The Cal-HiSports all staters

Ronnie Flores/Cal-HiSports presents the 2015 CAL-HI SPORTS all-state elite boys basketball teams which consists of 30 prepsters. Those from northern California are:

First Team

* G ­- Paris Austin (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 5-11 Sr.
It was a terrific season for the Boise-State-bound point guard, as he was an indispensable piece for a club that played a national schedule and finished with the highest national ranking ever (No. 4) for a NorCal school since the advent of weekly polls. If Austin had to play the facilitator or carry the scoring load, O’Dowd didn’t miss a beat with him in either mode. A first team Contra Costa Times choice and co-Player of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, Austin averaged 17 points, four assists and nearly two assists per game while shooting 43 percent (72-of-168) from 3-point range. He set a school record with a 43-point outburst and saved his best for last, scoring 21 points versus Mater Dei in the state title game. Austin is one of the best to come down the pike in recent memory at keeping his dribble alive and then finding an open man right before the play is about to break down. Division III All-State

* C -­ Ivan Rabb (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 6-11 Sr.
The honors keep pouring in for our Mr. Basketball selection. Rabb is a two-time CIF Divisional State Player of the Year, was our State Junior of the Year last season and also was named Contra Costa Times Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Our friends over at Krossover gave us more insight into Rabb’s season, as he shot 62 percent from the field, made 12-of-27 on 3-pointers (44 percent) and shot 77 percent in the paint. The night O’Dowd won the state title, many of his family and close friends celebrated with O’Dowd alums, but he wanted to sleep for his early morning flight to Chicago for the McDonald’s Game. The following weekend he participated in the Nike Hoop Summit then it was off to New York for the Jordan Brand Classic. On top of that, he announced for Cal on the Monday when he got back from Portland, Ore. Division III all-state.

* F -­ Anthony Townes (Modesto Christian) 6-6 Sr.
The manner in which Townes battled Bishop O’Dowd in the CIF NorCal Open Division final was the difference in a close call for one of the final spots on the first team. The under-sized big man hit for 20 points in that game and had the Crusaders even with eventual state champions until the final minutes. Townes also capped a stellar four-year varsity career (he started all four years) by earning the Modesto Bee’s Player of the Year honor. He averaged 19.7 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. Townes will head next to the University of Pacific where he will join former MC teammates T.J. Wallace and Raymond Bowles. Division II all-state.

Second Team

* F ­- Marquese Chriss (Pleasant Grove, Elk Grove) 6-9 Sr.
Fans at the CIF state finals might remember Chriss as a talented sophomore starter for a team that won the CIF Division I crown. Chriss went on to have a stellar career and is, along with first teamer Chimezie Metu, the most athletic forward in state. The University of Washington recruit averaged 21.9 points with 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Chriss probably would have been the Sacramento Bee Player of the Year were it not for Folsom’s Jordan Ford. Among his standout performances was a 34-point, 20-rebound outing against NorCal D1 semifinalist Berkeley plus 28 points and 29 points in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoff wins against Tracy and Kennedy of Sacramento. Division I all-state.

* G ­- Jordan Ford (Folsom) 6-0 Jr.
A repeat Elite Team selection, Ford led the Bulldogs to another strong season after they were the NorCal D2 champions in 2013-14. After earning player of the year honors from the Sacramento Bee for the second consecutive season, Ford moves up to the second from the third team. This season against stiffer competition, Ford averaged 20.4 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals while leading the Bulldogs to a 28-5 record and a spot in the NorCal Open Division regional playoffs. For the second consecutive season, the cerebral lead guard had a big game in a Sac-Joaquin Section title game, going for 18 points in a one-point win over Sheldon of Sacramento after dropping 33 points against Cosumnes Oaks as a sophomore. More than numbers, Ford just has a feel for the game that is nearly impossible to teach and it has made Folsom a statewide threat after it was a sub .500 program before he arrived. Division I all-state.

* C - ­Ben Kone (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 6-8 Jr.
With the power he displays around the basket, Kone at times reminds Mitty fans of recent Mr. Basketball State Player of the Year Aaron Gordon. He doesn’t have Gordon’s high-end athleticism so it will be interesting to see how Kone develops his game heading into his senior season. He played as a freshman at Salesian of Richmond, then transferred to Mitty last season and now as a junior is second team all-state overall, first team all-state junior and was a solid pick as the San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year. While Mitty did not win the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division, both Serra of San Mateo and St. Francis of Mountain View had balanced lineups. At Mitty, which did make it to the CIF D2 state final, Kone clearly was the main man. He hit for 20.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Division II all-state.

Third Team

* C ­- Chris Hansen (Campolindo, Moraga) 6-7 Sr.
Anybody who watched Hansen battle on the interior in games such as the NorCal D3 final or CIF Division III state final can see how hard he works, how well he can move for having such a wide frame and how well he can shoot. He was chosen All-East Bay first team by the Alameda Newspaper Group and All-Metro first team by the San Francisco Chronicle. Hansen, headed to UC San Diego, had per game averages of 25.5 points, 17.1 rebounds, six blocks and four assists per game. He shot an amazing 67 percent from the floor and got fouled plenty, where he made teams pay with his 87 percent free throw mark. Division III all-state.

* G ­- Colin Slater Jr. (Immanuel, Reedley) 6-0 Jr.
Going head-to-head against All-State second team elite guard Aaron Holiday in the CIF SoCal D4 regional semifinals, Slater poured in 35 points and had five assists and four rebounds although Holiday’s team won. In the previous round, the muscular guard with explosive moves to the basket had 18 points and 12 assists in a win over Oaks Christian. Slater led Immanuel with averages of 20.8 points and also had 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game with an 86 percent free throw percentage. Named as the Fresno Bee’s Co-Player of the Year with teammate Darrin Person Jr., we only had room for one of them on this unit (we never have co-players of the year or ties in rankings) and have Slater rated as the higher player on our all-state board. Person Jr., however, made the all-state underclass team. Division IV all-state.

* G ­ - Keith Smith (San Ramon Valley, Danville) 6-0 Sr.
We can honestly say that if San Ramon Valley, with Smith leading the way, had not won the CIF D1 title that another player probably would have gotten this spot on the elite all-state lineup. But the point guard definitely stepped up his game in the last month of the season. He averaged 15 ppg in the playoffs, including 20 points, with 12 assists, in the Wolves’ state title game win over Chino Hills. He also had a game-high 16 points when SRV topped Woodcreek of Roseville in the NorCal D1 final. He’s already a member of the Contra Costa Times All-East Bay team. Division I all-state.