Friday, May 29, 2015

Top Flight Elite Basketball 17U Red

Chris McSwain is the founder and president of Top Flight Elite Basketball plus also the head coach of the leading team, the 17U Red squad.

Here's the 17U Red roster:

* Youssef Eshra, 5-foot-9, 2017, Oakwood School

Adam Feller, 6-foot-1, 2016, Bellarmine College Prep

Michael Greene, 5-foot-11, 2016, Monte Vista Christian High

Elias Hale, 6-foot-4, 2015, Valley Christian High

* Kevin Kahriman, 6-foot-10, 2016, Newark Memorial High

Justin Mortensen, 6-foot-8, 2015, Oakwood School

* Noah Stapes, 6-foot-5, 2016, St. Francis High

John Stivers, 6-foot-4, 2016, Carmel High

Lukas Swidler, 6-foot-8, 2016, Prospect High

* Franchon Warmack, 6-foot, 2016, Archbishop Mitty

* Jase Wickliffe, 6-foot-6, 2016, Wilcox High

* Lovelle Shackelford, 6-foot-2, 2016, Newark Memorial High

They will be on display at the July 11-12 Nor Cal Summer Tipoff, the July 15-19 Double Pump Best of Summer and the July 22-26 Adidas Uprising or Big Foot Las Vegas Classic.

More on Devin Koeplin and his signing with CSU San Marcos

Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) point Devin Koeplin has cast his lot with Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) located in northern San Diego County. The 5-foot-9 sharpshooter averaged 12.4 points per outing this past season with 45%, 45% and 83% accuracy respectively.

"I went on a visit last Friday and the campus was beautiful. I met with Coach [Jim] Saia and talked a lot about the school and the basketball program. I thought I'd be a good fit and I liked what I heard."

For background, the Cougars finished 32-2 in the 2013-14 season with 2014-15 just as successful -- a 30-4 record and a final ranking of #5 nationally. Joining such a successful program was another attraction to Koeplin.

MPC Assistant Coach Perry Huang, himself a former assistant at CSUSM and someone who played for Saia when the latter was helming the Fresno Pacific program, was able to provide his knowledge about both school and coach to Koeplin.

Also, Cougar senior-to-be Akachi Okugo, who played at Jesuit High will now be a teammate. "I played against Akachi in high school," Koeplin recalled.

With CSUSM becoming a full-fledged member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association in 2015-16, family and friends will be enjoying multiple opportunities to see him in action with Chico State, Cal State East Bay, Cal State Stanislaus, Sonoma State and San Francisco State also in the league.

So what will Koeplin bring to the CSUSM program? "Experience and leadership after two years in college."

He'll be majoring in business administration.

Koeplin also provided some advice to high schoolers with dreams of playing collegiately: "play with confidence but don't be overly confident. It's not like high school, there's a learning curve. The strength difference is huge so get in the weight room and bulk up."

Canty to CCSF

Two individuals have now offered that 6-foot-7 Jalen (St. Patrick-St. Vincent) Canty is headed to City College of San Francisco for the 2015-16 season.

At Casper College this year, he averaged 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in less than 20 minutes a game while shooting 59% overall.

He'll be joining Shon Briggs and Trevor Dunbar.

Jordan Brown going national

Jerry Meyer tweeted: "Like what I'm seeing from 6-10 2018 prospect Jordan Brown at USA 16U trials."

Jeff Borzello: "2018 prospect Jordan Brown dominating in the post in early drills. Getting deep position and finishing through defenders."

Woodcreek High is going to be getting lots of visitors at practices and games for the next three years.

Here's more: Eric Bossi writes about Brown's play in the USA U16 trials as well as offering a photo tweet.

Nor Cal NBA draft prospects being worked out by the Kings

Jason Jones takes a look at NBA draft prospects connected to the Sacramento area who will be working out for the Kings today.

Charles Jackson working out with Lakers

Former Grant High and Lassen College big Charles Jackson was down south the other day:

Waldow interviewed

Ed Isaacson talks with former St. Mary's center Brad Waldow.

Pilipovics to the Sunshine State

Palm Beach State MBB: "Excited to welcome Marko Filipovics (@nmbr_12) to our Family! Marko is a 6'8 Hungarian Forward from @ProlificPrep!"

Saraba with JUCO event invite

JUCO Showcase tweeted: "Latest addition to All American @JUCOShowcase Elite 80 West (Vegas July 25-26) is Vasilije Saraba, a 6'7 guard from Yuba College @VSaraba."

East Bay talents down south on Memorial Day weekend

Frank Burlison writing about some Nor Cal talents he witnessed in a Memorial Day tournament down in southern California:

"The Oakland Rebels (beaten by Double Pump in the semifinals), despite losing 6-8 forward Dontay Bassett (from Oakland by way of Oldsmar Christian School in Florida) to an ankle injury the first night, had a strong performance by way of some solid shooting by Kevin Warren (Berkeley St. Mary’s) and Brandon Lawrence (Hayward Moreau Catholic) and all-around play of two other seniors-to-be, 6-4 Jeremi Hanks (Oakland by way of Balboa in San Diego) and 6-5 Sayeed Pridgett (El Cerrito)."


Your laugh for the day

Big Cat tweeted: "So basically FIFA officials would make awesome Chicago Aldermen?"

Ford with another offer

Jordan Ford tweeted: "Received an offer from the University of Nevada!!"

Isaacs cuts to the quick

Rick Isaacs tweeted: "Fact: typically a ton of guys don't make NBA because they don't know how to play off of stars!! Mathew Dellevadova gets it big time!!"

This says a lot about Aaron Gordon

Bruce Pascoe tweeted: "1000 [Arizona] APR score implies that Nick Johnson and Aaron Gordon finished their academic work and left while eligible last spring."

Gordon had no reason to do so vis-a-vis his future but took into account what was best for his program.

Northwest Athletic Conference signees

The Northwest Athletic Conference contains community colleges located in both Washington and Oregon. Five northern California talents will be playing for four of those teams in the 2015-16 season.

They are:

* 6-foot-4 Armon Dean - Blue Mountain Community College, Grant High, Sacramento

* 5-foot-11 Isaiah Patterson - S. Puget Sound Community College, Pittsburg High

* 6-foot-5 Isaiah Stewart - S. Puget Sound Community College, Piedmont Hills High, San Jose

* 6-foot-4 Glenn Baral - Clark College, Stetson transfer

* 6-foot-4 Kahliel Wyatt - Tacoma Community College, Oroville High

Hope this was done tongue in cheek and not simply homerism

Chris Mannix tweeted: "Dellavedova checks into the game for Kyrie Irving. Hawks radio broadcast says "Tonya Harding" checking in."

Attles still connected

William C. Rhoden goes back in time to when Al Attles was heading the show and the Warriors last won a championship.

It's complicated

From Frank Burlison: "The college FB recruiting world is a trip; guys "commit" until a better "offer" comes along, I guess . . . "reservations" not "commitments".

Count basketball as that way too as well as it being a two-way street. Loyalty is defined as what can you do for me today.

It's hard to blame the kids because it's usually the handlers or parent(s) behind any flipping with the teenagers but that doesn't lessen the aggravation..

There are some college coaches who cease and desist after a commitment. But some don't, seemingly the majority. This promotes the sense that there really is little or no sense of professional respect, that it's truly dog eat dog. But that's often because lose too often and solid graduation rates and the like mean nada, zilch, zero towards retaining employment.

Riffing on Ball Is Life

Eddie Brawley's Why Basketball Is The Quintessential American Sport:
“Ball is Life” isn’t just an ethos — it’s the reason why the atmosphere of authenticity surrounding hoops culture is unmatched

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Koeplin points to CSUSM

Devin Koeplin tweeted: "I have officially decided to continue and my education and basketball career at California State San Marcos next year."

A Dublin High graduate, the 5-foot-9 lefty averaged 12.4 points per game last season, shooting 45%, 45% and 83% respectively.

The Pioneers land a frontcourter

From Edison Basketball: "Jamont Wilson accepts offer to California State University, East Bay. In Hayward, Ca. Signs letter Friday!! Congrats."

At 6-foot-8, he averaged 12.5 points, 8.5 boards and 2.1 blocked shots this season.

Wohrer heading north

John Murphy broke the news: "Graduating Serra basketball guard Jimmy Wohrer has signed with the University of Puget Sound..."

UPG is located in Tacoma, Washington.

Carleton moves to Diablo Valley College

Jovontae Carleton tweeted: "Just decided to transfer from Merritt to DVC."

A pair of Oakland Rebel lauded

Joel Francisco tweeted: "Under-the-radar D1 prospects: 6-5 Sayeed Pridgett and 6-4 Jeremi Hanks..both have the frame, burst, slashing ability.#Oaklandrebels."

E-Time Hoops Academy

Below are the members of the 2015 E-Time Hoops Academy top team. It's a program operated by Rich Sondhi and Ernie Taubodo who also currently assist with Capital Christian High boys hoops.

* Justin Abney, 2015, Foothill High, 5-foot-9

* Justin Asuncion, 2016, 5-foot-5, Woodcreek High

* Jackson Hughes, 2017, 6-foot-0, Woodcreek High

* Kenny Macklin, 2016, 6-foot-1, Ponderosa High

* David Menary, 2016, 6-foot-5, Nevada Union High

* Tyrell Roberts, 2017, 5-foot-10, Woodcreek High

* Cole Taira, 2016, 5-foot-8, Kennedy High

Dunn done with surgery

Montana guard Mario Dunn recently underwent hand surgery but should be ready to go come the beginning of next basketball season. As a sophomore, Dunn averaged 8.8 points and 3.3 rebounds overall with a team-leading 59 steals plus a 126/83 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Hamilton to SOU

Southern Oregon University officially announces the signing of Beau Hamilton:

"...Hamilton is a 6-5 forward who will come to SOU via Foothill High. As a senior he topped the Eastern Athletic League in shooting percentage (51), free-throw percentage (81) and blocked shots per game (2.0), and his 16-point average ranked fourth. He averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in the state playoffs, and following the season earned the Lions All-Star Game MVP in Redding and the Phil Bryant All-Star Game Dunk Contest title in Chico.

"Beau is one of the most explosive players we have ever recruited," McDermott said. "He is a raw talent who should be fun to watch as his body matures..."

Koch goes with Pomona

John Murphy tweeted: "Corbin Koch, the Prep2Prep CCS senior of the year, will play basketball at Pomona College next school year."

The 6-foot-3 senior was twice the Most Valuable Player in the West Bay Athletic League. He averaged 19.0 points and 8.5 rebounds this season.

Podesta bows out

Nicholas Podesta tweeted: "Wanted to let everyone know I have withdrawn my name from consideration for the CRC men's basketball position. I've enjoyed the experience."

Ciszewski to the Hoosier State

John Bynum tweeted: "Adam Ciszewski (Sacramento JC) has committed to Trine University (Indiana). Ciszewski averaged 8.0 points and 3.6 rebounds last season."

He's a 6-foot-4 sophomore and out of Bella Vista High.

Joe Ford resigns

From Pacific:

Pacific Men's Basketball Head Coach Ron Verlin has announced the resignation of assistant coach Joe Ford. Coordinator of basketball operations Matt Sperisen will also transition to assistant to the head coach. Verlin will open a search for the vacant assistant coaching position as soon as possible.

"Joe has meant a lot to the program over the years," said Verlin. "From the time he was a student-athlete to an immediate transition to our staff, Joe has had a big impact on Pacific Basketball."

Joe Ford just completed his fifth year at Pacific and second as Assistant to the Head Men's Basketball Coach. He was been in charge of team travel, all community outreach programs and assisted the coaching staff with academic services. Included among his community duties was the Tigers Readers Watch Program, aimed at raising literacy rates at the elementary level in the San Joaquin Valley. Joe graduated from Pacific in the spring of 2010, after a five year career with the Tigers. In 2008, he returned to the court after a possible career-threatening injury. He picked up without missing a beat, earning Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Year awards in both his junior and senior seasons. Joe also earned All-Big West Conference First Team honors for the 2009-10 season. After his remarkable return to the hardwood, he was a finalist for the 2009 V Foundation Comeback Award. Joe graduated from Pacific in 2010 with a BA in Education. He has a master's degree in educational leadership from Concordia University.

Ford with a Pac-12 offer

Jordan Ford tweeted: "Recieved an offer from USC!!"

Still open?

So who will be landing these positions:

* UC Riverside assistant coach

* Pacific assistant coach

* Santa Clara assistant/associate coach

* UC Merced head coach

John Tofi Basketball Camp

"The John Tofi Elite Basketball Camp is taking place in San Francisco July 30 to Aug 1 2015 at Philip Burton High School. Sign your kids up now because there are limited spots! For more information, please go here."

Langford generating looks

From Josh Calbert: "2018 Salesian Guard Derrick Langford picked up interest from University of Pacific."

Bassett making a name

From Devin Ugland: "Oakland Rebels F Dontay Bassett is definitely an intriguing prospect. 6-9, bouncy, grown man rebounder, looks to dunk everything at the rim."

Basset currently attends Oldsmar Christian High in Florida but is out of San Leandro.

Terrell Brown noted

Jerina tweeted: "Team Arsenal 17s buzzer beater win over Seasides Finest. 2016 Terrell Brown showcasing his guard skills."

The 6-foot-3 Brown is out of Moreau Catholic High.

The Soldiers this weekend

On Saturday - Game One: the Soldiers took down Pro Skills out of Texas 66-59 after being down by seven at halftime. Box

Also on Saturday - Game Two: the Solders fell to 72-71 to Proscholars Athletics Cardinals out of New York City. Box

On Sunday, the Soldiers downed Team Texas Elite 80-69. Box

Also on Sunday, the Soldiers turned back Playground Elite 72-64 Box

On Monday, Boo Williams was blasted 73-54 by the Soldiers. Box

The victors and MVPs in the Bay Area Memorial Day Classic

Results and more from the 2015 Bay Area Memorial Day Classic:

Elite Division:
3 Ball Academy 74, Lunardi's 17 Blue 54
MVP: Quinton Adlesh of 3 Ball Academy (headed to Columbia)

Varsity Division:
Above & Beyond 17 Varsity 63, JT Elite 38
MVP: 6-foot-3 Gabe Adzich of Above & Beyond (St. Francis High)

16u Division:
Team Superstar 15u 62, West Coast Phenoms 16u 58
MVP: 5-foot-10 JoVon McClanahan of Team Superstar (Vallejo High)

15u Division:
Top Flight 15 Red 50, 3 Ball Academy 49
MVP: 6-foot TC Wegner of Top Flight (Westmont High)

Monday, May 25, 2015

An A.B. NAJEE update

So season one is in the books for A.B. Najee at Mayville State and here's a followup to an earlier feature on the 6-foot-3 former Berkeley High and Diablo Valley College (DVC) basketball player who is remarkably focused and articulate.

"The season went great. I started every game (the only Comet to do so) and learned so much, it was a great experience. I was the second-leading scorer and finished first in three-pointers made (41). We ended up 18-11." On the year, Najee averaged 11.1 points per game, shooting 45% overall, 43% on trey attempts.

"[When I got there] the coaches expected me to be a post player/glue guy and not the shooter on the team. But I spent hours and hours in the gym and extra time on the shooting machine. The coaches were warning me that I would get burned out. I expected to be good but I don't think my coaches thought I would be as good. It was a blessing."

For someone who tried to play high school ball to no avail and attempted to make the roster at two different community colleges before succeeding at DVC, Najee is clear about who and what kept him going.

"My Mom, brother and a few friends helped plus three guys who believed in me, Justin Reid, Derrick Jones and Bradley Johnson.

Reid, then an assistant at College of Alameda, consoled Najee after not making the team there. "He told me I was definitely good enough and offered to do whatever he could to help which included buying me food when I needed it. He's kind of a father figure."

"The same with Derrick Jones (an assistant coach at DVC). He worked with me for countless hours and accepted me into his family along with supporting me in school and on the court even when I was too stubborn to see success in my future."

"With Bradley Johnson, who played in college and professionally, before I played anywhere, he asked me what I wanted to do and I said I want to play college basketball. He told me to be here [at the gym] tomorrow at 5 a.m. so I got there at 4:30 a.m. We worked out and that prepared me for trying out with the JC teams. I talked to him recently when I felt I wasn't getting better and he told me there is no such things as walls in life, just plateaus -- that I need to keep working to take the next step."

One takeaway for Najee: "I've learned no man achieves anything by himself and that it takes a man to embrace that."

He is majoring in communications with a minor in journalism. "I work on the school newspaper, the local newspaper and I do radio talk shows at school. I'm trying to be open to as many avenues as possible."

Unlike Charles Barkley, Najee has a different outlook regarding influence -- "I want to be a role model. I want kids to look up to me. There are so many people counting on me and I really can't stop. Every single day, I want to be able to say I did everything I can do that day."

One element behind this drive for betterment is "to play at the next level. It's been a process but I know I can play at the next level. I want to see the world and experience new things in life."

Besides his production on the court, Najee is also aces in the classroom. "I made the Dean's List and the Honor Roll."

He also believes his current North Dakota location is beneficial. Just less than 2,000 residents populate Mayville but Najee sees that as a positive. "I can get so much more done working out and practicing. It gives me the time to do my work. All I'm doing just shows me what I'm capable of achieving. I want to be great, plain and simple."

Well said and done.

Below is Najee's 2014-15 season highlight film:

One reason why the Steph Currys are few and far between

The oft-repeated mantra is that any goal is achievable provided the hard work necessary to achieve it is undertaken.

However laudable such sentiment is, it's simply not true in athletics.

The truth is that each person can come close to maximizing his or her individual potential (being human prevents reaching 100%) given the appropriate time and effort, and that's it.

I'm not sure what to call it -- our DNA and physical wiring -- which also produces limits.

I was born never to play college basketball. Granted, I could have gotten closer than I achieved but, besides execution and relentlessness being requirements absent in me, I faced physical limitations that could not be overridden. These also include the synapses firing off throughout our bodies.

This New York Daily News article covers a portion of this, offering a study that determined certain athletes are quicker in their decisionmaking while under pressure alongside the sense that, for all, such can be bettered with practice.

Because there are other factors such as hand-eye coordination, spatial relations aptitude, quick twitch muscling and more that also come into play. Granted, these can be improved but there is a ceiling in everyone.

Nothing I could undertake would get me close to the level of basketball talents Steph Curry displays.

However, the bottom line remains that to be your best requires extracting the most you can from your mind and body alongside a healthy dose of realism.

Romeo to Linfield

Vince Romeo, De La Salle HS(CA) 2015: 5’10” guard; very good on ball defender in the mode of former Ohio State player Aaron Craft; had 5-6 steals in one game; excellent 3 ball shooter; gets to the rim and attacks at will; uses body well to finish with contact; Linfield College (OR) commit

Sounds like a solid get for former Foothill College Coach Shanan Rosenberg.

"Warm Up To Reno" tourney report

Here's the Team Select offered "Warm Up To Reno" tournament report, which took place May 16 and 17.

Andoh transferring

On Jeff Goodman's list of transfers, David Andoh is listed as departing from Liberty University.

Pritchett with four offers

Via Ballers Bridge: "Talented 2016 F @SP4 has been out here hoopin. Holds offers from Montana, Weber State, USF and St. Mary's."

That's 6-foot-5 Sayeed Pritchett of El Cerrito High.

Kerry Keating lands a point

Evan Daniels tweeted: "Ke'Jhan Feagin (Long Beach Poly) has committed to Santa Clara..."

Bronco backcourters Denzel Johnson and Brandon Clark, first and third in assists this season, have completed their eligibility.

Here's a January 2015 feature on Feagin.

Yee-Stephens shows out

Nor Cal Preps tweeted on Saturday: "Arsenal 17s with a good showing against Elite 24 from Oregon. Santa Cruz 2016 guard Kaijae Yee-Stephens showed range on his shot."

Garcia lands at UC Merced

UC Merced has signed a local: "Branson Garcia – Garcia joins the list of incoming players as a 6'2 guard from Pitman High School. A four-year varsity player, Garcia averaged over 17 points a game this season. He's a smart and athletic player who is easily coachable and picks up details very quickly, which should come as no surprise as he has a 4.0 GPA. Garcia was also a track star in high school who high jumped 6'2. While not the size of a traditional wing player, Garcia has the versatility to be played anywhere from point guard to small forward on the floor. Viewed as a high upside recruit, fans will grow to love Garcia's hard working mentality."

Frankie Tovar offers more.

Shorter shot clock not the answer

Matt Stephens writes that shortening the shot clock will not up the scoring average next season in college hoops.

DeCourcy grounds matters in reality

Utilizing Josh Groban and even Matt Lauer as examples, Mike DeCourcy skewers the faux alarm over one-and-done college performers. Life is not a black-and-white proposition and the NCAA and its schools have long ago left any higher ground, if they ever indeed camped out there.

Borzello and Burlison on Josh Jackson

Jeff Borzello tweeted: "Josh Jackson's overall defensive ability is second-to-none. Plays passing lanes, contests shots, lateral quickness."

Don't see that often from the creme of the crop talents. Do catch him in action at Prolific Prep.

Frank Burlison offers more.

A new one from Coach Bob Walsh

Via Coach Bob Walsh: "The Brain of Elite Athletes"

Delly making some mad

Ed Isaacson tweeted: "I can’t believe there is actual talk that Dellavedova may intentionally be trying to hurt people on the court. Nothing wrong with some hustle."

With tongue definitely in cheek, Fran Fraschilla provided: "Now look what Dellavedova did. He's got EVERYBODY diving on the floor in a playoff game. Someone's going to get hurt."

Marques Haynes passes

Marques Haynes has died at age 89.

Reedley looking for new head coach

Mel Grussing catches a head coach opening at Reedley College and offers some caveats.

Les extended

After leading UC Davis to a 25-win season and a Big West regular-season championship this year, Jim Les has signed a contract extension that will keep him as UC Davis head men's basketball coach through the 2020-21 season, it was announced on Friday by Teresa Gould, interim director of athletics.

Les recently completed the fourth year of a five-year contract he signed when he became the Aggies' coach in 2011. His new contract will supersede the final year of his original one and take effect on July 1.

"I am thrilled that Coach Les will be leading our men's basketball program here at UC Davis well into the future," said Gould. "What his program has accomplished both on the court and in the classroom is a testament to his strong leadership and our student-athletes are fortunate to have him at the helm. The historical season we just completed demonstrates the excitement that athletics success can generate in our community and the national platform that intercollegiate athletics can provide an institution. I look forward to working with Coach Les and continuing to build this program to unprecedented heights."

UC Davis enjoyed its finest season as an NCAA Div. I program in 2014-15, posting a 25-7 overall record and a 14-2 mark in the Big West Conference. The Aggies won their first regular-season championship in the league, earned the top seed to the Big West Tournament and later advanced to the National Invitation Tournament for the first time. The Aggies' turnaround from a 9-22 record in 2013-14 was the best in Div. I this past season.

Les, a prolific three-point shooter during his NBA career between 1988-95, directed an offense this season that led the country in three-point shooting (.447) and had the nation's leading shooter from three-point territory in Big West Player of the Year Corey Hawkins (.488). UC Davis was fourth nationally in shooting overall (.490).

Along the way, the Aggies built tremendous fan support that resulted in two national television appearances on ESPNU and two near-capacity crowds of more than 5,000 fans at The Pavilion. UC Davis went 14-0 on Hamilton Court and was the only California school to go unbeaten on its home floor.

"Coach Les has been a tremendous ambassador for our university," said Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. "He's increased the visibility of UC Davis across the country by showcasing both the excellence of our men's basketball program and our outstanding university."

Under Les' leadership, the men's basketball team has been actively involved in the Davis community and local region as well. The program was honored in May with the Silver Community Service Award from the UC Davis Community Resource Center in recognition of its community service. It was the second consecutive year the program has been recognized for its contributions.

The Aggies have been actively engaged with local schools with more than 20,000 students from 29 area schools participating in their basketball reading program. They've also been connected to the surrounding communities through school visits, assemblies and service projects.

UC Davis has also achieved in the classroom. The Aggies' 91 percent graduation success rate, in data released by the NCAA in 2013, was the highest among any current school in the Big West and was tied for the highest in 2014. The Aggies also had the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) in 2013, the most recent year data has been released by the NCAA.

"UC Davis has been a special place for me and my family and I am excited to call it home for the future," Les said. "I am grateful for the support of Chancellor Katehi, Teresa Gould, our administration, and the Davis community. Our job now is to continue to work to build a standard of excellence in our basketball program that matches the excellence of our University." 

Friday, May 22, 2015

Whittenburg hired on to assist at LPC

Jordan Whittenburg has joined Las Positas College Coach James Giacomazzi's staff -- "Excited and very thankful to officially work as an assistant to @CoachGiacomazzi at Las Positas College. Big things on the horizon!"

A bio: "A native of Walnut Creek, California, Jordan Whittenburg founded Green Light Basketball Academy in 2015.  

At the prep level, he played for the Oakland Soldiers AAU program and was a two-time, first team, all-league player at Berean Christian High School, setting four school records in free throw shooting and three point shooting.  From there, he continued his playing career at Los Medanos College, where he led the Bay Valley Conference in three point percentage as a sophomore. Whittenburg went on to receive a scholarship to Northwest Christian University in Oregon, where he earned a BA in Communication. He was a two-year starter and named to the Academic All-Conference team, finishing his senior year ranked second in school history for most three pointers made, in addition to scoring over 1000 points in his college career. He has competed at the semi-pro level for the Oakland Showtime (currently Bay Area Matrix) in the ABA and Tualatin Rainmakers in Oregon.

Whittenburg has coached high school throughout the Bay Area for four seasons and worked as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, NCU. He is currently the assistant men's basketball coach at Las Positas College and works as a private basketball trainer."

The Jags get Young

Matthew Young tweeted: "Glad to be a Jaguar!"

SFBA tweeted: "Big shout out to our very own 2015 Matthew Young who has committed to San Jose City College tonight!  Congrats!"

SJCC Basketball: "@SJCCBasketball is excited to welcome 6'9" F Matt Young out of Dodges Ferry, Tasmania, Australia to the Jaguar family."

Young was at the Simply Fun Basketball Academy is Las Vegas this season.

Mitchell decides on Cal State East Bay

Dave Rogahn tweeted: "JC BB signing: Jelani Mitchell, Riverside to Cal State East Bay."

Via Steve Connolly: "Cal State East Bay head men's basketball coach Gus Argenal has announced the signing of 6'6" guard Jelani Mitchell for the 2015-16 season. The Pasadena native will be eligible as a junior after spending the last two seasons at Riverside City College.

"Jelani is a special type of athlete with a high skill level," said Argenal. "He is tough defensively, extremely competitive, and has the ability to affect the game in a variety of ways. He has played for the legendary Phil Matthews, former University of San Francisco head coach, for the last two seasons at Riverside and was an integral part of their program."

Mitchell recently completed an impressive career at Riverside CC, where he was a starter for the past two years. As a sophomore in 2014-15, he led the team in minutes while averaging 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He shot 40.4 percent from three-point range and 74.8 percent from the free throw line, both of which topped his squad.

Prior to that, Mitchell was a 2013 graduate of Muir High School in Pasadena, where he competed on the varsity basketball team all four years. He was named First Team All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division 5AA as a sophomore and Most Valuable Player of the Pacific League as a junior, and he averaged 15.1 points per game over the final two years of his prep career.

"Jelani has the character and dedication that we want in our student-athletes, and he is motivated to improve Pioneer basketball," Argenal added. "I can't wait for the opportunity to see him grow as a person and player here on our campus."

Frenchwood selects a Texas JC

Joshua E Parrott tweeted: "Ex-Montana State G Joey Frenchwood signs with Hill College (TX)." 

It's a program that finished third in the JC national championship tournament this season.

Coates moving to the Big Sky State

Yuba College Men's Basketball tweeted: "Yuba college freshman point guard Jalen Coates has been offered and has accepted a full ride from an incredible academic institution to play basketball for the Montana Tech Orediggers! Jalen had offers from higher levels of basketball schools but decided to play for a school where he could excel as a student and as an athlete! Jalen finished his freshman year with a 3.2 GPA! Congrats Jalen!!!"

Coates prepped at Burbank High.

Wilson taking to the City of Roses

6-foot-3 sophomore sharpshooting guard Latrell (Arcata High) Wilson is moving on to Concordia College in Oregon from Cabrillo College  -- "It's finally official, I've committed to Concordia University in Portland! Couldn't be more excited!"

He averaged 17.0 points per outing last season.

Three Concordia seniors are Cabrillo College alumni.

Below are some of Wilson's 2014-15 season highlights:

The NBA's All-Rookie teams

Two squads were chosen by NBA beat reporters and sportscasters:

2014-2015 NBA All-Rookie First Team:

* Andrew Wiggins 260 points - selected #1 in 2014 draft
* Nikola Mirotic 258 points - selected #23 in 2011 draft
* Nerlens Noel 252 points - selected #6 in 2013 draft
* Elfrid Payton 250 points - selected #10 in 2014 draft
* Jordan Clarkson 200 points - selected #46 in 2014 draft

2014-2015 NBA All-Rookie Second Team:

* Marcus Smart 142 points - selected #6 in 2014 draft
* Zach LaVine 135 points - selected #13 in 2014 draft
* Bojan Bogdanovic 107 points - selected #31 in 2011 draft
* Jusuf Nurkic 97 points - selected #16 in 2014 draft
* Langston Galloway 72 points - undrafted

Just look at how difficult it is to have an immediate impact in the NBA -- here are the first-rounders in the 2014 draft:

1. Andrew Wiggins
2. Jabari Parker
3. Joel Embiid
4. Aaron Gordon
5. Dante Exum
6. Marcus Smart
7. Julius Randle
8. Nik Stauskas
9. Noah Vonleh
10. Elfrid Payton
11. Doug McDermott
12. Dario Saric
13. Zach LaVine
14. T.J. Warren
15. Adreian Payne
16. Jusuf Nurkic
17. James Young
18. Tyler Ennis
19. Gary Harris
20. Bruno Caboclo
21. Mitch McGary
22. Jordan Adams
23. Rodney Hood
24. Shabazz Napier
25. Clint Capela
26. P.J. Hairston
27. Bogdan Bogdanovic
28. C.J. Wilcox
29. Josh Huestis
30. Kyle Anderson

The newbies coming to San Jose City College

San Jose City College has announced a number of newcomers to the program. Collectively, they are:

* 5-foot-11 Devante Biasa (Kimball High, Tracy/Alaska Anchorage)

* 5-foot-10 Ryan Brice (Pinewood High)

* 6-foot-3 Brian King (Roosevelt High, Fresno)

* 6-foot-4 Franklin Longress (Bishop O'Dowd High)

* 6-foot-4 Kurtis McCoy (Roosevelt High, Fresno)

* 6-foot-2 Sean Moore Jr. (Chicago)

* 6-foot-9 Jonah Underwood (Willow Glen High)

* 6-foot-9 Deondrick Wright (El Cerrito High)

* 6-foot-9 Matthew Young (Tasmania)

The freshmen listed on Coach Percy Carr's 2014-15 roster are:

* 6-foot-7 Lucious Brown (Seattle)

* 6-foot-10 Akil Douglas

* 5-foot-10 Kekoa Ford (Hawaii)

That's a mighty young and inexperienced group.

Afeaki to Pikeville

John Bynum tweeted: "Dan Afeaki (Skyline JC) has committed to University of Pikeville (Kentucky). Afeaki averaged 7.1 points and 4.2 rebounds last season."

The 6-foot-9 sophomore, out of Capuchino High, shot 63% this season.

Pikeville made it to the quarterfinals of the NAIA championship tournament in 2014-15, finishing 28-6.

Thompson goes north to Alaska

UAA (University Alaska Anchorage) Basketball tweeted: "Welcome @taylerT24 the man in the middle!"

That's Cuesta College 6-foot-9 sophomore Tayler Thompson, out of Sonora High, who averaged 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 58% this season.

Hagmaier to Sarah Lawrence

Bishop O'Dowd's Parker Hagmaier is headed to Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York. The 6-foot-4 forward will join two other Bay Area-connected players there, Wyatt (Christopher High) Rocheleau and Graham (Archbishop Riordan) Gilleran.

Ed Isaacson's NBA draft first round

Ed Isaacson has updated his First Round NBA Draft selections. One question certainly comes to mind: how did UNLV go 8-10 in the Mountain West Conference regular season with two players predicted to go in the initial round?

Whatever draws the most hits

The sports equivalent of train wrecks and auto accidents will always draw more than reasoned thought. ESPN (and Disney) live off such as Jim Weber writes. He opens with: "It’s a sad world when employing Skip Bayless is a better business investment than retaining Bill Simmons, but it’s the one we live in..."

But then again, did Bill Simmons immolate himself with his salary ask?

Pete Newell's life

Martin Snapp covers the long and illustrious life of the late Pete Newell. Here's a task for you: try and find someone who has something bad to say about Newell.

Who is this D'Angelo Russell guy?

Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell. Ever heard of him before say December? Chris Mannix serves up the what you need to know.

DWright's draft diary

Here's Delon Wright with the initial installment of his draft diary.

We predict a Wildcat victory

Bruce Pascoe writes: "The Arizona Wildcats have added a Nov. 8 exhibition game with Chico State to their 2015-16 schedule.

The Wildcats of Northern California fit UA's philosophy of scheduling competitive Division II teams for its annual exhibition game. Chico was 22-8 last season and made the NCAA Division II tournament for the fourth season in a row..."

Don't be surprised if Brad Stevens knows what you do Sundays at 3:21 p.m.

Here's a fascinating look at how Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens approaches his work.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Fuca enters the college coaching ranks

San Ramon Valley alumnus Joey Fuca has a new job. In fact, he'll be performing multiple roles as an on-court graduate assistant with Coach Eric Musselman's Nevada basketball program.

Fuca will be tasked with "player development for guards and small forwards and all summer workouts. I'll also be doing a lot of editing film of both opponents and our own players, as well as scouting." His position also allows him to travel with the team while simultaneously working on a master's degree in educational leadership.

"I get to coach. It's a great foot in the door," he explained. "I like being a part of kids' lives and being a role model."

After earning back-to-back First Team All-East Bay Athletic League honors in 2006 and 2007 at San Ramon Valley High. Fuca enrolled at The Master's College in southern California.

He became a Golden State Athletic All Conference honoree in 2010 and 2011 and finished his tenure in Santa Clarita with 1,071 career points while earning a degree in Communications.

Fuca then turned professional, earning Most Valuable Player honors while scoring 24.0 points a game as a member of the Vilsbiburg Baskets team. In the 2013-14 season, he played in Germany and led that squad in assists. He also coached a youth team while there.

"The people in Reno love basketball, there's a rich tradition here," Fuca said, alluding to the days when Wolf Pack stars Nick Fazekas, Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson were heating up the court.

Musselman and Company want to re-ignite that fire.

Farris goes aloha

After averaging 13.3 points and 2.6 assists and shooting 44%, 42% and 95% respectively in the 2014-15 season, Santa Rosa Junior College's Parker Farris is heading to the University of Hawaii-Hilo. He'll be playing for 32-year-old GE Coleman who is entering his third season at the helm of the Vulcan program.

Not being facetious but the question of why the islands had to be asked. His response: "I liked Coach Coleman, he's a great guy and I really felt wanted there." If Farris needed any more convincing, "some of the players texted me making me feel welcome. I want to be part of something that's never been done at Hawaii-Hilo before -- winning a conference championship."

Succinctly responding to what he will bring to the Vulcan program, Farris simply said, "Come on out and watch us work."

His university selection also means road trips to northern California to face Dominican University, Holy Names University, Academy of Art University and Notre Dame de Namur.

To a what-has-changed-in-his-game-and-approach query since being a senior at McKinleyville High, Farris offered, "I'm more consistent with my shot and staying focused, with more mental toughness."

He's looking at a double major consisting of economics and business administration.

By the way, the monthly mean temperatures for Hilo range from 71.4 °F in January to 76.4 °F in August. Farris will be packing light.

Five Thunderbirds with degrees

Five student-athletes from Merritt College moved on from the Thunderbirds to play at four-year schools and each has now earned his college diploma.

They are:
Nick (Bishop O'Dowd) Capiti, Fort Hays State University (KS), Business Administration

Marcos (Pinole Valley High) Castrillo, Western New Mexico, Marketing with a minor in psychology

Tyler (Rodriguez High) Idowu, St. Martin University (WA), Business Administration concentration in marketing

Eric (El Cerrito High) Nelson, California Baptist University, Business Administration

Kareem (Inderkum High) Ransom, Benedict College (SC), Psychology

For those still on the sidelines pouting due to being upset at not landing a D1 scholarship, well, the world as well as these five young men, are passing you by.

The 2015 Bay Area Memorial Day Classic starts Saturday

The 5th annual Bay Area Memorial Day Classic will be held  Saturday to Monday May 23-25 at three locations. The largest high school-level Memorial weekend event in the west will have 100 teams in four divisions:

* 17 Elite will be held at City College of San Francisco

* 17 Varsity will be held at Nor Cal Courts in Martinez

* 16U and 15u will be held at Jamtown in Oakland.

Championships in all divisions will be held on Monday May 25 (Elite and Varsity finals will be at City College of San Francisco, other divisions will be at Jamtown.)

Among the Northern California teams/organizations entered are the following: Lakeshow, Oakland Soldiers, Lunardi’s, Greenline, Nor Cal Pharoahs, E-Time Hoops, San Francisco Rebels, North Bay Basketball Academy, Team Select, BFS Blackout.

The Gators bring in a point

Dave Rogahn tweeted: "PG Coley Apsay [to] San Francisco State University..."

The redshirt sophomore out of College of the Canyons stands 6-foot-2 and averaged 17.0 points a game while shooting 43%, 42% and 82% respectively. Also 4.4 assists and 2.3 steals.

More additions to SJCC hoops

"SJCCBasketball is excited to welcome 6'4" wing Mitch Watson out of Houston, TX to the Jaguar family."

"...is excited to welcome 6'2" G Sean Moore, Jr. out of Chicago, IL to the Jaguar family."

"...pulls a strong recruiting class, bunch of NorCal locals: G Ryan Brice (Pinewood); F Franklin Lungress (Bishop O'Dowd)."

Scheive chooses Yuba

From Yuba College Men's Basketball: "Yuba basketball get a big local recruit!!! Erik Scheive a 6'10 post player from Marysville High School has committed to play for Yuba College for the 2015-16 season! Erik led his Marysville team to a 24-4 overall record averaging 16.7 points, 10.7 rebs and almost 4 blocks a game and finishing out his senior year being named MVP of his conference and being selected to play in Sacramento's optimist All Star game! Erik also brings a 3.8 GPA and turned down multiple D2 schools to put him into a position to try and get recruited D1 after one year at Yuba!"

Here's a fascinating feature on Scheive from last June.

Chico lands a JC point

Via Dave Rogahn: "PG Riley Honaker-Chico State University."

The 5-foot-11 College of the Canyons redshirt freshman averaged 2.5 points plus 2.5 assists in the 2014-15 season. He was captain of his high school team as a senior.

Foyle's new book

Former Golden State Warrior Adonal Foyle has a book coming out. From the back cover:

"Former NBA center Adonal Foyle has seen athletes burn through millions on women, large entourages, family gifts, gambling debts—even shark tanks! Such spending habits are partly responsible for 60 percent of NBA players going broke within five years of retirement and nearly 80 perfect of NFL players being strapped within two.

Rich with anecdotes from a sports insider, Winning the Money Game shows you how to avoid the financial fouls of athletes. Foyle gives you the straight, offering guidance on a wide range of money matters, from taxes to alimony, from child support to medical bills, and so much more. He beaks down expenses point by point, illustrating the difference between luxury items and family needs, and lays out the essential dos and don'ts to help you spend, save, and grow your money wisely."

Digging into multiple aspects of operating a team

Jack Clark on How To Win. He's the ultra-successful Cal rugby coach with some intriguing ideas on coaching, leadership and team. Hat tip to Coach Bob Walsh.

LaShells to WJU

Robert Marten fills readers in on Wilson (Monte Vista High) LaShells' signing with William Jessup University.

SJCC with a transfer signing

SJCC Basketball: "@SJCCBasketball is excited to welcome 5'11" G DeVante Baisa out of Tracy, CA to the Jaguar family."

The Kimball High grad was at Alaska Anchorage, playing in 11 games as a freshman but redshirting this past season.

The victors in the City Championship Tournament

From Randy Bessolo: "We had a great turn-out of 72 teams at the 8th Annual City Championship Tourney this wknd. A lot of great teams and games!

Congratulations to Greenline who defended their championship from last year and won the 40-team Elite Division. They beat a great Lakeshow Elite team in the Finals after knocking off Lakeshow Black in the Semis. E-Time was the other semi-finalist.

Congratulations to Sonoma County Cagers 17s who won the 16-team Varsity Division knocking off the Bay Area Warriors (Facter) in the Finals.

Congratulations to the Oakland Rebels 15s who won the 16-team JV Division knocking off Husky Hoops in the Finals."

Ruffin visiting Cal State East Bay

Good defender and Human Highlight Film poster Brandon Ruffin of Antelope Valley College checked out Cal State East Bay.

John Colan's advice to coaches

The Power of Networking by John Colan (Coaches Inc.)

Polynice on the 2015 NBA draft first-rounders

Olden Polynice offers the plusses and minuses of each talent he has going in the first round of the NBA draft. His analysis is a little different than most and that's good.

Wright in round one

Derek Bodner/USA TODAY has Delon Wright at #26 in the first round.

Mustangs also doing it in the classroom

Check out some of the grade point average's earned by members of San Joaquin Delta College basketball team:

* Justin Pollman 3.67
* Justin Nieto 3.62 (East Union High)
* Benjamin Simi 3.44 (Lodi High)
* Xavier Francois 3.37 (River City High)
* Jordan Belasco 3.29 (Lodi High)
* Troy Anderson 3.20 (Armijo High)
* Dwayne Lee 3.14 (Bear Creek High)
* Randy Jernidier 3.12

New coach at Elk Grove

Joe Davidson tweeted: "Dustin Monday is the new varsity boys basketball coach at Elk Grove HS. Will be on campus, too, so a double-bonus for Thundering Herd."

Tremendous human interest story

Jayson Jenks writes about the past and present of Anthony Johnson, who survived childhood and was a basketball hero at Montana while all the time wary and wondering if he would repeat what what he experienced growing up.

So who has Tony Allen as his NBA fave?

Brian Phillips writes about one of the unusual talents in the NBA -- Tony Allen. For a guy who probably has lost every game of H-O-R-S-E he has played, Allen will eventually retire with tremendous respect, no regrets and one heckuva bank account.

Chris Ballard's latest

Chris Ballard goes long in looking back at the 1985 NBA draft.

Seaside's Finest this past weekend

From Seaside's Finest: "Good weekend at the City Championships in SF for our 17's with wins over Team Sage from Sac and Top Flight Elite Red 17's!"

There are some hungry kids on that squad looking to make a name.

Monday, May 18, 2015

Goodwin chooses paradise

How long would it take for you to respond if offered the opportunity to spend the next two years studying the college subject of choice, in Honolulu, free of charge?

Ask Cañada College's Rohndell Goodwin about just such a proposition -- he would be glad to answer you. He dreamed of just that for some time, worked like the dickens towards his aspiration and now has achieved what just a few years ago seemed an impossible vision. Goodwin didn't let playing very little in high school or travel ball be an insurmountable barrier. Also sidelined twice by ACL tears, he attacked and overcame these physical maladies with countless hours of rehabilitation.

So much so, the 6-foot-5 Goodwin averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a sophomore this season alongside 52%, 37% and 80% shooting. His production earned him the honor of Most Valuable Player in the northern California community college basketball ranks.

Now he has a scholarship to attend Chaminade University, a campus very near the south shore of Oahu. "I set a goal to go to Chaminade -- it's a dream come true," Goodwin offered. "I grew up watching the Maui Invitational (which takes place in late November and featured Arizona, San Diego State, BYU, Kansas State and others this past season) and now I get to play on that stage."

Making the choice even sweeter is that Chaminade is a member of the Pacific West Conference, meaning the Silverswords will be hitting the mainland to play such opponents as Dominican University, Notre Dame de Namur, Holy Names University and Academy of Art University. Each pairing will provide family and friends multiple opportunities to see Goodwin play.

Another reason it was Chaminade for Goodwin is because "I'm not a big flashy guy and I liked the small campus. It felt like family [on his visit]." He also shared: "During my visit, I woke up at 9:00 a.m. and took a walk on the beach. There was families all over it." How many recruits have the opportunity to walk on a beach in 80 degree weather during a visit?

So what can Silversword fans expect on the court? "Toughness, competitiveness and being a winner. I'm a great guy on and off the court."

He'll be majoring in communication studies.

Goodwin offered praise to a number of individuals for helping him get to this point: "[Cañada] Coach [Mike] Reynoso, my brother, all my family and friends, they know who they are, and my teammates. We went on this journey together."

The Bay Area Memorial Day Classic coming up


The 5th annual Bay Area Memorial Day Classic will be held Saturday through Monday, May 23-25. Over 100 teams participate each year in the biggest and most competitive Memorial Day weekend event in the west. It will be held at three sites: San Francisco City College, Nor Cal Courts in Martinez and Jamtown in Oakland.

There will be four high school divisions (17 elite, 17 varsity, 16u, 15u), with a championship in each division on Monday the 25th. Media in attendance will include: Nor Cal Preps, California Preps, IHigh and Hoop Review. A post event report will be sent to these and various other web sites in addition to college coaches nation-wide.

Remember the name Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris of the Orlando Magic. Stephen Shea writes that he is the most underrated players in the NBA, already one of the most versatile forwards in the NBA and provides statistical analysis why. Can anyone named which college he attended?

The letting go of winning NBA coaches

Chris Herring takes a look at the conundrum surrounding the firing of successful NBA coaches. Try Tom Thibodeau (maybe), Monty Williams and Scott Brooks of late. Doesn't firing result from not winning and not the other way around?

Staying in, not making the NBA

Here's a feature that illuminates the key point of success being remaining in and not just making the NBA and that such happens by upgrading weaknesses.

Lakers Coach Byron Scott talking with and about Nick Young:

“Nick and I had conversations so it’s no secret what I’ve told him that he needs to do. If you want to look at one thing offensively you have to do, it’s move without the basketball. Learn to catch and shoot. Learn to take two, three dribbles. Pull-up and shoot. Two, three dribbles. Get to the basket. No more of this nine dribbles and everyone kinda watch, because that’s a home run or its a strikeout. You got to get better at moving without the basketball. That’s number one on offense.”

and

“I said number two defensively. Nick is a pretty good defender when he has guys that challenge him. He takes the challenge. He’ll guard pretty much one-on-one, but when the ball is off that guy’s hands, he has to be a better help defender, a better weak-side defender. Those are just two areas him and I talked about, and we did that during the season in Phoenix. It’s no secret the things that I told him to do to improve on. I told him ‘If you don’t, it might be hard for me to put you out there.’”

More hypocrisy

Stewart Mandel offers more evidence about the hypocrisy of complaints against the fifth-year transfer rule. The so-called 'adults' with privilege and power want to dictate the terms for young men when it is the young men who bring in the dollars to the programs these so-called 'adults' head.

Another take on the 30-second shot clock

Ed Isaacson's take on the new 30-second shot clock: "Forcing players w/ declining understanding of the game to play quicker will be a mess. Coaches are already in a bind trying to catch kids up."

Changes in the college game

Here's Gary Parrish on the rules change proposals for next season in college basketball plus some of his own suggestions.

Nor Cal Transfers -- the latest update

Just four players remain unaffiliated from the earlier list:

* Derrick DJ Clayton, Western Kentucky to ?

* Joey Frenchwood, Montana State to ?

* JoJo McGlaston, Utah State to ?

* Dulani Robinson, Pacific to?

Delly aiding the Cavs

Kudos to Matthew Dellavedova.

Dunham returning

James Burns reports that freshman guard Rolaun (Riverbank High) Dunham is leaving Whitman and walking-on at Pacific.

Cal State Stanislaus brings one in

From John Bynum: "Vondel Faniel (Ventura JC) committed to Cal State Stanislaus. Faniel averaged 12.0 points and 10.1 rebounds for Ventura last season."

Faniel is a 6-foot-6, 230 frontcourter originally out of Palmdale.

Patterson to the Evergreen State

From Carson Padon: "Congratulations to Pitt High Senior guard Isaiah Patterson on signing his Letter of intent to play for South Puget Sound next year."

The 5-foot-11 backcourter is headed to a community college located in Olympia, Washington.

Two heading north to Humboldt

Humboldt State Coach Steve Kinder has added a pair of southern California high schoolers to his Lumberjack roster.