Looks like that's it for this week

Be back on Monday.

Boum to the Hilltop

Josh Gershon: "2017 Team Lillard SG Souley Boum has committed to San Francisco."

Coach Kyle Smith experienced success at Columbia with a number of backcourters so let's see how Boum and Frankie Ferrari eventually do at the point. Besides home games, family and friends should also be able to see him play when the Dons face in-conference foes Pacific, St. Mary's and Santa Clara.

Here's a feature on Boum from late April.

Calcaterra chooses the WCC

Joey Calcaterra: "Proud to announce my commitment to the University of San Diego!" He averaged 27.4 points per game as a junior.

It's a West Coast Conference program so he'll be up here playing in and around the Bay Area a number of times each season. Plus, the campus is gorgeous and the education excellent. Coach Lamont Smith is in his second season there and is working hard to get players on the roster who he feels can succeed in league and turn around the Torero fortunes.

Here's what to expect from San Diego in the 2016-17 season.

Arizona prepster hitting SacTown

Sal Garcia: "Bryce Fowler will be taking an official visit to Sacramento State Oct 7"

He a 2017 6-foot-5 lefty who averaged 14.1 points plus 7.5 rebounds last season.

Portland State and American University as well as Cal State East Bay have also offered.

Rise&Grind Back 2 School Basketball Clinic - October 22

We are hosting our #Rise&Grind Back 2 School Basketball Clinic on October 22, 2016, at the Emeryville Center of Community from 9am - 12pm. It is open to all students from 3rd - 12th grade. The flyer is here (scroll down a bit after clicking)

Register here.

Also, if there is a larger group interested, (10 or more), we are open to hosting a two-hour basketball clinic, FREE OF CHARGE, for the students to introduce them to Overtime Sports Academy. We invite individuals and small groups to our weekly Saturday and Sunday #Rise&Grind morning workouts in Emeryville to improve discipline, basketball skills, and athleticism. It's also a chance to be around purpose-driven, goal-oriented youth like themselves.

Additional services we offer are personal training, small group training, team training, track workouts, camps and day clinics to get student-athletes prepared to succeed at the high school and college level. We work with all ages and skill levels! 

Bryan Lee
415.238.5832
Overtime Sports Academy
bryan@overtimesportsacademy.com
IG: Overtime_Sports_Academy

A Tydus Verhoeven update

Thomas Lawrence profiles senior Tydus Verhoeven as Manteca High is preparing to defend its title.

Jon Rothstein on St. Mary's

Jon Rothstein:

"If you love efficient offense, you'll love Saint Mary's. Gaels shot 50 percent from the field last year and 40 percent from 3. Crisp."

and

"Early prediction on Saint Mary's starting five: Emmett Naar, Joe Rahon, Calvin Hermanson, Evan Fitzner, Dane Pineau."

and

"The sleeper piece at Saint Mary's is freshman point guard Jordan Ford. Gives Gaels another capable ball handler. Borderline Top-100 kid."

Plus, St Mary's Hoops:

"Team Australia 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺. The Gaels have 7 Aussies on the roster this season!"

++++++++

How does any team shoot 50% overall nowadays? It wasn't due to loading up on nobodies as the Gaels shot .494 in West Coast Conference play. Coach Bennett's guys lived at home during non-league play but still.

With Emmett Naar totaling 223 assists and Joe Rahon 189, it will be interesting to see how much time Jordan Ford gets at the point. Hard to see him at shooting guard with the present Gael roster.

Excellent advice here

From the blog "This Is A Story Of A Girl" comes "Just Because I Transferred Doesn't Mean You Should Too" written by a female baller who transferred from Oklahoma to UCLA.

Just saying that's Norman to Westwood which is mighty hard to argue against.

The 2016-17 William Jessup University roster

Coach Lance Von Vogt has a squad coming off a 19-11 overall season, 10-6 in the Golden State Athletic Conference, but minus some critical players who have graduated. His current northern California talents are:

Antonio Lewis W 6'3'' Sierra College

Chancellor Ortega freshman F 6'6'' Analy High

Christopher Murry senior G 5'10'' West Valley Junior College

Cody Wilcox senior C 6'8'' Sierra College

Darrell Polee senior G 6'1'' Yuba College

Elijah Lewis junior G 5'11'' San Joaquin Delta College

Guillermo Nunez senior W 6'0'' Sierra High

Jayvon Stone junior G 6'1'' El Camino High

Keith Phillips junior W 6'5'' Chabot College

Kelton Newman senior W 6'3'' Franklin High

Robert Blunt C 6'8'' Chabot College

Tahron Morrison senior F 6'8'' Solano Community College/Cal State Los Angeles

Wilson LaShells freshman F 6'7'' Monte Vista High

Nevada's Oliver an MVP candidate as a sophomore

Geoff Grammer: "The two top candidates for MWC POY entering 2016-17 are Elijah Brown, last year's NOY, and Cameron Oliver, last year's FOY (media pick)"

He averaged 13.4 points plus 9.1 boards last season while blocking 99 shots.

San Francisco Rebels Fall Jamboree, October 15 and 16

SF Rebels Presents: "FALL JAMBOREE" October 15-16 San Francisco CA > 9u-Varsity Boys & Girls > Level 1, 2 & 3 Teams Welcome > $75 per team / 2 Games EVENT DIRECTOR / CONTACT: Nate Ford / 415) 445-5487 nford@kidsclub.org  www.SFRebels.org "Empowering and Strengthening Inner City Youth"

2nd Annual NIKE Youth Holiday Basketball Clinic, December 19-22

2nd Annual NIKE Youth Holiday Basketball Clinic DECEMBER 19-22, 2016 @ JAMTOWN 31  4th Street / Oakland  "CLICK HERE" FOR COMPLETE CAMP & REGISTRATION DETAILS. PRESENTED BY: NIKE Youth Camps This camp will focus on the core fundamentals in the 5 areas of basketball (Defense / Ball Handling / Rebounding / Passing / Shooting).  Regardless of skill level, it is important for all players to refresh on fundamentals of the game.  Kids ages 7-15 (boys & girls) are all welcome.  Along with fundamental skill development; this camp will consist of games, activities, camp t-shirt, NIKE prizes, awards, certificate of completion & much more. CAMPERS ARE REQUIRED TO BRING THEIR OWN LUNCH & HYDRATION EACH DAY. "CLICK HERE" for complete camp & registration details.

The Colts enjoyed the weekend

CaliHoop: "Cañada College went 4-0 at the SF City College Juco Showcase this weekend"

Wooten now a free agent

Josh Gershon: "2017 Las Vegas Trinity center Kenny Wooten receives release from LOI to #Nevada. Offers coming in quickly"

Locally, San Jose State University is among them.

Santos with a serious suitor

Team Arsenal: "2017 PG Bobby Santos Jr (Valley Christian) has received an offer from Cal State East Bay"

According to this tweet, he'll be visiting in mid-October.

Milstead being eyed

Corey Evans: "St Mary's head coach Randy Bennett and Grand Canyon were in tonight for 2017 Moreau Catholic guard Damari Milstead."

Coach Bennett has to be serious if he left Moraga.

How many ever thought such a Delly-NBA-starter headline was possible?

"Matthew Dellavedova set to become starter with Milwaukee Bucks" -- Olgun Uluc

A long time coming from a management person

"Bucks' Feigin makes blunt assessment of Milwaukee's racial divide, pledges 'meaningful action'" -- Rich Kirchen

His words: “Very bluntly, Milwaukee is the most segregated, racist place I’ve ever experienced in my life. It just is a place that is antiquated. It is in desperate need of repair and has happened for a long, long time. One of our messages and one of our goals is to lead by example.”

A Grant Vermeer update

"Navy's Grant Vermeer leads new wave of Cyber Operations majors"

"Grant Vermeer describes the Naval Academy as a leadership laboratory. The proof is in his own story of managing a difficult cyber operations major while playing a unique role on the men's basketball team."




He was Mr. Trey at Bellarmine as well as a First Team All-WCAL honoree..

So much we as fans don't see on the court

Joshua Riddell on Kansas freshman Josh Jackson.

This is why studying video is necessary in evaluating prospects.

This is fascinating

"Buzzketball: How analytics are redefining Tech men's basketball" -- Faizan Hasnany

Down to four positions

Barstool Reags: "I need everyone to agree there's no such thing as a SG, SF or PF anymore. Positions are PG, Wing, Stretch, Post"

OK.

It will be interesting (good luck)

"How to Beat the Warriors - Imitation won’t be enough. To topple the giant, teams will need to look at the defending champs and then dig even further into the past" -- Kevin O'Conner

This could get big if the results appear

"Andre Drummond finds outside-the-box path to help become a better foul shooter" -- Keith Langlois

The 2016-17 Cal Baptist Lancers

Here's Coach Rick Croy's 2015-16 squad, one led by senior Michael Smith and featuring eight northern Californians. Also, note the Australian presence.

Casey Norris G Gr. 6-1 200 Fremont, CA Loyola Marymount

Marquise Mosley G So. 5-9 160 Pasadena, CA Renaissance Academy
 
Jason Todd G Jr. 6-5 205 Mill Creek, WA Portland
 
Bul Kuol F Fr. 6-7 205 Canberra, ACT, Australia Lake Ginninderra College
 
Sam Gagliardi G Fr. 6-2 185 Fox Island, WA Gig Harbor HS
 
Tobyn Lawson G Fr. 6-4 175 Shoreline, WA Shorecrest HS
 
Jordan Heading G R-So. 6-2 190 Colonel Light Gardens, South Australia Sunrise Christian School
 
Colin DeLaere F R-Fr. 6-7 215 Fresno, CA Clovis West HS
 
Danny King G R-Jr.  6-5 180 Jamul, CA Steele Canyon HS
 
Michael Smith G Sr. 6-4 195 South San Francisco, CA El Camino HS
 
George Petersen, Jr. F R-Fr. 6-5 210 Clovis, CA Clovis West HS
 
Austin Clarke F Fr. 6-5 190 Moraga, CA Campolindo HS
 
Ben Wood G R-Fr. 6-3 205 Walnut Creek, CA Las Lomas HS
 
Kalidou Diouf C Jr. 6-9 235 Heidelberg, Germany Alaska Anchorage
 
Mason Stuteville F Jr. 6-11 235 Orangevale, CA Sacramento State
 
De'jon Davis F Fr. 6-7 240 Oakland, CA Oakland Technical HS

The 2016-17 UC Merced roster

Here's second-year Coach Kevin Pham's Bobcat roster -- nine members hail from northern California:

Ryan Haywood FR G 6-2 175 Chino, CA Diamond Ranch High

Andrew Williams FR G 6-1 180 Sacramento, CA Sacramento High

Aaron Laflin SO F 6-7 220 Santa Maria, CA Righetti High

Isaiah Knott FR G 5-8 150 Merced, CA El Capitan High

Matt Laflin SO F 6-7 220 Santa Maria, CA Righetti High

Joshua Kimble JR G 6-1 175 Richmond, CA Pinole Valley High

Sean Rodriguez FR G 6-0 160 Oakland, CA Piedmont High

Camdenn Young-Harry FR G 6-3 200 Hayward, CA Mt. Eden High

Branson Garcia SO F 6-4 185 Turlock, CA John H. Pitman High

Frederick Steen FR  F 6-5 180 Hayward, CA Mt. Eden High

Derek E'denchukwu FR F 6-5 215 Hercules, CA Salesian High

Ronnie Kozak FR F  6-8 230 Camarillo, CA  Adolfo Camarillo High

Cole Taira FR G 5-9 165 Sacramento, CA Kennedy High

The 2016-17 Pacific Union Nor Cal talents

Coach Greg Rahn's 2016-17 Pioneer roster sports eight players with northern California affiliations:

Jayson Marquez JR SG 6-0 175 Harlem, NY Napa Valley College

LeRoy Anderson SR G/F 6-6 190 Oakland, CA Grace University

Damon Jones SR G/F 6-3 185 Oakland, CA JWU- Denver

Malik Muhammad JR G 6-2 185 Fresno, CA Porterville College

Rae Hubbard JR SG 5-10 145 Fairfield, CA Napa Valley College

Justin Stevens FR C 6-7 220 Chico, CA Paradise Adventist Academy

Ben Jazuk JR F/C 6-5 270 Vallejo, CA Napa Valley College

Noel Briones JR G 6-0 185 Hayward,CA Chabot College

Anderson played at San Joaquin Delta College Lassen College and Jones at Chabot College Diablo Valley College (I went 0-2 here)

Jean to the Peach State

Connor Jean, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Northgate High, Diablo Valley College and Loyola Marymount, will play at the University of West Georgia this season.

An Oscar Frayer prediction

College Sports Madness has Grand Canyon freshman Oscar Frayer winning Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

Contra Costa goes 4-0

Miguel Johnson: "@CCCMensHoops Contra Costa College Men's Basketball 4-0 on the weekend Nor Cal Jamboree"

The Comets lost a lot of talent so good for them.

Excellent points

"FINDING VALUE WITHIN YOUR TEAM" -- Coach Bob Walsh

Unselfishness, trust and communication

"Front-Office Insider: The first team meeting" -- Bobby Marks

Las Positas enjoys the weekend

The Hawks went 2-0 on Saturday in the NorCal JUCO Fall Jamboree

James Giacomazzi:

"LPC 68, Merritt 52 in game 1 of the NorCal Juco Fall Jamboree. Go Hawks!"

and

"LPC 67, Fresno City 47 in game 2 of the NorCal Jamboree. Go Hawks!"

On Sunday, it was another run for the Hawks.

James Giacomazzi:

"LPC 71, Cuesta 43 in game 3 of the NorCal Juco Jamboree. Go Hawks!"

and

"Las Positas 66, Sierra 60 in the final game of the NorCal Juco Jamboree. LPC finishes the weekend 4-0. Go Hawks!"

Yes it's early but still worth noting that LPC enjoyed some major point differentials in three of those contests.

Pangos All West Frosh-Soph Camp Top 60 Creme of the Crop Game

Pangos All West Frosh-Soph Camp

Top 60 Creme of the Crop Game

Nor Cal prospects highlighted after this weekend's event in southern California:

* Iniko McNeil 6-foot 2019 Bishop O'Dowd

* David Jones 6-foot-5 2019 Grant

* Brennan Newson 6-foot-7 2019 Sheldon

* Seth Dawson 6-foot-3 2019 Inderkum

* Stephen Richardson 6-foot-5 2019 Grant

* Devin Askew 6-foot 2020 Sacramento Country Day

Freitas noting a pair of JC bigs

Gerry Freitas:

"Nor Cal Juco Jamboree: 6'10 soph Eric Scheive of Yuba has mid potential. Skills on block, active on glass, works hard. Yuba beat SF City Sat"

and

"Nor Cal Juco Jamboree: 6'11 (gray shirt) frosh qualifier Andrew Whitsett of Butte. Still developing but intriguing. D 1 prospect."

This makes it interesting

Josh Gershon: "Colorado offered 2018 Oakland Soldiers PG James Akinjo."

It's an offer, not simply interest. A Pac-12 one.

Bouyea with interest

Dave Keefer: "Jamaree Bouyea (Palma HS 2017)  has unofficial visit today at USF & is also hearing from San Jose State and Hawaii."

Have a hunch this young man will prove to be a steal for some fortuitous team.

LJohnson up in Corvallis on an unoffical

Logan Johnson: "Oregon State was real."

Could definitely see him there playing for Wayne Tinkle.

That was quick

Verbal Commits: "2017 Centennial (CA) G Gio Nelson has committed to UC Davis"

He's a 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of Corona Centennial High in Los Angeles and was on campus over the weekend.

The Aggies land a Boise backcourter

Delveion: "Dreamed of Playing D1 basketball for a long time. Now its a reality at UC Davis"

2017 6-foot-6 combo guard Delveion Jackson, out of Boise, has committed to UC Davis.

USF hosting a Washington guard

Dons Central has Michael Carter III tripping to The Hilltop.

He's a 6-foot-4, 155 combo guard out of the Seattle area and a 2016 prospect -- not sure where he is at this academic year.

The Tigers reach out regionally

Zach Chappell: "Blessed to receive an offer from the legendary Coach Damon Stoudamire at the University of Pacific!✊🏀 God is wonderful!🙏🏽"

Hard to see him signing early unless a Pac-12 offer is extended.

College coaches and talent evaluators visiting the Thunderbirds

Merritt Basketball: "Thx you for coming to practice today: Jerry Mullen Mike Mitchell John Smith CSUFullerton Mick DurhamAlaska Vince Inglima SFSU& Lee BaileyHNU"

Payton & Taylor with the Rockets

"Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed four players in advance of training camp, which takes place at Toyota Center Saturday, Sept. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 1...

...Gary Payton II was eligible for the 2016 NBA Draft and played for the Rockets in the Samsung NBA Summer League. As a senior at Oregon State, Payton II averaged team highs of 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals. According to Stats, Inc., he was the first Division I player to average at least 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals in a single season dating back to 1996-97, which is as far back as their data tracks.

Isaiah Taylor was an early entry candidate for the 2016 NBA Draft following his junior season at Texas. He started all 92 of his games played during his career with the Longhorns and was named First Team All-Big 12 as a junior after earning Third Team honors as a freshman and sophomore. Taylor also played for the Rockets in the Samsung NBA Summer League..."

Calendar and cost concerns generating action on women's side

"Many coaches boycotting fall evaluation period over recruiting calendar" -- Jeff Borzello

Also: "...S.I.com reported on Friday that the price of event packets -- books that generally include rosters, phone numbers, player information -- is one of the reasons for the protest. There has been an issue with packet prices on the men's side as well, but the prices are even higher in women's recruiting.

Sources told ESPN the average price of a packet at women's recruiting events is nearly $600 per school per event, with an additional fee if a second coach from that staff arrives later..."

The latest featured by Coach Bob Walsh

Coach Bob Walsh features an article from one of Tom Izzo's former players.

2015-16 CCCAA Ankle Breakers

It's 14 and a half minutes of highlights -- "The best ankle breakers of 2015-16 Men's College Basketball in California Community College."

Hayes being honored by Kentucky

"UK Athletics Hall of Famer Chuck Hayes: ‘I will always bleed blue’"  

A non-basketball note: Radio Raheem has passed

"Bill Nunn, 'Do the Right Thing' Actor, Dead at 62"

Radio Raheem was one of the most memorable characters in cinema.

Will it be the year of the Westbrook?

"Russell Westbrook is going to steal Stephen Curry's title as NBA's best point guard" -- Sean Deveney

Still want to see much less of the airball from both (yes, that's being picky) and, particularly with Westbrook, a greater judiciousness in the timing and difficulty of his shot attempts.

The ebb and flow of NBA positions

"Death of a shooting guard: Why the position's old form is going extinct" -- Sean Devaney

Wasn't something similar said about bigs not too long ago? From 2012: "The Death of the Traditional Big Man in the Evolving NBA Landscape"

Plus: "THE EVOLUTION OF THE BASKETBALL BIG MAN"

Then there is this (although in reference to college hoops): "These 5-star big men coming to destroy small ball"

That's it until Monday a.m.

Lights off until Monday a.m.

The Aggies offer a Southlander

Gamepoint Basketball: "UC Davis HC Jim Les was in to see 2017 G Gio Nelson today. Nelson received an offer & will take an official visit Oct. 8th"

He's 6-foot-4 and out of Corona Centennial High.

The Broncos offer a JC freshman

JUCO Recruiting: "2017 College of Southern Idaho forward Casdon Jardine has offers from Boise St, Utah St, Weber St, NAU, Santa Clara, Idaho & Idaho St"

More on Jardine.

He's 6-foot-7, 220 and, if anything like his older brother Brady who played at Utah State, can jump out of the building.

Randolph achieving in the classroom too

Besides being named to the California JUCO All State team last season after averaging 28.8 points, 5.4 assists and 3.6 steals, Feather River College guard Derrick Randolph also posted a 3.1 grade point average.

REPORT ON 2016 BAY AREA COMPETITION CLINIC

REPORT ON 2016 BAY AREA COMPETITION CLINIC

The most highlighted talents:

* 5’11” G Ricky Griffin of Hercules HS 2018 (Independent #1)

Quick guard, good athlete, fast with the ball, good passer, gets to rim real well and finishes, good defender, does attack.

* 6’6” F Romeo Mays of St Patrick-St Vincent HS 2017 (Oakland Soldiers Elite  Blue 2017)

Strong body, really long arms, active on the O glass, good short driver who can finish above the rim, can go coast to coast with the dribble, good help defender and shot blocker

Interesting comparison

"Scout: Cal Prospect Ivan Rabb 'Has the Chance to Be like a LaMarcus Aldridge'" -- Jonathan Wasserman

Points coming to the Big Show

"The 2017 NBA Draft’s Own Ridiculous Six" -- Kevin O'Conner

We need one more so it can be "The Magnificant Seven"

I've heard the third time's a charm

Ronnie Flores: "While piecing together a new 2019 and the first list for 2020, I notice at least 2 cats will be in eighth grade for the third time this yr."

Featuring Festus

"FESTUS EZELI: THE TRAILBLAZER"

He does sport some find threads but it's his background in the Q-and-A that makes it read-worthy (doing my best "Seinfeld" tie-in).

John Gasaway has something to say

"The political economy of college sports is infuriating, profitable, and remarkably resistant to asteroids" -- John Gasaway

The 36th Annual John Karsten Tip-Off Clinic

The Sacramento Basketball Club is proud to announce the return of the John Karsten Basketball Coaches Clinic! The 36th edition of this clinic will be held on October 1 at The Nest located on the campus of Sacramento State.  Check-in begins at 7:30 am.  Coffee and donuts will be provided. The clinic will begin at 8:15 am and end at 12:30 pm with lunch and a coaches social to immediately follow. This years speakers include Brian Katz (Head Men's Coach, Sacramento State), Bunky Harkleroad (Head Women's Coach, Sacramento State), Bob Thomason (Former Head Men's Coach, Univ. of the Pacific), and Earl Allen (Head Men's Coach, Sacramento High School).

The Nest at Sacramento State
6000 J Street
Sat, October 1, 2016
7:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Scared Straight To The Hoop - October 15, 16

“Scared Straight

To the Hoop”

October 15^th and 16^th, 2016

AAU Basketball Tournament

Coaches, and Team Managers,
 BullDawgs Basketball Club would like to

invite you to our Fall tournament.

Girls Divisions

3^rd,4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, J.V. and Varsity

Boys Divisions

3^rd,4^th, 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, 8^th, J.V. and Varsity

• 1^st Team Awards
• $300.00 with a 3 Game Guarantee
• 4-8 team(s) per Division
• High School Rules
• Shot Clock will be used in certain gyms
• 14 min Stop time Half’s
• Quality Sites w/ On-site Administrators
• Certified High School/College Officials
• Snack Bars
• Onsite Scorekeepers
• Posted Schedules in every gym

Location: Sequoia High School, Menlo College, Oceana High School,

Jefferson High School and Ingrid B. Lacey MS

For Information contact:  Alfonso Joo    Cell 650-267-3678

Register by email at    alfonsojoo@yahoo.com

Info on www.Dawgsclub.com

Blossoming talent in Sacramento

Move over Bay Area. Not that it's a formal competition but the Sacramento area is booming with young basketball talents in the 2018, 2019 and 2020 classes and this prosperity provides ample justification for consideration as the most fertile recruiting ground in Northern California.

Here's Don Manning-Fuimaono, a Sacramento AAU coach and trainer, with a listing of Sacramento's best young prospects as well as his thoughts on each player.  

Eric Alston, 5-foot-8, West Campus, 2019 - "A dynamic scoring guard who is super explosive and can score in bunches. He is moving over from Burbank High where he started several varsity games as a freshman."

Levelle Bailey, 6-foot-2, Burbank, 2018 - "High energy, super athletic and a hard worker, he has the ability to defend all five positions. He was playing safety for Burbank football and now will play quarterback due to an injury. USC, Georgia Tech, Arizona and Washington State have shown interest in football."

Rick Barros, 6-foot-4, Capital Christian, 2018 - “Rick is an athletic shooting guard. He averaged 17 points per game at Sac Country Day last year. He has a complete game and he’s highly efficient.”

Jordan Brown, 6-foot-11, Woodcreek, 2018 - "The best player in Sacramento. A high major D1 prospect and a consensus top 5 prospect nationally. Competed on the Adidas Circuit with PHPS and won a gold medal as a member of the USA U17 team."

Cade Hoppe, 6-foot-8, Oak Ridge, 2018 - "He's 6-foot-8, a strong finisher and physical. Cade's good around the rim and really good rebounder."

Fred Burton, 6-foot-2, Capital Christian, 2020 - "Originally out of the Los Angeles area, Fred's very strong, super athletic and he can jump out of the gym. He uses his length and athleticism to bother people defensively.”

Chris Cagle, 6-Foot-6, Woodcreek, 2018 - “He’s long, athletic and very fundamentally sound. Chris crashes the boards hard and throws great entry passes in high-low situations. He’s a good shooter with three-point range.”

Zach Chappell, 6-foot-4, Capital Christian, 2018 - "One of the most gifted players in Sacramento. He's a heady point guard who is strong and physical. He has all the intangibles to be a high major D1 point guard. I think he’ll emerge as one of the best lead guards on the west coast this season."

Isaiah Crocker, 6-foot-2, Inderkum, 2018 - "He led Inderkum in scoring last year at 18 points per game and has a 35-inch vertical leap. He’s very good in transition with explosive dunks and acrobatic finishes."

Seth Dawson, 6-foot-4, Inderkum, 2020 - "A powerful 190 pound lead guard with great vision. He’s a lefty who can get in the lane and create easy shots for himself and other players. Seth will be one of the top players in the region in years to come."

Mason Forbes, 6-foot-7, Folsom, 2017, “Super bouncy with great balance and pretty good footwork. He’s relentless on the glass. Mason is receiving interest from several D1 schools.”

Chris Gray, 6-foot-5, Burbank, 2018 – “Chris has unbelievable athleticism. He impacts the game with monster dunks and by rebounding out of his area. He’s an improved shooter with three-point range.”

Dom Johnson, 6-foot-1, Sheldon, 2018 - "He just transferred to Sheldon from Pleasant Grove. A two-year starter at PGHS, he's very athletic and a very physical, an under control scoring guard."

Nate Karren, 6-foot-9, West Campus, 2018 - "A skilled big with great size. He has a good IQ, shoots the ball well and plays with a pretty good motor."

Elias King, 6-foot-8, Christian Brothers, 2019 – “A natural scorer who can take over games with his versatility. He averaged 25 points per game last year. Elias is a good outside shooter but he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and create easy shots for his teammates. He’s a mismatch nightmare as he is also able to operate in the low post."

Earvin Knox, 6-foot-0, Burbank 2019 - "A dynamic leader and a natural point guard with possibly the best IQ of any point guard in the region. He is also a great on-the-ball defender. Earvin is a returning starter at Burbank."

Jayce McCain, 6-foot-1, Folsom, 2018 - "He transferred from Sacramento Country Day and has a good handle and nice shooting touch. With a high IQ and feel for the game, he makes the right decision with the ball in his hands and can also facilitate off the ball."

AJ McGee, 5-foot-9, Grant ,2020 - "A solid point guard and the younger brother of Tre'shon Smoots. He’s a solid point guard who can get to the necessary spots on the floor. He will play a key role at Grant this year."

Greg Milton, 6-foot-2, Consumes Oaks, 2018 - “Greg is strong creative guard who can get to his spots on the floor. He can score and distribute and plays at a relentless pace. He has good length and athleticism. He’s a hard worker who spends a lot of time perfecting his craft.”

Kendall Munson, 6-foot-8, Capital Christian, 2020 - "He's going to be very special. He plays extremely hard and physical. Kendall's a great rebounder and shot blocker and already has a good IQ and great footwork. He’ll be an impact player from day one.”

Stephen Richardson, 6-foot-5, Grant, 2019 - "A long wiry point guard, Stephen is a good ball handler who is also a very good shooter with deep range. He has great footwork and a good natural feel for the game.”

Isaiah Rutherford, 6-foot-2, Jesuit, 2019 - "He started on the varsity last year and has high-level athleticism combined with a complete offensive package. He’s very good defensively. Isaiah already has D1 interest in both football and basketball."

Chris Simpson, 6-foot-5, Jesuit, 2018 - "A great shooter who can rebound, he has better than average athleticism and should have a breakout year this season."

Tre'shon Smoots, 5-foot-11, Grant, 2018 - "Offensively, he's the best guard in Sacramento. He has an advanced handle and can get wherever he wants to on the floor.  He’s an above average shooter with deep range. He’s also a very skilled passer. A tough kid who loves to play and compete. He can take over games."
                         
Jake Virga, 5-foot-11, Jesuit, 2018 - “Jake can break his man down off the dribble and get to the basket and finish. He can also knock down open shots. He gets above the rim and dunks with authority.”

Chris Wreidt, 6-foot-9, Capital Christian, 2018 - "Long, with good athleticism, he runs the floor well and can shoot from 15-20 feet. A good rebounder and shot blocker.”

So why the Sactown bonanza? According to Manning-Fuimaono, "We have more kids playing in national level tournaments before they even get to middle school. A lot of these same players were 10-11-year-olds traveling and playing against the best competition in the country. They’ve been training two to three hours a day and playing 50-60 high level games a year since that time. Youngsters in this area are being groomed to contribute at the varsity level the day they step on the campus. You have great trainers and coaches in Sacramento who are providing the resources for young athletes to develop and compete at a high level."

Manning-Fuimaono is focused on the futures of these talents. "It's about the kids for me. I’d like to see the kids in this area get the recognition they deserve which hopefully results in more scholarships."

Vincent and Smith selected

Devin Ugland has Gabe (St. Mary's High) Vincent and Kendall (Deer Valley High) Smith on his All Big West Conference Pre-Season team.

Sacramento High and Oakmont High being repped

Big West MBB:

"Jim Les: Darius (Graham) is my QB, my coach on the floor. I want the players to get used to hearing his voice."

and

"Jim Les: JT (Adenrele) has the potential of being a dominant player in this league, both rebounding and scoring-wise."

Brown to the Bucks

Marc J. Spears: "The Bucks are bringing ex-Lakers shooting guard Jabari Brown to training camp, a source told The Undefeated."

Walker already popular

Verbal Commits: "San Jose State and St. John's offered 2020 Moreau Catholic (CA) G Kyree Walker."

The Gaels make an early Top 25 appearance

Blue Ribbon Preseason Top 25

1.  Duke
2.  Oregon
3.  Kansas
4.  Kentucky
5.  Villanova
6.  Wisconsin
7.  North Carolina
8.  Louisville
9.  Purdue
10. Virginia
11. Michigan State
12. Xavier
13. Arizona
14. Gonzaga
15. Connecticut
16. Butler
17. Saint Mary’s
18. Indiana
19. Creighton
20. Florida State
21. West Virginia
22. UCLA
23. NC State
24. Maryland
25. Rhode Island

The long and winding road of Robert Swift

"Out From The Darkness: Robert Swift's road from NBA lottery pick to drug addict to..." -- Chris Ballard

Some intermediaries will be crowded out -- maybe that's good, maybe that's bad, maybe it lands in the middle

"Sources: NBA planning to open global basketball academies" -- Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony

"The potential benefits of the NBA academy initiative" -- Jonathan Givony (this one is really informative)

Another look - "The NBA establishing academies abroad is a good thing for college basketball" -- Rob Dauster

Do look at Dauster's last paragraph.

Bellevue with six from NorCal

Bellevue University in Nebraska is loaded with talents from the northern California JUCO ranks:

* Tyler Morgan, guard, senior, 6-foot-2 Clovis, CA Fresno CC/Clovis East HS

* Shelton Black, center, junior, 6-foot-8, Compton, CA Cabrillo/Compton HS

* Isaiah Brown, forward, junior, 6-foot-5, Fairfield, CA Monterey Peninsula CC/Fairfield HS

* Nick Hilton, guard, junior, 6-foot-1, Sacramento, CA Fresno CC/Jesuit HS

* BJ Shelton, guard junior, 6-foot-4, Bakersfield, CA Fresno CC/Bakersfield HS

* Jaffrey Stillman, forward, junior, 6-foot-5, Los Angeles, CA Fresno CC/Hamilton HS

The 2016-17 Fresno City College Rams

Coach Ed Madec returns with another high energy, hardworking crew. The Rams aren't big but that just probably means the defensive pressure will be a notch or two higher than even usual.

The roster:
      
 * Tommy Nuno 6-5 205 freshman Half Moon Bay High Half Moon Bay, CA

* Eric Pierce 6-6 185 freshman El Camino High Oceanside, CA

* Tyus Millhollin 6-1 175 freshman Diamond Ranch High Rescue, CA

* Josthin Dawkins 6-4 195 freshman Modesto Christian High San Andres Island, Colombia

* Maurice Woods 5-10 170 freshman Johansen High Modesto, CA

* Isaiah Flynn 6-1 180 sophomore Bellarmine Prep Tacoma, WA - Flynn has a younger brother who will play as a freshman for Washington State this season. Isaiah played as a freshman at Tacoma Community College where he averaged 11.0 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

* Fred Lavender 6-3 195 freshman Weston Ranch High  Stockton, CA - Lavender had signed earlier with Cal State University Stanislaus.

* Jess Spivey 6-5 175 freshman Sierra High Manteca, CA

* Christian Carroll 6-4 180 sophomore Golden Valley High Merced, CA

* Ethan Eads 6-8 235 sophomore Central Catholic High Modesto, CA - Eads is coming over from Hawaii Pacific.

* Ian Miller 6-5 205 freshman Vintage High Elk Grove, CA

* Jordan Hollins-Buckner 6-3 185 freshman Modesto Christian High Stockton, CA

* Cole Morgan 6-3 200 sophomore Clovis East High Clovis, CA

* Zach Savage  6-5 205 freshman Patrick Henry High San Diego, CA

The Broncos and Aggies looking at a coveted JUCO

PoP: "Santa Clara and UC Davis were in to see #Juco Sophomore 6'3 PG Deishaun Booker; CSI (ID)"

In 37 games for Gillette College, Booker averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 52%, 31% and 77%.

Interesting

"Recruiting: How mid-major schools can land high-major talent" -- Ellie Lieberman

Recruiting assistants

"The recruiters who land the players who make teams great" -- Jeff Borzello

Question: why are so few of these names bandied about for head coach openings?

Would really love to see this article featuring the best recruiters at the mid-major level.

The Pioneers looking at a Nevada prep guard

Lamar Bigby: "#D2's Chaminade & Cal St East Bay have contacted Grant Rice abt 2017 6"0 Combo Guard Jarrett Jordan of Bishop Gorman (NV)"

From a 2014 article:

"...Quickest: 5'11 freshman PG Jarrett Jordan (Bishop Gorman HS). Jordan can get to the spots that he needs to on the floor in a blur. He is pretty polished as well with that quickness and has the ability to stay in control with it..."

LPC on the court last weekend

Some of the Las Positas College 'oldies' as well as the "newbies" are featured in play from last weekend down in southern California:

The benefit of better competition and college coaching

Stanco Stampede: "@CoachGiacomazzi like what I saw from the Manteca kid within your program, its the best footwork and movement ive ever seen out of him."

Kennedy down in Orange County

6-foot-2 Andre Kennedy, out of Foothill High (Pleasanton), is a freshman member of the Fullerton College Hornets this season.

"Andre comes to the Hornets after grey shirting last season at Consumnes River College. Prior to that he prepped at Foothill High School in Sacramento where he averaged 5 points and 5 assists per game."

Cook to play for Cabrillo College

"Cabrillo College Lands Justice Cook"

He's a 5-foot-11 guard out of Agua Fria High Arizona.

10th annual Nor Cal Tip Off Classic

Bishop O’Dowd vs. Bishop Montgomery highlights 10th annual Nor Cal Tip Off Classic

The tenth annual Nor Cal Tip-Off Classic will be held Saturday November 26, 2016 at Newark Memorial High School in Newark.

The event is designed to promote/showcase Northern California basketball to college coaches, media/scouts and the general public. 

There will be seven games on the day beginning at 11:00 am. High-profile programs such as Newark Memorial, Monte Vista (Danville), Moreau Catholic (Hayward), Capital Christian (Sacramento) and Berkeley will be featured. The event will culminate with the marquee  matchup at 8:30 pm between national powers Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) and Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) who will likely be ranked #1 in California when the pre-season polls are released. 

Bishop Montgomery is lead by three elite level prospects: 2017 standouts guard Ethan Thompson and wing Jordan Schakel and 2018 guard David Singleton. Bishop O’Dowd is lead by 2018 guards Elijah Hardy and Naseem Gaskin. 

Other elite prospects are 6-9 2018 combo postman Jordan Brown of Woodcreek who is ranked #5 nationally in his class by ESPN and 2017 guard Damari Milstead of Moreau Catholic. 

Promising 2020 players with elite potential are guard Robbie Beasley of Dublin and guard/wing Kyree Walker of Moreau Catholic, who are both Top 20 Cal-Hi Sports prospects in their class. 

Bishop O’Dowd was a 2016 Nor Cal regional finalist while Berkeley was a state finalist.  

Players currently committed to Division I four-year schools that are participating in the event (all 2017): Timmy Falls of Dublin to Montana, Jordan Schakel of Bishop Montgomery to San Diego State, Brandon Davis of Bishop Alemany to UC Santa Barbara, Darrin Person of Immanuel to Cal State Bakersfield and Ethan Thompson of Bishop Montgomery to Oregon State.. 

For further information and/or media credentials contact event director Gerry Freitas at gerryfreitas@hotmail.com. Hash tag is #NorCalTipOff.

10th annual Nor Cal Tip Off Classic Schedule

Saturday November 26, 2016 at Newark Memorial High School

Game 1: 11:00 St. Patrick's (Vallejo) vs. Monte Vista (Danville)
Game 2: 12:30 Dublin vs. Las Lomas (Walnut Creek)
Game 3: 2:15 Berkeley vs. Christian Brothers (Sacramento)
Game 4: 3:45 Moreau Catholic (Hayward) vs. Immanuel (Reedley) 
Game 5: 5:30 Capital Christian (Sacramento) vs. Bishop Alemany (Mission Hills)
Game 6: 7:00 Newark Memorial (Newark) vs. Woodcreek (Roseville)  
Game 7:  8:30 Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) vs. Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) 

Smith moving to Malibu

Jadé Smith: "Excited to announce my commitment to Pepperdine University"

He's 6-foot-4 and out of St. Joseph Notre Dame as well as Team Splash.

The Waves now have three 2017 guard commitments: Smith, a 6-foot prep point out of Colorado plus a 6-foot-5 prep shooting guard out of Minnesota. Also, four freshman backcourters are on Coach Marty Wilson's 2016-17 roster, ranging from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-5 although one may be a walk-on.

Bay Area versus Sacramento

My memory has some recollection of someone (Gerry Freitas?) holding a single game matchup featuring Bay Area versus Sacramento all-star squads -- how about re-instituting that event in some form?

The idea would be inviting a number of 2018 and beyond talents and a two-game series, one down here and the other in the state capital. Why not just one game, but if not, three to break a possible tie? Well, one works but to 'insure' any victory wasn't a 'fluke' in the eyes (and mouths) of the defeated, let's make it a pair because two straight victories indicates a clear cut victor. If the series finishes 1-1 then nobody/each side has bragging rights until next year's event takes place. Three contests is just too difficult to manage logistically plus player availability becomes more haphazard as the games increase.

Below are some of the so-called selections to this at-present mythical matchup:

SACRAMENTO

Jordan Brown
Chris Wriedt
Nate Karren
Chris Cagle
Cade Hoppe
Elias King
Mason Forbes
Kendall Munson
Chris Simpson
Zach Chappell
Jayce McCain
Treshon Smoots
Earvin Knox

BAY AREA

Jack Wilson
Nathan Mensah
Brown Eyisi
Amadu Sow
Dylan Belquist
Kyree Walker
Jamario Bibb
Derrick Langford
Naseem Gaskin
Elijah Hardy
Logan Johnson
Jake Wojcik
James Akinjo

Joyner back at alma mater

#CoachRob: "Coach @JoynerJustin of @ULTFieldhouse AAU has taken an assistant coaching role at @UCSBgauchos."

Joyner's De La Salle team won a state championship and his Santa Barbara squads were also very successful. He was most recently training and coaching in the Walnut Creek area.

Pascoe offered

#CoachRob: "2018 Garrett Pascoe of Clayton Valley Charter / @ULTFieldhouse AAU has received an offer from now-D1 UCSD (formerly D2)."

He's a 6-foot-2 guard.

From 2015: "Garrett Pascoe, Cal Stars, 6’1 Guard, 2018(Clayton Valley HS). He is a do-all player, plays tough on both ends of the floor, handles the ball well, can shoot and does not let up on defense.  He is tough and scrappy. High IQ guy that distributes the ball well."

From 2016: "Really crafty guard with a good handle, creative at getting his own shot, good passer, fearless to the rim, fairly good shooter from 3."

Big Team Rampage announcement

"The Team Rampage Basketball Club (Vallejo, CA) has officially teamed up with Nike, to help brand their program. This comes in their third year of existence, and after the Varsity Elite team finished up the AAU season with a 31-7 record. Team Rampage has teams from ages 8-17, and may be looking to add girls teams according to Team Rampage director Antonio Hodges.

Varsity Head Coach Brandon Bracy, thinks that the Nike brand will give the program more of an official look, and will bring excitement to the program. The club will look to showcase their new Nike look, before the start of 2017."

Akinjo and Gonzaga

#CoachRob: "2018 PG James Akinjo of Salesian HS / @Soldiers_Salute was visited by Gonzaga (@ZagMBB) today."

Don't see this one happening but the thing to always remember about recruiting is that it doesn't matter what we think but what college coaches see and believe.

Fall Classic

LAST CALL!!!   Today is the last day to register 2016 Events by Select MAIN EVENT 5th Annual " FALL CLASSIC " CLICK HERE TO REGISTER COMMITTED ORGANIZATIONS BOYS (names in RED pending final confirmation): - Team Select   - SF Rebels   - VBA   - BA Mambas   - Alameda Vipers   - Bay City    - PSC Phenoms   - EB Swag   - Team Elite   - RuckerWest   - Redline   - Wildcats    - DJF All Stars   - ASA Prime   - Chuck Hayes   - Santa Rosa Hawks   - MHT Wolverines    - Teach 1 Sports   - XBA   - Xover   - SF Generals   - Tri-Valley Basketball   - The Town    - Jamtown   - MVP Flight Elite   - 1on1   - Devils   - Lions   - BA United   - Hercules Rec    - KOPA   - Leftcoast Real Deal   -Berkeley Bash   - Oakland Rebels   - Pay's Place    - Oakland Soldiers   - Generals   - BA Wolverines   - Pro City GIRLS: - Lady Select   - Warrior Elite   - EB Swag   - SF Lady Rebels   - Redline   - Cali Ballaz - XBA   - YBA   - Generals   - Wildcats   - Antioch Elite   - Manteca Heat   - Pride  > 100+ teams already registered / ALMOST SOLD OUT One of the largest, most competitive & well organized Fall events in NorCal > 9U-Varsity Boys & Girls / level 1, 2 & 3 divisions We will have appropriate competition for ALL teams > Multiple team discounts available $250 per team / $225 (3 or more teams) / $200 (5 or more teams) > HS divisions covered by PremierBall & CheckBall Magazine NCAA COMPLIANT SCOUTING SERVICE Player, game & MVP reports sent to college coaches NATIONWIDE > "CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY" Championship games for all divisions will funnel into one HUB @ JAMTOWN > 1st & 2nd place awards Award presentations @ JAMTOWN as part of "CHAMPIONSHIP SUNDAY" > Host Hotel / Downtown Oakland Courtyard by Marriott $130 per night (FREE valet parking) / Only 5 minutes from JAMTOWN SEE BELOW FOR BOOKING DETAILS POWERED BY: EVENTS BY SELECT: Education / Life Skills / College Placement / Network Building / Philanthropy / Athletics JAMTOWN: Events / Camps / Clinics / Training / Rental / etc. USER APP: Brackets / Schedules / Results / Venues / Directions / etc CERTIFIED NCAA SCOUTING SERVICE: Write-ups / Reports / Social Media Feeds / Awards / etc. EVENT DIRECTOR / CONTACT: RUBEN GARCIA / 925) 367-3912 info@TeamSelectbasketball.com www.TeamSelectBasketball.com