Recruiting and the 'net

Recruiting, the 'net, publicity -- all can weave a ying - yang tangled web.

Example #24573:

Alex Kline's (The Recruit Scoop) Twitter account has this from one hour ago:

"Shooting Guard Jabari Brown '11 is denying a rumor that he has cancelled all of his visits & will commit to Arizona State this weekend."

We haven't a clue on the accuracy/inaccuracy of this matter but someone, especially under the age of 18, having to deny something posted somewhere just seems bizarre.

More Max Hooper updates

Former Valley Christian three-point shooter Max Hooper is spending a prep year at Brewster Academy and here are the latest Brewster tweets on his recruiting status:

"Brewster postgraduate Max Hooper will take an unofficial visit to Minnesota this weekend"

and

"Max Hooper will host Lehigh for a school visit on Thursday"

Chris Brew to NYC

After playing his initial season at UC-Santa Barbara, Chris Brew (St. Mary's High) faced a tough choice. Return for his sophomore year or go full-fledged into a modeling career that was primed for a mjaor takeoff.

He chose the latter and is now based in NYC.

Here is an Los Angeles Times feature involving Kobe Bryant and Chris. Here is more on him.

Jeremy Russotti's SAC Town event

This coming weekend (October 2 and 3), Jeremy Russotti is holding his Sacramento Valley's Finest training event. The most appropriate message to offer is if you aren't going to be there, then you aren't serious about improving your skills set.

From Jeremy's site:

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 basketball 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 exposure games.

Not only will the event be endorsed by various 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 Sacramento Valley region 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."

The two-day event, which will be held at Consumes River Junior College, will run from 11-5:30 pm.

Go here and begin checking out Jeremy's entire site. He conducts training events throughout the state.

This is about a SoCal kid but still a fascinating read

Hey, sometimes you wonder why your favorite college team doesn't land this or that recruit or why a certain club team has the roster it does. 

High school star declared ineligible after payments revealed 
Sports marketers in China were supporting him, according to documents 
Brent Schrotenboer 
Sign On San Diego 
September 28, 2010

According to documents obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune, a local Chinese high school basketball star has been the beneficiary of more than $30,000 in money and benefits provided by sports marketers formerly involved with Nike and Chinese NBA star Yao Ming.

Chen Cai, a 6-foot-8 player for Maranatha Christian High, has been declared in ineligible to play basketball this year as a result of an investigation into these and similar allegations. Marantha has offered to forfeit all games in which Chen played during the past three seasons because of rules violations. It is against state high school rules to receive such benefits or be recruited to a school because of athletic ability...

Go here for the remainder.

A Max Hooper update

BrewsterHoops (Brewster Academy in New Hampshire) just tweeted this about former Valley Christian hoopster Max Hooper:

"Brewster postgraduate Max Hooper will take an official visit to Harvard the weekend of Oct 22nd"

On September 24, Hooper visited Oakland University (Michigan).

An interesting item on Josiah Turner's recruitment

In response to a question, Rivals' Jerry Meyers offered some speculation (Rivals sub required) -- minus confirmation -- surrounding Josiah Turner's decision to go with Arizona. Here you go:

What impact, if any, does the potential NBA lockout have on both programs (Kansas and Arizona], which have to allocate their resources, and players, who may be looking for immediate playing time? As of now, it appears to be a relatively low-priority issue. Thanks for your input.

- Arthur from Hastings

Jerry Meyers: We might have just seen the first major example of the potential NBA lockout affecting a recruiting situation.

One line of thought on Turner's commitment to Arizona is that Turner was concerned that a lockout would result in [Josh] Selby and Tyshawn Taylor still being on the Kansas roster Turner's freshman year. If that were to be the case, Turner would likely play a reserve role as a freshman at Kansas. Arizona, however, presents a much more favorable scenario for Turner playing a lead role even if there were to be a lockout.

Again, this is just a line of thought concerning Turner. One way or another, it is an example of a scenario showing how the threat of a lockout can affect college recruiting.

Now we have no idea regarding the truth in all of the above but sometimes you get the feeling that there just might be so much more going on in a player's recruiting orbit than the average fan understands.

Jabari Brown talks about Connecticut

Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant caught up with Jabari Brown on Saturday. Here's part of what Anthony wrote:

"...I'll say this: He's a very well-spoken kid who seems to be impressed with UConn, its history, its coaching staff and its potential. He is considering five schools: Washington (which he has already visited), UConn, Arizona State, Oregon and Georgia Tech. He will visit ASU, Oregon and GT in the coming weeks and then make a decision soon after, probably in late October. He will sign a national letter of intent in November...'

Go here for the full article.

Juan Anderson a-visiting again

Castro Valley High's Juan Anderson has packed his bags again for this weekend: Per a tweet from Alex Kline: "6'6 wing Juan Anderson of California is on an official visit to Marquette. He visited Oregon last weekend & will trip to Arizona State next."

Jabari Brown in the Nutmeg State this weekend

Oakland High's Jabari Brown will be in Storrs, Connecticut this weekend courtesy of Jim Calhoun and the Husky basketball program. This one is surprising considering the hot water Connecticut basketball is submerged in with the NCAA.

John Green visiting UC Santa Barbara

Gary Trousdale, the basketball director at Westwind Prep, just tweeted that John Green, formerly of Castlemont High, is traveling to Goleta:

   "6-6 John Green will miss tonights scrimmage. He is on official visit to UC Santa Barbara!"

Our Damon Harge article

PTW first saw a video of this young man and witnessed intriguing skills for someone so young. But we were more interested in who he was and what his family situation was like -- the story behind the story. Hopefully, those subjects were presented in the following article we recently penned:

NorCalPreps.com
September 23, 2010

Why can't the measure of our lives, even at any early age, exceed a single, simplified label? And what is it about the success of others that generates envy and animosity? Evolution notwithstanding, the need to compartmentalize remains a standard human definer while also too often does the want to witness the failure of others. Yes, 11-year-old Damon Harge Jr. is certainly a basketball phenom but also a grounded and sensitive youngster whose success engenders a minority inexplicably desiring to see him come up short.

A middle schooler at Modesto Christian School, Harge is relatively unknown. Yes, there was a recent six-minute video on him and some visits to various hoops camps but that's the extent of the media infiltration to date. Since nature abhors a vacuum, a sadly not unexpected tide of innuendo has since risen about yet "another robo-player" along with this being a redux of the "Bred To Be A Superstar" orchestration that produced Todd Marinovich.

Wrong.

Go here for the remainder.

For tape on the youngster, go here and here.

A Kyle odister update

From the Cal Poly athletics site:

Second-year Cal Poly men’s basketball head coach Joe Callero confirmed late Wednesday afternoon that...sophomore guard Kyle Odister will not be available for the 2010-11 season

Odister (Sacramento, Calif.), who averaged 7.8 points per game, shot 45.5 percent from three-point range and made 16 starts as a true freshman last season, sustained an ankle injury. Odister will return as a redshirt sophomore for the 2011-12 campaign.

The MLK Classic schedule is set

Ben Enos offers the matchups of the Martin Luther King Classic here and there are some good ones.

Tony Williams is at UC Santa Barbara

Capping our run on UC Santa Barbara hoops, we noticed that former Rocklin High backcourter Tony Williams is on the Gaucho roster. Due to the large number of players listed, our guess is that he is a walk-on at this point.

Pigtgybacking on our last post, TJ Taylor will become a Gaucho

Jimmy Durkin is reporting that Oakland High's TJ Taylor has give a verbal to UC Santa Barbara -- go here.

Bay Area players highlighted at UC Santa Barbara

Bob Williams and his UC Santa Barbara program have been stocking up on talents from the Bay Area and this preview highlights them:

Josiah Turner explains his decision

Sac High's Josiah Turner tells why he decided now and why UofA:

Sac High's Turner tells why he chose Arizona basketball
Bill Paterson
Sacramento Bee
September 22, 2010

A combination of a weekend visit that felt right plus the taxing grind of a lengthy recruiting process led Sacramento High's Josiah Turner to verbally commit to Arizona on Sunday.

The 6-foot-3 point guard, considered the 10th-best player nationally in the Class of 2011 by www.rivals.com, announced Sunday he would play for the Wildcats and second-year coach Sean Miller...

Go here for the remainder.

Who locally/regionally is on the Westwind Prep rosters

Gary Trousdale, Bobby Bossman and staff have decided the roster makeup of the two Westwind Prep squads and there are some local connections, two already known about but one new name.

On the White team roster are Kiwi Gardner (Manteca High)and John Green (Castlemont High).

Residing on the roster of the Blue squad is Jamal Ford (Sacred Heart Cathedral).

Here's the link.

The First Annual Central Valley Competition Clinic in early October

Here's an opportunity to shine:

1st Annual Central Valley Competition Clinic
Saturday October 9, 2011
@Porter Fieldhouse, College of Sequoias
Visalia, CA 
Noon to 6:00 p.m.

$60 PARTICIPATION FEE FOR INDIVIDUALS/$280 FOR TEAMS

OPEN TO INDIVIDUAL HIGH SCHOOL PLAYERS IN ALL GRADES (INCLUDING SENIORS), HIGH SCHOOL TEAMS, AND AAU TEAMS.

This event is designed to provide all players an opportunity to demonstrate their competitive skills to the college coaches, scouts, and media expected to attend.

This will be an intense teaching and exposure format where players will be put in highly competitive situations against top level opposition. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to compete against the best and set yourself apart.

Play against top level HS competition from Central California and other areas.

Get evaluated by the West Coast’s top scouts and, in addition, by college coaches in attendance.

Each player will receive “Competitive Drills” handout (these individual skill work drills will be taught in the clinic).

A report on the event will be included in the Hoop Review Scouting Report that will be sent to college coaches (and various internet sites).

Camp will be coordinated by Gerry Freitas, who has 21 years of coaching experience (18 at the four year level) and 18 years of scouting service experience. He is considered by many college coaches as the top scout on the West Coast.

** SIGN UP NOW BECAUSE SPACE IS LIMITED!!

CENTRAL VALLEY COMPETITION CLINIC REGISTRATION FORM (this application may be xeroxed)

Please fill out and send form and payment to:
Superstar Basketball PO BOX 2062 Tulare, CA 93275

A participation fee ($60 for individuals/$280 for teams) must accompany your application and be received by October 2, 2011. Please make cashier's check or money order payable to "Superstars Basketball". (no personal checks).

Name__________________________School_____________________

Home Address_____________________________________________

City___________________________ State_____Zip Code__________

Home Phone (      )_______________ Cell (      )_________________

E-mail____________________________________________________

H.S. Grad Yr._____________Height__________Weight____________

SAT Score______________ACT Score__________GPA_____________

School Coach______________________________________________

HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY

Health Insurance Co.________________________________________

Policy No.__________________Group No._______________________

I understand that any Central Valley Competition Clinic (CVCC) participant who does not abide by the rules, regulations and policies established by CVCC is subject to dismissal without reimbursement or recourse and I hereby waive and release the CVCC/NLCC & COS from any and all liability for any injury or illnesses while participating in the camp. I hereby authorize the directors of CVCC and COS to act according to their best judgment in any emergency if I cannot be contacted. I understand that each camp participant is required to have their own medical and accident insurance.

SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN:

CALL LEROHN DODSON AT 559-300-4243 OR CONTACT BY EMAIL @ LDod32@aol.com FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

The latest wooing of Jabari Brown

Jabari Brown will have Arizona State in on a home visit today followed by Georgia Tech coming in tomorrow. What's on the menu?

Gary Hill-Thomas now scouting for the NBA

Former Nevada and Bishop O'Dowd basketballer Garry Hill-Thomas has left his high school coaching position in Reno and is now working for the Timberwolves -- go here.

It was a weekend of commitments

Sheldon (Sacramento) High teammates Darius Nelson and Ramon Eaton will be playing their final season together in 2010-2011 as Nelson just committed to UTEP and Eaton to Pepperdine. Bill Paterson has the details here.

Here is a very frank ESPN evaluation of Nelson.

Here's the same for Eaton.

The biggest news of all was Josiah Turner saying yes to Arizona -- here's an ESPN article on that commitment. We thought Turner would be a Jayhwak.

Calling Jabari Brown...calling Jabari Brown...how was Seattle?

A Will Cherry update

Former McClymonds star Will Cherry enjoyed a solid freshman season at Montana and Mslacat offer this writeup in his 2010-2011 Grizzly basketball preview:

Will Cherry 6-1 (PG, SG)

As an All Conference honorable mention player and returning starter, as a true freshman, Cherry is the only player whom seems to already have a starting position locked down. The only question will be will he start at PG or SG spot. The rest of the back court will be built around Cherry, and the players who emerge as the best fit with him, will determine which spot he plays. My guess that given a choice Tinkle would prefer to start him at the shooting guard, but if Stockton cannot nail down a starting spot look for him to man the point guard spot, and one of the new players manning the shooting guard spot.

Juan Anderson in the Land of Quack

Castro Valley High's Juan Anderson is on a visit to Oregon this weekend. As of 10:30 a.m., the temperature in Eugene is 59 degree and, of course, it's raining. The Ducks host Portland State on the football field today.

A Max Hooper update

Max Hooper, formerly of Valley Christian and Mater Dai is doing a prep year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Here's a recent note on him:

"Max Hooper and Khalid McCaskill are two familiar names for New England fans. Hooper is a big time shooter who turned in what Coach Smith said “was the best shooting performance in the history of Brewster open gyms on Tuesday,” knocking down 13 of 15 three-pointers. "

A Josiah Turner update

Per Shay Wildeboor, Josiah Turner and his mother hosted Bill Self Monday night and that Turner will be visiting the Lawrence campus. No decision will be made until all Turner's officials are completed.

UCONN and Jabari Brown

Reggie Rankin is tweeting that Jabari Brown and family hosted UCONN last night. Lorenzo Romar came by earlier in the week. The former seems an odd inclusion considering the NCAA trouble Jim Calhoun is in, plus his health issues.

September 25-26 College Prospect Camps

Thousands of kids each year dream of becoming a college athlete; most never learn “what it takes” to achieve that dream. For kids who live in Northern California, now that dream can become a reality. Beginning in September 2010, Nor Cal Preps will offer the College Prospect Camp Series for high school and middle school student athletes.

The first in a series of camps (in various sports) will take place on Saturday & Sunday, September 25th & 26th at Hart Middle School in Pleasanton. The camp will begin at 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. each day.

It is for high school level boys in ninth through 12th grade.

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

To register for any of the camps, students or parents can go online here.

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

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.

Jabari Brown recruiting update

The Montlake Madness UW basketball site, has this information posted:

* "Jabari Brown will be in town for his official visit on September 18th for the Nebraska game at Husky Stadium. Some feel that he could very well commit on that visit. He is fielding in home visits this week with several schools including UW. Romar gets his in-home chance on the Thursday, the 9th. From everything I have heard, we are in good standing with Jabari and should have a great shot at landing him in the early recruiting period."

Remember Erik Rush?

Under Coach Steve Cain (who has now retired), Erik Rush enjoyed a very solid prep career at Milpitas High. He then signed with Montana State.

As a junior last season, the 6-foot-5 versatile swingman scored 11.1 points and grabbed 4.2 rebounds a game, playing 31 minutes a contest for the Bobcats.

Here's an analysis of Rush for the approaching season: "Put quite simply the most versatile player on the team. He can play all three back court positions and play them well. He has great combination size strength, athleticism, ball skills and the ability to score any where on the court that creates match up problems for opposing teams no matter where he plays. From what I hear he has had a great off season and looks like a beast this season. He will have a great season, but I think the key to having great statistical season that will earn him Big Sky honors may be narrowing his scope. I think if he has jump around between all three positions all season, he may not have the sparkling stats as other players but he will still be the team MVP."

Westwind Prep covers Kiwi

Westwind Prep/Gary Trousdale has Kiwi Gardner officially posted at it site -- here you go.

Let's hope Kiwi handles the academics -- it's worth noting he isn't listed as a 2011 prospect.

A John Tofi update

Remember John Tofi?

Currently, he plays in Belgium (he played for SF City in the San Francisco Pro-Am this summer) and went to college at UTEP after a storied high school career as a Riordan Crusader. Last season overseas, Tofi averaged 10.6 points and 4.1 rebounds a game in 27 minutes of play.

Here are a couple of photos of John's kids that we stumbled across when researching some information on one of his current teammates.

Tofi coached in 2008-2009 at Consumnes River College -- here is his bio from that season:

John Tofi, 24, is in his first year coaching at Cosumnes River College. A San Francisco native, Coach Tofi has exceeded his commitment to basketball and excellence by participating and excelling in various basketball programs. Tofi attended and played at Archbishop Riordan High School in 2000- 2002, where his team captured the California Division III state title in 2002. Along side with the Division title, Tofi earned first team All-State, All-League, All-Bay Area, All-Northern California Selection, and All Division III honors as a senior at Archbishop Riordan High School, he received a full scholarship to the University of Texas at El Paso.

Tofi became a major asset to the basketball program at UTEP. By the time Tofi graduated in the fall of 2006 with a double major in Business Management and Communications, his basketball accomplishments included capturing back-to-back WAC Championship titles (2004-2005), reaching the postseason three times (NCAA Tournament and NIT), joining an exclusive 1,000-point 800-rebound club at UTEP, being named team MVP (2002-2006), All-Conference Player (twice), Co-Freshman of the Year, named Southwest Regional Male Athlete of the Year by “What’s Up” magazine in 2006, and was an All-Tournament performer on four different occasions.

Tofi believes that the main aspects of a great basketball team and student athlete are teamwork, priorities, dedication, and hard work. His goal is to assure that each athlete makes a commitment and excels on and off the court.

Tofi lives in Sacramento with his wife Simalu Tofi and his two sons, John Tofi Jr. and Tommy Tofi.

Not really northern California related but...St. Mary's lands another talent

A backcourter out of Portland (and a good football prospect, too), 5-foot-11 Paul McCoy enjoyed a successful freshman year (13.4 points per game) at Southern Methodist. But his sophomore season wasn't all that productive (7.4 points per game) and also marred by an ACL injury.

McCoy left SMU and has finally turned up -- in Moraga. He will sit out the season at St. Mary's.

Credit Rush The Court (item #2) for developing this information.

Jeremy Russotti's North Bay's Finest Instructional showcase

Coming October 9-10, 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, respectively. 

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 11am-5:30pm.

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"; over looked 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 5 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."

Go here for the list of invitees.

Go here and click on the player registration button.

Jeremy Russotti's Sacramento Valley's Finest Instructional Showcase Event

From Jeremy Russotti, a northern California basketball skills trainer extraordinaire

It is that time of the year again for our 3rd Annual "SACRAMENTO VALLEY'S FINEST Instructional Showcase Event. The event will be on October 2-3 at Cosumnes River College, from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Because we are adding the Stockton/Tracy players to this event and traditionally get 90+ kids at this event already, we will be capping the event at 100 players on a first-come, first sign-up basis.

The showcase will involve elite level skill training in the morning session, followed by evaluated team games.

Here's the list of invitees -- invitations have been sent to the varsity basketball head coach at each high school.

More information from Jeremy's site:

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"; ove looked 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 INSTRUCTIONALSKILL 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 exposure games.

Not only will the event be endorsed by various 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 Sacramento Valley region 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."

Jeremy Russotti
Director SAC's FINEST
(707) 849-1212

Jeremy Russotti's 4th Annual "Central Cali's Finest" Instructional showcase

Coming October 16-17, 1% CLUB Basketball will be organizing the 4th Annual "Central Cali's Finest" Instructional showcase for the top 125 players of the Central Valley. The event will once again involve elite level skill training in the early sessions (11 am-2pm), followed by evaluated team games in front of lower level college coaches and recruiting analysts in the latter sessions (3pm-5:30pm). The cost is $85 if pre-registered before Oct. 15th. Walk up registration cost is $95. The event will once again be held and teamed up with the basketball staff at Fresno City College.

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 scholarships to the PAC-10 Conference. Ironically, both of them were never invited to any local or national so-called "exposure events," over looked 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 exposure games.

Not only will the event be endorsed by various 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 5 years ago. Also, there is a lot of talent in the Central California region 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."

On average, the CCF event includes around 115 players, ranging from Bakersfield to Stockton. Invitations will be sent to the Varsity high school coaches (or Athletic Directors) at the end of August. If your name is on the list and you haven't received a nomination letter from your varsity coach, please contact director Jeremy Russotti (707) 849-1212, or via email at info@1percentclub.org.

Here's the link to the list of invitees. 

Go here and click on the player registration button.

Seattle is a basketball hotbed

So how has Seattle developed into a fertile territory for top level high school, college and NBA ballers?

Here's a Sports Illustrated feature that covers just such territory -- who is replicating this in the Bay Area or northern California? Anyone?

Brand Of Brothers
Kelli Anderson
Sports Illustrated
February 22, 2010

 The first game of the Adonai Hood Classic basketball tournament is over, and the victorious alums of Rainier Beach High have retreated from the August heat into the subterranean locker room of their old rival Garfield High. New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson is searching for a particular tattoo on his sweaty and extravagantly decorated limbs. There it is: a 206 inked on his right wrist. Terrence Williams, the New Jersey Nets' most recent lottery pick, counters by showing off the Space Needle etched into his left forearm. Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford doesn't have a tattoo of either Seattle's area code or its most famous landmark, but, he says almost apologetically, "I do have a mural of Seattle in my house!"

Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry, Franklin High '95, strolls in to say hello before he joins a squad of his school's alums in a game against Garfield's. He thinks he might have started the branding craze. "One day I came home from college," he says, "and I had the 206 tattooed on my chest, and everyone was like, Oh, that's cool!"

The Hood Classic, a more-or-less annual alumni tournament among three Seattle inner-city public high schools and a nearby Catholic school, O'Dea, has no agenda other than to entertain friends and neighbors. There is no prize, apart from bragging rights. But the NBA players who are alums wouldn't miss it. Rockets guard Aaron Brooks (Franklin '03), whose tattoo of a 206 overlaying the Space Needle takes up most of his left arm, flew in from an endorsement appearance in China on the second day of the event. Jet lag be damned, he drove in straight from the airport to play in the second half of the Quakers' game against O'Dea. He entered the stifling gym in a baggy black-green-and-white uniform, waved to the crowd and then made a flurry of pinpoint passes and launched a cluster of cold-blooded bombs as fans oohed and the Quakers crushed the only team in the field without a player earning an NBA paycheck. Brooks, his eyelids drooping, stuck around for the three-point shooting contest before departing to grab a nap. "I am so tired," he told a friend as he left.

Such are the sacrifices you make when you belong to the hottest fraternity in basketball: hoopsters from the Emerald City. The Seattle area has 13 players in the NBA, tied for fifth among the country's metro areas even though it's only 15th in population. Instead of wearing letter sweaters, brothers display their affiliation on their skin, on their walls, even around their ankles. "Guys wear 206 socks," says Garfield point guard Tony Wroten Jr., who was a top five recruit in the class of 2011 until he tore his right ACL in September...

Go here for the remainder.

A Tyree McCrary update

Former Oak Grove High star Tyree McCrary first attended Pasadena Junior College and then returned home to San Jose City College. Now he is on scholarship at Adams State, a D-2 school in Alamosa, Colorado.

Max Pitts back in the Bay Area

Max Pitts is attending Las Positas College and working out with the team but it appears he still needs to do more rehab work before being ready to compete. We're pulling for the young man to get back on the court.

Here's a January 2009 article by Will McCullouch detailing Pitts' physical trials and travails.

Justin Standley, Damon Powell

We see that Justin Standley still appears on the Western Nebraska College roster but Damon Powell is not showing.

Standley moved from New Mexico State to WNC last December/January and a local basketball coach told us during the summer the last he heard was that Powell would be there too.

Let's hope Powell turns up locally and finally gets it going athletically and academically.

Year-to-year college scholarships being reviewed

We don't think we have previously posted this:

Are Athletics Scholarships Fair?
David Moltz and Doug Lederman
Inside Higher Ed
May 10, 2010 

Amid increasing federal scrutiny of college sports comes the latest salvo: the U.S. Department of Justice‘s inquiry into the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s scholarship rules.

The NCAA revealed the antitrust review in a brief statement on Thursday, but the Justice Department declined to confirm it, let alone offer any details about its nature. As a result, many legal experts and other potential commentators were wary of speculating too much about how the inquiry might unfold.

But the current and historical context surrounding the Justice Department review suggest that it comes at a significant moment for college sports. The antitrust inquiry comes amid more general questioning about collegiate sports by the federal government, on several fronts and from several sources. And unlike some previous antitrust challenges to NCAA policies and rules, the Justice Department's inquiry could cut right to the heart of college sports, potentially buttressing pleas from advocates for athletes' rights for better financial support for collegiate players.

The NCAA rule -- which states that athletically related financial aid should be awarded one year at a time, and limited to a total of five years -- has been around since 1973. It has long been a bone of contention for advocates for athletes’ rights, who have pushed for multiyear scholarships (at the very least -- many of them would prefer outright stipends or payments) to reinforce financial security and stability for college athletes...

Go here for the remainder.

Mike Lorente hired at Del Oro High

Bill Paterson of the Sacramento Bee is reporting that Del Oro High has hired Mike Lorente as its new boys basketball coach -- go here.

Jeff Goodman profiles New Hampton School, including three northern California players

Jeff Goodman offers a profile of New Hampton School (New Hampshire) and the boys basketball team which includes Sac High's Will Davis, Del Oro High's Aaron Hendricks and Turlock High's Travis Souza -- go here.

A Jabari Brown feature and one on Josiah Turner

At a new site (Cali High Sports), a feature on Jabari Brown has been posted. Go here for a good read.

Here's one at the same site on Josiah Turner.

Josiah Turner back from Louisville

Sac High's Josiah Turner has finished a visit to Louisville this week, with UCLA coming up next weekend. Kansas is his last official visit and that's the school for some time that we've been envisioning Turner at next season. Maybe we'll be proven right, maybe wrong -- we'll know in a couple of weeks, or possibly less.

A Royal Edwards update

Former Pacific, Yuba College and Capital Christian High star Rpyal Edwards, is now at D-2 Hawaii Pacific, joining fellow northern Californians Keenan Prince (Marysville High, Yuba College), Kyle Allen (Yuba College), Adrian Den Dulk (Ripon High).

Tyree Haynie headed to Big Sky Country

 From the Montana Standard:

Out of Chico, Tyree Haynie is a 5-foot-9 junior-to-be.

The 175-pounder is transferring in [to Montana Tech] from Butte College in Oroville, Calif. Haynie spent his high school career at Pleasant Valley High School where he led the team to a North Coast Section championship and the state semifinals his senior year, averaging 16 points and 8 assists per game.

After high school, he spent two years at Butte College. As the starting point guard he led the Roadrunners to 18-8 and 24-8 records. His sophomore year he led Butte to its first conference title in 13 years, averaging 10 points and eight assists per game.

"Tyree is an explosive playmaker that does an unbelievable job of creating for others from the point guard position," [MT Coach Aaron] Woliczko said. "He will bring an outgoing, winning personality that will help him develop into a great team leader on the court and in the community."

Here's an article from July that fills in more about Haynie.

Aaron Hendricks to New Hampshire

Del Oro High's Aaron Hendricks is headed to the East Coast. Bill Paterson of the Sacramento Bee is reporting that the 6-foot-1 backcourter will attend New Hampton School in New Hampshire -- go here for his story.

Jordan Richardson receives some press

Collegehoops.net is doing a team preview countdown and featured Weber State the other day. That's the school West High's Jordan Richardson signed with last season and here is what was written about the freshman:

"...Incoming freshman Jordan Richardson could find some playing time as well on a team that suddenly lacks experienced bodies to bring in off the bench in the backcourt..."

We wish good luck to Jordan.

A worthwhile read on youth sports

Here's a lengthy feature and a cautionary read on youth sports:

Children may be vulnerable in $5 billion youth-sports industry
Parents and athletes feel the pressure to compete at all costs
Todd Jones, Mike Wagner and Jill Riepenhoff
The Columbus Dispatch
August 29, 2010

Julie Fetty ripped through a laundry basket filled with baseball and softball uniforms at the same time her husband, Brad, donned a coach's shirt and scanned his smoldering cell phone.

The late-afternoon clock was bearing down on the parents, pressing them to get their four kids to four Hilliard locations to play four games - all starting between 6 and 7:45 p.m.

This was the grand finale of nine youth soccer, baseball and softball games for the family in a 20-hour period over two days.

"We are constantly on the run," Brad said. "Half of us at one place, half at another place..."

Go here for the remainder.