

Playoff teams/projected seeds: San Jose (9), Cabrillo (11)

Golden Valley: Butte ran away and hid in this race. Pre-season favorite Lassen should make it, and both Redwoods and Siskiyous have a chance as well though those games against out of state schools don't count in their records for seeding/selection purposes.

Playoff teams/projected seeds: Butte (10), Lassen (13)

Central Valley: Fresno will get a very high seed. Sequoias looked dead in the water in December but has put together an amazing 9-game win streak that should reach 10 by tonight. West Hills still has an outside shot but is below .500 since Christmas.

Playoff teams/projected seeds: Fresno (2), Sequoias (15)

Bay Valley: Yuba is an outstanding team and a championship contender, and ran away with this race a long time ago. Merritt is solid as a runner-up and will make the field, and that win last night vs. Yuba helps its placement. Contra Costa is also worthy of consideration. Marin is over .500 but I can't find a signature win on their slate.

Playoff teams/projected seeds: Yuba (4), Merritt (12), Contra Costa (17)

Big 8: The state's deepest conference top-to-bottom could have a state-leading 5 representatives. Santa Rosa played a brutal pre-conference schedule and it seems to have paid off as the Bear Cubs are in the driver's seat. Cosumnes River & DVC should each get a home game and Delta should make the field. 5th-place Sacramento is sub-.500 vs. Calif teams but has 2 key wins (Lassen, Santa Rosa) that Marin doesn't and that should be enough to slip into the last spot.

Playoff teams/projected seeds: Santa Rosa (6), Cosumnes River (7), Diablo Valley (8), San Joaquin Delta (16), Sacramento (18)
Also, do check out his south seeds.

Spencer Butterfield featured

Shawn Harrison provides a feature on Utah State senior Spencer Butterfield, who remains bothered by an aching hip.

A snippet: “I hope they see me as a competitor, someone that hates to lose and loves to win,” said Butterfield, who is visibly upset in the locker room area after losses. “Someone that just works as hard as he can. I want to be known as a guy that came in every single night, even if I wasn’t making shots or scoring a ton, that I was just giving it everything I got and laying it all out on the court.”

More on the MV - SRV matchup

William Boor/Nor Cal Preps covers last night's Monte Vista High victory over San Ramon Valley High.

Aguirre getting comfortable in Stockton

Jagdip Dhillon offers a feature on former City College of San Francisco big Gabriel Aguirre.

High School Roundup

* Stephanie Hammon game reports on Monte Vista High's 56-45 victory over San Ramon Valley High. The Mercury News offers game photos.

* Ed Yevelev game reports on Branson High's 66-45 win over Redwood High.

* Darren Sabedra game reports on Oak Grove High's 61-58 triumph over Piedmont Hills High plus he provides scores and snippets from WCAL and Peninsula contests.

* Joe Davidson tweeted: "Another top-tier area player just named Metro League MVP in Burbank's He takes on Del Campo & in great D-2 opener"
Coates is a 2014 5-foot-7 point.

* Glenn Reeves game reports on Mills High getting by Half Moon Bay and Burlingame High handling Aragon.

* Joe Cortez game reports on Turlock High's Kenneth Fraser-powered defeat of Stagg High. The senior posted a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double.

 * Brian VanderBeek game reports on Vallejo High's three-point success over Davis High.

Butte's unbeaten conference play

Joseph Shufelberger writes about Butte College's perfect Golden Valley Conference season -- 14 up, 14 down to the Roadrunners.

JC games for Saturday

* De Anza College - San Jose City College            
    
* Merced College - Fresno City College   

JC scores from Friday

* Cabrillo College 83 - Gavilan College 50  

From the Cabrillo College Men's Basketball page:
Two nights after suffering a tough loss at the hands of DeAnza, Cabrillo was able to bounce back and hammer a visiting Gavilan team to end its regular season on a high note and sending sophomores Cody Love, Jake Harrell, David Abittan, Laron Counce and AJ Wright home with a victory in their final home game. Warren Jackson continued to play at a high level and finished with 27 points to lead all scorers including 21 in the first half before taking a seat and enjoying his teammates getting into the action.

The Seahawks started slow trading baskets early with Gavilan until their pressure began to bother the Rams, Cabrillo forced 18 turnovers in the first half and would convert the majority of them into easy scores. They would end the half on a 47-18 run and never look back.

The 2nd half saw Cabrillo coast with the lead getting to as many as 38 points before the final horn sounded and the Seahawks finished with an 83-50 win. Jackson's 27 led the Seahawks, Allen Wilcher had 13 points, Abittan finished with 12 and Latrell Wilson added 11.

The win improves Cabrillo to 19-8 on the season and 10-2 in conference play. Up next for Cabrillo will be a playoff game next Friday or Saturday. Seeding for the state tournament will take place on Monday morning so stay tuned to see where Cabrillo will be playing next.
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* Contra Costa College 81 - Solano College 57

From Contra Costa College Men's Basketball:
The Comets finished their regular season strong, defeating Solano College 81-57. The Comets game out on fire, shooting a blistering 56% from the floor in the first half. G Davion Mize led the Comets with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while G Fletcher Brown put in 14 points. G Armein Outing chipped in with 12 and C Daris Workman added 10. The Comets finished their season strong winning 6 of their last 7 games to finish 16-12, with a record of 10-6 in Bay Valley conference play. Playoff seedlings will be released by Monday afternoon... GO COMETS!!!    
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* Santa Rosa Junior College 76 - Cosumnes River College 56

Howard Senzell game reports as Alec Kobre and Matthew Hayes both scored 22 points for the Bear Cubs.

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* Diablo Valley College 75 - Modesto Junior College 66  

DVC's Justin Yeargin exploded for 30 points while MJC's Evan Grimes went for 25 points -- The Modesto Bee game reports.   

DVC - Justin Yeargin 10 8-8 30, Najee 5 10-11 22, Devin Pouncey 4 3-4 11

MJC - Evan Grimes 10 5-6 25, Zach Gonzales 6 0-1 15, Josh Allen 4 3-4 11
 
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* Sacramento City College 86 - Sierra College 68

For SCC - Kenny Woodard 23 points, Pat Lowman 20 points, Bobby Barnes 14 points, Antwoine Davis 14 points.  

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* San Joaquin Delta College 89 - American River College 72      

Alex Simmons totaled 28 points (seven threes) as The Stockton Record game reports (scroll down a bit).    

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* City College of San Francisco 71 - Ohlone College 63 boxscore

Kori Babineaux led the Rams with 27 points on 12-16 shooting.

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* Merritt College 99 - Yuba College 90   

The Appeal-Democrat game reports.   

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* Los Medanos College 81 - Napa Valley College 74
The Napa Valley Register game reports.

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* Skyline College 83 - Cañada College 70 video                   
    
* Monterey Peninsula College 82 - Hartnell College 63           
   
* College of Marin 66 - College of Alameda 61   
* Foothill College 77 - Chabot College 74