Ronnie Flores ranks the talent he saw yesterday

Ronnie Flores offers his Top 25 prospect rankings based on the play he saw yesterday in the Tip-Off Classic. His first five:

1 Ivan Rabb 2015 6'11 F Bishop O'Dowd 

2 Christian Ellis 2016 6'1 G Modesto Christian 

3 Paris Austin 2015 5'11 G Bishop O'Dowd 

4 Brandon Lawrence 2016 6'3 G Moreau Catholic 

5 Anthony Townes 2015 6'6 F Modesto Christian

Burlison on the Tip-Off Classic

Frank Burlison recounts the Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic matchups, paying particular attention to the Bishop O'Dowd - Bishop Gorman pairing. He describes the play of Ivan Rabb and then Paris Davis:

Rabb’s play throughout the contest proved to be a pretty nice working definition for “high energy.”

and

More importantly, he got the ball where it needed to — when it needed to be there — pretty much anytime he wanted to, although it wasn’t often rewarded with an “assist”, per se.

Alexander and Briggs lead Casper

Casper College got by Snow College last night 71-70 with Dylan (San Jose State University/Weston Ranch High) Alexander's 16 points topping the scoring. Shon (Heritage High) Briggs added 13 points.

More on the Tip-Off Classic

Doug Benton/Nor Cal Preps offers his take on each game in yesterday's Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic.

Hameed Ali interviewed

Texas A&M Corpus Christi athletics provides a Q-and-A with senior guard Hameed (San Leandro High) Ali.

Jackson topping the charts

Back in Kentucky last night, Prolific Prep bested Arlington Country Day 62-57 with Josh Jackson finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Afterward, Eric Bossi tweeted: "I've said it before and I will say it again, Josh Jackson is as impressive an open floor player as I have ever scouted."

Jade' Smith featured

Josh Gershon profiles Jade' Smith, a 2017 backcourt prospect out of St. Joseph Notre Dame.

Lawrence liked by the Bulldogs

Brandon Lawrence tweeted: "Blessed to say that I received my first offer from Fresno State University!!!"

He's a 6-foot-3 2016 prospect out of Moreau Catholic High.

JHunt being featured

John Murphy features Drake High's Jesse Hunt who is headed to Eastern Washington after this season.

UCR 76, AC 56

UC Riverside took down Abilene Christian 76-56 yesterday with Taylor Johns posting yet another double-double. This one consisted of 14 rebounds and 13 points. Teammate Charles Standifer scored 10 points in 17 minutes of play.

Babineaux plays well in Jacksonville loss

A game in the Sun Dome sounds pretty nice right now but Jacksonville fell to host South Florida 79-65 on Saturday. In the loss, Kori (CCSF) Babineaux produced nine points, nine boards and five assists in 34 minutes.

Harris keys Titan win

Back in South Carolina on Saturday, Alex (El Cerrito High) Harris' team-leading 26 points paced Fullerton to a 64-61 victory versus Florida International. He also enjoyed six boards and three assists.

New Mexico State three points short to Wyoming

Remi Barry scored 18 points on 7-10 shooting and nabbed five boards although New Mexico State fell 78-75 to Wyoming in Laramie last night.

Eggleton's 22 not enough

Host Menlo College dropped a 76-61 contest to Southern Oregon yesterday despite the Oaks receiving 22 points from guard Mikey (College Park High) Eggleton.

SF State 63, Dominican 58

In a tournament up in Chico, San Francisco State defeated Dominican University 63-58 on Saturday. Guard Bren (Pleasant Valley High) Haley led the Gators with 15 points with teammate Floyd (Yuba College/Highlands High) Wormley tallying 14.

Dom (Oakland High) Taplin's 15 points paced the Penguins and Chris (Sacramento Waldorf) Schwatrz-Edminsten scored 13. Matt (Yuba City High) Hayes was tops in assists with eight and shot 3-5 from long distance for his nine points.

Cal St. San Bernardino 82, Humboldt State 71

Host San Berdoo proved too tough last night for Humboldt State winning 82-71. Brett (Foothill College) McConnell finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Jacks.

Cal State East Bay 69, Bristol 64

It was Cal State East Bay by five last night in Hayward, 69-64, with guard Juawnn (El Camino High) Springfield just missing a double-double with 13 points, nine rebounds plus four assists. Forward Jack (DeAnza College/Scotts Valley High) Pasquini paced the Pioneers with nine boards and he scored eight points.

AP stops Chico

Azuza Pacific found matching up with host Chico State to its liking and nabbed a 75-61 victory last night. This despite the Wildcats receiving 15 points from Robert (Granite Bay High) Duncan and 14 via Mike (Franklin High) Rosaroso.

Game report, including the All-Tournament selections.

Gaels bop the Mustangs

St, Mary's took apart Cal Poly 82-56 last night in Moraga aided by 22 points and 13 boards from Brad Waldow. He also passed for four assists. Desmond Simmons contributed 14 points in the victory.

Guard Kyle (Foothill College) Toth enjoyed six points plus five rebounds in 17 minutes for the SLO crew.

Davis romps past UVU

Host UC Davis encountered zero trouble facing Utah Valley last night to the tune of 64-43. J.T. (Oakmont High) Adenrele went for 11 points and eight rebounds with teammate Josh (CCSF) Fox posting a 12 point, three board line.

The Anteaters top the Lions

Visiting UC Irvine won both 20 minute sessions on its way to an 80-72 win over Loyola Marymount on Saturday. Will (Sacramento High) Davis ended the evening with a 17 point, 12 rebound effort while Travis (Turlock High) Souza finished with 16 points plus seven boards. He shot 4-5 from three-point range.

Colorado State 65, UC Santa Barbara 63

Colorado State pulled out a two point win, 65-63, over UC Santa Barbara last night in Anchorage. John (Castlemont High) Green was second on the Gauchos with 12 points while Michael (Foothill High) Bryson totaled six points, five rebounds and three assists.

JC scores from Saturday

Below are the scores from Saturday's JC pairings:

@ the Cabrillo tourney:

* Cabrillo College 74 - Butte College 55

Latrell (Arcata High) Wilson led the Seahawks with 22 points.

* Lassen College 61 - Columbia College 59

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@ the DVC tourney:

* Diablo Valley College 67 - Las Positas College 63

* San Jose City College 81 - Sierra College 76

* Feather River College 94 - Solano College 76

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@ the Bakersfield tourney:

* Merritt College 71 - Bakersfield College 62 box

Sophomore Denzel (McClymonds High) Bellot did ihe stats-stuffing again: just four points but a team-leading nine rebounds plus three assists. Travon King shot 6-7 and finished with 12 points as did Leo (Oakland Tech) Smith. 

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* Cañada College 96 - College of the Redwoods 78

In the victory, Crisshawn Clark busted out for 31 points plus seven boards while teammate Rohndell (West High) Goodwin totaled 22 points and 10 rebounds. Israel (Palo Alto High) Hakim finished with 15 points. Cañada earned 41 foul shots. 

* West Hills Coalinga 70 - Contra Costa College 66

The results from the Prep To Prep Classic

Below are the results from yesterday's Prep To Prep Classic held at Newark Memorial High:

* Berkeley High 67 - St. Joseph Notre Dame 66

6-foot senior Casey Roquemore paced victorious Berkeley with 17 points while Alameda-ite Lamont Banks led all scorers with 21.

Josh Gershon tweeted: "Really impressed by 2017 St. Joseph-Notre Dame PG Jade Smith. Good size for position at 6-2, really sees court and can create own shot."

Joey Velasquez noted: "6'2" 2015 PG Zach Copeland (Berkley HS)  combo style guard knack for getting to the rim! Solid Mid Range game."

From Ronnie Flores: "Adrian Rico, a lightening quick 5-10 PG, is academically ineligible for Berkeley HS. May come back late in season."

+++++++

* San Ramon Valley High 55 - Cordova High 50

A Frank Burlison tweet: "The jump shooting of Drew Kunde helps San Ramon Valley rally for 55-50 victory over Rancho Cordova."

Via Joey Velasquez: "2015 G Prospect 6'4" Jordan Roberson scorers mentality attacks rim draws contact when he wants excellent FT shooter and 3Ball."

CH's Roberson went for 27 points while the 6-foot-3 senior Kunde finished with 20.

+++++++

* College Park High 64 - St. Mary's High 58

6-foot-5 senior Stephen Daily paced the victors with 21 points.

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* Modesto Christian High 89 - Bullard High 65

MCH's Anthony Townes posted a double-double-double with 25 points plus 21 boards. There's no truth to the rumor that the Pacific coaching staff was doing post-game cartwheels in the parking lot.

+++++++

* Moreau Catholic High 65 - Drake High 64

MCH's Brandon Lawrence, 6-foot-2 and in the 2016 class, with a two-fer: 20 points plus an offer from Fresno State. Cal verbal commit Oscar Frayer with a 16 point, 12 board double-double.

John Murphy game reports. Also from Murphy: "Moreau star Damari Milstead didn't play today because he broke a team rule, said Mariners' coach Frank Knight. Will be back few weeks."

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* Folsom High 72 - Newark Memorial High 46

6-foot junior backcourter Jordan Ford finished with 29 points.

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* Bishop O'Dowd High 63 - Bishop Gorman High 55

The Dragons had larger leads in the second half so it really wasn't all that close. Ivan Rabb obviously wanted to make a strong statement and posted a dynamite double-double-double of 28 points with 20 boards. Boise State had an assistant in the gym and he surely liked the way Paris Austin, a Bronco signee, operated the show.

The score was 30 apiece at halftime.

Thames carries Central Arizona

Host Central Arizona College topped Indian Hills last night 82-78 behind 26 points from Malik (Pleasant Grove High) Thames.

Longrus & Iroegbu contribute in WSU victory

Washington State bested Rice 76-74 last night up in Anchorage with Junior (Bishop O'Dowd High) Longrus totaling six boards, five points, two assists and a pair of blocked shots in 25 minutes. Ike (Franklin High) Iroegbu also filled the stat sheet via eight points, six rebounds plus five assists.

Briggs integral to Casper win

On Thursday, Shon (Heritage High) Briggs posted a 14 point, 10 rebound double-double in Casper College's 66-62 victory over Lamar Community College.

Orange-ing it for Gottlieb

Matt Stephens reports on Pacific breaking out its orange uniforms last night in honor of the late Bob Gottlieb.

Simpson over SDC

Simpson invited San Diego Christian up for a match and promptly took an 88-81 win over the Southlanders on Friday.

Anthony (Enterprise High) Williams  scored 13 points for the hosts while teammate Mark (Natomas High) Kirkland matched that number.

Nor Cal JC scores from Friday

Below are the scores from the northern California junior college matchups of yesterday:

@ the DVC tourney:

* San Jose City College 81 - Conta Costa College 62 box

Sophomore guard Stevinaire (Mt. Eden High) Young posted a 12 point, 10 rebound double-double while fellow second-year player Chris (Delano High) Sterling just missed with 14 points plus nine boards.

* Sierra College 76 - West Hills College 50 box

Four Sierra players scored in double figures: Jaquan Dupree 13, Glenn (West Campus High) Lemon, Isaiah (Placer High) Pineiro and Wade (Will C. Wood High) Davis each scored 10 points.

* Las Positas College 82 - Solano College 67

* Diablo Valley College 77 - Feather River College 65

+++++++

@ the Bakersfield tourney

* Merritt College 77 - Fullerton College 66 box

Jovantae (El Cerrito High) Carlton led the Thunderbirds with 14 points, Mike McAlister totaled 12 and Rodney (Freedom High) Pope finished with 11. Denzel (McClymonds High) Bellot scored eight points and, more significantly, grabbed 13 rebounds and passed for six assists, both tops on the team.

Westmont 87, Menlo 69

Up in Atherton, Westmont College topped Menlo 87-69 last night.

For the Oaks, freshman Jonnythan (Sierra High) Munkholm finished with nine points plus seven boards. Teammate Mikey (College Park High) Eggleton led with five assists.

Westmont freshman guard Gerald (San Ramon Valley High) Karczewski started and tied for team-high with 14 points (4-7 from three-point range) and he also contributed six boards.

Western Michigan 79, SJSU 60

Western Michigan handled San Jose State University 79-60 Friday night down in Fullerton with the two northern California-connected bright spots:

* Former Salinas High frontcourter Frank Rogers scored 17 points in 22 minutes, shooting 7-10 overall and 3-5 from long distance. He also grabbed six boards.

* Freshman guard Danny (Serra High) Mahoney played 19 minutes and added five points plus a trio of assists.

Utah hammers North Dakota

Utah took care of business Friday night versus visiting North Dakota winning 90-53. In 30 minutes, Delon (CCSF) Wright totaled 23 points plus five assists. He shot 7-8 overall, 1-1 from three and 8-9 at the foul line.

Texas A&M Commerce 68, Cal Baptist 67

Cal Baptist fell by one, 68-67, last night to Texas A&M Commerce down in Riverside. A foul with 1.7 seconds remaining and two subsequent foul shots made the difference.

In the loss, Michael (El Camino High) Smith finished with nine points (three treys) and six rebounds while teammate Eric (Merritt College/El Cerrito High) Nelson added six boards and three blocked shots in 14 minutes.

AP 79, SF State 56

Up in Chico as part of a tournament, Azuza Pcific turned back San Francisco State 79-56.

Kevin (Las Lomas High) Stafford, on the basis of five treys, led the victors with 15 points. Nobofdy on the Gators scored in double figures although point Bren (Pleasant Valley High) Haley totaled eight points and eight assists in his return home.

Simon Fraser 123, HNU 101

Simon Fraser out of Canada outscored Holy Names University 123-101 Friday night in a tournament at Notre Dame de Namur.

For the Oakland-ites, Dante (Salesian High) Robinson led with 29 points plus nine boards with teammate Joshua (Bishop O'Dowd High) Crum contributing 18 points and six assists. Jamarae (Fairfield High) Moss also scored 18 points, shooting 6-7 overall.

Alaska Fairbanks 78, Notre Dame de Namur 68

Alaska Fairbanks treated tournament host Notre Dame de Namur rather rudely with a 78-68 victory on Friday -- this despite Don (DeAnza College/Aragon High) Washington posting an 18 rebound, 15 point double-double for the Argonauts.

Dominican 67, Chico State 61

Dominican University headed north on Friday and notched a 67-61 win versus Chico State.

Penguin Matt (Yuba City High) Hayes powered his way to 16 points and 10 rebounds and teammate Dom (Oakland High) Taplin contributed 11 points plus eight caroms.

For the Wildcats, senior Jordan (Arcata High) Semple posted an 18 point (7-8 shooting), nine board, three blocked shot effort with Robert (Granite Bay High) Duncan adding 16 points.

Washington 80, Long Beach State 70

Washington topped Long Beach State 80-70 Friday night -- the Temidayo (St. Joseph Notre Dame) Yussef line: 21 minutes, 16 points (7-8 shooting), six rebounds, two assists, five fouls.

Lee helps in Northern Colorado victory

Host Northern Colorado downed Stetson 82-62 last night with the northern California angle being Dominique (St. Mary's High) Lee providing 10 points, seven boards, two assists and two blocks in 20 minutes of court time for the Rocky Mountain-ites.

The Gauchos win in overtime

Way up in Anchorage, UC Santa Barbara turned back Mercer 65-60 in overtime with Michael (Foothill High) Bryson going for 17 points. Bryson's trey at the end of regulation tied the game and prompted the overtime.

Yussef starting

Temidayo (St. Joseph Notre Dame) Yussef earned his first start as a collegiate basketball player yesterday and posted a seven rebound (five offensive), six point line in Long Beach State's 73-55 victory over Western Michigan.

More on the late Bob Gottlieb

Steve Fryer writes about the late Bob Gottlieb.

Donlan Playing well at Iowa Westerm CC

In eight games thus far this season, Iowa Western's Matt (Capital Christian High) Donlan is 12.1 points and 5.5 rebounds a game while shooting 49%, 50% and 87% respectively.

A big announcement from Haight Street Hardwood

Haight Street Hardwood has something big to announce. Hit the link.

Jourdan Johnson making the transition

Jordan Johnson, out of Central Catholic High, is a freshman point at Pacific Lutheran up in the Northwest. Missed this one.

Strickland sidelined

From Fox19 in Cincinnati:

"After Tuesday night's win, University of Cincinnati Head Coach Mick Cronin disclosed that redshirt freshman Jamaree Strickland had been suspended indefinitely from the basketball team.

Cronin said the suspension was due to “conduct unbecoming of a Bearcat.”

Strickland was not on the bench during the game or in the arena for the Bearcat 59-50 victory.

The 6-foot 10-inch center was ruled ineligible last season after the NCAA would not accept his high school courses.

Coach Cronin would not say if Strickland will be back with the team Friday evening against Middle Tennessee State in the Emerald Coast Classic."

Strickland has yet to enter a game for the Bearcats this season.

Biola falls

On Thursday night, Biola fell 59-51 to Cal State Dominiguez Hills. Mike (Woodcreek High) Kurtz had 10 rebounds and seven points in the losing cause.

NC whomps on the Bruins

North Carolina blasted UCLA 78-56 last night -- the lone northern California highlight being Noah (Palma High) Allen's four boards and three points in 17 minutes.

Down in Fullerton, Princeton fell to UTEP 62-56 Thursday in a homecoming of sorts for Coach Tim Floyd. In 20 minutes of play off the bench for the Tigers, Henry (Serra High) Caruso produced 15 points on 6-11 overall shooting, 2-4 from long distance.

Anderson helps in Marquette victory

Marquette and Georgia Tech met up in a tourney in Orlando and the former emerged with a 72-70 win. Senior Juan (Castro Valley High) Anderson contributed 12 points, six boards and a pair of assists for the Wisconsin-ites.

Washington 78, SJSU 56

Washington has no trouble with San Jose State University Thursday night winning 78-56 as part of a tournament down in Orange County. Darin (Sheldon High) Johnson tallied five points, two boards and two assists in 17 minutes for the Huskies.

Santa Barbara romps

UC Santa Barbara went into Anchorage, Alaska last night to pair off with Washington State of the Pac-12 in a tourney and it wasn't even close. The Gauchos led 34-12 at halftime and finished with a 71-43 advantage.

In 16 minutes for the Gauchos, T.J. (Oakland High) Taylor ended with six points and five assists. Teammate John (Castlemont High) Green totaled 11 points and three boards in 12 minutes as he shot 5-7.

Trevor (St. Ignatius) Dunbar for the Cougars enjoyed 4 points and a pair of assists in 18 minutes.

Gobble gobble

Okay, I'm hearing gobbling coming out of the kitchen. It's either the turkey making a break for it or grandpa unable to resist any longer. Have an empathetic Thanksgiving.

Sac State romps

Sacramento State zipped by Bristol (the one not associated with ESPN) last night 97-63. Hornet guard Mikh McKinney led with 22 points as four of his teammates also scored in double figures.

Mike McGough game reports.

Nunnally playing in Israel

According to David Pick, "According to source, small-forward James Nunnally is signing a free agent deal with Maccabi Ashdod."

Change in the Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic schedule

The order of the game one and game four pairings have been flipped in the November 29 Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic at Newark Memorial High. Berkeley versus St. Joseph Notre Dame is now game one at 11:00 a.m. while College Park versus St. Mary's is game four at 3:45.

The new schedule is:

Game 1: 11:00 a.m. – Berkeley vs. St. Joseph’s-Notre Dame (Alameda)

Game 2: 12:30 p.m. – San Ramon Valley (Danville) vs. Cordova (Rancho Cordova)

Game 3: 2:15 p.m. – Moreau Catholic (Hayward) vs. Drake (San Anselmo)

Game 4: 3:45 p.m. – College Park (Pleasant Hill) vs. St. Mary’s (Stockton)

Game 5: 5:30 p.m. – Modesto Christian vs. Bullard (Fresno)

Game 6: 7:00 p.m. – Newark Memorial (Newark) vs. Folsom

Game 7: 8:30 p.m. – Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) vs. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Nor Cal JC scores from Wednesday

Below are the scores involving northern California JC teams from last night:

* DeAnza College 69 - College of the Sequoias 67

It was a strong effort from the sophomores in the backcourt for the Dons as D.J. (Oak Grove High) Rodriguez scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Nate (Los Altos High) Vieira also totaled 18 and Kyle Conner posted a 12 point, eight board line.

+++++++

* Foothill College 67 - West Valley College 48

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It's also worth noting that sophomore guard Andre (Serra High) Miller at Allan Hancock College scored 20 points, gathered in 12 caroms and passed for three assists in AHC's victory over Cerritos. He shot just 2-8 overall but was a perfect 15-15 from the foul line.

Crosno featured

Harold Abend provides a feature on College Park High's Kevin Crosno.

CA JC Coaches poll is out

The California Community Colleges Men’s Basketball Coaches Association State Poll as of November 24, 2014 has Skyline College ranked #2 and Lassen College in the third spot. Merritt College is #6 and San Jose City College ninth.

Concordia by 19

Pacific Union headed down south to face Concordia on Tuesday and came up short 95-76. For the victors, Stephen (Foothill College/Serra High) Grosey posted a 19 point, 11 rebound double-double. Overall, he shot 8-11

Jordan (Napa Valley College/Hogan High) Greenwell had a 13 point, four assist, three board line for the Angwin-ites.

UH by a deuce

It was Hawaii by two, 75-73, last night in Florida with Roderick Bobbitt finishing with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists. Teammates Quincy Smith enjoyed four points, three boards and a pair of steals in 17 minutes.

Utah romps

Utah had no trouble with visiting Texas-Pan American -- 85 to 48 -- last night with Delon Wright totaling 12 points and two assists in 22 minutes.

LMU by four

It was host Loyola Marymount turning back UC Riverside 66-62 last night as sophomore Matt (Santa Rosa JC/Pleasant Grove High) Hayes was on target with 16 points (6-8 shooting overall, 4-6 from long distance). He added five rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes.

For the Highlanders, junior Taylor (Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Johns just missed a double-double with 23 points and nine boards. He also rejected four shots.

Cal by 20

Cal Poly headed up to Berkeley to face California last night and the Bears won 72-52 courtesy of a second half surge. Jabari Bird led with 18 points, propelled by 3-5 shooting beyond the arc.

The Aggies top the Aggies

UC Davis welcomed Utah State from the Mountain West Conference Wednesday night and pulled out a 77-70 victory. Aggie Josh (CCSF) Fox was one rebound short of a double-double with 23 points (11-13 shooting) and nine boards with teammate J.T. (Oakmont High) Adenrele posting a 14/8 line.

For the visitors (also the Aggies), Chris (Yuba College) Smith provided 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in his return home.

The Wildcats by two over the Aztecs

In Maui, Arizona outscored San Diego State by one point each 20 minutes and won 61-59 on Wednesday. Wildcat Brandon Ashley enjoyed six points, five rebounds, two steals and a pair of rejections.

Oregon State loses by two

It was Auburn by two, 71-69, last night over Oregon State in Las Vegas with Gary Payton II providing 20 points, nine boards and three assists. for the Beavers. Overall, he shot 8-11. Langston (Berkeley High) Morris-Walker didn't shoot well and had six turnovers but contributed 10 points and four rebounds.

Hooper with 21

Host Oakland fell to Georgia State 83-78 Wednesday night despite Max Hooper totaling 21 points. He shot 7-17, all three-pointers.

Evansville over USF

USF fell 79-72 to Evansville yesterday despite getting 23 points plus nine boards from junior Mark (San Ramon Valley High) Tollefsen.

Montana nabs a win

Montana got back on track last night with a 75-52 win over visiting Carroll College. Jermaine (Diablo Valley College/Edmonds had eight points, six rebounds and four assists in 22 minutes off the bench.

Freshman Ryan (Napa High) Imhoff totaled 11 points, four boards and two steals in 17 minutes for CC. Teammate Zayn (Cañada College/Valley Christian High) Kirkendoll also finished with 11 points and four rebounds alongside a pair of assists.

Montana faces USF Sunday on The Hilltop.

It wasn't get Steve Fisher ASAP

Mark Zeigler reports from back in 2011 (hop into the ol' time machine) that Steve Fisher was not on fast dial, let alone even in the conversation when San Diego State had a head coach opening for its floundering basketball program. Amazing how that works out sometimes.

White making big noise

From Skyline Basketball (on Sunday):

Congrats to Elijah White for being named MVP of the Mendocino Tourney. Played all 40 min in the final - 27pts, 4reb, 4asst, 4 stls, only 1 TO

That was a win over Lassen College.

What can't Lamont Banks do?

John Murphy profiles Lamont Banks of St. Joseph Notre Dame who is quite the Renaissance teenager.

Kone with a Cal offer

From AMHS Mens Basketball: "Congrats to junior Ben Kone @Choc_lavender on picking up his first PAC-12 offer from @CalMensBBall."

Dorsey to the Seawolves

Stephen Dorsey to Sonoma State. It's one of those items that might simply appear under "Transactions" in the newspaper and left at that. But as usual, there is plenty of background regarding the hows and whys of this decision.

The beginning of sorts is the multi-talented Dorsey amazingly winning the state decathalon championship in May 2013, his freshman year at Monterey Peninsula College (MPC). This after being a high jumper in high school and only venturing into the multi-sport event after the Lobo basketball season concluded. Throwing the discus and javelin as well as the shot put were just a few of the elements completely new to him.

He redshirted both sports last season but has returned to basketball. In five games thus far, the 6-foot-5 Dorsey is averaging 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds a game while shooting 65% from both the floor and the foul line and his play inside dovetails well with the variety of distance shooters MPC Coach Blake Spiering has at his disposal.

Sonoma State began the courtship during the summer after viewing Dorsey at a couple of regional junior college basketball jamborees.

Dorsey then tripped to Rohnert Park and it became a mutual admiration society. "I loved the environment, the team and the coaching staff," he recalled. "I got a really good vibe."

There was a sense of familiarity as former Lobo Zen Maki is a senior on the Sonoma State team. "I stayed with him and got to meet his roommates and friends. It was fun."

Dorsey then decided to sign on with the Seawolves.

Asked for his best basketball skills, Dorsey offered, "My dunking and my athleticism." He's working on his dribbling and shooting range and has already upgraded his touch at the foul line.

Sonoma State loses forwards Mike Harris and JJ Mina after this season. The pair are usually the top scorers as well as rebounders each game so there will be holes to fill and thus playing time for Dorsey to earn.

Regarding positioning next season, Dorsey said, "I'll be a rim runner -- I can beat most big men down the court." He is also working to develop an elbow jumper.

Here's Sonoma State Coach Pat Fuscaldo on his new guy: "We are really excited about Stephen. He's that kind of player we haven't been able to get ahold of before so we feel blessed to get him up to campus and signed early. We fell in love with him and he fell in love with our campus and our team. Coach Blake played and coached for me and was a great help."

Dorsey will be majoring in sociology with the idea of entering the law enforcement field. "But I want to play overseas first," he explained.

Wanting to thank many for helping him in his achievement -- his mother, father, sisters and relatives -- three others also stood out. "James Miller, my best friend's step dad who was helpful in me finding basketball, Coach Greg [Daniels] at Monterey High and Coach Blake, Without him, this (signing) wouldn't have happened. He's helped me get better and to get a killer mentality which I'm still working on. I've also learned how to be more coachable, taking criticism the right way."

But what about the decathalon? "I'm good at track but I don't have the passion for it like basketball. I love basketball with all my heart." Which is also why the football coaches through the years who envisioned him on the gridiron as say a tight end have come up emptyhanded.

Now maybe if there was a grassy field sport where you dunk a discus in the basket...

JC game scores from Tuesday

Below are the scores from Tuesday's matchups:

* San Joaquin Delta College 84 - Merced College 74

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* San Francisco City College 100 - Hartnell College 73

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* Skyline College 69 - Gavilan College 54

Sophomore guard Elijah (El Camino High) White finished with 17 points, six boards, six assists and two steals for the victors.

Freshman Robbie (San Benito High) Skinner finished with 17 points plus seven boards for the Gilroy-ites.

+++++++

* Monterey Peninsula College 67 - Chabot College 65

From the MPC Men's Basketball Facebook page: "Gritty team win on the road against #10 Chabot, with a go ahead jumper by Deondre Otis to seal the win. Stephen Dorsey had 17 and 8, and Will Burkett added 17 and 7 in the victory!"

Hawaii nabs a win

Down in Florida, Hawaii topped Marist College 62-55 on Tuesday as Roderick Bobbitt posted six points, four assists, four boards and a pair of steals on the night.

Arizona by four

Over in Maui on Tuesday, Arizona turned back Kansas 72-68. Brandon Ashley enjoyed 10 points plus six rebounds in 34 minutes but also committed six turnovers.

Chico State over William Jessup

Host Chico State handled William Jessup 97-64 Tuesday night as guard Robert (Granite Bay High) Duncan led the Wildcats with 21 points while teammate Jordan (Arcata High) Semple added 19 plus eight boards. Duncan shot 8-10 overall, Semple 7-9.

The Gators top the Urban Knights

With both based in The City, San Francisco State chomped on Academy of Art University 68-59 Tuesday evening. Udun (Fresno City College) Osakue led the Gators with 18, Andre (Rocklin High) Jones posted 13 points while AJ (San Joaquin Delta College/Bear Creek High) Kahlon finished with 10.

Herman (Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Pratt, on 9-11 shooting, was the top points-getter for AA with 20.

Sonoma State 85, Dominican 82

Junior guard James (Arroyo High) Davis lit up the scoreboard with 36 points (in 34 minutes) carrying visiting Sonoma State to a three point win, 85-82, over Dominican University. Davis shot 11-18 overall, 7-11 from long distance and 7-7 at the foul line.

Matt (Yuba City High) Hayes paced the Marin-ites with 20 points.

Anderson carries Marquette to victory

Missed this from Monday night: Marquette downed New Jersey Institute of Technology 62-57 with Juan (Castro Valley High) Anderson producing 20 points plus nine baords in 31 minutes.

Massey has CCSF as the best of the bunch

Massey has City College of San Francisco as numero uno in the Nor Cal JC team rankings this week and #7 overall.

STLB ranks Chabot on top

Signal The Light Basketball has Chabot College as its top northern California team this week.

Skyline College fever

Coach K has posted this week's JC team rankings as determined by the coaches -- Skyline leads.

Kinney goes big despite loss

College of Idaho downed Northwest Nazarene 78-75 last night with Erik (Cal State Baskersfield/Sacramento High) Kinney posting 19 points plus five rebounds despite the loss.

DNelson almost ready

"DeMarcus Nelson will land in Athens today and will start the last period of therapies before returning to the court. The former Crvena Zvezda player signed with Panathinaikos during the summer but he has been dealing with an injury which kept him off the court in the first months of the season."

Asah goes with the Pioneers

Tracy High senior Druce Asah has made his call and it's Coach Gus Argenal and the Cal State East Bay Pioneers. He's a 6-foot-3 backcourter.

Here's another article on Asah's signing.

Zach Lowe on the Lakers

When Zach Lowe writes about any subject, it's always worth reading. His take on the Lakers this season begins with "Watching the Lakers right now is honestly unlike anything I can remember in my NBA life. They have transcended basketball and become some meta public art piece that we can all enjoy..."

If that doesn't hook you...have someone start CPR stat

Looking at College of Marin this season

Ian Ross previews this season's College of Marin basketball squad which has a strong Texas, specifically Houston, contingent.

Holmes on top Redding talents

At the Redding newspaper site, T.J. Holmes is counting down the top players in the region:

* #13 - #15

* #10 - #12

Mitch Stephens' Nor Cal pre-season prep team rankings

Via Mitch Stephens:

1. Bishop O’Dowd

2. Moreau Catholic

3. El Cerrito

4. Mitty

5. De La Salle

6. Salesian

7. Riordan

8. Drake

9. Sacred Heart Cathedral

10. Berkeley

11. St. Joseph Notre Dame

12. Sacred Heart Prep

13. Monte Vista

14. Newark Memorial

15. Serra

16. San Ramon Valley

17. Freedom

18. Campolindo

19. Burlingame

20. St. Ignatius

Bigs are back

Andrew Sharp titles his latest "Are You Ready for the Big-Man Renaissance?"

Cal State East Bay nabs Dunhour

Cal State East Bay athletics has announced the signing of Micah Dunhour, a former Notre Dame de Namur player. His numbers indicate this is a very solid 'get' for Pioneer Coach Gus Argenal.

On Isaiah Taylor: good and bad news

A Jeff Goodman tweet: "The good news is that Isaiah Taylor doesn't need surgery for his broken left wrist. The bad is he's going to be out a while."

ND de Namur's Don Washington honored

The PacWest Conference has honored Notre Dame de Namur's Don Washington for his play last week:

Defender of the Week – Don Washington (Notre Dame de Namur)
F, Sr., San Mateo, Calif./DeAnza CC

Washington put together his first double-double of the year with15 points and 12 rebounds, both season-bests, against Cal State Monterey Bay. He also blocked three shots and nine of his rebounds came on the defensive end.

Oklahoma State 66, Oregon State 53

Langston Morris-Walker had 13 points plus four rebounds and teammate Gary Payton II 10 and six but Oregon State fell to Oklahoma State 66-53 in Las Vegas on Monday.

Arizona 73, Missouri 52

Over in Maui, Arizona had zero trouble with Missouri, winning 73-52. Brandon Ashley finished with 15 points in 25 minutes of court time. Kansas State is up next today making it a Wildcat versus Wildcat pairing. Hot tip: bet on the Wildcats.

New Mexico State 88, Stetson 68

New Mexico State powered past Stetson 88-68 Monday night with NMSU athletics employing a cute "Aggies flatten the Hatters" headline. Remi Barry finished with 13 points plus seven boards.

USF over Hawaii

USF took down Hawaii 88-73 last night in Florida with Don Mark (San Ramon Valley High) Tollefsen finishing with 11 points, eight boards, three steals, three assists and a pair of blocked shots.

For UH, Roderick (Castro Valley High) Bobbitt totaled 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.

Pacific Union 75, Holy Names 71

On Saturday, former Chabot College guard Greg Brown went for 38 points as visiting Pacific Union topped Holy Names 75-71. He shot 10-16 overall, 3-4 from long distance and 15-17 at the foul line.

Joshua (Bishop O'Dowd) Crum paced HNU with 18 points powered by going 10-14 from the foul line.

Don't know how to title this

In a sensitive and respectful manner, Chris Ballard offers the tragic story of the suicide of Ryan Anderson's girlfriend. There's a lot to learn -- thank you to Anderson for sharing it. We as fans do tend to forget that all hurt and ache despite their lofty professional status.

A question (though not a new one) to the paparazzi: have you no decency?

A better way of dealing with ACL tears

Shira Springer writes about a new method -- less invasive -- of treating ACL tears.

Updates on the four Nor Cal talents at Casper College

In five games for Casper College (Wyoming) thus far, here's the output of the quartet from northern California:

* Jalen (St. Patrick-St. Vincent) Canty is averaging 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds

* Shon (Heritage High) Briggs 9.4 points, 5;2 boards and 3.0 assists

* Dylan (San Jose State University/Weston Ranch High) Alexander 9.6 points and 3.2 rebounds

* Benson (Franklin High) Osayande 4.4 points and 3.2 boards

Eric Weiss on determination factors for success in the NBA

Eric Weiss determines: Breaking Bad: The Thin Line Between “Busts” and “Steals and then Opportunity Knocks: How Situation Impacts Success, Part I plus Opportunity Knocks: How Situation Impacts Success, Part II.

It does require some hefty lifting as a reader but some may find his work intriguing.

Gotta love Rick Isaacs

Rick Isaacs is a hoot on Twitter. For example: "U of A is blood and guts, UCLA is a Bentley on Sunset!! Different strokes for different folks!!!"

CalHiSports: big time HS tourneys featuring local/regional teams

From CalHiSports:

8th Annual Nor Cal Tip-Off Classic (Newark Memorial HS – 11/29/14)

#7 Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) vs. #4 Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 8:30 pm
Newark Memorial (Newark) vs. Folsom, 7 pm
Modesto Christian vs. Bullard (Fresno), 5:30 pm
Berkeley vs. St. Joseph’s-Notre Dame (Alameda), 3:45 pm
Moreau Catholic (Hayward) vs. Drake (San Anselmo), 2:15 pm
San Ramon Valley (Danville) vs. Cordova (Rancho Cordova), 12:30 pm
College Park (Pleasant Hill) vs. St. Mary’s (Stockton), 11 am

and

Maxpreps Holiday Classic (Rancho Mirage HS – 12/26-12/30/14)

12/26
(Top Bracket)
#14 Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) vs. Sacramento, 4:45 pm
Saddleback Valley Christian vs. Alemany (Mission Hills), 4:30 pm
Oakley Prep (Spain) vs. Rufus King (Milwaukee, Wis.), 3:15 pm
#18 Mitty (San Jose) vs. #26 Etiwanda, 6 pm

(Bottom Bracket)
#23 Prestonwood Christian Academy (Plano, Texas) vs. Folsom, 7:45 pm
Pebblebrook (Mableton, Ga.) vs. Damien (La Verne), 6:15 pm
Issaquah (Issaquah, Wash.) vs. Moreau Catholic (Hayward), 7:30 pm
American Fork (American Fork, Utah) vs. #17 Mater Dei/Rancho Mirage winner, 9:15 pm

and

MaxPreps MLK Classic (Haas Pavilion – 1/19/15)

#18w Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) vs. Moreau Catholic (Hayward), 7:30 pm
Chaminade (West Hills) vs. De La Salle (Concord), 5:45 pm
Sacramento vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco), 3:45 pm
Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond) vs. St. Mary’s (Stockton), 2 pm
Franklin (Elk Grove) vs. Newark Memorial (Newark), 12:15 pm
Berkeley vs. El Cerrito, 10:30 am

Dunn aids Montana win

Montana tripped to the Northwest on Sunday and turned back Seattle 66-62. In 19 minutes, Mario Dunn scored 13 points and added three assists and three steals for the Grizzlies.

JC scores from Sunday

Below are the Sunday JC matchups and outcomes:

@ the Shasta tourney

* Merritt College 79 - Ohlone College 73

Freshman Jovantae (El Cerrito High) Carlton led with 18 points while fellow frosh Rodney (Freedom High) Pope was close behind with 16. The Thunderbirds won the Shasta-hosted tournament.

* Foothill College 62 - Cabrillo College 54

* American River College 57 - Diablo Valley College 48

Andrews & Thomas leading Sheridan

For Sheridan College (Wyoming) this season:

* 6-foot-3 Jamir (Dublin High) Andrews is averaging 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists a contest while shooting 53%, 44% and 93% respectively.

* 6-foot-4 Kyi (Sheldon High) Thomas is averaging 15.8 points, 2.7 boards, 2.7 assists and 2.3 steals a game while shooting 64%, 42% and 86% respectively.

Castrillo going strong

On Saturday, Eastern New Mexico was able to hold off Western New Mexico 94-87 despite former Merritt College forward Marcos Castrillo finishing with a career high 36 points. He shot 11-19 from the floor plus 13-18 at the foul line alongside nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

Parker's game knows no geographical boundaries

Down in Puerto Rico, Western Washington was led by Jeffrey (Salesian High) Parker's 16 points plus nine boards in an 85-68 victory over the American University Piratas.

Earlier in the week, Parker was named Player of the Week:

Western Washington University forward Jeffrey Parker has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for Nov. 9-15.
Parker, a 6-foot-6 sophomore from Richmond, Calif. (graduate of Salesian High School), scored 43 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to earn tourney MVP honors in leading the Vikings to two victories at the 13th WWU Chuck Randall Classic.

Parker made 7-of-17 3-pointers and shot 51.7 percent overall, hitting 15-of-29. He had 21 points and seven rebounds in a 78-52 win over Notre Dame de Namur and 22 points and 11 rebounds in an 84-73 victory over Hawaii Hilo. 

A Remi Barry update

For the season, New Mexico State's Remi Barry is  averaging a team-leading 14.8 points per game while shooting 63%, 67% and and 63% respectively. He's also grabbing 5.3 rebounds a contest.

Gaels by three over irvine

In an intriguing matchup on many levels, St. Mary's proved to be three points better than UC Irvine, 72-69, last night in Moraga. Gael center Brad (Ponderosa High) Waldow went for 28 points and seven rebounds, included two critical free throws near the end. Desmond (Salesian High) Simmons led with nine boards (four offensively) and six points.

For the Anteaters, Travis (Turlock High) Souza finished with 12 points alongside three steals. Will (Sacramento High) Davis contributed seven points plus four caroms.

Washington 76, Pacific 69

Pacific traveled up to Seattle to face off with Washington and the Huskies topped the Tigers 76-69. Darin (Sheldon High) Johnson had three points plus a steal in 12 minutes for Lorenzo Romar's guys.

For the Stockton-ites, D.J. (Modesto Christian High) Wallace posted a 24 point, 10 rebound double-double with Dulani (CCSF) Robinson contributing 14 points and five boards..

Kentucky 86, Montana State 28

Not sure who or why this one was scheduled but Montana State went into Lexington to face Kentucky and the outcome was 86-28.

Marcus Lee posted a five rebound, two point line in 19 minutes plus E.J. Floreal was on the court for five minutes for the Wildcats.

For the Bobcats, freshman guard Joey Frenchwood shot 3-6 on his way to seven points and added four boards.

The Jacks have no trouble with Merced

Humboldt State got right back in action facing UC Merced on Sunday and the Lumberjacks took a 113-58 victory.

Shooting 9-11, forward Harold (Holy Names University) Perry led Humboldt with 22 points. Freshman forward Calvin (Bullard High) Young posted an 18 point, 12 board double-double.

Freshman guard Joshua (Pinole Valley High) Kimble led Merced with 23 points and also nabbed five rebounds.

Dominican by two

On Saturday, Dominican University welcomed Simon Fraser University out of Canada and it was a Dom Taplin shot with seven seconds remaining that gave the Penguins a 114-112 shootout victory. Taplin completed the night with seven points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Teammates Matt (Yuba City High) Hayes and Christopher (Sacramento Waldorf High) Schwartz-Edmisten totaled 17 points and seven boards and 15 and six respectively.

AP wins behind Stafford & Ward

Up in Oregon on Saturday, Azuza Pacific bested St. Martin's 86-69.

For the victors, Kevin (Las Lomas High) Stafford finished with 17 points while Will (Sierra High) Ward wasn't far behind with 14.

Lescault leads Point Loma victory

Host Point Loma handled University of Mary 92-75 on Saturday as Hayden Lescault's 17 points, six assists and two steals all topped the victors.

For the visitors, Jaycob (Cosumnes River College/Pleasant Valley High) Velasco produced 11 points plus five rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

Utah Valley 85, Southern Utah 75

Utah Valley downed rival Southern Utah 85-75 on Saturday with Zach Nelson finishing with a personal high 24 points. He added a team-best six boards alongside four assists. Nelson is a 6-foot-7 sophomore out of Yuba City High.

Bob Gottlieb has passed

Southern California basketball coach Doug Gottleib, a mainstay on the scene for decades, has died.

Here's the announcement.

Marcus Hodges training event

Marcus Hodges is holding a basketball camp in Hollister on November 29-30 for fourth through 12th graders.

Berry just misses double-double

New Mexico State fell to host UTEP last night 77-76 despite 16 points and nine rebounds from Remi Barry, who also added a pair of assists. He shot 7-11 from the floor.

Bateast with a double-double

Otero JC (CO) turned back McCook CC 78-71 last night with former Piedmont Hills High star Walter Bateast producing 15 points and 10 boards.

On the season, the freshman is averaging 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 49%, 46% and 82% respectively.

Nor Cal JC scores from Saturday's game

Below are the scores for the Nor Cal JC teams playing on Saturday:

@ the Mendocino tourney

* Skyline College 77 - Lassen College 73 

* Cosumnes River College 76 - College of the Redwoods 58 box

Playing all 40 minutes, Trenton (La Jolla Prep Academy) Anthony led with 25 points, shooting 5-6 from beyond the arc, alongside six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Teammate Ty'Quan (Edison High) Neal burst out for a 17 points, 10 carom double-double in 24 minutes while David (Burbank High) Straughter just missed a double-double with 16 points plus nine boards

* Las Positas College 72 - Modesto Junior College 63

LPC athletics game reports.

+++++++

@ the Shasta tourney

* Merritt College 71 - Diablo Valley College 64

Thunderbird Jovantae (ElCerrito High) Carlton busted out for 26 points, Jamelle (Castlemont High) Corbino stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight boards and five steals, Denzel (McClymonds High) Bellot produced a 10 point, 10 rebound double-double, D.J. (Pittsburg High) Kennedy finished with 16 points and Mike McAllister 15. Merritt actually had four more offensive rebounds than defensive.

* Cabrillo College 72 - College of the Siskiyous 42

* Foothill College 70 - Shasta College 57

+++++++

* Fresno City College 73 - Mira Costa College 61 box

FCC won the El Camino Tournament of Champions as James (Freedom High) O'Neal scored 23 points on 8-10 shooting and added nine boards plus two assists. he earned tourney Most Valuable Player honors.

+++++++

* San Jose City College 84 - Reedley College 49 box

Jag forward Maurice Joiner was big with a 17 point, 14 rebound double-double while teammate T.J. Viney totaled eight assists.

* City College of San Francisco 78 - DeAnza College 66 box

For the Dons, Nathan (Los Altos High) Vieira and Kyle Conner led with 16 points apiece.

* College of Marin 80 - West Valley College 56

* Hartnell College 77 - Merced College 75

The Gauchos gallop over TMC

UC Santa Barbara took down The Master's College 91-45 last night as Michael (Foothill High) Bryson led the way with 20 points on 5-8 shooting from long distance. Teammate John (Castlemont High) Green totaled 14 points plus seven boards in just 18 minutes. Gabe Vincent "was sat out while nursing a blister on the bottom of his foot."

Davis by three

In Greenville, South Carolina, UC Davis managed a three point victory, 58-55, over host Furman on Saturday night. Of the northern California-connected talents, Josh (UC Riverside/Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Fox shot 5-6 and went for 11 points plus four rebounds. Teammate J.T. (Oakmont High) Adenrele totaled eight boards and seven points.

Utah State downed by eight

Utah State traveled down to Starkville, Mississippi (you hearing a Johnny Cash prison song start up?) to battle Mississippi State but fell 71-63. USU broke the mold of its previous three games (and wins) by leading at halftime.

Chris (Yuba College) Smith shot 3-6 from beyond the arc and led with 14 points. The problem was his four rebounds led the visitors. JoJo (Dublin High) McGlaston finished with nine points, shooting 2-3 from beyond the arc.

Harris powers Fullerton win

Cal State Fullerton nabbed a win over visiting San Jose State University 70-66 on Saturday. Senior Titan guard Alex (El Cerito High) Harris led his squad with 20 points (5-10 from the floor, 9-12 at the foul line).

Cal State Monterey Bay triumphs

Cal State Monterey Bay met Notre Dame de Namur up in Belmont and the former came away with a 74-70 victory on Saturday. Alex (Buchanan High) Fertig finished with 12 points and six boards for the victors.

Don (Da Anza College/Aragon High) Washington led the Argonauts with a 15 point, 12 rebound double-double as well as three assists and a trio of blocked shots.

Whittier over UC Santa Cruz (a Jacob Contreras sighting)

Whittier College bested UC Santa Cruz on Friday 71-58 as Jared Ponce led the Slugs with 18 points and James (Sacramento High) Townsend finished with nine points plus seven boards.

Finally located guard Jacob Contreras out of Las Positas College/Amador Valley High -- he's on the Whittier roster.

Haysbert plays well but CPP falls

In 10 minutes of court time, Chad (American River College/Center High) Haysbert totaled seven points and five rebounds during Cal Poly Pomona's 69-66 loss to UC San Diego on Saturday.

Menlo by one over CSEB

Host Menlo College got by Cal State East Bay 75-74 in overtime yesterday, with a pair of northern California talents playing prominent roles for the Oaks.

Redshirt freshman guard Mikey (College Park High) Eggleton led the victors with 20 points while fellow frosh Daniel (Granite Bay High) Romero made the winning free throws with four seconds on the clock in that overtime period.

Forward Jack (DeAnza College/Scotts Valley High) Pasquini posted a 17 point, 11 rebound double-double for the Pioneers.

The sons of Pistol Pete

How would you like to be the sons of Pistol Pete Maravich? Shaun Powell goes long in an exceptionally informative piece.  

Mark Titus on the Pac-12

Mark Titus, informative and usually a hoot to read, previews the Pac-12 Conference. Do sit back and read this one.

Choice items:

"...UCLA, Colorado, and Stanford all look good enough to win at least one NCAA tournament game this season. Throw in wild-card teams like Cal (Cuonzo Martin has some talent to work with), Oregon (assuming it still has five eligible players come March)..."

and

"Best College Player: Delon Wright (Utah)

Here’s the list of players who averaged 15-plus points, five-plus rebounds, five-plus assists, two-plus steals, and one-plus blocks per game in all of D-I basketball last season:

Delon Wright.

That’s it.

I’ll admit it’s not hard to come up with a set of parameters that makes any player seem way better than he actually is. But I don’t think that applies in this case, since these are major, straightforward statistics with logical cutoff points, and not just Wright’s stats. Those stats, by the way, were 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.


The only four other players who were even close to these metrics last season were Marcus Smart, Elfrid Payton, Shabazz Napier, and Kyle Anderson. All four were first-round picks in the 2014 NBA draft, and Payton has emerged as an early rookie of the year contender. Go ahead and guess which of those players has a similar body type to Wright’s 6-foot-5, 190-pound frame. Here’s a hint: It’s not the bruiser (Smart), the short and quick guy (Napier), or the tall and lanky guy (Anderson)..."

The Malice at The Palace revisited

Jonathan Abrams looks back at November 19, 2004 when the Pistons and Pacers met.

David Harrison offers his fascinating perspective on the brawl and much more.

Washington's two guard situation

Within Percy Allen's take on Washington's victory over Seattle:

"...Newcomer Quevyn Winters looks as if he found a spot in the rotation because of his long-range marksmanship. He played 21 minutes and finished with a game-high tying 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting. He was 4 of 9 on three-pointers. If not for Winters’ three first-half three-pointers, Washington would have trailed by more than 21-20 at halftime. Not sure if Winters can pass (he didn’t have an assist), rebound (he had two) or defend, but if he can shoot the way he did tonight then he’s invaluable because this is a team desperately needing perimeter shooters. Everyone else is too streaky as evidenced by Andrew Andrews who missed his first three three-pointers before hitting his next three. Aside from Andrews and Winters, no one else has shown they can consistently make shots on the perimeter. Friday the Huskies were 8 for 26 (30.8) on three-pointers. They were 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) in last week’s opener. After two games, Washington is 11 of 47 (.234) on three-pointers. Winters could potentially push sophomore Darin Johnson and freshman Donaven Dorsey to the bench. They were scoreless in the first half Friday and didn’t play the rest of the game. There aren’t many backups who play well on the road, but Winters, a junior-college transfer who spent a year at Dusquesne, is an experienced veteran who doesn’t appear to get rattled..."

It was just one game but the situation deserves monitoring.

More on AG's injury

Here's a bit more on Aaron Gordon's foot injury. An excerpt: "...This is the same injury that Kevin Durant had and the concern is this is a part of the foot that does not get a lot of blood flow so it can be slow to heal. Basically, expect them to keep him out for a long time..."

Pratt & Cary help Urban Knights

Academy of Art University downed Simon Fraser 107-94 last night with two solid northern California-connected talent performances as Herman (Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Pratt finished with 13 points, eight boards and five assists and Nick (Napa Valley College/St. Patrick-St. Vincent) Cary 19 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Toth from three propels Cal Poly victory

Cal Poly hosted Delaware Friday night and came away with a 78-60 victory. For the Mustangs, Kevin (Foothill College) Toth shot 3-7 from long distance and finished with nine points.

Bobbitt aids UH win

Hawaii took down visiting Pitt last night 74-70 as Roderick Bobbitt finished with seven points, five assists, two steals and zero turnovers.

Nor Cal JC scores from Friday

Below are the scores from Friday night's matchups:

@ the Mendocino tourney

* Cosumnes River College 78 - Los Medanos College 53

It's not often that all five starters -- Will White 18 (alongside nine assists), Mitchell Love 15, David Straughter 14 (plus 10 boards) plus Trenton Anthony and Donald Mims with 10 apiece -- score in double figures. Mims also enjoyed five blocked shots in 25 minutes. Daylon Potts just missed a double-double via nine points and 10 rebounds.

Here's the CRC athletics game report.

* College of the Redwoods 81 - Mendocino College 70

Guards Johnny Shelton and Justin Claus scored 21 and 18 points respectively for the Corsairs. College of the Redwoods athletics game reports.

* Lassen College 82 - Las Positas College 68

* Skyline College 58 - Modesto Junior College 45

++++++++++

@ the Shasta tourney

* Merritt College 71 - Shasta College 64 box

Denzel (McClymonds High) Bellot led the Thunderbirds with 14 points and three teammates finished with 13, Jamelle (Castlemont High) Corbino (who also grabbed eight boards), Jovantae (El Cerrito High) Carlton and Rodney (Freedom High) Pope. It was a remarkable 23 assists on 27 baskets for Merritt.

* Ohlone College 61 - Cabrillo College 48 box

Kamar (Dougherty Valley High) Reese led the Renegades with 10 points.

* American River College 64 - College of the Siskiyous 41

* Diablo Valley College 62 - Foothill College 57

++++++++++

* Cuesta College 70 - Monterey Peninsula College 58

* Cañada College 111 - Gavilan College 52 box

For CC, Rohndell Goodwin and Deion Ellis tied for top scorer with 18 points, Manny Martin posted an 18 point/10 rebound double-double, Israel Hakim totaled 17 points and Kenny Hatch contributed 10 assists.

Two Nor Cal-ers in the DE 2015 mock draft

In the Draft Express latest 2015 mock draft:

30. Delon Wright
PG (Utah - Senior)
22.5 years old | 6'5" | 179 lbs

and

55. Brandon Ashley
PF (Arizona - Junior)
20.3 years old | 6'7" | 191 lbs

Utah rolls

Utah had no trouble with UC Riverside, winning 88-42 in Salt Lake City last night. It was 48-21 at halftime. The Utes' Delon Wright finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, three assists and two steals plus he shot 2-2 from long distance.

For the Highlanders, Taylor Johns grabbed five boards and passed for two assists but finished with just two points on 1-11 shooting. Teammate Charles Standifer totaled seven points and garnered three rebounds.

Pope's initial game

Mark Ziegler covers Malik Pope's entrance into his first college game.

A Gary Williams Jr. update

Gary Williams Jr. is at 5-0 Indian Hill College (Iowa) as a sophomore and just nabbed an offer from UAB. The 6-foot-5 starting guard is currently playing just over 20 minutes a game and averaging 9.8 points, shooting 45%, 33% (a 1-3 sample) and 87% and 3.6 rebounds per game as well as a team-leading 28 assists plus 12 steals.

Last night against State Fair CC, he scored 13 points on 6-11 shooting with seven assists.

An excerpt: "...The Warriors desperately needed a spark in the second half and they got it from sophomore point guard Gary Williams Jr. Williams tallied seven of the first nine IHCC points of the second half on his way to a season-high 13..."

Meet Josh Jackson

This is simply remarkable -- so many talents for NBA teams to work with:

Well, this beats all

From Jeff Goodman: "Sources told ESPN both TaShawn Thomas (Oklahoma) & House used "did not want to play for NCAA offender Kelvin Sampson" to receive waiver."

Really. The background: it's about two players who departed from the Houston team which Kelvin Sampson took over. Never heard that reasoning before. Someone did some thorough 'coaching' here.

Update on Isaiah Taylor

Isaiah Taylor injured his left wrist in the Texas win last night: link link

Gaels win

Denver visited Moraga last night and it was St. Mary's coming out on top 78-62. Shooting 12-14, Brad (Ponderosa High) Waldow was en fuego and finished with 26 points. Desmond (Salesian High) Simmons filled the stat sheet with seven points, six boards and four steals.

The Tigers triumph

Pacific hosted and downed partial namesake Pacific Union last night 81-56 with the victors being elevated by two northern California talents: Dulani (CCSF) Robinson posted an 11 rebound/10 assist double-double and Sami (CCSF) Eleraky had 12 boards and eight points.

Jarron (Columbia College) Crump scored 13 points and Greg (Chabot College) Brown went for 10 for Pacific Union.

Nor Cal JC games scores from last night

Below are the outcomes from last night:

* Napa Valley College 71 - DeAnza College 69

**********

@ the Mendocino College tourney

* Las Positas College 74 - Cosumnes River College 60

For CRC, David Straughter finished with 14 points plus six boards while teammate Trenton Anthony totaled 13 points, six assists and five rebounds.

LPC athletics provides a game report.

* Modesto Junior College 78 - College of the Redwoods 54

Freshman guard Marko Lepovic led MJC with 32 point, 14 rebound double-double with teammates 6-foot-2 frosh Luka Petovic and 6-foot-2 sophomore Blake Terry enjoying 14 points apiece

CR athletics offers this game report.


* Lassen College 61 - Los Medanos College 44

* Skyline College 64 - Mendocino College 52

Cal Pac adding one

T.J. Holmes reports that the California Pacific Conference is adding a new member.

VanderBeek on CSU Stanislaus

Brian VanderBeek takes a look at this season's Cal State Stanislaus team which has a nice cross-section of bigs and smalls.

Lassen College & Eric Duncan

James Burns picks up on Lassen College's season thus far and focuses on guard Eric (Weston Ranch High) Duncan.

Taylor's 15 aids Longhorn win

Texas downed Iowa 71-57 Thursday night in Madison Square Garden with guard  Isaiah Taylor scoring 15 points in 26 minutes.

NC St. 79, Jacksonville 43

North Carolina State blasted Jacksonville 79-43 last night as Kori (CCSF) Babineaux totaled eight points plus four rebounds for the Floridians.

Cal 75, Syracuse 59

Yes, Syracuse may be down a bit this season yet still ranked #23 but that takes away nothing from California's 73-59 victory last night in Madison Square Garden. Jabari Bird went for 16 points bolstered by 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc. The Bears shot 47% against the vaunted zone employed by Jim Boeheim.

This one can only help in the Ivan Rabb sweepstakes.

San Diego tops Bakersfield

It may seem like a football score but San Diego State defeated Cal State Bakersfield in Maui 51-27 last night. Obviously, there isn't much to write about offensively. Dakarai Allen enjoyed five points, five rebounds and two steals but, more significantly, Malik Pope got on the court and mustered four points, two boards, two steals and a pair of blocked shots.

The Aztec defense is going to set some records this season as the Roadrunners shot 12-56 overall, 1-20 from long distance and connected on 2-5 with free throws.

Steve Fisher's guys weren't all that much better though, going 14-57 on the game and 3-24 beyond the arc. 20-29 on free throws helped out.

UCLA rout NS

Down in Pauley Pavilion last night (they must have dried the place out), UCLA took down Nicholls State 107-74. For the Bruins, Noah (Palma High) Allen tallied five points, three assists and two rebounds in 14 minutes.

Andrews with 18

The Sheridan College Generals turned back a group of 'all-stars" last night 110-69 as sophomore Jamir (Dublin High) Andrews finished with 18 points.

Coach K on the Massey rankings

Coach K digs into the Massey California JC team rankings -- so numbers don't tell everything.