Sunday, July 31, 2016

Armani Collins on the move

On the San Francisco Pro-Am roster page, Armani (Stuart Hall High) Collins of the SF City squad is now listed at City College of San Francisco.

He averaged 5.2 points plus 1.8 rebounds in 11.4 minutes a game this season at Portland State of the Big Sky Conference.

Ketchel heading south

6-foot point John Ketchel, of Team Select and Freedom High, has signed to play with Santa Monica City College. He was the Bay Valley Athletic League Most Valuable Player this season.

Vroman-Nell to MPC

Out of San Lorenzo High (Santa Cruz County), Sebastian Vroman-Nell is headed to Monterey Peninsula College to play for Coach Blake Spiering. At 6-foot-3, he averaged 13.4 points plus 4.3 rebounds as a senior.

Del Mar to the Cowboy State

Coach Fred1914: "Congrats to Sanford Del Mar West Campus HS signed to Central Wyoming!"

He's 6-foot-5 and also played volleyball at West Campus High.

Aguilera to the Beaver State

6-foot-2 Jason Augliera, from Team Select and Heritage High, is moving on to Linfield College in Oregon. LINK

The Linfield program is headed by Shanan Rosenberg who formerly coached at Foothill College.

Sullen to Lewis-Clark

John Bynum: "Anthony Sullen (Contra Costa) has committed to Lewis-Clark State. Sullen averaged 16.4 points and 4.8 rebounds last season for the Comets."

For CCC this season, Sullen shot 51%, 36% and 63% respectively. He enjoyed a game high of 40 points and was named a First Team All Bay Valley Conference honoree.

LCS is located in Lewiston, Idaho and won Frontier Conference championships in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Out of El Cerrito High, the 6-foot-3 Sullen played his freshman year at Yakima Valley College in Washington.

Sac State concludes overseas hoops trip

"MBB FINISHES TAIWAN TOURNEY WITH 71-51 WIN OVER JAPAN; DAY 10 PLAYER BLOG"

"Sacramento State concluded play at the 38th-annual William Jones Cup in Tawian with a 71-51 victory over Japan. Today marked the eighth and final game of the tournament for the Hornets, which was played over nine days at Hsingchuang Gymnasium.

Making its first-ever trip to Taiwan, Sacramento State finished the event with a 3-5 record. Of the Hornets' eight opponents, seven were national teams and one was a professional team from the Philippines. In fact, it was the Philippines which won the tournament with a perfect 8-0 record, followed by South Korea (6-2), Iran (5-3), Chinese Taipei A (5-3), Sacramento State (3-5), Japan (3-5), Egypt (3-5), Chinese Taipei B (2-6) and India (1-7).

Sacramento State's results from the tournament included 62-60 win over India, 63-48 loss to South Korea, 70-59 loss to Iran, 88-69 loss to the Philippines, 81-60 win over Chinese Taipei B, 70-63 loss to Egypt, 86-71 loss to Chinese Taipei A and today's 71-51 victory over Japan.

In today's win, the Hornets outscored Japan in every quarter, eventually using a 15-4 run to start the third quarter and break open what had been a 29-23 halftime lead. Sacramento State had 10 steals in the game, held a 43-30 advantage in the rebounding department and limited Japan to .288 shooting (17-59) from the field and .207 (6-29) from the 3-point line. Sacramento State shot .420 (29-69) from the field and .261 (6-23) from the 3-point line.

Hornet forward Justin Strings had a game-high 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line. He buried a pair of 3-pointers and also secured 10 rebounds, a game-high five of which came on the offensive glass. He was joined in double figures by guard Marcus Graves who finished with 11 points and a game-best six assists.

Forward Nick Hornsby had eight points, three steals and a game-high 11 rebounds in 30 minutes of play, center Eric Stuteville had nine points and three rebounds, forward Joshua Patton finished with six points and three rebounds and swingman Grant Dressler had seven rebounds. Guards Izayah Mauriohooho-Le'afa had three points, four rebounds and two assists, Jeff Wu had four points and two steals, Jiday Ugbaja added a pair of steals and Trevis Jackson had three points and two assists.

Sacramento State used 11 different players in today's win, and 13 of the team's 14 members on the roster played during the tournament. That included freshman swingman Chibueze Jacobs who played his first game today after missing the first seven games with a hamstring injury. Jacobs finished with a rebound in three minutes of play. The only player who did not play during the tournament was freshman guard George Dancer who has a knee injury.

Wu, who is a sophomore guard and was born and raised in Taiwan, wrote the trip's final blog and that is included below. Throughout the tournament, all 14 players on the roster and head coach Brian Katz blogged about their experiences in Taiwan. Links to each of those blogs and game recaps can be found below this story.

DAY 10 PLAYER BLOGS (Sunday, July 31)

Sophomore Jeff Wu

Today is our last day in Taiwan, and although this was an amazing trip, everyone seems excited to get back to Sacramento and get some rest. This has been such a wonderful experience for everyone on the team, and it was a blessing for me to come back home and play in front of the Taiwanese fans! I left Taiwan as a 15-year old kid chasing my American basketball dream, and I never thought I would come home with my second family and play in the Jones Cup, an event I grew up watching on TV. I still find it hard to believe how everything has happened in this past week.

Before I came back to Taiwan, I already knew and expected that the people, fans, and media were going to pay attention to me and watch my performance in the tournament. Even though I felt prepared for the games, it was hard to play initially due to the pressure I put on myself. During the first part of the tournament, I didn't perform to my standards because I was too worried about trying to impress everyone. I began to doubt myself, but Coach Katz said to me, "I believe in you and you are a winner, I've known that since the first time I saw you play". Also, Nick (Hornsby) and Justin (Strings) kept encouraging me on the court and telling me they had my back, which helped my confidence. Without all my teammates, I would not have been able to improve the way I did throughout the tournament, and I will forever be grateful to them.

As the tournament went on, our team performance got better and better. Throughout this trip, my teammates and I experienced the best of times, and will come back to the United States with an even stronger bond. My favorite part of the trip was our off day on Friday, because I got to show my teammates the city where I grew up. Being able to celebrate and share my heritage with the people I consider my second family was an experience I will never forget.


Finally, I want to thank everyone who helped make this trip possible, and the people of Taiwan who showed us love and support. Words cannot describe how much we all appreciated this opportunity. Each of us will forever cherish the memories of this trip, and it would not have happened without the support we have from the Hornet family in the United States, and now in Taiwan as well. Thank you."

More on the Sacramento State trip to Taiwan

DAY 9 BLOGS (Saturday, July 30)

"Head coach Brian Katz

Members of the Hornet Family:

As our trip is winding down, I would like to paint a picture for you in regard to our experiences in Taiwan.

First, let me say that I am extremely impressed with the humility, graciousness, and integrity of the Taiwanese people. It started the moment that we arrived at the airport last Saturday when Patrick Chu greeted us. Patrick is our interpreter, but he has now become more than that. He has become a true and valued lifelong friend. He has done virtually everything for us in regard to accommodations and arrangements, but more importantly, his sincerity and commitment to his job has transcended the job. He has now become one of us. When we began, we were unsure of everything, now we worry about nothing.

Next, we arrived at the arena for the opening ceremonies of the William Jones Cup. I have never seen the opening ceremonies at the Olympics in person, but I have seen them on television. I can tell you that it felt like the Olympics when the teams marched around the arena, then got in single file lines representing their countries. When Team USA (Sacramento State) was introduced, the roar of the 8,000 people in attendance was deafening. It was something I'm sure none of us will ever forget.

After we played our first game, we met our second new lifelong friend, Chris Chen. She greeted us and guided us through the national press conference (the entire tournament is on television). It was a bit overwhelming at first. But we had Chris to prepare us, shepherd us, and help us through each of these press conferences that proceeded every game. And, of course, we had Patrick to interpret. Chris has gone way beyond her job description in showing us around the city, as well as working closely with Patrick on everything.

Taiwan has two other pregame traditions that we really have enjoyed. First, they never introduce the starting lineups. Instead, they introduce every player on every team, every game. I have often struggled with the whole announcing the starting lineup concept. Is it really needed? How long does it take you to figure out who is starting at center? Five seconds? 10 seconds? I love this practice because it stresses team before individual, which is something we hold sacred here at Sacramento State.

Secondly, after the teams are introduced, they line up and exchange gifts with the opposing team (coaches included). The gifts are intended to be a memento/memorabilia specific to each country. Nothing elaborate but none the less very meaningful.

The thought that might cross your mind after reading about the gift exchange is that the teams go easy on each other. Nothing could be further from the truth. After this act of sportsmanship, the game quickly becomes a blood bath! The physicality and aggression is unbelievable! The officials allow the players to play, and consequently, toughness, strength, physicality, aggression and athleticism are rewarded - as they should be.

Seven of the eight other teams are national teams and one is a professional team with three former NBA players. Since they are all older, experienced, savvy and professionals, they play as such.

Six of the eight teams are better than any team we could possibly play this upcoming year, while the other two would finish in the top half of our conference. So, our team has really been challenged. These teams have forced us to compete, fight, scrap and execute at the highest level. And our kids have truly responded. We have been extremely competitive in every game except one, and even that game against Mighty Sports (the professional team from the Philippines) was tied at 23 after the first quarter.

As I told our players before we arrived, "every game you win will be an upset." We have two upsets to our credit and are hoping for one more with one game remaining. That said, we have stressed to the players that we are here to develop our team for next season. So while we want our players to compete extremely hard, we are not caught up in the outcome, but rather the process of getting better. This has allowed us to experiment with every possible lineup and to play our full compliment of players (except for the two that are injured). We were allowed 10 practices before we left America, and we, as coaches, have approached these eight games as practices as well. So, in truth, we have not had 10 practices and eight games, but rather 18 practices.

In closing, I cannot begin to describe all of the ways we have improved as people, and as a basketball team. This experience is truly filled with incredible memories which will be recanted forever. We are forever grateful to the people of Taiwan and to the organizers and members of the Jones Cup administration. This has been more than we could have ever dreamed. In three words: exhilarating, breathtaking, and motivating all at once."

"Senior Trevis Jackson

Today wasn't your typical game day. There was something in the atmosphere and we didn't speak on it, but we all knew exactly what it was. We were playing the Chinese Taipei A team, a matchup all basketball fans attending the William Jones cup were looking forward to, mainly because our brother, Jeff Wu, was going against some of the best from his own country. Placed in the 7 pm game slot, the stage was set, and before we even stepped in the arena, you could hear the crowd roaring. As we walked into the arena, we were greeted by a myriad of fans, and instantly you could feel the energy running throughout the arena.

As we go through our usual shootaround in the auxiliary gym, I took a second to just sit there and soak it all in and appreciate my teammates. Thinking about when I first met Marcus Graves on his visit and how we laughed because he wore a brand new pair of Jordan's but it rained that day. Or how when I first met Grant Dressler, he was really reserved and to himself, but now we laugh and joke around like we've known each other since our childhood days.

I could go on forever about these guys on the bus with me right now, because they keep me going every day. I appreciate each and every one of them more than they know. This entire trip, I've admired how respected Jeff Wu is not just by the basketball world in Taiwan, but by the entire country. He's certainly special and I could tell he might've been nervous early in the trip (after all, the guy has a whole country watching his every move) but I was happy to see him getting back to the Jeff we know and love these past few days. I wish you guys could see how enamored people are by his presence. But Jeff being Jeff, he simply continues to work hard and smile on a day-to-day basis and that is something we all can respect and support no matter what country you're from.

I'm honored to call him one of my brothers and lifelong friends, not because of his fame, but because of the way he carries himself and the hard working roots he comes from here in Taiwan. This entire country is built off the blood, sweat and tears of its everyday working citizens. They don't boast and need people to notice them, they simply get the job done and Jeff embodies the nature of his country entirely. That is why I have mad love for my brother Wu Yung Cheng, aka Jeff Wu.

Taking an L is never fun to end the night, but I'm excited by the fight I see in this team when our backs are against the wall. As we continue to grow together and compete, its hard not to get goose bumps thinking about November and the beginning of the season. I would like to thank the boosters, Tony Roberts and all of those involved in raising money for us to go on this trip. It has truly been an eye opening experience that I am blessed to have received while accompanying a great group of guys. Have a great day Hornet fans."

Interesting take

"Under Armour Set To Dominate The California Basketball Market" -- Brett Hershman

Can't see Oliver in college after his sophomore season

Andrew Slater: "On the college side, Chase Jeter, Jaylen Adams, Rawle Alkins, Admon Gilder, Cam Oliver & Deng Adel lead the way"

Oliver enjoyed 14 points, eight boards plus four blocked shots in 17 minutes during one matchup in the Adidas Nations event down in southern California. He shot 2-3 from long distance.

Plus: NBADraft.net"Nevada 6-8 PF Cam Oliver has a football players physique, and good touch. One of the standouts early here at #adidasNations"

13 points, four boards in 22 minutes on the 29th.

More on Kraig Clifton's returm

"Calaveras' Clifton returns to class, court" -- Thomas Lawrence

Holy Names University moving up

Rachel Stark
July 15, 2016 

"Four schools are on their way to becoming the newest members of Division II. The division’s membership will expand to 310 colleges and universities this fall.

The Division II Membership Committee this week voted to advance Holy Names University, Mississippi College, Rogers State University and Southern Wesleyan University into active Division II membership after the schools completed the required process. Once active members, the schools are eligible to vote at the NCAA Convention and compete in Division II championships. 

The committee also accepted two schools into the membership process and voted on the progress of nine others already working toward active membership. All decisions will be reviewed by the Division II Management Council at its meeting next week. 

Six schools are set to advance into their final year of the membership process: California State University, San Marcos; Concordia University Irvine; Concordia University Portland; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Florida); Oklahoma Baptist University; and Spring Hill College.

One school, Westminster College (Utah), is slated to begin its second year of the membership process this fall. Two others, Biola University and Davenport University, will begin their initial year of the process..."

Prolific Prep's Mensah landing suitors

"2018 post Nathan Mensah picks up first two offers" -- Josh Gershon

Friday, July 29, 2016

That's it until Monday.

Off until Monday.

Coincidence or causation? You be the judge

Justin Argenal returned to the Golden State last year as the top assistant to Coach Steve Becker at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Chico State's all-time leader in steals and assists as well as a four time team captain, Argenal then joined the coaching staffs at The Citadel, Mississippi, College of Charleston, Louisiana Tech and then Southeast Missouri State until returning to California.

His arrival back in California occurred alongside the Toros landing Vincent (Skyline High) Golson from City College of San Francisco and Arthur (Salinas High) Caldwell out of Butte College. The former paced Dominguez Hills with both 15.3 points and 4.6 assists in the 2015-16 season.

Now, Becker and Argenal have landed Deondre (Sacred Heart Cathedral) Otis out of Monterey Peninsula College, who was formerly headed to Angelo State. He averaged a very solid 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists as well as 53 steals.

In June, it was a trio of northern California talents signing on with Dominguez Hills: Glenn (St. Mary's High) Baral, Theo (Franklin High) Johnson and Michael (Manteca High/Modesto Junior College) Hatfield.

These additions should help the Toros make a move in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

Syvanthong heading east

Bobby Syvanthong: "University Of Maine At Fort Kent is where I will be playing next season"

Out of El Cerritto High, the 5-foot-11 guard averaged 9.0 points, 7.0 assists, 5.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a sophomore for Coach Miguel Johnson and Contra Costa College this season.

It's that time already

Joel Welser @ College Sports Madness has UC Santa Barbara as #106 in the nation and #3 in the Big West Conference.

Some northern California-related tidbits:

"This time around UCSB will be looking to Gabe Vincent to emerge as the team’s go-to scorer. As a sophomore last year the 6-3 guard averaged 14.1 points and connected on 38.5 percent of his three-point attempts. Vincent is not just a shooter though and he can score by attacking the basket. He will be taking a bulk of the big shots for the Gauchos with most of the other proven scorers gone..."

"The 6-8, 265 pound forward [Jalen Canty] adds a much needed presence in the paint. Canty is the tough interior player UCSB needs. He can score in the paint, hit the glass effectively and block some shots."

The projected starting five:

Eric Childress, Senior, Guard, 6.6 points per game
Christian Terrell, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Gabe Vincent, Junior, Guard, 14.1 points per game
Maxwell Kupchak, Sophomore, Forward, 3.7 points per game
Jalen Canty, Junior, Forward, DNP last season
Joel Welser @ College Sports Madness has Boise State as the the 118th ranked team in the country as well as #6 in the Mountain West Conference. Do take a look.

Of Bay Area note is this:

"The newcomers will handle the shooting guard spot, but it is up to Paris Austin to turn into a leader at the point guard spot after averaging 4.1 points and 1.2 assists during his freshman campaign. Austin came to Boise State with quite a bit of hype. Now he has had his one year to learn behind Thompson and Drmic. It is his time to take over. Austin was inconsistent as a freshman, but that is not a huge surprise. He can score when needed, but ideally Reid and others will be able to take care of the scoring on the perimeter and Austin can concentrate on taking care of the ball and setting up his teammates. If Austin can live up to the hype and the rest of the pieces fall into place, Boise State will be a pretty good team..."

Projected Starting Five:
Paris Austin, Sophomore, Guard, 4.1 points per game
James Reid, Senior, Guard, DNP last season
Chandler Hutchison, Junior, Guard, 6.8 points per game
Nick Duncan, Senior, Forward, 11.6 points per game
David Wacker, Sophomore, Forward, 3.7 points per game

The NorCal Report top 2017s

The NorCal Report:

Best of NOR⭐️CAL, 2017s

1. Ira Lee
2. Abu Kigab
3. Alfred Hollins
4. Timmy Falls
5. Jadé Smith
6. Angelo Athens
7. Tydus Verhoeven
8. Damari Milstead
9. Jordan Roberts
10. Darrin Person, Jr
11. Elishja Duplechan
12. Joey Calcaterra
13. Travis Friar
14. Walter Graves
15. Ben Avera
16. Austin Fadal

An Angelo Athens update

The NorCal Report: "Heading into the 2017s' senior season, it's our opinion that Angelo Athens (@angathens) is the best pure PG in this class. NOR⭐️CAL"

He's at Bellarmine College Prep and also plays for the Top Flight Elite program.

Jeff Wu with the opportunity to show his teammates around

"Trip to remember: Wu brings Sac State home to Taiwan" -- James Burns

Renegade explanation

Streak One (@ the Nor Cal Preps Basketball MB): "The NorCal Renegades started playing this month under Lester Diaz with players such as Anand Hundal and Dwight Young, but broke off to form the Sac Valley Renegades. Those players and Diaz aren't a part of the Sac Valley Renegades in case there was confusion."

An Aaron Gordon update

"What’s next for Orlando’s Aaron Gordon?" -- Chris Stone

It can sometimes be mystifying regarding what the powers-that-be are thinking. Will this latest move keep Gordon in Orlando? Doesn't seem like it.

Not basketball related but more important

"Rising Above is Just the Beginning" -- Eireann Dolan

Let's care for and respect all, especially those who need greater protection. I still cringe at and regret doing nothing during high school gym class when some developmentally disabled kids were spit on by bullies and I did nothing. I cannot imagine how they felt and still feel.

And to get political for a moment, my desire is to live in a world where so much of Donald Trump's lifelong behavior towards others leads to a shunning, an isolating of him, not adoration let alone a desire to give him greater power.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Wonderful news

"Clifton returns from cancer battle to coach and teach at Calaveras" -- Sean P. Thomas

An impressive list of Nor Cal targets

4Ballers Only: "University Of Pacific staff  is working HARD 1st Damari Milstead then Joey Calcaterra, Jordan Roberts and now Jade' Smith."

Really want to see the '17 & '18 guards go at it

2016 NOR CAL CLASH ANNOUNCEMENT

The seventh annual Nor Cal Clash will be held Sunday August 28th at Contra Costa College in San Pablo at 2:00 pm. This one-game event will have elite players from Northern California in the class of 2017 playing against elite players in the class of 2018.

The purpose of the event is to help promote Nor Cal basketball and its’ elite prospects. A report on the event will be done by the Hoop Review scouting service in addition to websites norcalpreps.com, californiapreps.com and other media outlets.

Coaching in the game will be Mike Wall of Folsom and Mark De Luca of Valley Christian in San Jose (previously at state Division I runner-up Berkeley).

The list of players participating in the event will be announced on August 5.

For more information or media credentials, contact the event director Gerry Freitas via email: gerryfreitas@hotmail.com

More on Sac State Taiwan tour

"PLAYING 6TH GAME IN 6 DAYS, MBB FALLS TO EGYPT 70-63; MORE PLAYER BLOGS"

Jiday Ugbaja and George Dancer provide player blogs in the link.

Decision time soon

The NorCal Report: "One of this AAU season's biggest stock-risers, Chris Seeley (@seeley1998), will visit Wazzu, UTEP, Oregon St in early Aug. (HT @JoshGershon)"

Interesting numbers

"What if Kansas paid its basketball players? It already does, sort of" -- Jason Kendall

The latest posted by Coach Bob Walsh

From Coach Bob Walsh: "Packets in July" -- Gary Parrish

Serra wins Skyline tourney

"Lack of depth hurts HMB in title game" -- John Murphy, July 26

Winning on the court and in the classroom

Men's Basketball Honored for Academic Excellence by NABC

The California State University Maritime Academy men's basketball team was honored with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Team Academic Excellence Award on Wednesday.  The Keelhaulers posted a cumulative GPA of over 3.0 making the team eligible for the prestigious award. Cal Maritime was one of 7 NAIA schools and one of 122 schools nationally, across NAIA I and II and NCAA D I, II, and III to earn the award.  The team was also the only member of the California State University system to be honored by the NABC.

"We are incredibly proud of the commitment our student-athletes have made in multiple phases of their lives including academically.  Our team set several goals at the beginning of the season with earning this award being a top priority," Cal Maritime head coach Bryan Rooney said. "Similar to our on the court success, we were led by our excellent senior leadership in the classroom."

In addition to the team award, five individual student-athletes were named members of the NABC 2015-16 Honors Court. In order to be eligible, student-athletes must be either a junior or senior and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher at the conclusion of the academic year.  Seniors Kameron Hoyt, Zach Davis, Alec Fetzer, and Blaine Shively as well as junior Travis Arenas earned the distinction through their academic achievement.

"Handling the responsibilities of a student-athlete at the collegiate level is a very daunting task.  Kameron, Zach, Alec, Blaine and Travis are tremendous examples of the benefits of having a tireless work ethic.  All are accomplished leaders and this award demonstrates their commitment to leadership in the classroom.  Their futures are very bright and we are thankful for the opportunity to call them Keelhaulers," concluded Coach Rooney.

Good for Oliver

"Pack's Oliver to serve as counselor at adidas Global Nations" -- Chris Murray

On social media and coaching positions

"Social Media Can Cost You a Head Coach Position" -- Brian D. Stanchak

Two Hornets honored for academics

"BARLETT AND STUTEVILLE RECEIVE ACADEMIC ACCOLADES FROM THE NABC"

"Sacramento State men's basketball players Eric Stuteville and Dreon Barlett were both honored on the 2015-16 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court, announced on Tuesday.

Stuteville is currently a senior center on this year's team, and Barlett graduated from Sacramento State in the spring after playing four years for the Hornets. Recipients of the award must have been academically a junior or senior last season while earning a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or better. If the award wasn't limited to just juniors and seniors, four additional Hornets would have earned the honor.

Stuteville, a sociology major from Orangevale, will be a fourth year senior on the 2016-17 team. Last season, he played in all 31 games, including 26 starts at center. Stuteville averaged 8.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game while shooting .565 from the field (100-of-177). His 58 blocked shots ranked as the fourth best mark in program single-season history, and his 1.9 blocks per game led the Big Sky and ranked 53rd in the nation.

Also among Big Sky leaders, he ranked sixth in field goal percentage and 11th in offensive rebounds per game (1.7). Stuteville had a career-high 19 points at Stanford on 8-of-13 shooting from the field in 28 minutes, and finished the season a +35 in plus/minus ratio. He was named Sacramento State's Student-Athlete of the Week on two occasions and his 102 career blocked shots are third most in program history...

How about just a one round draft?

"THE SECOND ROUND OF THE NBA DRAFT IS BROKEN, BUT NOT BEYOND REPAIR" -- Sam Vecenie

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Aaron Gordon looking at different role

"The Magic hit reset (again)" -- Zach Lowe

"If Serge Ibaka weren't here, Aaron Gordon would be my power forward," [Coach Frank] Vogel said. "But Serge is here. Aaron is going to be playing [small forward]. We are going to put the ball in his hands a lot. We're going to use him like Paul George."

That would make the Magic huge and mobile -- especially when they have Gordon, Ibaka, and Biyombo on the floor together. Those three can switch on defense, pound the glass on offense, and form a six-armed rim-protecting hydra to fix Orlando's glaring weakness. The Magic are plotting a counter-revolution. "In today's small-ball NBA, we think we can beat the [expletive] out of teams in the paint," Vogel said.

Gordon is stoked to stretch his skill set. "I'm gonna be like a third guard," he said. "I'll have a much bigger ballhandling responsibility, and I'm all for that."

The notion of Gordon as primarily a wing is almost shocking, and a massive organizational risk. He can't shoot (yet), and he has very little NBA-level experience as a primary ball handler. Playing Gordon and Ibaka at the forward spots takes them further from the rim on defense, reducing the fear factor of their shot-blocking.

Gordon's limitations on offense didn't matter as much when he played power forward, with three perimeter guys around him. He grew comfortable there last season as a hoppier and less refined version of Draymond Green; he finished better at the rim, drew more free throws, zipped canny passes and cut his turnovers."

Akinjo's popularity growing

The NorCal Report: "2018 PG James Akinjo of Salesian HS / @Soldiers_Salute has received an offer from Texas A&M. Expect a raft of Power-7 offers for James."

Josh Gershon: "2018 Oakland Soldiers PG James Akinjo has been offered by Montana."

The NorCal Report: "2018 PG James Akinjo. Another offer. San Jose St. The kid is off and runnin now."

Smith with Big Sky offer

Jadé Smith: "Blessed to say I have received an offer from Northern Arizona!"

Lombardi offered

Prolific Prep: "Congratulations to @NickLombardi13 with his recent offer from Holy Names University. Congrats Nick!"

He's a 5-foot-10 point in the 2017 class.

Fortenberry to CV High

"Fortenberry new Castro Valley basketball coach" -- John Murphy

He coached hoops for 10 years at James Logan High.

The Aggies with another 2017 offer

Gamepoint Basketball: "UC Davis is the latest school to reach out to 2017 6'4 W Gio Nelson (Corona Centennial)."

A Team Rampage update

"In 2015, Head Coach and Trainer Brandon Bracy, and Director Antonio Hodges, started a new AAU Basketball club out of Solano County called "Team Rampage". That first season would begin with one varsity team, which featured mostly players from Vallejo and Jesse Bethel High School. After an average season, Coach Bracy knew that he had to recruit better talent in order to compete in the bigger tournaments.

A year later, Coach Bracy was able to bring in players from Texas, Modesto, Benicia, Fairfield, and Antioch, to mesh with the talent he already had from Vallejo. The talent would mesh extremely well, as Team Rampage stormed off to a 22-5 record over a two month period.

Benicia's Trey Pugh and Kade Lockrem would provide scoring and outside shooting for the group. Pugh was able to become one of the top scorers on the team, while Lockrem who is only a sophomore, was able to provide scoring off the bench. Riverbank's Nik Keydeniers and American Canyon's Gamon Howard, were two of the starters for Coach Bracy's group, as they were a force on the defensive end. Thomas McDonald (Alhambra) and Jonathon Rice (St. Mary's of Berkeley) were also key new components during the 22-5 start, as they provided leadership, and were both excellent rebounders for the group. Rounding up the roster were the four returnees from Jesse Bethel High School, Malcolm Bracy, Zarrion Walton, Dakarria Peterson, and Deangelo Gomez. Bracy and Gomez were starters, Peterson was the 6th man on a extremely deep team, and Walton was an excellent defender and rebounder off the bench.

Despite the 22-5 start for the club, there were personnel problems to be addressed moving forward. Jonathon Rice decided to end his AAU run with Team Rampage, and focus on his role with Diablo Valley College, and Thomas McDonald was forced to return to Houston, Texas for the summer to visit his family. With two big losses for the club, Coach Bracy was able to bring in three key players to complete the season. Jacob Long from Deer Valley would be the first addition. Long played varsity as a sophomore at Deer Valley, and is well known for his ability shoot the ball from the outside. The second addition would be Elijah Johnson from Armijo High School, a very athletic guard, who jumps extremely well. The last addition would be Rajon Washington of Vallejo High School, who is a three sport athlete, and runs the floor and finishes at the rim well.

With the new additions, Coach Bracy and his team was ready to make a run in the Big Foot Hoops Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2015, Team Rampage finished 1-3 in the tournament, losing in the first round in the Bronze division. 2016 would be different, as Team Rampage went 3-0 in their pool, and won its first two games of bracket play, setting up a Bay Area matchup with The Crew in the Elite 8 round. After a long and hard fought game, The Crew was able to get the win 72-62, eliminating Team Rampage.

Despite the heart breaking loss, Team Rampage Varsity Elite was able to finish the year 31-7, and several players are receiving interest from Division 2 schools such as Chico State, Sonoma State, Menlo College, California Maritime Academy, and more. Seniors Malcolm Bracy, Deangelo Gomez, Dakarria Peterson and Rajon Washington, will be playing Junior College ball this fall. Team Rampage Director Antonio Hodges said "Coach Brandon Bracy has really pushed these guys through his training, and hard nose coaching, to the point where our seniors are ready for college ball, and our incoming juniors and seniors, are ready to have a monster year at their high schools".

Coach Brandon Bracy plans to recruit more talented players into the program for the 2017 season, but he knows it will be difficult to duplicate what he did in 2016. Coach Bracy stated, "It will be hard to accomplish what this year's team has accomplished, but I am ready to work hard so that we have an even better year next year" Either way, Team Rampage has become an household name not just in Solano County, but now in all of California.

Hayes a HOF-er

"Chuck Hayes is Kentucky Hall of Fame inductee"  -- Modesto Bee

Steadman to CCSF

"City College of San Francisco Lands Michael Steadman"

The 6-foot-10, 190 Steadman played at James Logan High and averaged 15.2 points, 9.8 boards and 1.8 blocked shots as a senior.


Tuesday, July 26, 2016

I can't resist

My brother and nephew toughed it out (eventually getting to Vegas after 3:00 a.m.) on Friday and enjoyed a few days of basketball in Las Vegas. They boarded the return flight to Monterey on Sunday afternoon only to then have the flight cancelled, forcing them to disembark. It was then re-scheduled for the next day (Monday). Instead, they rented a car and drove from Las Vegas to Monterey. I do not miss missing that. Yes, Allegiant Air had themselves a 'wonderful' few days.

Alaskan player coming to Cupertino

"Former Knight nets chance to play college basketball"

Anton Chamblee is heading to DeAnza College and Coach Jason Domjanovic.


Hollins on the go

Streak One @ Nor Cal Preps Boys Basketball MB: "Word is coming out that Alfred Hollins is leaving Sacred Heart Cathedral and will play at a prep school for his final year. This has been rumored/talked about for awhile on here, but it is a certainty now."

Calcaterra nabs #3

Splash City: "Sharp shooter 🎯 & CA leading scorer c/o '17 @JoeyCalcaterra2 offered by University of San Diego"

It's Pacific, UC Davis and now San Diego for the Marin Catholic talent. Very good educations to be had at all three.

Let's keep them all in northern California. Gotta trademark that.

Smith lands a Bronco offer

Jadé Smith: "Blessed to say I've received an offer from Santa Clara University!"

Out of St. Joseph-Notre Dame, he's a 6-foot-2 2017 Splash City guard.

Hey, let's keep them all in northern California.

Kelly up to three now

teamarsenalaau2018: "6'7 Forward Andre Kelly dominated this JULY! He has received 2 offers in the past week! One offer was from Montana and the other from USF. He averaged 16pts and 11reb in the Adidas Gaunlet Championships and was a top 5 rebounder in the whole tourney."

In the 2018 class, his other offer is SJSU.

The Broncos with another 2017 offer

Corey Brewer: "Santa Clara has offered 2017 Team Corey Brewer forward Caleb Hollander, per source"

He's 6-foot-8, out of Nashville and sporting about 10 offers.

The Bears bidding for Nwora

Corey Evans: "California has offered sharp shooting 2017 @VTAcademyHoops forward Jordan Nwora, per source"

At 6-foot-7 and 220, he presently has close to 20 offers.

Forbes with another offer

Sasha Harris-Forbes: "Congrats to @mason_forbes25 for his Official Offer from Cal State Fullerton!!"

and

Ballers Bridge: "Coaches on the circuit couldn’t stop talking bout @masonforbes
Offers: #UCDavis #Tulane #CSUF #CalPoly"

Still say he's going higher once the decision is made.

Trevor Dunbar's next basketball location?

H and E Dave @ Dons Central: "He's looked much more polished. He didn't finish all his classes at CCSF. Philippines."

This young man is so real

"Tyler Johnson on $50M Heat deal, 'I threw up a couple of times when I heard the number'" -- Ira Winderman

It's wonderful such an unheralded prep and college player made this happen.

Burlison's top Fab 48 players

Frank Burlison's top Fab 48 talents include a pair from northern California:

* Damari Milstead (Splash City 17s/2017/6-1/Hayward, CA, Moreau)

* Chris Seeley (Splash City 17s/2016/6-7/Fresno Central) (will attend college in fall)

Sac State's Taiwan tour


"The Philippines outscored Sacramento State in the second quarter, 31-12, and held a huge 48-6 advantage in free throw attempts on the way to an 88-69 victory over Sacramento State in the fourth round of the 38th-annual William Jones Cup in Taiwan.

The Philippines, which has been among the best teams at the tournament thus far, improved to 3-0 at the eight-game, nine-day event, and is averaging 87.7 points per game. That includes comfortable victories over the Hornets, South Korea and Chinese Taipei A. The Philippines is the only team the Hornets will play during the tournament that is not a national squad. The team plays in the Pilipinas Commercial Basketball League (PCBL) and has won championships in the Republica Cup three times in the last four years (2013, 2014, 2016).

Sacramento State, which was playing its fourth game in four days, dropped to 1-3. After the Hornets defeated India in the tournament opener on Saturday, the Hornets have lost to South Korea, Iran and the Philippines, respectively. Iran and the Philippines are the lone undefeated teams remaining in the tournament and both have 3-0 records.

Sacramento State will play its fifth game in as many days tomorrow when the Hornets take on Chinese Taipei B at 4 a.m. PDT.

For the second straight game, the Hornets could not overcome a huge foul and free throw disparity. The Hornets were whistled for 22 more fouls than the Philippines (33-11) and went to the free throw line just six times. Conversely, the Philippines made a robust 48 trips to the charity stripe. Sacramento State actually converted on five more field goals in the game, but the Hornets went just 5-for-6 from the free throw line while the Philippines went 31-of-48 from the stripe. The Hornets' James Herrick, Joshua Patton, Justin Strings, Nick Hornsby and Eric Stuteville all had at least four fouls while Herrick fouled out in 11 minutes. Stuteville had three fouls during the game's first five minutes.

Both teams played even in the first, third and fourth quarters, but the Philippines had a big second quarter. Sacramento State held its largest lead of the game at 19-12 with 4:35 remaining in the first quarter, and took its last lead of the contest at 29-28 on a turnaround jumper from Grant Dressler with 6:40 left in the second. However, the Philippines would close the final 6:31 of the second quarter on a 26-6 run to go into halftime with a 54-35 lead. Both teams scored 15 points in the third quarter and 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Sacramento State outrebounded the Philippines, 46-40, while shooting .361 (30-83) from the field and .211 (4-19) from the 3-point line. Both teams combined for just 22 turnovers, and the Philippines shot .385 (25-65) from the field and .304 (7-23) from the 3-point line.

For the Hornets, Dressler scored a game-high 16 points on 7-of-16 shooting from the field while also pulling seven rebounds. He was joined in double figures by guard Jeff Wu, who had 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Strings, who had scored in double figures in each of the first three games of the tournament, was held scoreless but did have seven rebounds. Patton, who is a redshirt freshman, grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while also notching a team-best two blocked shots.

Stuteville and guards Jiday Ugbaja and Matt Battaglia each scored eight points. Battaglia, a true freshman from El Dorado Hills, was a proficient 3-for-4 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. Ugbaja was 4-for-6 from the floor. Guard Marcus Graves added six points, five rebounds and a team-high tying three assists while Trevis Jackson had three rebounds and three assists. Hornsby had four points and three rebounds in 13 minutes.

Sacramento State plays tomorrow against a Chinese Taipei B squad that is 1-2, but all three of its games have been decided by eight points or less. That includes an 81-80 victory today over the Chinese Taipei A team..."

Assessing the community college coaches in Nor Cal

"Ranking the Top 10 Northern California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches" -- Coach K

It's travel time for a number of northern California college teams

Sacramento State -- Taiwan (July 22-31)

San Francisco -- Germany, Italy, Belgium (Aug. 4-14)

Pacific -- Germany, Croatia (Aug. 8-18)

Maybe Pacific and USF can play one another.

UC Davis -- Costa Rica (Aug. 20-27)

Santa Clara -- Italy (Aug. 20-30)

Nunnally signs

David Pick: "Fenerbahce has been under radar, but I'm told James Nunnally will be announced OFFICIAL this week."

It's a Turkish team based in Istanbul for the Weston Ranch High/UC Santa Barbara talent.

Grandison moving back east

Team Lillard Elite: "2016 6'6 wing Jacob Grandison @slimjake_ will be attending Phillips Exeter. He's hearing  from Boston U, Penn, Dartmouth, Holy Cross"

He's out of Berkeley High.

Amen

Jeff Goodman: "Here’s a suggestion for guys cutting down their lists. When you cut them, make sure it’s a number around 5 or so — not 13 or 14."

It does sound ostentatious combined with a degree of phoniness (as in the player knows who constitutes their serious top three or four) but then again it's the most attention some will receive in their lifetimes and we're talking 17-year-old kids.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Las Vegas: Top 60 Rankings

"Las Vegas: Top 60 Rankings" -- Ronnie Flores

Who repped Nor Cal?

#17 Damari Milstead 2017 6'2 G Moreau Catholic (Hayward, CA/Splash City)

and

#35 James Akinjo 2018 5'11 G Salesian (Richmond, CA/Oakland Soldiers)

and

#44 Chris Seeley 2016 6'8 F Central (Fresno, CA/Splash City)

A prodigal son returns


 "Humboldt State men's basketball head coach Steve Kinder announced the return of former Lumberjack David Broome to the bench as an assistant coach for the 2016-17 season.

"We are extremely excited to have DJ Broome back as a coach on our staff here at HSU," said Kinder. "DJ will bring instant energy to our coaching staff and has Lumberjack basketball championship bloodlines. As a player, he was a leader on the floor, a vocal point guard who demanded the best from his teammates and a crowd favorite to watch on the floor. He has carried over those skills to the sidelines becoming a very effective coach. He will work specifically with our guards, mentoring them to become leaders on and off the court. Coach Broome will transition smoothly back into our program with prior knowledge of our successful system on the court, travel policies, and the importance on representing the basketball program and university."

Broome spent last year serving as an assistant coach with California Collegiate Athletic Association foe Cal State Monterey Bay.

The Bay Area native provided elite defense for the Jacks during his playing career, and he was a member of squads that reached the NCAA West Regionals in four consecutive seasons (2008-12). Broome finished his Green and Gold career with 112 steals, including 57 in his senior season.

He has been a staple of local basketball over the past four years. Broome accumulated coaching experience with stints as the coach of the Humboldt Wild and JV girls basketball coach at Arcata High School."

Broome played at Castro Valley High.

and

"After a year at Monterey Bay, DJ Broome re-joins Humboldt State’s men’s basketball coaching staff" -- Danny Penza

Scott Fisher doing some personal recruiting

Ohlone Coach Scott Fisher has landed a bigtime recruit.

Dina Eastwood: "Just reveling in getting hitched tonight to the best guy I've ever known! 7-1-16"

Milstead has created Gaucho fever

Corey Evans: "Santa Barbara has offered 2017 @SplashCity_UAA guard Damari Milstead, per source"

Going to Goleta would have to be due to a relationship/connection with the staff or another player as Milstead is higher than a Big West Conference recruit.

Cal Maritime is the most successful hoops program in the Bay Area

"The California Maritime Academy men's basketball staff is pleased to offer a unique camp experience for players entering 9th-12th grade in the Fall. The camp will take place August 1st-August 4th from 5pm-8pm in Cal Maritime's new Physical Education Complex.

Coach Bryan Rooney and his staff will lead 15 campers through four intense days of instruction and competition which will simulate a college practice setting. In addition to the on-the-court workouts, campers will also receive a recruiting workshop as well as a tour of the campus and facilities. 

This is a great opportunity for players looking to get a jumpstart on the upcoming season and take their games to the next level!

Please contact Coach Rooney at brooney@csum.edu or 707-654-1057 to sign up or with any questions."

James Jr. to Sierra


He's 6-foot-6, out of Elk Grove High and averaged 10.9 points plus 6.6 rebounds as a senior.

Serna signs with Sierra


He's a 5-foot-11 backcourter who scored 13.1 points per game this past season.

Not fitting the profile

"Jeremy Lin opens up: On Knicks heartbreak, racism and Fitzpatrick" -- Steve Serby

"Q: Do you still encounter racism?

A: There’s gonna be racism everywhere I go, and some of it’s more subtle, some of it’s less malicious. I mean, every day there’s guys with certain stereotypes or whatever, and it’s not just me. But yeah, I still go through it.

Q: How do you handle it?

A: I just shake it off, it’s not a big deal. Sometimes the stuff people might say or tweet or comment, really racist things, but that doesn’t bother me like it used to. I still get stopped when I try to go through away arenas and stuff, and I’m walking with my teammates, and obviously none of them are Asian but I’m the only one that gets stopped, and they ask for my credentials, stuff like that. “Hey, we need your credentials,” or “Are you part of the team?” Stuff like that. But I really don’t let it affect me. … I’m so used to it now. It doesn’t bother me"

One would think that the Linsanity period would have eliminated this episode of profiling but a few seem to have somehow missed it.

The skinny on why/how Shaq left Orlando and chose Los Angeles

"The inside story: How the Magic let the Lakers steal Shaquille O'Neal" -- Joel Corry

Lesson #1: do not go after your AD

This won't end well.

As a counterpoint.

Bobby Santos of VCHS

Team Arsenal on Valley Christian High player Bobby Santos.

New VC Coach Mark DeLuca will enjoy Santos on the court this coming season.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Earl Watson Elite 65, Splash City 50

The Splash City crew made it to the championship game of the 17U Fab 48 in Las Vegas but fell 65-50 on Sunday to the Earl Watson Elite squad.

But per Ronnie Flores: "splash city is playing without 2017 pg Damari Milstead (wrist)..."

Ira Lee apparently didn't play for EWE.

Chico nabs a D1 transfer

Verbal Commits has former Grambling State 6-foot-5 guard Mike Bethea Jr. transferring to Chico State. He formerly played at Ohlone College.

Michael Bethea Jr.: "Just committed to Chico State Very Excited"


Johnson making everyone listen as he topples trees in the forest

The NorCal Report: "Coaches: Imagine if you'd heeded our heads-up on Logan Johnson (@self_made2315) last year. He's big time now. You're late to the party."

Logan Johnson: "I've been knocking on the door for a while now its time to break it down"

I think he jumped over it actually.

Seeley getting bigtime offers

The NorCal Report: "Chris Seeley (@seeley1998) has 2 new offers: TCU, Utah. What took everyone so long? Good thing coaches are copycats, he'll have a boatload."

Washington has now joined the party.

His eligibility was a concern earlier but no longer. It will be fascinating which program he chooses because some suitors have been courting much longer than these newcomers.

USF offers a post prep guard

Javante McCoy: "Extremely blessed to have received my first D1 offer from the University of San Francisco"

Cornell, Northeastern and San Diego have subsequently offered. He's out of Texas.

"Javante McCoy (Exeter, 2017)- The 6'4 McCoy poses the potential to be a problem next year in NEPSAC Class A. He has a well-rounded offensive game that is difficult to key in on. His first step is extremely quick, but he changed speeds very well, making the wing a tough matchup."

NERR Hoops: "Javante McCoy, an incoming @ExeterHoop 6'4 guard, has a smooth game with a nice hesitation dribble that he uses to go by defenders."

SJSU loving Hardy

San Jose State University has offered 2018 Bishop O'Dowd guard Elijah Hardy. LINK

Chidom getting noticed

Gerry Freitas: "All American Juco Showcase: Arinze Chidom of Merritt College real intriguing.6'9, long & athletic. Plays multiple positions. Put him on radar!"

Out of Bishop O'Dowd, he was at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas last season.


Sac State hoops over in Taiwan

"MBB OPENS TAIWAN TOURNEY WITH 62-60 WIN OVER INDIA; DAY 2 PLAYER BLOG"

"MEN’S HOOPS FALLS TO 1-1 AFTER LOSS TO SOUTH KOREA; DAY 3 PLAYER BLOG"

The Tigers want Land of 10,000 Lakes backcourter

Ryan James: "The University of Pacific has offered 2017 SG Trae Berhow from Watertown-Mayer and @PwrhouseHoopsMN"

The competition so far is Pepperdine and Drexel.

Danny Schmidt catches readers up on a trio of Marin area hoopsters

"Former prep standouts Gaffaney, Roach, Woodard playing in summer SF Bay Area Pro-Am" -- Danny Schmidt

COM hires new AD


"The College of Marin Board of Trustees has appointed Ryan Byrne as its director of kinesiology and athletics, replacing Steve Berringer who served as the interim for that position since June of 2015.

Byrne, 37, comes to COM after working as the AD at Santa Barbara City College and he worked at Diablo Valley College and Santa Rosa JC before that.

Byrne’s annual salary will be $122,438 when he assumes his role at COM on Aug. 15."

Watch McAndrews at Foothill

San Francisco Bay Area Pro Am posted this Matt McAndrews video.

Out of Archbishop Mitty, McAndrews is really going to help at Foothill College this season.

Sahi already making waves

The NorCal Report: "Coaches outside NOR⭐️CAL, grab your pens. Here's a name. If he fills out, it's OV. #FreeTipSunday

Baljot Sahi."

Also: "2020 Baljot Sahi (@SahiBaljot) is a crazy-prolific shooter. Put up 36 playing his own age for once. @BigfootHoops vs OK Select. 8 treys."

3.8 GPA for the 2020 prospect who is done with Modesto Christian Middle School and now entering high school.

Former St. Mary's guard keeping on

David Pick: "Source: Stephen Holt is negotiating a deal to transfer from Andorra to ACB rival club Zaragoza."

Gunderson High big generating interest

Team Arsenal"2019 6'8 Jay Allen Tovar had a good summer. 15u PF had CalSan Jose, and Pepperdine in attendance in July periods"

They liked him as a player, they're loving him as a coach

"Regents approve new 3-year contract for DeCuire"

Amen

Daniel Makepeace: "No coach has ever won a game by what he/she knows, it's what their players have learned and are able to apply in games that matters."

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Team Lillard, Adidas Summer Championship

On Saturday in Las Vegas, Team Lillard took to the court twice and finished 1-1.

It was a 58-48 morning victory over Pump N Run Elite (no box available) followed by a 55-51 afternoon loss to K-Low Elite. Tre Gray used his 11-13 shooting at the foul line to finish with 18 points. Box

A Trevor Dunbar tidbit

H & E Dave @ Dons Central: "Sounds like he's going overseas to play. Didn't complete the course work. Has looked sharp at the ProAm."

Milstead with some Rivals press

Dan McDonald: "Splash City’s uniforms resemble the Golden State Warriors, and their style of play does too. Unlike the Warriors, though, they don’t have a true star player, but win games based on ball movement and shot makers. The engine that makes them go is point guard Damari Milstead.

The three-star prospect is exactly what coaches look for in a point guard. He’s a very capable scorer with a pretty stroke out to deep three-point range, but he’s more than happy to find the open man for an easy shot if that’s the right play. He plays very under control and makes really good decisions with the ball. Defensively, he’s a hard-nosed on-ball defender who sets the tone for the entire defense.

St. Mary’s, UC-Santa Barbara, Nevada and Pepperdine have offered Milstead so far, and UNLV, Utah and others are showing interest.

Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak, TCU head coach Jamie Dixon and assistant coaches from Maryland, Gonzaga, USC and Virginia Tech watched Splash City on Thursday morning. California head coach Cuonzo Martin and Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle watched them in the night session."

and

4Ballers Only: "Stanford is the latest to pursue 2017 Splash City PG Damari Milstead"

Seeley garnering prominent interest

Splash City: "Highly sought out 6'8 fwd Chris Seeley @seeley1998 now gaining high interest from Mich St. Utah Oregon St. & Wash St"

Folsom's Forbes with a Big West offer

Josh Gershon: "Cal Poly offered 2018 Oakland Soldiers forward Mason Forbes."

The latest from Coach Bob Walsh -- the ultimate compliment

Coach Bob Walsh writes about a text he received from a former player.

Versus the entourage surrounding so many others

Gerry Freitas: "Notes from the road: Cal head man Cuonzo Martin at games by himself in Vegas. No need for assistant to hold his hand. Props to the Bear boss."

Limon to SDCC

Gavilan Basketball: "Congrats to Chuy Limon for accepting a scholarship to San Diego Christian College. We are very proud of his accomplishment!"

He's a 6-foot-3 sophomore who averaged 4.8 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season.

More on Marquise Chriss

"LVSL Scouting Report: Marquese Chriss" -- Rafael Uehara

Friday, July 22, 2016

Team Arsenal at the Adidas Summer Championship in Las Vegas

"Arsenal 17u Elite beat Dream Vision 68-63 in 1st game of the @adidasUprising Championship tourney! Andre Kelly had 18pts 10reb in the win on Wednesday"
Jack Wilson didn't shoot well but still finished with nine points, eight boards and a pair of blocked shot in just 15 minutes of play. Box

+++++++

In Adidas Summer Championship play on Thursday morning, Team Arsenal Elite fell to Exum Elite Utah Prospects 59-56. Tim Falls led with 17 points, Andre Kelley provided 16 plus seven boards and Elijah Hardy totaled 13 points, including 3-4 shooting from long distance. Box

Then in the afternoon, Team Arsenal Elite edged Team Lillard 75-73. Hardy paced the victors with both 18 points plus five assists, Zach Chappell chipped in 16 aided by 10-12 shooting at the foul line and Kelly posted a 14 point, 17 rebound double-double. Souley Boum posted his own double-double of 16 and 13 for the Lillard-ites. Box

+++++++

Late Friday night, Team Arsenal Elite faced off with Team Wall. Too late for a score, let alone a box.

Team Lillard at the Adidas Summer Championship in Las Vegas

On Wednesday Team Lillard fell to the Exum Elite Utah Prospects 70-60 as Trey Gray scored 17 points. Box

+++++++

Dream Vision then handled Team Lillard 80-59 on Thursday morning. Souley Boum paced the Lillard-ites with 18 points. Box

Later on that day, Team Arsenal Elite edged Team Lillard 75-73 with Boum again out in front with 16 points followed by 13 apiece from Gray and Austin FadalBox

+++++++

On Friday night, Team Lillard paired up with the Hope Christian Huskies and grabbed a 74-34 victory. No box yet available.

Play Hard Play Smart at the Adidas Summer Championship in Las Vegas

On Wednesday, Play Hard Play Smart Elite fell to Game Elite 75-59. Tydus Verhoeven played well with 14 points, five boards, three steals and two assists in 26 minutes of court time. Box

+++++++

Come Thursday morning, Compton Magic Elite bested Play Hard Play Smart Elite 64-42. Elias King posted a 12 points, 11 rebound double-double. Box

Later, it was the Upward Stars 68-42 over Play Hard Play Smart Elite with King again leading in scoring with 11. Box

+++++++

On Friday, Play Hard Play Smart Elite matched up with the St. Louis Warriors and grabbed a 75-61 victory. King was out in front with 18 points, Isaiah Bates totaled 14 and Jordan Brown concluded with 13, shooting 3-5 from long distance. It was the first tournament appearance for both Bates and BrownBox

Game two on Friday had the Ohio Basketball Club winning 61-54 over Play Hard Play Smart Elite. DeShawn Brunner led with 15 points. Bates and Brown did not appear. Box

A Sterling Smith update


"The following are the profiles, scouting reports, GBSL stats and highlight links of the Co MVP’s of the 2016 GBSL. These players dominated the two sessions and are future high level professionals. The GBSL featured 50-60 players that will play professional basketball in the 2016-17 season.

The Global Basketball Summer League (GBSL) is scouting resource for professional coaches looking to employ talent for international leagues, NBA D League, NBL of Canada and other quality pro leagues in North America. The GBSL management committee are all former professional players and our scouting reports are very accurate based on our professional evaluation. This is our eight year managing the Las Vegas summer event and scouting evaluations have been amazingly correct. In the past we have identified dozens of high quality players that were flying under the scouting radar that had lots of success in the NBA D League and quality international leagues.

If you are interested in one of these players the GBSL will put you directly in contact with the player or his representative. This scouting report will go out to over 5000 coaches, GM’s and agents in the global basketball community...


Sterling Smith – Co MVP
Position: 2/3
Size: 6’4” & 200lbs
2015-16 Team: University of Pittsburgh

Scouting: 
Sterling Smith is a very talented big guard that has the potential to play at a high European level. He played extremely well in Session A and led his team to the GBSL Championship with his shooting and rebounding. He is a quality perimeter shooter that plays excellent defense and makes quality decisions with the ball. The most impressive thing about his game is the fact that he is a big time rebounder from the guard position. Sterling is a solid ball handler that excels in transition and in the half court game. He will be a terrific European professional player and had a quality college career at Coppin State where he averaged 14ppg and shot over 40% from the 3pt in his junior year. He decided to use the NCAA Graduate transfer rule his senior season and played at Pittsburg where he averaged 5ppg in 17 minutes per game. He really impressed the scouts at the GBSL and will get a deal in Europe this season.

2015 GBSL Session B Stats:
PPG 18.3; RPG 11.7; FG% .528; 3PT% .636

Sterling Smith College Highlights

Agent Contact (Bob Stanley)
rstanley@skynet.be    
Tel: +32 476 447 990"