We have signings

Actually, it's verbals and here they are:

* Jaun Anderson, Castro Valley to Marquette

* Mark Tollefson, San Ramon Valley to USF

* Conner McGrath, Serra to Chico State

* JT Adenrele, Oakmont to UC Davis

Here's the Sac Bee on Adenrele.

Nor Cal Preps' Middle School Basketball Camp

Middle School Student Athletes

Get Opportunity  To Learn The Game

Thousands of kids each year dream of becoming a college athlete; most never learn "what it takes" to achieve that dream. For middle school boys who live in Northern California, now that dream can become a reality.

On October 30th & 31st, Nor Cal Preps will offer an Evaluation Camp for Middle School student athletes. The camp will be held El Cerrito High School in El Cerrito. The camp will begin at 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day.

It is for Middle School boys in 6th through 8th grade who seek valuable exposure and information on the process.

During this basketball camp all players will compete in four (4) structured games, skill drill sessions, and spend time learning about the educational & psychological requirements of making it as a collegiate athlete.

To register for any of the camps students or parents can go online to:

Nor Cal Preps

For more information or camp specifics, parents or kids can contact the Event Director Carl Foster at (888) 732-8309. Each player will be evaluated by the Scouting Committee from NCP during the camp.

The cost is $110 per player to participate in the event.

Registration information is available online.

Sign up today!!!

Jeremy Russotti's North Bay's Finest event

Jeremy Russotti and his crew have the North Bay's Finest event coming up this weekend -- October 9 and 10. It's worth attending -- even as a spectator -- just to view the skills training portions of the weekend.

Coming October 9th-10th, 1% CLUB Basketball will be organizing the 5th Annual "North Bay's Finest" Instructional showcase for the top 125 players of Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Solano, Humboldt-Del Norte, Lake, and Mendocino counties, respetively. The showcase event will once again involve elite level skill training in the early sessions, followed by evaluated team games in front of lower level college coaches and recruiting analysts in the latter sessions. The cost is $85 if pre-registered before Oct. 8th. Walk up registration cost is $95. This year's event will be held once again at Sonoma State University from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

The idea for the "The Finest" Showcase events came about by Jeremy Russotti with the vision for a more positive, beneficial, and true grassroots basketball events in areas that were overlooked. Back in 2001-2002, two of Coach Russotti's former players received b-ball scholarships to the PAC-10 Conference. Ironically, both of them were never invited to any local or national so-called "exposure events," overlooked mostly because of the area they resided in. At that point, Russotti knew a quality showcase event could really help draw needed attention to any area, resulting in more recruting resources for top local talent. More importantly, he realized the importance of INSTRUCTIONAL SKILL TRAINING vs EXPOSURE and the impact it had on his player's future recruitments. Therefore, the main focus of the event will be on skill building (6 total hours), with the added bonus of 4-5 games of evaluated team games.

Not only will the event be endorsed by scouting services, but also will include a report written by 1% CLUB Basketball that is emailed to over 1,700 coaches at the D2, NAIA, National JUCO and California JUCO programs (free of charge). Says camp director Jeremy Russotti, "We really take pride in spreading our message about individual skill building and how it can really drive your future recruitment process. The success of Josh Akognon has really come full circle, backing our message that was started five years ago. Also, there is a lot of talent in the North Bay that various colleges or junior colleges never get the chance to see or read about. Furthermore, we want to help bridge these connections, while trying to build intrinsic motivation within our attendee's to the importance of skill building in their daily routines.....and not just playing games."

ESPN's Joel Francisco on some norcal youngsters

Joel Francisco was in attendance at the recent Dinos Trigonis Fullcourt Press Camp for underclassmen and reported on a few northern California ballers:

Aaron Gordon
2013, PF, 6-6, 215 pounds

He was arguably the most dominant player in camp. Gordon has gotten stronger and he possesses intriguing perimeter skills for the next level. His bouncy nature allows him to make plays in traffic at the rim and his passing ability is impressive. In addition, he can stroke the mid-range jump shot at a consistent rate. Whether he ends up at the 3 or the 4 at the next level remains to be seen, but his overall talent is undeniable.

and

Noah Allen (Pacific Grove, Calif./Paloma)
2013, WF, 6-5, 180 pounds

Allen was a virtual unknown coming into this camp, but the smooth wing-type has a feathery looking, effortless jump shot out to 20 feet. He isn't a high-level athlete, but he understands angles and has a great soft touch from all areas of the court. Due to his shooting prowess and basketball IQ it will be interesting to see how he develops in the coming seasons.

and

Jabari Byrd
2013, SG, 6-5, 170 pounds

Byrd may have been the prospect with the most upside at this event. He has that prototypical scoring guard frame and the skills to go along with it. He is extremely explosive in transition and put together a highlight reel of awe-inspiring dunks. He has a legitimate jump shot out to 22 feet and his release is smooth. If he can tighten up his mid-range skills (particularly his handle) and fundamentals (getting on balance) he has the potential to be an upper-tier national level recruit.

A New Hampton Prep preview with lots of Bay Area names

Here's an NERR report on what the New Hampton Prep (New Hampshire) team is looking like so far:

"...Auguste’s running mate along the frontline will be Will Davis, a 6’9” hybrid big man from Sacramento, California who is very mobile and especially athletic.."

and.  

 "...[Travis] Souza may be the most versatile player on the roster. Another high percentage shot maker, the California native can play a variety of different positions and can sneak up and dunk on an unsuspecting defender with his deceptive athleticism..."

Plus, Aaron Hendricks receives a mention as one of the many shooters on the team this season.

John Green, Castlemont High, getting eyed by BC?

Adam Desautels is an assistant coach at Westwind Prep and recently tweeted this:

"Joe Jones from Boston College is here today! Taking a look at John Green and who else we've got down here in Phx!"

Green is doing a prep season at Westwind.

Khion Sankey, Sheridan College

Former Newark Memorial High star Khion Sankey is on scholarship at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming. Here is the bio for him:

Class: FR
Height: 6'4"
Position: F
Hometown: Stockton, CA
High School: Newark-Memorial HS

High School As one of the best players on his team, Khion averaged 14.3 points, Â 8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 2.8 assists per game in leading his team to a 30-5 finish, a Northern California Championship, and a second place finish in the entire state (CIF).in his final year. In his senior season Sankey led his team in points, rebounds, steals, and free throws made. He was also second in assists and three point field goal percentage. Khion has been named First Team All-Northern California, ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com Boys State Athlete of the Week, All-Bay Area Team-Division 1, All-East Bay Basketball First Team, 2009 MaxPreps All-Tournament Team-National Division, San Francisco Chronicle's All Metro 2nd-Team, and Top 125 Easy Bay Prep Athletes of the Year of 2010.

Favorites: Fresh Prince, Martin, Kings, Pizza, Lil wayne, Wale
Nickname: Big Baby Davis

A Max Hooper recruiting update

Former Valley Christian shooter deluxe Max Hooper just returned from an unofficial visit to Minnesota.

Ryan James of the Rivals site Gopher Illustrated has the scoop here (a Rivals sub required) and Hooper is quoted as Oakland, Harvard, Princeton, St. Mary's and Lehigh having offered at this point.

Recruiting for dummies (meaning all of us)

 Here's our shot at least regarding the basic of recruiting:

When it's good, like the girl with the curl, college basketball recruiting produces win-win outcomes for all parties involved. But when it turns bad, embittered feelings, language and actions come to the fore. Is there a righteous path that will guarantee that the former marks the outcome? The answer is no as even Lloyd's of London won't dare insure such a mercurial process. But there are guidelines that suggest, if not predict, mutual success -- here they are.

THE BEGINNING

Recruiting begins with form letters and questionnaires -- mass mailings to a degree -- sent to a prospect. Call it vague interest, a shotgun-type suitorship approach by colleges. It's a nice acknowledgment and an ego boost to be a recipient but these efforts have little or no actual meaning or value in the process

Then eventually comes the handwritten letters, the calls, the texts and the emails as a honing in of sorts. This is a whittling down of possibilities by the coaching staffs to something more manageable. trackable and serious.

Players are followed via open gym play, general camps, elite camps and unofficial campus visits.

Then, alongside high school play, comes the various spring and summer club team tournaments.

A key element here for a prospect is finding an appropriate club team that will meet individual needs. Factors to be considered are:

*  what's the history and reputation with the club and coach? Are players utilized as pawns for payments or for accessing an assistant coach or basketball operations position at the collegiate level?

* what spring and summer tournaments will be played in so as to maximize collegiate exposure?

* are certain players featured/does the mix of players operate as a team or as a showcase for the best on the squad?

* what's the level of the team roster turnover and why?

Additionally, prospects are also discovered by recruiters through word of mouth, professional contacts, cruising the 'net, the ever-burgeoning multitude of recruiting sites and sometimes by luck itself. The latter comes about through catching a previous unknown kid because a recruiter hit the wrong gym, arrived early or stayed late and witnessed an intriguing performance.

Individual prospect profiles are being pieced together all this time consisting of evaluations of work ethic, skills set, contribution projection at the next level, academics, mutual interest, sign-ability, and coach-ability.

Very critical to the process is an ordering of a player's value by a coaching staff. Recruits are ranked as #1, #2, #3, #4 , #5 and so on as 'targets' at each position.

The non in-person contacting remains in place until transforming into actual home visits and official campus visits.

One other action a player can take to increase visibility is putting together a videotape and mailing it out to selective college coaches. The best consist of a demonstration of effort and attitude on the floor, offensive strengths, defensive presence, passing and ballhandling skills and rebounding prowess. A listing of personal contact information (including that of your high school and club team coaches), SAT/ACT scores, grade point average and transcript availability information should be included. A rap soundtrack is not required.

TAKE A PERSONAL INVENTORY

Determine what you want in an educational setting -- is it a big school/small school, a city/suburban/rural school, a certain student/teacher classroom ratio?

Determine the basketball program you wish to join:

* is it an already winning program?

* do you see yourself more in the role of a program changer?

* is signing with the highest-ranked program that offers first and foremost?

* is the possibility for early playing time versus sitting a year or more a factor?

* what coaching style brings out your best -- a Phil Jackson type? Bob Knight? someone in between?

* is parents or relatives coming to home games a factor or not?

ACTUAL OFFERS

Once a formal offer is received, the ball still resides on the courts of both parties.

A player can 'commit' but nothing is 'real' until NCAA official until a letter-of-intent is signed, be it in the November or spring signing periods. A prospect will continue to receive contacts from the verbaled-to coaching staff and realistically other schools will continue making last-minute outreaches gauging the strength of the spoken commitment.

A prospect has the option to wait (for a little or a long while) in order to see what other offers are extended and/or to remain in play until the second basketball recruiting period opens

Some college offers are open-ended with one or both sides elect to letting it 'float' but others come with drop-dead dates in which an answer is required or the offer is rescinded.

The general advice seen most often is to remain open to all offers and interests until a formal decision has been made.

Some prominent factors to consider when deciding include:

* how many years remain on the contracts of the various coaches? are extensions expected? are the current college athletics directors the ones who hired the current coaches in your mix?

* what are the 'rumors' about the basketball programs? have the head coaches been prominently mentioned in conjunction with other positions or considered under fire?

* do the head coaches have a history of oversigning recruits and ultimately running off the ones no longer preferred as some are well known to be run-off coaches, whether it be a situation of a player not evolving as projected or a transfer becoming available who is perceived to be better or a recruiting target thought 'lost' or 'unreachable' expresses or renews interest.

* what's the focus of the each recruiting pitch? is a coach negatively recruiting or promoting the best of his school and program?

* does a specific scholarship offer also include tuition costs for a fifth year?

* how many, if any, scholarships are available? -- some schools wish to convince players to come as a  walk-on but want a recruit on campus before broaching this subject

AFTER DECIDING

Obviously, call the 'winning' head coach first with your acceptance of a scholarship offer but then also call each coach in your finals list of schools and thank them for the opportunity.

RETRACTING

Remember, college sports are a business, with a yearly scholarship renewal -- or not. There should be a mandatory tattoo required on the arm of each frosh to serve as a visible remainder of this etched-in-granite fact as all isn't little chocolates placed on your pillow each night after you arrive as a freshman on campus. This relationship can quickly evolve into a vituperous divorce the second it stops working for either party.

Hopefully, all the homework done will lead to for a successful and positive college and basketball program experience. But all is not lost if that doesn't transpire -- just learn from the experience and carefully repeat the guidelines and process.

Aaron Gordon

It appears right now that the 'Beast of the Bay' in the very, very near future), will come down to Mitty's Aaron Gordon and Bishop O'Dowd's Brandon Ashley.

Here's the Ball Is Life crew raving about Gordon:

* Hit their Twitter account here. 

* A brief tape involving a play nearing the end of a game.

From the wonderful world of recruiting...

Here's a fascinating article on how the world of recruiting often works. We're not trying to be negative -- it's just imperative that recruits and their parents absolutely understand that it's a business, nothing else. Arizona is not doing 'wrong here -- Coach Sean Miller is simply covering his bets.

Arizona Wildcats loaded in recruiting, pushing the limit with other Pac-10 schools
Bruce Pascoe
Arizona Daily Star
October 3, 2010

When Sacramento guard Josiah Turner announced last month he would play basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, coach Sean Miller suddenly had his highest-ranked recruit yet and a top-10 recruiting class for 2011.

Now Miller just has to figure out where to put everybody.

On paper for 2011-12, the Wildcats have 14 scholarship players but only 12 scholarships to offer. This season, they have 13 players on scholarship (counting guard Dondre Wise, whose conditional scholarship is not likely to be renewed) and are only certain to lose senior Jamelle Horne.

Arizona also has three commitments from high school seniors for 2011-12 — from Turner, guard Nick Johnson and forward Sidiki Johnson — and the Wildcats can offer only 12 total scholarships in 2011-12 and 2012-13 because of NCAA sanctions.

That makes the math 13 minus 2 (Horne, Wise) plus 3 (recruits) equals 14. Not 12...

Go here for the remainder.

A Robert Garrett recruiting update

Bill Paterson of the Sac Bee offers an update on Sac High's Robert Garrett's college plans -- go here.

Juan Anderson and Jabari Brown visit updates

Rivals posted this in an article about visits taking place:

"Arizona State: Juan Anderson, Jabari Brown (Tuesday and Wednesday)"

Anderson has visited Oregon and I think a trip to Marquette has taken place so a decison may be coming soon.

Juan and Jabari are friends so it's surprising they won't be in Tempe together. 

UCSB - Bay Area South

As we have been writing, UC Santa Barbara has a more than solid recruiting pipeline to the Bay Area and northern California. Gaucho basketball is covered by this blog and here are some recent posts on vari9ous Santa Barbara players: Orlando Johnson, James Nunnally, Will Brew, Justin Joyner.

Play Hard Play Smart players generating college recruiting interest

The Sac Bee's Bill Paterson checked in with Brian Hamilton of the Play Hard Play Smart club basketball team on the recruiting interest in various PHPS prospects -- go here.