Other JC scores from last night

* Merritt College 82 - Napa Valley College 69

* San Jose City College 56 - Monterey Peninsula College 49

* City College of San Francisco 88 - Las Positas College 71

* Hartnell College 88 - Gavilan College 53

Foothill tops Skyline

Foothill 64, Skyline 50

Foothill College

Stephen (Serra High) Grosey 7 6-8 23 (three treys)
Brendan (St. Lawrence High) Carroll 5 2-3 14

Ohlone top Cañada

Ohlone 72, Canada 62

Ohlone College

Chris (Castro Valley High) Read 7 13-14 28
Casey (Newark memorial High) Norris 3 8-11 16
Henry McCarthy 3 4-4 10

Cañada College

Zayn (Valley Christian High) Kirkendoll 5 4-4 17
Peter (St. Thomas More) Hawkins 5 0-0 10

FCC notches another victory

From the Fresno Bee:  

The Fresno City College men's basketball team set the stage for a first-place showdown against College of the Sequoias by getting 21 points from Alex Perez in a 103-82 Central Valley Conference win over Columbia on Wednesday.

The state No. 12-ranked Rams (18-6, 6-0), who have won six straight heading into Saturday's 5 p.m. game against the No. 18 Giants in Visalia, jumped out to a 49-31 halftime lead and never looked back.

Fresno City's Olajuwon Garner scored 17 points against the Claim Jumpers (8-12, 3-3).

Marin smothers Mendocino

From the Marin Independent Journal: 

UKIAH — Josh Hayworth led three players in double figures to help guide the College of Marin men's basketball team to an 81-50 road victory against Mendocino on Wednesday night.

Hayworth scored 18 points for the Mariners (14-6, 7-3 Bay Valley Conference). Rashaad Allen scored 14 points and Marin Academy High grad Merlin Edwards scored 12.

COM led 36-18 at the half and didn't look back.

"It was a combination of that we defended and we had guys making shots," COM coach Dave Grannucci said. "We'd been struggling making a lot of shots so it was good to see numerous guys feeling good tonight — feeling comfortable, confident. Holding them to 18 in the half, 50 total on the road ... to do that is pretty impressive and shows how determined and focused our guys were to avenge a loss at home to them in overtime a month ago."

WV topples Cabrillo

From the Cabrillo College basketball site:

WVC too much for Seahawks 68-57......

The Cabrillo College Seahawks (14-7, 5-1) saw their 19 game Coast Conference South winning streak come to an end tonight at the hands of West Valley College (14-8, 5-1) 68-57 in Aptos. The loss snaps the Seahawks current six-game winning streak and now after the first round of Conference play the Seahawks find themselves in a first place tie with WVC at 5-1.

The first half was a three point shooting clinic by WVC's Chris Murry. He connected on six first half three-point baskets. Cabrillo was down at the half 35-27.

In the second half, Cabrillo couldn't get themselves on track and continued to struggle. WVC extended their lead to as many 11 with 11:00 to go. Slowly the Seahawks began to get some good looks at the basket and cut the lead to 2 at 48-46 5:04 to play. It was all WVC after that as they out played and out-hustled Cabrillo down the stretch to hold on for the win.

Phoenix Bills lead the Seahawks in scoring with 12 points. Colin Gruber and Dalton Noble each had 10 each.

Yuba by seven over CCC

The Appeal Democrat has the details of Yuba College's win last night over Contra Costa College.

Solano nabs one

From the Times Herald:

The Solano College men's basketball team beat Alameda, 84-76, on Wednesday in a Bay Valley Conference contest.

Mike McKinney had 22 points and LeQuan Gomes had 21 for the Falcons (8-13, 3-7). Jamarae Moss had 13 points and Corey Duran had 10.

Humboldt and Chico is on again

It's here -- the Humboldt State - Chico State  faceoff. Danny Penza has the details.

Burlingame wins again

Adam Hagazy covers Burlingame High's 78-61 defeat of Hillsdale High.

Bay Preps with, well, items from matchups around the Bay

Bay Preps fires out a buffet of scores and highlights from contests around the Bay last night.

Catching up with Tony Johnson

Jeff Caraska catches up with Tony Johnson, now a senior at Lafayette. How time flies.

Thank you Bill Paterson

Bill Paterson offers a fascinating human interest story centered around Capital Christian's Devon Jones.  There are so many important aspects contained in this piece.

The Sacto hoops scene from last night

Bill Paterson has an array of scores and snippets from games all over the Sacramento area.

The Bells are ringing

Darren Sabedra is all over Bellarmine basketball and the quarter that will go down in Bell history.

Serra wins again

Doug Benton/Nor Cal Preps was on press row for the Serra High victory over Riordan and he also offers player analysis.

Greg Crawford hearts Will Cherry

Yes, Greg Crawford is a Will Cherry fan:

Shame on Portland, Oregon, if the Stott Center is not sold out this Thursday. One of the best players ever in the Big Sky, Will Cherry will be in town with his league leading Montana Grizzlies. I know one things for sure, if not fans, there will be plenty of NBA scouts in the stands to watch Will Cherry. He is a tremendous player on both ends of the floor and as I have boldly predicted in past Crawford's Court, barring injuries, he will be a better pro than super Portland Trail Blazer rookie, Damian Lillard, also out of the Big Sky. Cherry is still flying under the radar as to his talent, but he will be a first round draft choice and is so much fun to watch. Get the kids together mom and dad, get down to Stott Center and see this future NBA super-star.

Meet Ivan Rabb

Jimmy Durkin goes feature length on Bishop O'Dowd's Ivan Rabb.

The Gaels hold on

USF gave it a battle with a strong second half last night but St. Mary's ultimately prevailed 67-63 on The Hilltop. De'End Parker finished with 12 points for the Dons while Gael center Brad Waldow concluded with a close to a double-double of 13 points and eight boards.

UTEP falls by six

It was UAB 78-72 over UTEP last night but McKenzie Moore enjoyed a strong effort for the Miners: 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocked shots.

Irvine over CP

UC Irvine bested visiting Cal Poly 52-45 via a strong second half last night with Anteaters Will Davis supplying nine points plus four rebounds and Chris McNealy going for eight and four. Drake U'u totaled eight points and eight boards for the Mustangs.

Manley plays well in loss to NIU

It was Northern Illinois by two over Kent State last night despite Devareaux Manley burying a trio of treys for the Golden Flashes.

Bay Preps on the WCAL Wednesday and Saturday

Bay Preps looks at the WCAL and what's upcoming.

JC scores from last night

American River 70, Diablo Valley 58

American River College

Brandon Hoston 4 2-2 13 (three treys)
Chris (Laguna Creek High) Carvin 4 3-9 11
Adaka Anumu 4 1-2 11
Jarvis (Antelope High) Watkins 3 5-6 11

Diablo Valley College

Mike (Monte Vista High) Harris 6 0-0 16 (four treys)
Damon (St. Elizabeth High) Jones 2 5-6 10

Other scores:

* Santa Rosa Junior College 97 - Cosumnes River College 74

* San Joaquin Delta College 70 - Sacramento City College 66

MJC over Sierra

From the Modesto Bee:

On the heels of their triple overtime victory Saturday, the Modesto Junior College men's basketball team rallied to beat visiting Sierra 85-83 Tuesday.

Tashawn Mabry scored 17 of his 20 points in the final 10 minutes and Mike Hill led all scorers with 28, scoring 17 in the second half.

Sierra didn't score in the final three minutes while the Pirates went on an 11-2 run to end the game. Modesto trailed by 22 points with 10 minutes to play.

"It was fun for me," coach Paul Brogan said. "The players didn't quit. A lot of times when you come back like that, you get within six or seven points and you can't get over the hump. We did.

"We were down 79-60 with six minutes left. Mike and Tashawn carried us."

Pogos Prunyanb scored 20 points for Sierra in the first half, including five consecutive 3-pointers. But he scored just two points in the second half.

 

A preps roundup from last night

Darren Sabedra reports on Palo Alto's latest win, and more.

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Damin Esper has the details of Salesian's triumph over El Cerrito. 

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Matt Schwab was present for the Deer Valley three-point win over Freedom.

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Bay Preps serves up the best collection of scores and more from last night.

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Danny Penza was on press row for Fortuna's takedown of McKinleyville up north.

Katz on the Gaels and the NCAA

Andy Katz updates the NCAA inquiry into St. Mary's hoops.

Taplin leads the Penguins

Host Dominican University fell 97-88 last night to Fresno Pacific despite a career high 24 points from Dominique (Oakland High) Taplin.

Welch making the most

Minnesota had its way with Nebraska last night as Julian Welch made the most of his time: two points and four assists in 11 minutes on the court.

Cherry living large in Missoula

Will Cherry is setting records and achieving milestones for Montana.

Danny Manning offers Baral

From the Westwind Prep twitter account: "Tulsa offers Westwind Prep's 6'4" guard Glenn Baral after attending practice last night. Baral has been on a tear since Dec. Another D1"

Meet Jimmy Herrera

It sure looked like a young Jimmy Herrera was soccer bound. Enjoying success in the world of the punt and the pitch, his future in that sport looked promising. But a once distant siren call of hoops became amplified, the volume only increased and eventually it was all-in with basketball for the now Associate Head Basketball Coach at Foothill College.

A Live Oak High, Gavilan College and UC Santa Cruz graduate with a Master's in Kinesiology from San Jose State University, Herrera was involved in a myriad of sports as a youngster. But soccer was foremost.

"It was my primary sport," he recalled. "I played on very good teams, one that won the state cup and I was selected to be a part of a travel team."

However, he declined.

His sophomore year in high school was still a mix of soccer and basketball. After that, it was strictly the latter.

Why?

"I really liked my junior varsity high school basketball coach and he and I moved up to varsity when I was a junior," Herrera explained.

He added, "it's easy to play basketball. All you need is a ball, there are plenty of courts around town. You can play with others or on your own. I found that more difficult with soccer."

However, it wasn't a unanimous decision.

Herrera remembered, "My Dad thought I was a better soccer than basketball player."

But it was like bringing home a guy or gal who doesn't necessarily enthuse parents -- it makes the attraction even stronger and, for Herrera, there was no turning back.

That decision resulted in him earning all-conference honors at every level of his participation.

But with his college playing days behind him, Herrera wanted to continue an affiliation with the sport.

He assisted for a year at his high school and another community college and got the bug from which there is no known antidote.

Impressed by the style of play and program at Foothill College, he set about pursuing a position there.

"Chris Shoemaker, my coach at Gavilan, made a phone call on my behalf and Coach [Shanan] Rosenberg gave me a chance," Herrera said.

Five years later, he is now the associate head coach.

What was the attraction?

"Coach Rosenberg develops a great culture and builds a team together. He has a set of values he sticks with and holds everyone accountable. In fact, he usually demands more from our best players. The icing on the cake is he's very knowledgeable leader. He knows the game of basketball better than anyone else I know, puts everyone in a position where the player can succeed and he is not afraid of change. I'm constantly learning something."

Continuing on, "Coach Rosenberg teaches more verbally than most coaches do. Coaches run drills a lot and let guys run through them. He'll stop everything and point out something, making it a great teaching point. Actually, a lot of what Coach Rosenberg does isn't really connected to basketball. It's more individual development because certain behaviors and actions have to be addressed for our players and team to reach full potential. It's tough for some guys."

But Herrera noted, "even some of the players who quit call back and say being at Foothill had a big influence in their lives."

It's also worth noting that everyone except two student-athletes currently have a 3.0 or higher grade point average.

So what does the future hold for Herrera?

"I'd love to get a full-time job teaching and coaching at a community college. Community college basketball is fun, dynamic and constantly changing. I enjoy having positive influences on the lives of young men."

As noted earlier, that is an aspect certainly appreciated even if time and distance is sometimes required. Society needs more Herreras and Rosenbergs today.

This week's Community College polls are out

State Poll

1.   San Francisco
2.   Saddleback
3.   Foothill
4.   Mt. San Antonio
5.   Santa Rosa
6.   Ohlone
7.   Sierra
8.   Riverside
9.   Chaffey
10. Los Angeles Pierce
11. Lassen
12. Fresno City
13. East Los Angeles
(tie) Antelope Valley
15. Yuba
16. Canyons
17. Ventura
18. Sequoias
19. San Joaquin Delta
20. Palomar
(tie) San Bernardino Valley

Northern California

1.   San Francisco
2.   Foothill
3.   Santa Rosa
4.   Ohlone
5.   Sierra
6.   Lassen
7.   Fresno City
8.   Yuba
9.   Sequoias
10. San Joaquin Delta
11. Cabrillo
12. Marin
13. Contra Costa
14. West Valley
15. Merritt

Others: Mendocino, Chabot, San Jose City

Aid needed for San Fran Preps

Hey, San Fran Preps needs a major infusion of cash -- can you help?

It would be more than a grand gesture for one of the established corporations or a newbie software company based in San Francisco to step up. Heck, how about the Warriors since they seem intent on coming to The City?

More on Sacto prep hoops

Joe Davidson catches readers up with a column of Sacramento area high school basketball notes.

Ex-DLS star Levesque honored

St. Mary's Beau Levesque has been honored as the West Coast Conference Player of the Week.

Williams leads Jackson State

Jackson State took down Arkansas Pine Bluff 82-67 last night with Christian (Sierra High) Williams leading the Mississippi-ians with 27 points (7-13 on trey attempts).

Edward Moore is the Times herald Athlete of the Week

Edward Moore of Bethel High is the Times Herald Athlete of the Week.

Artis still hurt

Dom Artis won't be playing during Oregon's Bay Area visit this week -- still injured. The timing is terrible for the fans who wanted to see him donning the green.

Notes on Nor Cal talents in the Big West Conference

Here you go with notes on some northern California players and how they are performing in the Big West Conference this season:

* D.J. Seeley (20.7) is currently second in scoring, Sammy Yeager (19.3) fourth and Kwame Vaughn sixth (18.1) -- all Titans at Cal State Fullerton.

* UC Riverside freshman Josh (Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Fox is sixth in rebounds at 7.0 a game while UC Davis' J.T. Adenrele (6.0) is 13th and UC Irvine's  Will Davis (5.8) 15th. Adenrele is also 14th in scoring at 13.6 an outing and shooting 57% overall while Davis sits at 60%.

* UC Santa Barbara's T.J. Taylor is first in the conference in assists with 6.9 per contest while Paolo (Central Valley High/Shasta College) Mancasola of UC Davis is second at 4.7. Vaughn and Seeley are both at 4.0

* Seeley is second in steals with 2.4 each time out on the court with Vaughn close behind at 2.3.

* In three-point shooting percentage, Yeager is connecting on 54% of his attempts, Taylor 48%, with both Peter Pappageorge of Long Beach State and UC Irvine's  Chris McNealy at 46%

* Will Davis is second in blocked shots with 2.7 a game with JT Adenrele at 1.3.

* McNealy leads in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.4) while Taylor owns the second spot at 3.2. Seeley sits at 2.8 with Mancasola at 1.9.

The MJC - DVC box score

From Saturday night:

Modesto JC 101, Diablo Valley 94 (three OTs)

Modesto Junior College

Tashawn Mabry 27 (four treys)
Brenden (Sonora High) Evans 17
Mike (Bullard High) Hill 13
Jeremy Alexander 13
Alex Rivera 11

Diablo Valley College

Mike (Monte Vista High) Harris 30 (four treys)
Damon (St. Elizabeth High) Jones 24
John (Fairfield High) Ocon 11

FCC still on top in CVC

From the Fresno Bee on a Saturday night game:  

Fresno City men extend unbeaten start in CVC hoops title chase

Alex Perez had 13 points to lead a balanced-scoring effort as the state No. 12- ranked Fresno City College men's basketball team squashed West Hills 80-59 to remain unbeaten in Central Valley Conference play.

Chris Sterling and Erwin Thomas-Hammock had 12 points apiece for Fresno City (17-6, 5-0), and Olajuwon Garner added 11.

De'Vonte Jenkins scored a game-high 22 points for West Hills (9-11, 3-2).

Bill Paterson's notes column

Bill Paterson writes about Bella Vista High Coach David Gonzalez, his young team and an apparent lack of need for sleep.

Johnson and Scott power Lafayette

Lafayette took down Lehigh Sunday 78-57 with the winner's northern Californian backcourt doing yeoman-like work: 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a pair of steal for Tony Johnson and Bryce Scott with eight points, six assists and five rebounds.

Kiwi is back

Kiwi Gardner is back from suspension and playing again at Midland College. That's good news.

Cherry leads Montana to victory

It was Weber State versus Montana Saturday night in Missoula with the Grizzlies triumphant 77-74 at the final horn.

Will (McClymonds High) Cherry finished with 28 points (15-16 at the foul line), six boards, four steals and a trio of assists for the victors.

Frank (McClymonds High) Otis paced Weber with 18 points (8-11 shooting) plus seven boards. Davion (Hayward High) Berry totaled 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Johnson shines

Missed this one: Fresno State fell 71-63 on Saturday night to Colorado State but junior backcourter  Tyler (St. Francis High) Johnson did his best for the Bulldogs: 23 points and four steals.

Lee with a prolific double-double

Casper College fell 88-81 to Western Nebraska which isn't a score necessarily on anyone's need-to-know bucket list but it's worth noting because Dominique (St. Mary High) Lee has busted out this season. Try 30 points and 15 boards for the Wyoming-ians in this one.

Other JC scores from last night

* Shasta College 76 - Siskyous College 68

* Fresno City College 80 - West Hills College 59

* Lassen College 71 - College of the Redwoods 63

Ohlone over Chabot

Ohlone 71, Chabot 53

Ohlone College

Chris (Castro Valley High) Read 7 1-2 15 (seven rebounds)
Henry McCarthy 5 3-6 13 (19 rebounds)
Warren Jackson 4 0-0 12 (four treys)
Casey (Newark Memorial High) Norris 3 4-4 12 (six assists)
Anton Miller 3 2-2 10 (seven rebounds)

Chabot College

Greg Brown 6 1-3 16 (three treys)
Damarius Jones 4 2-2 12
Jalan (Newark Memorial High) Rogers 4 0-0 11 (three treys)

Modesto JC wins a wild one

Three overtimes.

From the Modesto Bee:

Tashawn Mabry, the Modesto Junior College sophomore forward from North Carolina, turned in his signature performance for the Pirates Saturday night.

Mabry scored 27 points, including his team's first 11 points of the third overtime, during Modesto's thrilling 101-94 Big 8 Conference win over Diablo Valley at MJC Gym.

The Pirates (10-10, 2-4), who've won two of their last three, went heroic against DVC (11-9, 1-5).

Mabry's basket from close range with .8 seconds left in the second overtime drew Modesto even 82-82.

Modesto would have earned the win in regulation, but DVC's Mike Harris connected on a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force the first OT 66-66.

The Pirates eventually outscored Diablo Valley 35-28 during the extra time. Alex Rivera kept them alive with two free throws with 3.5 seconds left in the first OT to tie 74-74.

Dominican nabs another

From the Marin Independent Journal:

The Dominican University men's basketball team earned a key Pac West Conference victory on Saturday night by beating Notre Dame de Namur University 60-49.

The victory gave Dominican (10-8, 6-3) a season sweep and tie-breaking advantage against NDNU (5-12, 4-5) when it comes time to advance to the PacWest Championships March 7—9 at Azusa Pacific University.

Myles Carrillo had 14 points to pace the Penguins. It was only the second time in Carrillo's 69-game career he has led the team in scoring.

"We were in a rhythm early but they got us a little bit off balance," Dominican coach Booker T. Harris said. "Myles really looked for his shot in the second half and once he got going other guys started looking for him also."

Dominique Taplin led the Penguins' 42-25 rebounding edge with eight boards and Jammall Clark had seven

CSUSB by nine over SF State

Cal State University San Bernardino topped host San Francisco State 77-68 last night.

Brian (Diablo Valley College) Goins paced the victors with both 23 points (5-9 from long distance) and five assists.

James (Fremont High/Oakland) Albright went for a team-leading 18 points for the Gators.

The Tritons spear the Seawolves

Sonoma State and UC San Diego met up last night in Rohnert Park and it was the latter coming away with an 85065 victory.

Patrick (Bear River High) Scott paced the Seawolves with 22 points while Justin (Bishop O'Dowd High) Brue aided the Triton cause with 12 points and nine rebounds.

Chico State over Cal State East Bay

The Chico State Wildcats won 68-43 over visiting Cal State East Bay yesterday.

Wildcats athletics game reports.

Pioneer athletics game reports.

Humboldt wins down south

Lumberjack athletics offers the game report of Humboldt State getting past Cal State Dominguez Hills 57-54 last night in southern California.

Vincent powered St. Mary's triumphs

It was Gabe Vincent taking over as St. Mary's took down Lincoln High as Mark Godi reports.

Gordon bids adieu to SF

Jeremy Balan/San Fran Preps is all over Archbishop Mitty's final Aaron Gordon appearance in The City.

Bay Preps on high school games from yesterday

Bay Preps has its usual roundup of yesterday's HS matchups, including a Bellarmine College Preparatory 32-3 first quarter lead.

A Dylan Alexander update

Will Boor/Nor Cal Preps has an update on Weston Ranch High's Dylan Alexander.

The Beach over Irvine

Long Beach State powered past visiting UC Irvine 71-59 last night despite the Anteaters getting 18 points and 12 rebounds from Will Davis.

For the 49ers, Peter Pappageorge finished with 11 points and four boards in 22 minutes.

The Aggies win by seven

Host UC Davis handled UC Riverside 79-72 last night as J.T. Adenrele posted a 20 points/eight rebound line with guard Ryan Sypkens contributing 17 points and Josh Ritchart finishing with 13 points and five boards.

For the Highlanders, Josh Fox just missed a double-double with 22/9 and fellow frosh Tajai Johnson enjoyed nine points plus three rebounds in 18 minutes of court time.

The Hornets prevail

Sacramento State topped visiting Northern Colorado 79-72 yesterday behind 26 points from backcourter Mikh (Ohlone College) McKinney.

Bryan Metcalf game reports.

Pacific over the Titans

It was host Pacific 71-67 over Cal State Fullerton last night despite D.J. Seeley going for 23 points, Alex Harris 19 and Kwame Vaughn 13.

Anderson aids Marquette victory

In Marquette's 81-71 win over Providence at home, Juan (Castro Valley High) Anderson started again and put up nine points, three steals and a pair of rebounds in 15 minutes of action. His playing time was hampered by foul trouble.

Ashley keeps at it

It wasn't much of a game as Arizona handled USC 74-50 on Saturday but freshman forward Brandon Ashley contributed 11 points and seven boards in 25 minutes for the Wildcats.

Williams paces Wagner

Wagner went out on the road and had no trouble with St. Francis (PA) 81-56. In 21 minutes for the victors, Jonathan (CCSF) Williams totaled 19 points (8-10 shooting) and eight boards in 21 minutes of court time.

Sankey dominates stats sheet again

Mercer defeated host Lipscomb University last night 71-65 but, as usual, Khion (Newark Memorial High) Sankey was all over the stats sheet: 12 rebounds (eight offensive), seven points, four assists and a pair of steals.

The Peninsula triumphs

It was the Valley versus the Peninsula of sorts as Army took down American University 77-64 with Kyle (Archbishop Mitty High) Toth producing 12 points on 4-7 three attempts for the Cadets and the Eagles' Stephen (Serra High) Lumpkins enjoying a 21/10 double-double.

UCSB falls to Hawaii

Hawaii entered The Thunderdome and emerged with a 78-73 triumph against UC Santa Barbara. For the Gauchos, T.J. Taylor scored 11 points and passed for four assists, Nate Garth went for eights in the points and passes categories while Mike Bryson totaled six points in 14 minutes.

Moore producing big for UTEP -- last second shot

UTEP and East Carolina paired up in North Carolina and it was the Miners winning by one, 68-67. Now ensconced as a starter, McKenzie Moore totaled 17 points plus eight boards and he went 3-4 from long distance for the victors. Best of all, he hit the game-winning shot:

DeMuynck leads Prairie View to a home win

Prairie View won by a deuce, 74-72, at home versus Alabama State with Jourdan (Chabot College) DeMuynck earning a 17/11 double-double for the Texans.

Nor Cal guys aid Gaels success again

St. Mary's bopped Pepperdine 84-72 with contributions from a number of Nor Cal talents. Brad (Ponderosa High) Waldow went for 13 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots, Beau (De La Salle High) Levesque totaled 19 points plus five boards and Jordan (San Ramon Valley High) Giusti produced six points, three assists and three boards in 20 minutes of action.

Morris-Walker enjoys a solid game

Oregon State proved to be three points better than Washington State last night as freshman Langston Morris-Walker performed well for the Beavers with nine points and two boards in 21 minutes of play for Coach Craig Robinson.

Butterfield produces again

Utah State, with a depleted roster, lost to visiting Louisiana Tech 51-48 last night despite 16 points and 15 rebounds from Spencer (Yuba College) Butterfield.

McChristian filling the stats sheet

It was Idaho at home winning 74-70 over Texas San Antonio as former Yuba College backcourter Mike McChristian posted a line of seven assists, five points and four rebounds for the victors.

JC scores from Friday night

* Merritt College 85 - College of Alameda 82 (OT)

* Foothill College 64 - Canada College 46

* Skyline College 67 - Las Positas College 62

* Sacramento City College 93 - Cosumnes River College 70

* Mendocino College 68 - Los Medanos College 65 (OT)

* Sierra College 78 - American River College 66

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* West Valley 62, MPC 56

West Valley College

Chris (JFK High/Fremont) Murry 6 5-5 20 (three treys)
D'vaughn (JFK High/Fremont) Mann 6 7-12 19

Monterey Peninsula College

Adam (El Camino High) Myren 3 5-7 14 (three treys)

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* SJCC 72 - Hartnell College 64

San Jose City College

Aaron Armstead 8 3-3 20
Andre (San Leandro High) Russell 6 4-4 16
Bobby (Nimitz High) Gray 4 5-6 13

Hartnell College

Billy Giles 7 4-4 18
Kyle Baird 4 4-4 14
Brad Kohler 5 3-4 14

FRC 75 - SC 70

On Thursday, Feather River College proved to be five points better than Shasta College as Thomas Lawrence reports.

YC 71 - SC 59

The Appeal-Democrat provides the scoop behind Yuba College's takedown of Solano College.

SJDC 69 - SRJC 64

Mark Godi reports on San Joaquin Delta College's 69-64 victory over Santa Rosa Junior College.

COM 64 - NVC 47

From the Marin Independent Journal:

"A 19-point effort from Rashaad Allen, including three 3-pointers, led the College of Marin men's basketball team to a 64-43 Bay Valley Conference victory at home over Napa Valley on Friday. Troy Moses and Julian Williamson each dumped in 12 points apiece for the Mariners (13-6, 6-3). 

"We had a lot energy from the start of the game, we challenged our guys to get better and we did," COM coach Dave Granucci said. "We're not making a lot of shots, but we're defending, we're rebounding. I was really happy with the effort tonight."

The Storm (4-13, 1-8) got nine points each from D'Monte Britt and Sky Geerts."

Seaside High 64 - Salinas High 47

George Watkins reports it was Seaside High over Salinas High last night behind a strong 15-point effort from Ronnie Turner.

BP on Bay Area matchups from last night

Bay Preps offers a bevy of scores and games reports from last night's contests.

The Sacto games from last night

Bill Paterson has all the Sacramento area scores from last night and game snippets to boot.

Sheldon over PG by six

Sheldon High topped Pleasant Grove High 85-79 and Joe Davidson was on press row last night to capture the details.

The Yeager turnaround

Sammy Yeager is finishing out his college basketball career at Cal State Fullerton and Brian VanderBeek caught up with him for an interesting interview.

D.J. Seeley featured

Brian VanderBeek serves up a feature on Cal State Fullerton Titan D.J. Seeley.

Artis' foot hampering him

Oregon's Dom Artis is out with a foot injury.

An update of the Nor Cal players at UC Irvine

UC Irvine stands 10-10 right now, 4-3 in Big West Conference conference play

* Junior Chris (San Ramon Valley High) McNealy is second on the Anteaters in scoring at 9.5 points per game. He nabbing 3.2 rebounds an outing and sports a 52/16 assist-to-turnover ratio.

* Sophomore Will (Sacramento High) Davis is at 7.1 points and 6.2 rebounds a contest alongside a team leading 43 blocked shots, second in the league. He's shooting 60% which ranks fourth in the league.

* Sophomore Mike (Terra Linda High) Best is scoring 4.5 points and corralling 3.1 boards per matchup but is now medical redshirting this season

* Sophomore Travis (Turlock High) Souza is producing 3.9 points a night while shooting 58% from three-point range.

CalHiPreps State Stats Stars of the Week

Dublin High's JoJoMcGlaston has earned the top photo status in CalHiSports State Stats Stars of the Week for his 40 point performance against Miramonte High.

Moore leads Bethel

Jose San Mateo reports on Edward Moore's 27 point performance in powering Bethel High over Vallejo High.

The Hornets nab a true team victory

Bryan Metcalf reports on Sacramento State's win over North Dakota on Thursday night despite an unwelcome surprise just prior to the game.

Cal Maritime nabs another W

On Thursday night, Cal Maritime and William Jessup paired off and the former emerged with a 75-69 victory in overtime. Keven (San Joaquin Delta College) Campbell paced the Keelhaulers with 20 points. Keenan (Marysville High) Prince totaled 19 for the Warriors.

CM athletics offers a game report.

The Wildcats win

Courtesy of 11 basketball sandwiches and 51% shooting, host Chico State took down Cal State Monterey Bay 81-64 Friday night -- Luke Reid offers the details.

Humboldt falls by seven

Down in southern California last night, Humboldt State dropped a 77-70 close one to Cal State Los Angeles.

Lumberjack athletics has the game report.

Former Cosumnes River College wing James Tillman led the victors with 21 points.

CSUSB 78 - Sonoma State 71

Seawolves athletics has the game report of host Sonoma State falling 77-70 to Cal State University San Bernardino.

San Francisco State spears the Tritons

San Francisco State sent the UC San Diego Tritons packing after a 70-55 home court victory last night.

Gator athletics serves up the game report.

Ambrosini and Fortuna win

Nate Ambrosini exploded for 33 points in Fortuna High's victory over Arcata High as Denny Penza game reports. The junior nailed a quartet of three-pointers in reaching his total.

Weber loses but Berry, Otis and Richardson do their jobs

Weber State fell 79-74 last night (its first Big Sky Conference loss) but some Bay Area talents still performed well.

Davion Berry went for 24 points (6-8 on trey attempts and also added five rebounds to his line.

Frank Otis chipped in with eight points, six rebounds and two blocked shots.

Jordan Richardson contributed five points plus four assists.

A James Tillman update

James (Cosumnes River College) Tillman leads Cal State Los Angeles in scoring this season with 16.4 points per game. He's shooting 51% while also nabbing 3.2 rebounds a contest. The former Pioneer High talent has obviously adapted quickly to the jump in levels.

Another Aaron Gordon evaluation

Here's Eric Bossi on Aaron Gordon:

When you are ranked No. 6 nationally, it is awfully tough to be underrated. However, after another viewing of 6-foot-8 combo forward Aaron Gordon from San Jose (Calif.) Archbishop Mitty, it's hard not to think that he's just that.

There are still aspects of the game where Gordon needs to improve. The 17-year-old needs work with his jumper. He still needs to add a little bit of strength and he lacks the ideal size of a power forward or overall perimeter skill of a small forward.

That said, the positives about Gordon's game far outweigh the negatives and it also has to be understood that any examination of his game is done under an intense microscope because he's such an elite-level talent.

Here's what we know is not going to change with Gordon. He's always going to be a freaky athlete with great length and a non-stop motor. He's always going to be a high-level rebounder, big-time finisher around the rim and outstanding passer. We can reasonably expect that his ball-handling and shooting will continue to improve as they have over the past year. Also, it's hard not to take into account the fact that Gordon is the youngest of the elite-ranked players in his class and won't turn 18 until mid-September of his freshman year.

Because of all of that, it is fair to say that Gordon is a bit underrated at this juncture.

Lumpkins leads American

Stephen Lumpkins just missed a double-double with 17 points and nine boards as American University sunk Navy 72-49 last night

Harris leads Concordia to victory

Missed this from earlier: Tim (Valley Christian High) Harris enjoyed 17 points and three rebounds in 26 minutes of play during Concordia's 82-81 win over Vanguard on Tuesday.

Sankey keeps at it

Khion (Newark Memorial High) Sankey totaled eight points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals in Lipscomb University's 79-72 win over Kennesaw State last night.

Butterfield now leading the Aggies

Shorthanded Utah State lost last night to Texas Arlington 74-68 but Spencer Butterfield did his best -- try 23 points and 11 rebounds.

After the game, he went back to the court to practice his shooting.

Amazing.

Titans by seven over Davis

Visiting Cal State Fullerton beat UC Davis 95-88 last night with a number of Nor Cal talents on display.

J.T. Adenrele totaled 22 points for the Aggies with Ryan Sypkens contributing 18 on six treys.

For the Titans, D.J. Seeley finished with 32 points while Kwame Vaughn scored 20 and each passed for six assists.  Sammy Yeager provided 16 points plus eight boards and Alex Harris concluded with 10 points and six rebounds.

Ashley plays well but Cats fall

Arizona fell 84-73 to visiting UCLA last night but freshman Brandon Ashley contributed nine points, eight rebounds and a pair of steals in 24 minutes of play for the Wildcats.

Spartans fall despite Moor's play

Louisiana Tech took down host San Jose State University 76-54 last night but senior guard Aalim (St. Mary's High) Moor led the Spartans with both 14 points and four assists, all in 14 minutes on the court.

McChristian plays big

Idaho lost 78-73 to the visitors from Texas State last night but former Yuba College guard Mike McChristian finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Vandals.

Check out this UC Davis good cause

UC Davis men's basketball is hosting an event to raise funds to fight human trafficking.

A Josiah Turner update

Bob Gray reports that Josiah Turner is getting another opportunity up in Canada.

An Aaron Gordon evaluation

The Draft Express folks evaluate Aaron Gordon after a recent viewing:

Strengths:
-One of the most explosive athletes in high school basketball
-A highlight reel waiting to happen any time he steps out on the floor
-Very intelligent and mature player, despite his age
-Fundamentally sound. Makes the extra pass. Plays the right way. Good teammate
-Solid ball-handler, particularly in the open court
-Tremendous first step, which puts a great deal of pressure on the defense. Draws lots of fouls by simply attacking opposing big men in a straight line
-Can make an open jump-shot with feet set
-Plays extremely hard
-Very good rebounder. Boxes out. Puts an effort in on the glass

Weaknesses:
-Somewhat undersized for a power forward at 6-8
-Still needs to keep improving his skill-level offensively
-Not a knockdown shooter yet
-Shooting mechanics pulling up off the dribble still need work
-Doesn't have much of a post game
-Needs to continue to improve his ball-handling skills in the half-court

Outlook: One of the youngest players in his class. Appears to have significant upside still. Body should continue to fill out impressively. Already extremely productive despite some clear limitations, thanks to effort level, athleticism and smarts.

Sierra High defeat Kimball

Kevin Niendorf reports that it's now a 12-game winning streak for Sierra High as 23 points from Guillermo Nunez led to a 62-44 victory over Kimball High.

The Pride handle SPSV

Matt O'Donnell was on press row for Salesian's victory over St. Patrick St. Vincent.

Dominican bests HPU

Host Dominican University was seven better than Hawaii Pacific last night in winning 65-58.

Riordan tops SI

Jeremy Balan/San Fran Preps is all over Riordan's takedown of St. Ignatius.

Mitty by six over BP

Cameron Schott/Nor Cal Preps has the details of Archbishop Mitty's 73-67 double overtime win over Bellarmine Prep. Blair Mendy is back for the Bells and led his team with 17 points.

Bay Preps on scores from last night

Bay Preps offers a roundup of last night's games.

Meet Ilan Zur

Nor Cal Preps offers this look at Ilan Zur.

Other JC scores from last night

* Contra Costa College 63 - Solano College 53

* College of Marin 62 - College of Alameda 59

* City College of San Francisco 93 - Skyline College 54

FCC blasts Reedley

Madec gets 200th win with Rams as Fresno City rolls to hoops victory

Fresno City College made coach Ed Madec's milestone victory an emphatic one as well.

The Rams' suffocating defense held Reedley to 13 first-half points and their offense delivered six consecutive 3-pointers in the early going in a 98-59 victory that was Madec's 200th win at the school.

Erwin Thomas Hammock had his 21 points coming by way of seven 3-pointers and Fresno City easily overcame the loss of injured leading rebounder Junior Morgan (ankle).

Madec is 200-36 at Fresno City after going 83-38 at College of the Siskiyous in Weed.

"Very proud," Madec said. "Means a lot to me. I've had special kids that bought into our program and culture and it has been pretty magical." 

The state No. 12 Rams improved to 16-6 overall and 4-0 in the Central Valley Conference. The Tigers fell to 7-10 and 1-3.

Foothill six better than Chabot

Foothill 54, Chabot 48

Foothill College

Stephen (Serra High) Grosey 7 3-4 18
Jack (Archbishop Mitty High) Biebel 5 1-1 11

Chabot College

Damarius Jones 6 3-4 18 (three treys)
Greg Brown 4 2-5 10

The Dons beat the Jags by five

De Anza 82, San Jose City 77

De Anza College

Shaquille Gilbert 10 3-6 23
Nolan Williams 7 2-3 17
Denzel (Santa Teresa High) Copeland 5 4-4 15
Dawson (Castro Valley High) Johnson 6 0-1 13

San Jose City College

Bobby (Nimitz High) Gray 6 8-10 20
Aaron Armstead 5 2-2 15 (three treys)

Andre (San Leandro High) Russell 5 4-7 14

WV by 11 over Hartnell

West Valley 75, Hartnell 64

West Valley College

D'vaughn (JFK High -Fremont) Mann 11 4-5 26
Malek Kanaan 7 0-2 19 (five treys)
Chris (JFK High-Fremont) Murry 4 1-1 12 (three treys)

Hartnell College

Billy Giles 9 3-6 22
Michael Salazar 4 2-2 11

LMC over Napa Valley

Los Medanos 70, Napa Valley 53

Los Medanos College

Nick (Freedom High) Blount 9 1-1 25 (six treys, 11 rebounds)
Drew (Antioch High) Cones 3 3-4 11
Patrick (Mt. Diablo High) Lefiti 5 3-6 13
William (Live Oak High) Leeks 3 5-7 11 (13 rebounds)

Napa Valley College

Kameron (Windsor High) Kiech 5 1-2 13
Sam Howell 5 0-0 11

Cañada wins by six over LPC

Cañada 71, Las Positas 65

Cañada College

Marquis (Fremont High - Oakland) Glenn 5 6-6 16
James (St. Francis High) Osorio 4 1-4 11
Rashad (Franklin High) Brackeen 3 3-4 10

Las Positas College

Kapunohu (Hayward High) Sweetwyne 4 8-9 17
Booker (Berkeley High) Shabazz 4 4-6 14
Steven (College Park High) Cazeres 4 3-5 14 (three treys)
Jacob (Amador Valley High) Contreras 4 0-0 11

Yuba a trey better than Merritt at the horn

From the Appeal-Democrat:

Trailing late once again, the Yuba College men's basketball team found yet another way to rally back.

Chris Smith scored 17 points, Gary Melvin added 16 more and the 49ers overcame a 16-point deficit in the second half to earn a hard-fought 77-74 Bay Valley Conference victory over Merritt College in Oakland on Wednesday night.

"Don't ask me how, but this team keeps doing it," said Yuba coach Doug Cornelius, who praised associate head coach Ken Griffin for the win. "I've been out the last two days with the flu, so a lot of credit goes to Griff for getting these guys ready to go."

Akachi Okugo chipped in with 10 points and six assists, Achoki Moikobu had nine points and six assists and Jeremy Bubier dropped in eight points and came down with nine rebounds for Yuba (14-6), which trailed by 12 points at halftime.

Cabrillo by six over MPC

From the Cabrillo College basketball site:

 Cabrillo sneaks by MPC 64-58

The Cabrillo College Seahawks (14-6, 5-0) won tonight but it was not easy as Monterey Peninsula College (6-13, 1-3) pushed the Seahawks to the end. The Seahawks jumped out to an early lead 10-2 and then 15-6. MPC quickly went to work and cut into the lead and tied the score at 19 with 6:27 to go in the first half. The score went back and forth as no team enjoyed more than a three point lead. Cabrillo lead at the half 38-35.

The second half was much like the first as the Seahawks jumped on MPC quickly and went up 11 in the half. MPC refused to go away as they kept grinding away at the Seahawks. MPC was up 55-53 with 5:05 to go. Cabrillo went on a 6-0 run with a short bank shot by Colin Gruber and consecutive layups by Jake Harrell to put the Seahawks up 59-55 with 2:01 to go. MPC hit a big 3 pt. shot to cut the lead to 1 but the Seahawks made critical free throws down the stretch to hold off MPC 64-58.

Dalton Noble lead all scorers with 24 points on five three-point shots. Colin Gruber scored 20 points and Phoenix Bills chipped with 10.

Here's a game report from David Greenberger/Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Checking out Cal State East Bay hoops

Matt Schwab looks at the 2012-13 Cal State East Bay Pioneers.

Newark tops Washington

Jimmy Durkin reports on the Newark Memorial High 47-36 win over Washington High.

Let's get physical

Glenn Reeves writes about boys prep basketball going all Olivia Newton-John.

The Aztecs conquer the Wolf Pack

San Diego State handled host Nevada 78-57 with Chase Tapley providing 17 points plus four assists. Xavier Thames was back and totaled eight points (2-3 from long distance) in 20 minutes of action.

Scott and Johnson power Lafayette

Lafayette took down Holy Cross 63-53 with two Nor Cal talents aiding in the victory -- freshman Bryce (Oak Ridge High) Scott totaled 16 points, four assists plus four rebounds while senior Tony (Folsom High) Johnson scored 15 points and passed for four assists

Points are down

Jake Curtis takes a look at various numbers in college basketball.

Parker Farris totals 25 /// Nate Ambrosini scores 23

Neil Tarpey game reports the McKinleyville High's 70-66 victory over Hoopa Valley as Parker Farris totaled 25 points on a bevy of treys.

Plus, powered by 23 points from Nate Ambrosini, Fortuna High topped South Fork 61-42.

JC scores from last night

* San Joaquin Delta College 83 - American River College 67   
   
* Sierra College 83 - Cosumnes River College 70   

* Diablo Valley College 89 - Sacramento City College 84   

Santa Rosa JC handles Modesto

From the Modesto Bee:

SANTA ROSA 92, MJC 74 — The Pirates netted 15 triples but, outmatched near the basket, were overpowered by the No. 2-ranked Bear Cubs.

Guard Mike Hill accounted for five of the 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for Modesto (9-9, 1-4). Santa Rosa (17-4, 5-0), winner of nine straight, limited forward Brenden Evans to only six points, however, and feasted on 18 of 27 free throws. "They took away everything from us inside," MJC coach Paul Brogan said. "We had no choice but to shoot from outside."

Point guard Alex Rivera picked up 12 points for the Pirates and Tashawn Mabry hit for 10.

Read more here: http://www.modbee.com/2013/01/22/2544580/santa-rosa-sweeps-mjc.html#storylink=cpy

A Bay Preps roundball roundup

Bay Preps offers a boys basketball roundup, including the 40-point explosion from Dublin High's JoJo McGlaston.

Mitch Stephens reflects on what he saw the past few days

Mitch Stephens looks back at some of this past weekend's games and players.

Bethel High over Benicia

It was Bethel High by 10 last night over Benicia High as Thomas Gase reports.

Brown aids Missou win

Missouri handled visiting South Carolina 71-65 last night with Jabari Brown scoring 17 points and grabbing seven boards.

The Aztecs need their X-man

Xavier Thames, actually the absence thereof, is the topic of Mark Ziegler's latest on San Diego State basketball. Liked this especially:

“So many things that are non-statistically labeled,” [San Diego State Coach Steve] Fisher said. “He’s our best help defender. He’s always in that gap so if you get beat, he doesn’t let you get beat, and he’s still able to get back to his man. He saves us two or three baskets a game by being on the floor defensively.

Jordan Richardson noticed

Jonathan Reed writes about the under-appreciated talent in the Big Sky Conference and includes this:

- Jordan Richardson (Weber State) - After the departure of Damian Lillard to the NBA, much of the Weber State PG talk was about Gelaun Wheelwright, the talented sophomore. But quietly, Richardson has been excellent. He is making 49% of his threes, and leads the conference in assist to turnover ratio. Not bad.

This week's community college polls

State Poll

1.   San Francisco
2.   Saddleback
3.   Santa Rosa
4.   Antelope Valley
5.   Foothill
6.   Ohlone
7.   Sierra
8.   Mt. San Antonio
(tie) East Los Angeles
10. Riverside
11. Lassen
12. Fresno
13. Chaffey
14. Los Angeles Pierce
15. Yuba
16. Canyons
17. Sequoias
18. Ventura
19. Cabrillo
20. Palomar

Northern California Regional Poll

1.   San Francisco
2.   Santa Rosa
3.   Foothill
4.   Ohlone
5.   Sierra
6.   Lassen
7.   Fresno
8.   Yuba
9.   Sequoias
10. Cabrillo
11. Marin
(tie) Contra Costa
13. San Joaquin Delta
14. Merritt
15. West Valley

Others: Cosumnes River, Chabot

A CRC basketball update

The latest from Nicholas Podesta, Cosumnes River College Sports Information Officer/Assistant Men's Basketball Coach:

Hawks win three straight, host #8 Sierra tonight

Coming into league play, the Cosumnes River College men’s basketball team was looking every bit the part of a young and inexperienced team. They had shown flashes of brilliance at times throughout the preconference schedule, picking up a big win over regional power Yuba College, as well as taking their own Clark Classic championship title. However CRC limped through much of December, as their inexperience cost them a few tight ballgames against veteran teams, recording a 7-8 record heading into Big 8 play. After dropping a close game to Delta to kick off the Big 8 schedule, Cosumnes River has rebounded in a big way, rolling off three straight victories to play their way into second place in the Big 8 standings.

This past Friday, the Hawks played some of their best basketball of the season over a 25 minute stretch, defeating Diablo Valley College on the road 87-84 in overtime. CRC began the game with their worst half of the season, shooting below 25% and only recording five field goals, as DVC took a commanding 32-12 lead into the half.  Head Coach James Giacomazzi challenged his players pride during halftime, and the youthful Hawks responded in a big way, scoring an outstanding 61 points in the second half, and playing to a 73-all tie to end regulation. The hot shooting Hawks continued their steady play from the perimeter, and behind freshman guard Rodney Cook’s (Bethel HS/Vallejo) 18 point-six assist effort, took a narrow 87-84 victory over DVC. Sophomore Charles Standifer (Capital Christian HS/Sacramento) also chipped in 17 points, while contributing five rebounds, five assists and a steal.

The victory followed a pair of home wins for the Hawks the previous week, as CRC defeated both American River College and Modesto Junior College handedly. Last Tuesday, the Hawks took a double-digit lead into halftime, before the Beavers’ hot shooting brought them to within three. The run would be too little, too late however, as Cosumnes River rallied again to put away the Beavers 83-70. Charles Standifer led all scorers with 26 points, while also adding six rebounds and a team high six steals. Freshman guard Justin Barrels (Central HS/Fresno) also contributed 18 points, including three three-pointers for the Hawks. CRC knocked off visiting Modesto Junior College the previous Friday at home to kick off the winning streak, as the Hawks beat the Bucs 76-69.  Barrels led all Hawk scorers with 23 on the strength of four trey’s, while also snagging eight rebounds. Veteran Charles Standifer recorded a double-double on the evening, scoring 19 points while contributing 12 rebounds. Standifer also collected a pair of steals in the effort.

The streaking Hawks (10-9; 3-1) begin the week in a tie for second place in the Big 8 conference, and will host #8-ranked Sierra College of Rocklin (12-5; 3-1) tonight at 5:30.  Cosumnes River will close the week this Friday against crosstown rival Sacramento City College (6-8; 1-3).

Short shorts?

Okay, some team started or at least was first with the trend, now norm, of long basketball shorts. Then such became the standard.

Will this ever be displaced, say by returning to the short shorts?

The autonomic response is no, or hell no, but remember the same thing was said when the long shorts first appeared.

A salute to Chico Averbuck

Missed this from earlier: Bob Padecky writes about the good works of Chico Averbuck

The telling paragraph: "You believe in the greatness of every one of your players,” said Averbuck, repeating Locke. “You put each player in the best position each day to be successful, both mentally and physically. If you do that, you have done your job. You make them feel good about themselves and their game.”

Bill Cartwright to Japan

Former Elk Grove star Bill Cartwright is still in the game -- he'll be coaching in Japan. Here's more.

Remember John Bryant?

Former Santa Clara center John Bryant is, well, living and playing large in Germany as Wendell Maxey writes.

Prep games roundup

Mitch Stephens checks in with coverage of the MLK Classic.

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Bay Preps is all over the high school scene.

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Benicia's Derek Johnstone is honored as Player of the Week by the Jose San Mateo/Times-Herald.

Nor Cal Gaucho talents

So how are the northern California talents at UC Santa Barbara doing?

* Senior point Nate Garth is at 5.4 points, shooting 41%, 38% and 81%, alongside 3.8 assists per 21 minutes a game. He has 11 starts.

* Sophomore point  TJ Taylor is at 4.5 points, shooting 49%, 46% and 1.000%, alongside 3.7 assists per 21 minutes a game. He has four starts, all in the last quartet of games.

* Freshman two guard Michael Bryson is at 5.3 points, shooting 28%, 27% and 74% per 22 minutes a game. He has 11 starts.

* Freshman wing John Green is out injured this season.

* Freshman forward Drew Dickey, a walk-on, has yet to play

Free at last! Free at last!

This is the most important and relevant post today.

The NFL versus the NBA

Why do so many National Football League draftees, even beyond the first-round selections, play immediately with some even starting while very few National Basketball Association first-rounders ever get on the floor quickly, let alone even make the team?

Granted, there are 22 football starting spots to fill versus five, sixty something as opposed to 15 regarding roster size. But the NBA is also drafting internationally.

Go to the numbers

In 2011, the usual amount of 60 players were selected. The breakdown:

* 19 seniors
* 14 juniors
* 7 sophomores
* 7 freshmen

So almost a fourth of the draftees were underclassmen which, outside of Anthony Davis --  helps explain the playing time conundrum, at least to a degree. 

Additionally, there were 12 international selections plus one was a D-League player.

Round One:

1.   Kyrie Irving       
2.   Derrick Williams
3.   Enes Kanter   
4.   Tristan Thompson       
5.  Jonas Valanciunas       
6.   Jan Vesely       
7.   Bismack Biyombo       
8.   Brandon Knight       
9.   Kemba Walker       
10. Jimmer Fredette       
11. Klay Thompson       
12. Alec Burks       
13. Markieff Morris       
14. Marcus Morris       
15. Kawhi Leonard       
16. Nikola Vucevic       
17. Iman Shumpert       
18. Chris Singleton 
19. Tobias Harris       
20. Donatas Motiejunas       
21. Nolan Smith       
22. Kenneth Faried       
23. Nikola Mirotic   
24. Reggie Jackson       
25. Marshon Brooks       
26. Jordan Hamilton       
27. JaJuan Johnson       
28. Norris Cole       
19. Cory Joseph       
30. Jimmy Butler

Halfway through the first round, the attraction of the remaining players still available diminishes to one-dimensional skill sets, which raises the indictment alarm.

Round Two:

1.   Heat F Bojan Bogdanovic, Bosnia-Herz. (Traded To T-Wolves)
2.   Cavaliers F Justin Harper, Richmond (Traded To Magic)
3.   Pistons F Kyle Singler, Duke
4.   Wizards G Shelvin Mack, Butler
5.   Kings F Tyler Honeycutt, UCLA
6.   Nets C Jordan Williams, Maryland
7.   Clippers F Trey Thompkins, Georgia
8.   Rockets F Chandler Parsons, Florida
9.   Bobcats F Jeremy Tyler (Traded To Warriors)
10. Bucks F Jon Leuer, Wisconsin
11. Lakers G Darius Morris, Michigan
12. Pacers F Davis Bertans, Latvia (Traded To Spurs)
13. Bulls G Malcolm Lee, UCLA (Traded To Timberwolves)
14. Warriors G Charles Jenkins, Hofstra
15. Hornets C Josh Harrellson, Kentucky (Traded To Knicks)
16. Lakers G Andrew Goudelock, Charleston
17. Clippers G Travis Leslie, Georgia (Traded To Trail Blazers)
18. Hawks C Keith Benson, Oakland
19. Grizzlies G Josh Selby, Kansas
20. 76ers F Lavoy Allen, Temple
21. Trail Blazers G Jon Diebler, Ohio State
22. Pistons F Vernon Macklin, Florida
23. Magic G DeAndre Liggins, Kentucky
24. Cavaliers F Milan Macvan, CRO
25. Celtics G E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
26. Lakers F Chukwudiebere Maduabum, NGA
27. Mavericks F Targuy Ngombo
28. Lakers F Ater Majok
29. Spurs G Adam Hanga, HUN
30. Kings G Isaiah Thomas, Washington

The second round selections are typically guys with major holes in their respective games.

So as a whole, how many of the NBA draftees are on the road to stardom? Better yet, how many are even in the playing rotations for their teams?

Is it that physical talents alone can be utilized on a much more quicker basis on the gridiron than the basketball court?

What else?

Recruiting Is An Art, Not A Science

The headline above says it all -- a read about a rose among the weeds.

More on UC Davis' win in the islands

Raphielle Johnson highlights the play of UC Davis in Saturday's victory over host Hawaii.

The Turners lead Seaside over Alvarez

George Watkins covered the successful return of the Brothers Turner to Alvarez High. Mitch Wood posted a 17/15 double-double despite the defeat.

Bay Preps on today's contests

Bay Preps is all over the myriad of games taking place today.

MLK basketball games in Berkeley

Joe Davidson previews the MLK basketball event at Haas Pavilion today.

On Saturday, Cal State East Bay dropped one against UC San Diego, 69-60. Steve Connolly offers a game writeup.

Gabe (Fremont High/Oakland) Kindred led the Pioneers with 20 points. Nick (Rodriguez High/Las Positas College) Marshall and Jacari (St. Joseph Notre Dame) Whitfield contributed 15 and 14 respectively.

Lee aids in Caper's latest win

Casper College had no trouble with its latest opponent, taking down Northwest College 99-72. Dominique (St. Mary's High) Lee totaled 18 points plus five boards for the victorious Thunderbirds.

Artis with national attention

From SI's Seth Davis:

Freshman of the Week (Tie): Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis, Oregon

They sure don't make freshmen like they used to. Dotson and Artis have started in the backcourt for the Ducks all season, yet you would never know how inexperienced they are. Playing a road game against a ranked conference opponent on national television, Dotson and Artis showed maturity well beyond their years, combining for 25 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals and three turnovers in a 76-67 win over UCLA. The duo also combined for 26 points in a win at USC last Thursday. The most amazing thing about these two has been their consistency. The 6-5 Dotson, who was the more heralded of the two coming out of Findlay Prep in Las Vegas, excels at creating his shot, old-school style. He leads the Ducks in scoring at 11.0 points per game and has made 48 percent of his shots. Artis, a 6-1 point guard from Oakland, is averaging 10.3 points per game, but he has failed to score in double figures just four times.

SSU by four over HSU

Humboldt State and Sonoma State went down to the proverbial wire before the Seawolves triumphed 62-58 in a game played in Arcata. Here's the game report from the Lumberjacks perspective and then the Sonoma State side.

Chico has a game to forget

Chico State had a burn-the-tape game Saturday night in falling to Cal State Dominguez Hills 67-41. Injuries are kicking the Wildcats' butt right now but none are the season-ending type so those guys will be back and playing.

JC scores from last night

* Contra Costa College 79 - Merritt College 73   

* Butte College 61 - College of the Redwoods 59


Ones we missed from Friday night:

* City College of San Francisco 86 - Cañada College 64

* Santa Rosa Junior College 80 - American River College 72

* Cosumnes River College 87 - Diablo Valley College 84 (overtime)

SJCC by eight

San Jose City 69, Gavilan 61

San Jose City College

Bobby (Nimitz High) Gray 1 15-18 17
Aaron Armstead 5 7-8 17
Andre (San Leandro High) Russell 2 9-10 13

Gavilan College 

Matt Johnson 5 2-4 16 (four treys)

LMC by seven

Los Medanos 78, Alameda 71

Los Medanos College

Drew (Antioch High) Cones 10 5-5 32 (seven treys, five steals)
Nick (Freedom High) Blount 5 4-5 17 (three treys)
Patrick (Mt. Diablo Valley High) Lefiti 3 3-7 10,

College of Alameda

Devin (Oakland Tech) Crear 6 0-0 16 (four treys)
Antonio (San Leandro High) Austin 5 2-2 13
Harold (Pinole High) Perry 6 0-0 12

MJC handles Sac City

From the Modesto Bee:

PIRATES WIN — The Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak, thanks to Mike Hill's 32 points and Brenden Evans with 20 (18 during the second half) to beat Sacramento 91-73. Modesto opened with a 14-1 run, trailed 51-50 with 13:55 left and pulled away.

"We came out with a purpose and played together," MJC coach Paul Brogan praised.

Tashawn Mabry contributed 10 points for MJC (9-9, 1-3), which drilled eight 3-pointers and 17 of 19 free throws.

MC seven better than EC

Doug Benton/Nor Cal Preps has the details of Modesto Christian's 67-60  victory over El Cerrito High.

Yuba tops Marin

It went into overtime before Yuba College emerged last night with a 79-65 win against College of Marin -- the Appeal-Democrat reports.

Meet Max McKone

Dave Curtis serves up a feature on Max McKone of Novato High.

A high school roundup of last night's games

It was Deer Valley falling by five to Sheldon High, 97-92, as Joe Davidson reports. Washington commit Darin Johnson exploded for 42 points.

Howard Senzell was on press row for the Analy victory over Piner.

Bay Preps also check in with a roundup of last night's games.

The Gauchos by two over the Mustangs

UC Santa Barbara held off Cal Poly 83-81 in overtime last night with point Nate Garth goping for 13 points and eight assists, Michael Bryson putting up 10 points plus five rebounds and T.J. Taylor passing for five assists.

Weber over Sac State

It was host Weber State over Sacramento State 68-56 yesterday. Frank Otis went for 12/7 while Jordan Richardson totaled nine points plus four assists for the victors. Konner Veteto went for 16 points and eight boards for the Hornets

Fox and Johns aid the Highlanders over the Anteaters

Josh Fox had a 10/10 double-double and Taylor Johns contributed 5/5 in 15 minutes of court time as UC Riverside took down UC Irvine 68-58 last night. All Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep fans should be proud.

The Aggies win one in the islands

UC Davis got a trip in to Hawaii and a win in downing the Islanders 83-72 last night. JT Adenrele just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Sankey does it again

Stetson took down Lipscomb last night 85-69 but Khion Sankey still performed his usual amount of stats-stuffing with 10 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Artis aids in Duck win in Pauley Pavilion

Oregon can boast of a 15-2 overall record plus a 5-0 one in the Pac-12 as the Ducks downed UCLA yesterday 76-67. Freshman point  Dom Artis, who at one point was going to become a Bruin, contributed 14 points, six assists and three boards to the winning cause.

Williams' effort not enough

Wagner fell to Bryant University 82-59 yesterday despite the Seahawks getting 17 points and nine boards from Jonathan Williams.

Lumpkins' double-double not enough

Holy Cross powered past American University 79-60 yesterday despite a 17 point/11 rebound double-double from Stephen (Serra High) Lumpkins.

LB State 81, Fullerton 71

The 49ers of Long Beach State proved to be 10 points better yesterday than Cal State Fullerton, 81-71.  D.J. Seeley produced 17 points plus nine rebounds for the Titans alongside Sammy Yeager's 17 points and seven boards. But Long Beach State owned the boards against much smaller Fullerton 45-28.

Foothill by a deuce

Foothill 51, Ohlone 49

Foothill College

Brendan (St. Lawrence High) Carroll 5 8-9 22 (four treys)

Ohlone College 

Chris (Castro Valley High) Read 6 8-11 20
Henry McCarthy 5 6-7 16

Chabot handles LPC

Chabot 88, Las Positas 69

Chabot College

Damarius Jones 11 4-4 32
Greg Brown 4 6-8 17

Las Positas College

Booker (Berkeley High) Shabazz 8 2-3 19
Julian (Bishop O'Dowd High) Redmon 5 1-2 15

De Anza by one over WV

De Anza 48, West Valley 47

De Anza College

Nolan Williams 3 4-6 13 (three treys)
Dawson (Castro Valley High) Johnson 4 3-4 11
Shaquille Gilbert 3 4-6 10

West Valley College

Chris (JFK High/Fremont) Murry 7 0-0 18 (four treys)
D'Vaughn (JFK High/Fremont) Mann 6 1-4 13

Cabrillo outlasts Hartnell, win 63-60

From the Cabrillo College basketball site:

The Cabrillo College Seahawks held on tonight to beat Hartnell College in Salinas 63-60. Cabrillo (13-6, 4-0) jumped out early on the Panthers tonight only to have Hartnell (8-9, 2-1) storm right back and tie the game at 19 with 6:13 to go in the half. Cabrillo went into the locker room up 31-28.

In the second half, it was the Colin Gruber show as he scored 20 of his game high 24 points. The Seahawks jumped all over Hartnell as they extended their lead to as many as 12 midway through. However, Hartnell would not go away and slowly kept creeping their way back into the game. The Seahawks managed to hold them off connecting on their free throw attempts down the stretch to win the game.

Colin Gruber lead all scorers with 24 points. Dalton Noble and Phoenix Bills scored 9 respectively. CJ Grigg and DK White each scored 8 as well.

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 Kyle Baird led Hartnell with 20 points while Billy Giles finished with 16. Mitch Johnson and Brad Kohler each had nine for the Panthers.

 

Nor Cal prep scores and writeups from Friday night

Glenn Reeves writes about Burlingame High's double figure win over Mills High.

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Damin Esper offers the details on Dublin High's victory over Campolindo High, plus other matchups.

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San Fran Preps/Lamonte Dewindt is all over Archbishop Mitty High's success versus Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep.

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Bay Preps provides a nice collections of scores and notes from last night.

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Joe Davidson notes it was Kennedy High by seven over Sacramento High.

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Bill Paterson has collected a bevy of snippets and scores from last night's Sacramento area pairings.

MLK Day basketball

Mitch Stephens details the major talents on display in the Haas Pavilion MLK Classic as well as noting the other MLK Day hoops events around the bay.

Jerry Brown's play lauded

Jerry Brown receives major play in this Robert Kuwada article on Fresno State's defensive effort versus Wyoming.

Injuries slowing Thames

Mark Ziegler reports that Xavier Thames is suffering from some injury problems. Let's hope its nothing serious and he is back soon to 100%.

UC Santa Barbara recalls James Nunnally's contributionss

The play of former Gaucho James (Weston Ranch High) Nunnally is remembered:

UW more blue than white collar in 2012-13

Desmond Simmons receives a lot of play in this article on the Washington Huskies, who are blue-collaring it this season.

JC scores from last night

* Mendocino College 81 - College of Alameda 75

* Feather River College 75 - Butte College 65

* Lassen College 84 - Shasta College 76

* College of the Redwood 82 - Siskiyous College 74

Merritt tops Solano

Merritt 73, Solano 65

Merritt College

Delvon (McClymonds High) Nisby 10 8-11 29
Eric (El Cerrito High) Nelson 6 1-1 13 (plus 10 boards, five blocked shots)

Solano College

Jamarae (Fairfield High) Moss 5 4-6 14

COM over CCC

The Marin IJ has the details of College of Marin's 64-55 victory over Contra Costa College.

Yuba wins another

Jimmy Graben/Appeal-Democrat has the latest on Yuba College hoops, a 99-64 takedown of Los Medanos College.

This week's State Stats Stars

CalHiSports is out with its newest edition of State Stats Stars.

Campo versus Dublin and more

Bay Preps looks at the Dublin - Campolindo pairing for tonight, plus other games.

A Sacto area roundup

Bill Paterson covers a number of high school games held in the Sacramento area last night.

The Del Campo duo

Bill Paterson writes about the unlikely pairing of two teenagers on the Del Campo High team.

Oregon 76 - USC 74

The Ducks proved to be two better than the Trojans yesterday as Dom Artis provided 10 points and six assists in 22 minutes of court time.

The Anteaters pulverize the Titans

21 points, six assists and five rebounds from Chris McNealy and Will Davis' 11 points an nine boards helped UC Irvine pound Cal State Fullerton 92-65 last night.

Kwame Vaughn paced the Titans with 15 points.

UC Davis 74 - CS Northridge 71

It was the visiting Aggies by three last night, 74-71, aided by J.T. Adenrele with 13 points and nine rebounds and Ryan Sypkens' 13 points.

ISU over the Hornets

Former Fresno City College star Tomas Sanchez scored the game winner for Idaho State with 2.5 seconds left against Sacramento State as the Bengals prevailed 60-59. He also scored the previous basket.

Bryan Metcalf writes about the matchup from the Sacramento State perspective.

Meet Mo Britten

There are those blazing comets who burst upon the basketball scene as freshmen and create an instant buzz. But the norm is that most prospects undertake a gradual establishment and then buildup of their prep reputations, culminating in strong upperclassmen seasons. Del Campo High (Fair Oaks) and Team Sage member Mo Britten is among the latter.

The 6-foot-2 Britten is averaging 9.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals as a junior for Coach Dave Nobis, whose team stands 13-4 this season, 1-0 in the Capital Valley League. A sixth man last year as a sophomore, he's in the starting five this season. That move up has been validated as Britten earned first-team honors in both the Kendall Arnett and Mesa Verde tournaments.

Asked about his best basketball skills, Britten offered, "rebounding, my hook shot in the post and dribbling." He see himself as "more versatile and more physical" since his earlier days.

But another query illustrated another skill, one that warms the hearts of coaches.

In describing the roles he plays for Team Sage and with Del Campo, Britten said of the former "just doing my part to help us win" because of the level of talent on the squad. Regarding the latter, "it's more of me being a leader."

Here's Team Sage founder and Coach Wornel Simpson on Britten: "Mo is an extremely hard worker and a very unselfish player. His basketball IQ is high and his focus is always within the confines of the team concept. His versatility allows me to move him to all five positions. In practice he guards Terrence (White) on the wing and bangs Benson (Osayande) and Jamarryion (Simmons) down low. He has had some great games against many of the elite AAU teams we have played. His length allows him to block multiple shots and his spin moves are patented. He actually plays a lot bigger then his listed 6-foot-2. In addition, Mo is smart, thoughtful and tough-minded at the same time. No matter what adversity we have faced in the past four years, Mo is always steady and will be a great find for the right university."

Exemplifying Britten's play is his choice for his best moment on the court.

"In a rivalry game last season, :someone stole the ball against us and headed for a layup. I ran after him and was able to pin the ball against the backboard."

It was the type of effort and outcome that won't appear in a boxscore but was just as influential as a nifty pass or a dunk.

Britten offered that his mother and brother "are my biggest influences. They keep me focused and at it, with my eye on the prize."

Maybe best of all, he is looking to major in mathematics in college. When's the last time, if there was one, with that area of study as a higher education focus for an athlete?

Talk to Britten mother and you'll learn another trait he possesses.

"Mo wants his team to do good and for everybody be there for each other and work together. He's the mediator when something comes up."

She also offered this blessing to her son: "Travel the world, make your mark in it and give me some place to come see you."

JC scores from last night

* City College of San Francisco 83 - Chabot College 54


* Skyline College 66 - Cañada College 52

 

West Valley nine better than Gavilan

West Valley 48, Gavilan 39

West Valley College

D'vaughn (JFK-Fremont High) Mann 7 3-10 17
Chris (JFK-Fremont High) Murry 4 4-4 13

Gavilan College 

Joel Sales 3 2-3 9

Ohlone has no trouble with LPC

Ohlone 84, Las Positas 57


Ohlone College

Fredrik Boehn 5 0-0 15 (five treys)
Chris (Castro Valley High) Read 3 7-9 14
Henry McCarthy 4 6-9 14
Warren (Castro Valley High) Wright 5 4-4 14
Las Positas College

Julian (Bishop O'Dowd High) Redmon 7 0-0 19 (five treys)
Steven (College Park High) Cazeres 5 0-0 13
Jacob (Amador Valley High) Contreras 3 2-2 11 (three treys)

Fresno romps

From the Fresno Bee:

Olajuwon Garner scored 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting -- part of a 63.8% night from the field for Fresno City College -- as the Rams rolled past Porterville 109-63 in a Central Valley Conference men's basketball game Wednesday.

Garner also made six of his nine 3-point attempts as the Rams shot 60.6% from beyond the arc. Erwin Thomas Hammock was also 6 of 9 on 3-pointers en route to scoring 20 points for state No. 12-ranked Fresno City (15-6, 3-0).

The Rams also received 17 points and eight rebounds from Udun Osakue.

The Bells and the Padres nab wins

Bellarmine 64, St. Francis 58

Bellarmine College Prep

Grant Vermeer 8-2-22
Jackson Gion 7-0-18

St. Francis High

Khalil Johnson 9-0-21

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Serra 66, St. Ignatius 59

Serra High

Henry Caruso 8-7-23
Jacqui Biggins 4-0-11 (three treys)
Andre Miller 2-6-10

St. Ignatius High

Trevor Dunbar 6-4-18
Julian Marcu 7-4-18

Hartnell 77, MPC 76

John Devine was on press row for Hartnell's last-second success over Monterey Peninsula College. MPC's Zen Maki exploded for 35 points, including six treys.

Cabrillo 66, De Anza 54

From the Cabrillo basketball site:

The Cabrillo College Seahawks held off a stubborn DeAnza squad tonight 66-54 in Aptos. Cabrillo (12-6, 3-0) controlled the game throughout but could never quite throw the knockout blow. Cabrillo connected on six three-point baskets in the first half and went in at the half up 30-21.

In the second, the Seahawks slowly exended their lead to as many as 18 behind the three-point shooting of Dalton Noble. However, the Seahawks stalled offensively and DeAnza fought back with three consecutive 3's of their own to cut into the lead and make things more interesting. Dalton Noble was making things interesting for the Seahawks as he exploded for 20 second half points connecting on 3 more three-point baskets along with his 8 for 9 free throw shooting. He alone made things difficult for the Dons (6-10, 1-2).

Noble lead all scorers with a career high 29 points. Colin Gruber added 16 points and Phoenix Bills chipped in with 8 points.

A high school roundup

Glenn Reeves covers a number of last night's high school contests, focusing on Carlmont topping Hillsdale.

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Darren Sabedra features PA's Aubrey Dawkins.

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Jimmy Durkin was at last night's Salesian - St. Joseph Notre Dame matchup.

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Bill Paterson is all over scores out of the Sacramento area.

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Bay Preps goes around the Bay in covering high school games from last night.

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George Watkins game reports on Hollister's win over Palma High.