Douglas gets offered

San Jose City College Men's Basketball: "Big Congrats to Jags SF Akil Douglas on picking up an offer from Portland State this week!"

Where he lands at the next level and if a redshirt year will be involved in order to build his body are fascinating questions.

Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity

Former Sacramento State guard Mikh McKinney is with the Port of Antwerp Giants and repped by Pensack Sports.

Dylan Garrity was playing abroad but: "Dear family and friends. To make a long story short, things didn't work out for me in Portugal..." He is repped by Eddie Grochowiak of the GoEmpire Group Agency.

The legacy of both these young men is being the mainstays in turning around the Sacramento State basketball program. That is an enormous achievement, something most believed not possible.

Zack Lowe is back

With the Grantland site no longer in operation, Zach Lowe's writings can be accessed at ESPN. His latest: "How the small-ball virus has infected the NBA"

The latest on Brandon Ashley

In five games thus far for the Texas Legends, Brandon Ashley is averaging 36.4 minutes,11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 shotblocks per game while shooting 41%, 31% and 64%.

Djordjevic #3

Liberty Christian's Luka Djordjevic is ranked #3 on TJ Holmes' pre-season countdown of Redding area prep basketball players.

Bell in at #2

Up Redding way, TJ Holmes is down to his second-ranked boys basketball player in the area: Ben Bell of Shasta High.

WJU hoops

Robert Marten/Lincoln Messenger/Placer Herald reports on the latest doings of the William Jessup University men's basketball team.

Another suitor for Dublin's Falls

Tim Falls: "Glad to say I have received my 4th offer from Cal State Bakersfield."

The 2015-16 Half Moon Bay Cougars

John Murphy/Half Moon Bay Review serves up a solid preview of the 2015-16 Half Moon Bay boys basketball team with a lot of player names and their best skills.

Lincoln High 59, McNair High 50

Scott Niendorf game reports the 59-50 Lincoln High victory over McNair High on Saturday.

HP 82, Western Washington 76

Jeffrey (Salesian High) Parker enjoyed 25 points and six rebounds but his Western Washington team still fell to Hawaii Pacific 82-76 in Honolulu on Sunday.

Sac St. 79, Pacific 71

At home on Sunday, Sacramento State bested Pacific 79-71, using a 47-39 second half advantage to win. Cody Demps was prominent yet again for the Hornets with 17 points, seven assists and five boards. T.J. Wallace paced the Tigers with 19 points.

Bill Paterson and Kelly Jones and Mike McGough game report. Jones offered some good news for the Tigers in that Alec Kobre should be back soon.

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St. Mary's 94, Bakersfield 59

The Gaels blew away visiting Cal State Bakersfield 94-59 yesterday with five of the Moraga-ites finishing in double figures scoring led by Emmet tNaar's 17. Worth noting: walk-on guard Jack (Foothill College/Archbishop Mitty) Biebel passed out three assists in four minutes of court time.

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Arizona St. 70, UC Santa Barbara 68

In Tempe, Arizona State got by UC Santa Barbara 70-68 on Sunday. It was a last second putback that downed the Gauchos. Michael Bryson shot 8-12, 3-5 and 4-4 on his way to 23 points and Gabe Vincent tallied 12 points for the Goleta-ites.

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USF 67, Delaware St. 47

On The Hilltop Sunday, the Dons turned away Delaware State 67-47 paced by Devin Watson's 18 points.

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UCR 74, Lamar 69

Malik Thames enjoyed a 13 point, three assist, three steal line in UC Riverside's 74-69 victory over host Lamar. He shot 3-6 from beyond the arc.

Pepperdine 69, Montana 63

In Malibu on Sunday, Pepperdine bested Montana 69-63 as junior guard Amadi (De La Salle) Udenyi finished with a team best seven assists in 16 minutes and teammate AJ (Maria Carrillo High) John totaled eight points in just 13 minutes.

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Arizona 68, BSU 59

Arizona took down Boise State 68-59 in Anaheim on Sunday with Mark Tollefsen scoring 10 points, grabbing five boards and blocking three shots in 22 minutes.

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Duke 85-52

It was 38-27 at the half in Durham before Duke pulled away and beat Utah State 85-52 on Sunday. Chris (Yuba College) Smith was the only Aggie in double figures with 13 points and his four rebounds tied for second on the team.

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Love this

From Coach Bob Walsh: "This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy." -- George Bernard Shaw

In other words, get over yourself and do good.

The results of the Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic

The Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic took place Saturday -- here are the results and more:

* Manteca High 73 - St. Mary's High 45

A double-double of 26 points (eight dunks) and 12 boards earned Nevada signee Kenny Wooten the MVP nod.

Manteca: Kenny Wooten 26, Anand Hundal 16, Tydus Verhoeven 10, Dwight Young 5, Angel Perez 5, Tyler Graves-Kelso 4, Damon Lynch 3, Frankie Lopez 3

St. Mary's: Julian Vaughn 10, Kevin Warren 9, Kyree Brown 6, Darious Jackson 5, Nyjahl Thompson 3, D. Wyatt 3, Josh Allen 2, Jonathon Rice 2, Matt Manalastas 3, Thomas Roache 2.

John Murphy game reports.

+++++++

* Dublin High 62 - Bishop O'Dowd High 48

Tim Falls' 21 points garned him MVP honors. This was the audience he needed -- look for his recruiting to elevate.

+++++++

* Weston Ranch High 82 - Immanuel 77 OT

Jaelen Ragsdale with 38 points was named the top talent. Yes, it's just one game but should he have signed higher than Stanislaus State?

Tulane signee Colin Slater led his Fresno area team with 28 points and Darrin Person tallied 25.

Jack Duffy game reports.

+++++++

* Sheldon High 91 - Army-Navy High 70

Matt Manning was named most valuable player as the leading scorer with 20 points. Can he play both sports at the next level? He's one heckuva pitcher but surely can also contribute to any team on the hardcourt.

Jack Duffy game reports.

+++++++

* Folsom High 53 - Modesto Christian High 51

Ford sales greatly increased after the game based on 23 points and nine boards from the St. Mary's signee.

+++++++

* Newark Memorial High 78 - Woodcreek High 68 OT

NM had to overcome 33 points, 18 boards and six blocked shots from Jordan Brown -- Decaurey Brown earned MVP honors with 23 points for the victors.

+++++++

* Moreau Catholic High 60 - Sierra Canyon High 59

Led by Damari Milstead's 20 points, Coach Frank Knight's crew definitely made a statement. San Jose State University commit Terrell Brown scored the game winning basket. If the film "Drive" is ever remade, cast him in the lead.

Steve Waterhouse game reports.

Ronnie Flores on the Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic games

Ronnie Flores provides his game reports of the matchups in Saturday's Prep2Prep Tipoff Classic.

Cañada College 106, Pasqua Yaqui 96

In Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, Cañada College got past Pasqua Yaqui 106-96 with James (Carlmont High) Testa perfectly en fuego from long distance. He went 9-9 beyond the arc on his way to 29 points. Paul (Serra High) Smoot contributed 13 point while Jacqui (Serra High) Biggins posted a 12 assist, 11 point double-double.

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SJCC 76, Ohlone 69

At home on Saturday afternoon, sophomore Akil (Evergreen Valley High) Douglas exploded for 28 points while also garnering 11 rebounds in San Jose City College's 76-69 victory over Ohlone College. He shot 10-17, 1-3, 7-10 overall.

The SJCC box

Columbia 81, Butte 75

Chico ER: "Michael Shoemaker scored 24 points and the Roadrunners led 69-66 at one point, but Butte couldn’t hold off Columbia down the stretch.

Trey Foster added 14 points for Butte (4-1), and Terry Clarendon had 12. The Roadrunners were up early in the first half 30-24 before Columbia ended the half with a 16-7 run. At one point the game was tied at 72, but Columbia surged away for the win."

Sac Bee's top prep basketball squads

Joe Davidson/Sacramento Bee offers up his pre-season Top 20 of the teams in and around the state capital.

Humboldt St. 115, Pacific Union 91

Up in Arcata on Saturday, Humboldt State and Pacific Union wore out the scoreboard as the Lumberjacks emerged with a 115-91 victory. Seven players for HSU scored in double figures led by Rakim (Eastern Washington/Central High) Brown's 23 followed by Tom (Diablo Valley College/Arcata High) Witzel's 17.

Mike (Dominguez Hills/Bullard High) Hill led PU with 31 points, shooting 8-14, 4-8 and 11-11 respectively.

Danny Penza game reports.

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SD 96, Sac St. 90

At home yesterday, Sacramento State suffered its first loss of the season in falling 96-90 to South Dakota. Junior guard Cody (Pleasant Grove High) Demps went for 17 points plus 11 assists for the Hornets and also zero turnovers.

Bill Paterson game reports.

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Chaminade 110, CSSM 109

In Honolulu on Saturday, Kiran (Miramonte High) Shastri scored 25 points (7-15 on treys) and Rohndell (Cañada College/West High) Goodwin just missed a tripe double with 20 points, 12 boards and eight assists in Chaminade's 110-109 win over Cal State San Marcos.

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Chico St. 68, Simpson 55

Host Chico State righted itself and posted a 68-55 victory over Simpson University on Saturday. The leading scorers for the Wildcats: Corey (Bullard High) Silverstrom with 16, Robert Granite Bay High) Duncan 13 and Isaiah (Antelope High) Ellis 12.

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UC San Diego 76, Notre Dame de Namur 36

UC San Diego manhandled host Notre Dame de Namur on Saturday 76-36 with freshman frontcourter Chris (Campolindo High) Hansen posting a 16 point, 11 rebound double-double.

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Cal Baptist 95, New Mexico Highlands 63

At home on Saturday, Cal Baptist ran roughshod over New Mexico Highlands 95-63 powered by the efforts of a couple of northern California connected talents:

* Michael (El Camino High) Smith led with 19 points plus nine boards and three assists

* Jordan (St. Mary's/San Ramon Valley High) Giusti went for 11 points, three assists and a team best trio of steals.

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SIU 80, Portland 79

Bryce Jesuit High) Pressley scored 18 points, bolstered by four treys, and nabbed seven boards but Portland still fell 80-79 to Southern Illinois on Saturday down in Corpus Christi.

Fullerton 75, Nevada 66

Down in Orange County on Saturday, Nevada fell to Cal State Fullerton 75-66 with Cameron (Grant High) Oliver posting a nine point, six rebound, three blocked shot line.

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WSU 77, Texas Southern 65

In Pullman on Saturday, Washington State took care of Texas Southern 77-65. Ike (Oak Hill Academy/Franklin High) Ireogbu tallied 19 points, four rebounds and three assists with teammate Junior (Bishop O'Dowd) Longrus adding 10 boards, eight points, three assists plus three blocked shots. Ireogbu shot 7-9 overall, 3-3 from three and 2-2 at the foul line.

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UC Davis 82, Utah Valley 70

A 45-36 second half turned the tide for UC Davis on Saturday in Utah as the Aggie won 82-70 over Utah Valley. Josh (CCSDF/UC Riverside/Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Fox was solid with a 13 point, six rebound, three assist line.

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Portland St. 100, Multnomah 82

On Saturday in the Rose City, Portland State handled Multnomah 100-82. The numbers for the three northern California connected Vikings:

* De'Sean (Salt Lake CC/Grant High) Parsons with 14 points and three rebounds, shooting 6-8 overall and 2-2 at the foul line

* Armani (Stuart Hall High) Collins with nine points on 3-7 shooting from long distance

* Isaiah (Sierra College/Placer High) Pineiro with seven boards and six points

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FP 92, Stanislaus 84

Down in Raisintown, Fresno Pacific was too much for Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday 92-84. Freshman guard Kiree (Santa Cruz High) Hutchings continued his solid play with 11 points and three assists in 22 minutes. He shot 3-4, 2-3, 3-4.

Senior swingman Alek (Turlock High) Carlson shot 6-10 on his way to 20 points for CSS.

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SF St. 73, AoA 72

In an intra-city battle, San Francisco State was one point better than Academy of Art on Saturday. Floyd (Yuba College/Highlands High) Wormley and Israel (Cañada College/Palo Alto High) Haskim were Gator mainstays with 15 points/12 rebounds and 15 points/seven boards respectively. Nick (Napa Valley College/St. Patrick-St. Vincent) Cary led the Urban Knights with 13 points.

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Dominican 74, Alaska Fairbanks 69

Dominican University used 18 points from Matt (Yuba City HS) Hayes, 14 from Josh Ramirez and 13 via Ryo (Ohlone College) Tawatari in turning away Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday. Hayes shot 4-6 from long distance.

For the guys from The Last Frontier, Travone (CCSF) Williams led with 18 points, four assists and three caroms plus Joe (CCSF/Vallejo High) Slocum contributed 10 points, five rebounds and a trio of assists.

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SJSU 91, AA 87

Up in Alaska, the Spartans nabbed another win 91-87 over Alaska Anchorage on Saturday. Senior forward Frank (Salinas High) Rogers was big once more with 32 points and 12 boards as he shot a remarkable 14-18 on the day.

19 of the SJSU 40 rebounds came from players off the bench. To keep noting this number, it was 20 assists on 34 baskets for the Washington Square crew.

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EKU 98, SU 85

In the Bluegrass State on Saturday, Eastern Kentucky took care of Southern Utah 98-85 despite Paris (Chabot College/Skyline High) Davis generating 13 points in 17 minutes. He also grabbed four rebounds and nabbed two steals.

Cañada College 86, United Tribes Tech College 80

On Friday in Arizona, Cañada College bested United Tribes Technical College 86-80.

A Jerry Mullen's tweet: "Canada 86 United Tribes 80.  James Testa with 25 and Jacaui Biggins with 24 for Canada."

Testa shot 9-14 overall, 6-10 from three-point range. Biggins went 9-17, 6-10 and added seven assists plus six rebounds.

The Cañada College box

Richmond 94, Cal 90

Tyrone Wallace scored 15 points, Ivan Rabb had 13 plus seven boards and Jabari Bird totaled 12 and six as California fell to Richmond Friday. The Spiders shot 50% overall, 9-18 from three-point range and 31-39 at the foul line.

Jeff Faraudo reports.

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WV 72, SD St. 50

In Las Vegas on Friday and in a game that was expected to be much closer, West Virginia had no trouble with San Diego State, winning 72-50. For the Aztecs, Dakarai (Sheldon High) Allen had nine points in 22 minutes and Malik (Laguna Creek High) Pope tallied five points plus five caroms. Steve Fisher's crew shot 13-38 overall and 0-9 from beyond the arc.

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Utah 102, ISU 72

Host Utah easily turned away Idaho State 102-72 last night in a matchup that featured a couple of northern California talent connections:

* Ali (Arizona Western College/San Lorenzo High) Faruq-Bey scored 15 points and grabbed four rebounds in 30 minutes for ISU.

* Utah's Gabe (CCSF/Antelope High) Bealer totaled 12 points in 10 minutes of action, shooting 5-5 overall and 2-2 from long distance.

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SJSU 76, San Diego 67

It was unannounced but definitely Frank (Salinas High) Rogers Night as the senior frontcourter posted an 18 point, 14-rebound double-double in San Jose State University's 76-67 defeat of West Coast Conference member San Diego up in Anchorage on Friday. A 38-29 second half broke the halftime tie in favor of the Spartans. Junior guard Isaac Thornton enjoyed a plus night with 15 points and four assists.

Coach Dave Wojcik's guys again were moving the ball and shooting well after catching it in earning 21 assists on 27 baskets.

SJSU now have a pair of D1 victories on the season while the Toreros are 0-5 thus far.

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UC Irvine 80, BC 67

In the Wooden Legacy tournament, UC Irvine turned away Boston College 80-67 on Friday. Mike (Terra Linda High) Best just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine boards while teammate Jonathan (Salesian High) Galloway grabbed five rebounds in 11 minutes of court time.

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Michigan 78, Texas 72

Despite 18 points from Isaiah Taylor, Texas fell 78-72 Friday to Michigan in the Bahamas. Taylor shot 7-14, 1-5, 3-5 and also compiled eight assists versus a single turnover.

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Seattle Pacific 62, Chico St. 50

At home, Chico State fell to Seattle Pacific 62-50 on Friday. For the Wildcats, Corey (Bullard High) Silverstrom was the sole player in double figures scoring with 16. Robert (Granite Bay High) Duncan finished with two points but did pass out five assists.

Travis Souders game reports.

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CSUEB 86, Simpson 48

Up in Hayward, Cal State University East Bay barreled past Simpson University on Friday 86-48. A 41-17 first 20 minutes did the trick for the Pioneers. Ryan Okwudibonye led with 21 points and Pierre (College of Marin/Heritage High) Carter added 13 points, shooting 4-4 from beyond the arc.

Steve Connolly game reports.

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UC San Diego 74, Holy Names 50

In Belmont, UC San Diego proved to be too talented for Holy Names University in winning 74-50 on Friday.

For the victors, Koree (Solano CC/Hawaii Pacific/Benecia High) Cox shot 5-7 on his way to 11 points and he also latched on to five rebounds. Grant (Monte Vista High) Jackson finished with an eight point, six rebound, three assist line.

Joshua (Bishop O'Dowd) Crum's 14 points and four assists both led HNU.

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Cal Baptist 102, Concordia 70

California Baptist blasted visiting Concordia (OR) on Friday 102-70. The northern California talents of note in action were:

* Michael (El Camino High) Smith with 13 points, seven boards and four assists

* Jordan (St. Mary's/San Ramon Valley High) Giusti didn't shoot well but contributed six boards and a team-leading five assists.

The CB game report.

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Concordia 88, New Mexico Highlands 72

Concordia of Orvine, powered by 21 points and 13 boards from Stephen (Foothill College/Serra High) Grosey, took care of visiting New Mexico Highlands on Friday. He added four steals to boot.

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SOU 67, Menlo 66

It was a proverbial nailbiter as Southern Oregon University edged host Menlo College on Friday with a last-second shot. For the Oaks, Rosendo (Columbia College/Summerville High) AmayaWood burst out with a 15 point and 13 rebound double-double. For good measure, he also blocked three shots. Teammate Dylan (Sonoma Valley High) Severson grabbed 11 boards alongside eight points.

MC athletics game reports.

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VCSU 89, Antelope Valley 83

Down in Lancaster, Valley City State University out of North Dakota took down Antelope Valley 89-83 on Friday as Nate (DeAnza College/Los Altos High) Vieira totaled six points and three assists for the victors.

For AVU, Joe (Diablo Valley College/De La Salle) McNiff finished with 16 points plus four assists in 24 minutes. He shot 4-6 from long distance.

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Dominican 92, MSU Billings 74

30 points from Matt (Yuba City High) Hayes powered Dominican University to a 92-74 victory over Montana State Billings back in Big Sky Country. He shot 11-17, 6-10 and 2-2 while his nine boards just missed his posting of a double-double.

Dominican University athletics game reports.

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Westmont 76, Cal Maritime 66

As part of a tournament at Menlo College, Westmont proved to be 10 points better than Cal Maritime on Friday. Sophomore guard Gerald (San Ramon Valley High) Karczewski finished with 13 points.

Zach Davis just missed a double-double for the Keelhaulers with 16 points and nine boards.

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Rice 87, UC Riverside 81

In Houston last night, Rice handled UC Riverside 87-81 but Highlander Malik (Central Arizona College/Pleasant Grove High) Thames led his crew with 16 points and four assists. His efficient shooting: 4-7, 2-3, 6-7. Thames also grabbed four boards which tied for team best.

Taylor Johns remains suspended.

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A Marcus Lee update

Down in Miami, Kentucky downed South Florida 84-63 on Friday with Marcus (Deer Valley High) Lee scoring four points alongside six rebounds in 19 minutes. In the game previous, Lee scored nine points and grabbed a pair of boards in 18 minutes.

He's now a junior so, right now at least, it's not looking like he should be declaring for the draft.

A Brady Anderson update

Former Jesuit and Yuba College frontcourter Brady Anderson is a sophomore at UC Riverside this season. He has yet to play this season and may be redshirting.

Here's an introductory video (wait a few seconds).

LMU on the signing of Josh Sykes

From LMU athletics: "...The 6-8, 190-pound talent turned heads over the summer for his development after one year with Coach Ed Madec at Fresno City. He averaged 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds as a freshman, and is one of the reasons the Rams are ranked second in Northern California entering this week. Sykes had a solid 15-points, 12-rebound performance last Sunday in a setback to No. 1 CCSF in the finals of the CCSF tip-off tournament.

“Sykes has amazing athletic talent and Coach Madec really worked hard to get him to understand what it takes to capitalize on that talent. Once he realized that, he really turned heads this summer,” said Dunlap. “He is a very long athlete who can make things hard at the rim. He is a very good rebounder and is another good fit for our program.”

Sykes averaged 10.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game his senior season at Golden Valley High School in Merced. He was named the Merced Sun-Star Player of the Year as a junior, averaging 10.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game. He finished his career for coach Keith Hunter with 8.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game..."

A day late in posting this

Matt Smethurst with a friendly reminder: "Don’t forget to set your scales back tonight."

Ahhh, the NCAA once again acting on behalf of ...itself

Joe Nocera has an interesting article about the eligibility certification, transparency and the NCAA acting in "Big Brother" mode a la Orwell's "1984."

Looking at the Butte College Roadrunner so far

Sharon Martin/Chico ER with "Butte College men’s basketball team off to strong, steady start"

Did Santa Clara get better, is Arizona overranked or was this game an anomaly?

Down in Fullerton last night as part of the Wooden Legacy event, Santa Clara battled Arizona into overtime before falling 75-73. Bronco guard Jared Brownridge finished with 44 points, shooting 11-29, 7-19 and 15-15 (better ice that arm).

For the Wildcats, who shot 3-22 from beyond the arc, Mark (USF/San Ramon Valley High) Tollefsen didn't start this one but finished with 13 points plus five rebounds. He shot 6-10 overall.

Bruce Pascoe game reports.

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Three more stars out of Redding

TJ Holmes/Record Searchlight has revealed three more of his top prep basketball players in the Redding and surrounding areas.

In Las Vegas last night, puzzling San Diego State turned back previously unbeaten California 72-58. The Bears led 36-28 at halftime but the Aztecs went on a 44-22 second 20 minute blitz.

Both Dakarai (Sheldon High) Allen and Malik (Laguna Creek High) Pope shot 1-7 and each scored four points.

Cal was credited with just five assists on 21 buckets as Ivan (Bishop O'Dowd) Rabb totaled 18 points plus nine boards. Tyrone Wallace scored 16.

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Princeton 104-52

In Princeton's double up 104-52 victory over Lafayette on Wednesday, 6-foot-4 junior Henry (Serra High) Caruso was remarkable with a 13 point, 10 rebound double-double in just 17 minutes of play.

Senior guard Bryce (Oak Ridge High) Scott scored seven points in 23 minutes for Lafayette.

Here's a Scott feature from late October.

Denver 79, Idaho St. 69

Host Denver topped Idaho State 79-69 on Wednesday despite the Famous Potatoes guys receiving a team-leading 18 points from sophomore guard Ali (Arizona Western College/San Lorenzo High) Faruk-Bey. He shot 7-12 overall, 3-6 from long distance.

Texas 82, Washington 70

For the second game in a row, Isaiah Taylor didn't shoot well but helped in other areas as Texas bested Washington 82-70 on Thanksgiving in the Bahamas. He scored 13 points with three assists and a pair of steals but shot 3-11 overall. Going 8-8 at the foul line buffed up his scoring. In a loss to Texas A&M the day before, Taylor shot 2-9 overall.

For the Huskies, freshman Marquese Chriss totaled 15 points on 7-11 shooting. He played 34 minutes.

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Here's the California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association Northern California Regional Poll issued on November 23:

1. San Francisco  (8)
2. Feather River (1)
3. Butte
4. Fresno (1)
5. Chabot
6. Diablo Valley
7. Santa Rosa
8. Cabrillo
9. Los Medanos
10. Contra Costa
11. Cosumnes River
12. Hartnell
13. Marin
14. Sequoias
15. Shasta

Others: Foothill, Columbia, Sacramento, San Jose, Canada, DeAnza, Yuba, Redwoods, Merritt, West Hills, Modesto

It's here -- the Prep2Prep Tip Off Classic

9th Annual Prep2Prep Tip Off Classic Schedule

Saturday November 28, 2015 at Newark Memorial High School

Game 1: 11:00 AM St. Mary’s (Albany) vs. Manteca

Game 2: 12:30 PM Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland) vs. Dublin

Game 3: 2:15 PM Immanuel (Reedley) vs. Weston Ranch (Stockton)

Game 4: 3:45 PM Sheldon (Sacramento) vs. Army-Navy (Carlsbad)

Game 5: 5:30 PM Modesto Christian vs. Folsom

Game 6: 7:00 PM Newark Memorial (Newark) vs. Woodcreek (Roseville) 

Game 7: 8:30 PM Moreau Catholic (Hayward) vs. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth)

"Players currently committed to Division I four-year schools that are participating in the Tip Off Classic (all 2016): Jordan Ford of Folsom to St. Mary's, Colin Slater of Immanuel to Tulane, Kenneth Wooten of Manteca to Nevada, Terrell Brown of Moreau Catholic to San Jose State and Devearl Ramsey of Sierra Canyon to Nevada, Aziz Seck of Army-Navy to Northern Arizona.

High level underclassmen in the Tip Off Classic: Cody Riley, Ira Lee and Remy Martin of Sierra Canyon, Dimari Milstead of Moreau Catholic, Elijah Hardy of Bishop O'Dowd, Richard Polanco of Army-Navy, Jordan Brown of Woodcreek."

UC Santa Barbara 68, USF 61

On Wednesday, UC Santa Barbara came up north to battole USF and nabbed a 68-61 victory. It was truly a tale of two halves with the Gauchos romping to a 45-20 halftime lead and then the Dons taking the second 20 minutes at 41-23.

Gabe (St. Mary's High) Vincent and Michael (Foothill High) Bryson came back 'home' of sorts to score 18 and 15 points respectively. Bryson led with eight boards.

USF game report.

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Pitt 93, Cornell 49

Pittsburgh romped past Cornell 93-49 on Wednesday with Sterling (Coppin State/Chico High) Smith starting again and contributing nine points, six boards and two assists in 15 minutes. He shot 3-5 from beyond the arc.

Nevada 76, Portland St. 73

Host Nevada turned back Portland State 76-73 on Wednesday.

In 15 minutes of action, freshman Cameron (Grant High) Oliver totaled four boards and four points for the Wolf Pack. He was late for the shoot-around, thus the limited PT.

For PSU, Isaiah (Sierra College/Placer High) Pineiro played big with 13 point, 11 board double-double and in addition he blocked three shots -- all in 25 minutes.

Chris Murray game reports.

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Feather River 92, Yuba 69

Feather River College is very strong offensively this season at 96.9 points per game, this even besides having Derrick Randolph as the top scorer in the state and this was on display Wednesday night as the Golden Eagles downed host Yuba College 92-69.

The 5-foot-9 Randolph went for 43 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and three steals. He shot 13-26, 11-21 and 6-6 respectively.

Feather River box

"Yuba routed by Feather River at home"

The Appeal-Democrat:

"Doug Cornelius has been the head men's basketball coach at Yuba College since the 2001­02 season.

He has seen his program go through many ups and downs over the years, but Wednesday night's game had him shaking his head like never before.

The 49ers were trounced 92­-69 by Feather River in Linda in a game Cornelius called, "the most embarrassing performance" he's seen since he took over at Yuba.

"I don't know how else to explain it," Cornelius said. "I've never had a team just quit like that. It's very embarrassing for (associate head coach Ken) Griffin and myself."

Not that Feather River (8­0) is some slouch. The Golden Eagles are the No. 2­ranked team in Northern California in the most recent California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association poll. Feather River is also ranked No. 4 in the state.

A big reason for that has been the play of Derrick Randolph, who scored 43 points against the 49ers with 11 3 ­point baskets. In comparison, Yuba made five 3 ­pointers — as a team. Yuba shot 5 for 35 from behind the arc and added an abysmal night at the free throw line with a 10 ­for­ 22 clip.

"You're not going to win many games playing like that," Cornelius said. "(Randolph) did whatever he wanted to do against us. He was amazing."

Manny Malou had double­double for the 49ers with 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks, but that was about it in the highlight department for the 49ers.
The schedule doesn't get any easier. Yuba (2­5) has played the No.1 (City College of San Francisco) and No. 2 (Feather River) teams in Northern California already this year. Up next is a trip to Southern California to play in the Mt. San Jacinto Tournament against more elite competition.

"We're playing a ridiculous schedule right now," Cornelius said. "Hopefully we can get some confidence back in December."

HSU 110, WJU 73

On Wednesday up in Arcata, Humboldt State powered past William Jessup University 110-73 as Rakim Brown and Tom Witzel each were large. The former with 23 points, nine boards, four assists and three steals and the latter produced 23 points plus six rebounds.

The score was 59-27 after 20 minutes but WJU played a much closer -5 point differential in the second half.

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Skyline College 66, San Jose City College 60 (Wednesday)

From Dave Rogahn: "JC BB Skyline 66 San Jose 60 - Tavita Jimenez SC 17 pts
Usman Hameed SC 9 pts 11 rebs Akil Douglas SJ 16 pts 10 rebs 3 blks 3 stls"

Skyline won both halves 31-27 and 35-33.

Jimenez is a 6-foot-4 sophomore out of Serra High, Reed a 6-foot sophomore who prepped at Riordan High.

The Jags shot 24% from the field and attempted but nine free throws.

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The Slugs of UC Santa Cruz

Jim Seimas/Santa Cruz Sentinel serves up a 2014-15 preview of Coach Ron DuBois' UC Santa Cruz Slugs.

Zags 80, Wash 64

Marquese Chriss' five fouls in 14 minutes was a rude introduction to the in-state rivalry between Washington and Gonzaga as the latter bopped the Seattle-ites 80-64 on Wednesday in the Bahamas.

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Toledo 89, SJSU 74

It was 47-38 in favor of Toledo at the half and the Rockets also won the second 20 minutes 42-36 to take a 89-74 victory over San Jose State University on Wednesday in the Great Alaska Shootout.

For the Spartans, Frank (Salinas High) Rogers was efficient with 16 points (6-11, 2-3, 2-3) plus eight boards and three blocked shots.

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St. John's 100, Chaminade 93

Kiran Shastri scored 19 points (5-10 from three-point range) for Chaminade as the Silverswords fell 100-93 on Wednesday to St. John's.

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A verrrry interesting situation

Don't know if Utah State can keep this up but the AD is not making David Collette's future easy. USU believes tampering took place by, let's just say, an in-state school and that Collette's decision to depart two days before the first game of this season was inappropriate.

Utah State denies transfer permission to speak with any other schools

Matt Norlander offers his take

The COM men's basketball report

Richard Halstead/Marin Independent Journal details the findings against the College of Marin men's basketball program.

Not publishing on Thursday

Taking Thursday off -- back on Friday.

Chabot 88, MPC 82

On Tuesday, Chabot College bested host Monterey Peninsula College 88-82. The scoring rundown:

Chabot (4-1)

Keith Phillips 12 1-3 25
Wykeem Randle 6 9-11 21
DeAndre Davis 4 5-6 16
Courtney Anderson 3 2-2 10
Drelan Tripplett 4 1-2 10
Shamil Sharma 2 0-0 4
Robert Blount 0 1-3 1
Dalvin Guy 0 1-2 1

Monterey (2-4)

Isaac Clark 6 4-8 17
Deondre Otis 5 4-4 16
Chris Evans 2 6-6 11
Isaiah Brown 4 2-2 10
Jazz Bajwa 2 3-5 8
Ryan Donnelly 3 0-0 7
Kyle Hieb 2 1-2 6
DJ Johnson 2 0-0 4
JJ Mercado 1 0-0 3

Halftime: Chabot 44, Monterey 40. 3-point goals: Davis 3, Anderson 2, Tripplett; Otis 2, Bajwa, Donnelly, Mercado, Clark, Evans, Hieb.

Harris #6

Thomas Lawrence has Chavez High guard Justice Harris in the #6 slot in area pre-season boys basketball rankings.

Lavender #5

Thomas Lawrence has Weston Ranch High's Fred Lavender in the #5 spot in area pre-season boys basketball player rankings.

San Joaquin Delta 74, Merced 52

On Tuesday, San Joaquin Delta College handled Merced College 74-52 --
"Mustangs won tonight, beating Merced 72-53, Alvin Crenshaw was the leading scorer with 19 points 14 rebounds."

Crenshaw is a 6-foot-3 freshman out of West High.

Sac St. 84, UC Davis 79

In Tuesday's Causeway battle, it was host Sacramento State proving to be five points better than UC Davis at the buzzer. Cody Demps went to the line 19 times, making 14, on his way to a team best 22 points. The Hornets shot nine more free throws than their counterparts and made 10 more.

For the Aggies, Josh Fox grabbed a remarkable 18 rebounds while scoring 13 points and passing out three assists.

From the AP: "Cody Demps made seven straight free throws down the stretch to secure Sacramento State's 84-79 win over UC Davis on Tuesday night.

UC-Davis led 69-66 with 5:39 left in the game following Brynton Lemar's trey. Demps made a layup and added a free throw and Justin Strings hit a jumper for a 71-69 lead at the 3:55 mark and the Hornets held on for the win..."

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UC San Diego 76, Cal Baptist 67

Host UC San Diego pulled an upset Tuesday with freshman Chris (Campolindo High) Hansen posting a 17 point, 11 rebound double-double. Teammate Grant (Monte Vista High) Jackson tallied 10 alongside three boards and three assists.

For Cal Baptist, Michael (El Camino High) Smith was big again with his own 20/10 double-double.

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Chico St. 81, AoA 67

It was Chico State 81-67 over Academy of Art on Tuesday in San Francisco. For the Wildcats, Robert (Granite Bay High) Duncan shot 8-11, 4-4, 9-11 on his way to 29 points in just 26 minutes. He also contributed four rebounds. four assists and four steals. Jalen (Castro Valley High) McFerren totaled 10 points, six boards and five assists.

Herman (Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) Pratt paced the Urban Knights with 16 points.

Luke Reid game reports.

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AP 72, Cal State San Marcos 66

In Azuza Pacific's 72-66 victory over Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday, Connor (Archbishop Mitty) Peterson went for 12 points, six assists, four boards and a pair of steals.

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UNLV 93- Chaminade 73

On Maui, UNLV handled Chaminade on Tuesday 93-73. For the Silverswords, Rohndell (Cañada College/West High) Goodwin scored a team-leading 18 points and Kiran (Miramonte High) Shastri finished with 13.

Utah St. 81, Utah Valley 55

Senior guard Chris (Yuba College/Center High) Smith scored a team best 17 points and added six rebounds in Utah State's 81-55 manhandling of Utah Valley University on Tuesday. He shot 7-10, 2-4 and 1-2 respectively.

SF St. 83, Holy Names 74

In The City on Tuesday night, San Francisco State bested Holy Names University 83-74 as Floyd (Yuba College/Highlands High) Wormley led the Gators in three categories: 18 points, six rebounds, four assists.

Dante (Salesian High) Robinson scored 25 points and gathered in eight boards for HNU while teammate Joshua (Bishop O'Dowd) Crum scored 23 points, passed out seven assists and corralled five rebounds..

Gator athletics game reports.

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Falls scheduled for Montana

From a Montana men's basketball MB: "Timmy Falls will take his official visit to Missoula on Feb 12 for the Northern Arizona Game on the Saturday the 13th."

Falls is a 6-foot-2 2017 shooting guard out of Dublin High. SJSU has also offered as has Weber State.

Warren featured

John Murphy/Prep2Prep features guard Kevin Warren of St. Mary's High who is unsigned and will be on display Saturday in the Prep2Prep Classic.

UTEP 72, Florida A&M 54

Host Texas-El Paso doubled up 48-24 on Florida A&M in the first half and pretty much kept that margin throughout on Tuesday. Dom Artis didn't shoot well at 3-10, 1-5 and 1-2 respectively but contributed six assists, four boards and three steals for the Miners.

Catching up with Caleb Wood

Out of Reno, 6-foot-4 Caleb Wood played at Monterey Peninsula College during the 2013-14 season. He averaged 11.0 points, 2.4 boards and 1.2 assists. Now he is playing at Lassen College and averaging 20 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists while shooting 52%, 40% and 92% respectively. 

Wood was recently named all tournament for his play in the Mendocino Invitational event after scoring 22 against Mendocino, 32 versus Modesto and 26 in a matchup with College of the Redwoods.  

He is currently receiving a lot of looks from NCAA D2 teams as well as a few low major D1 programs.

Valparaiso 63, OSU 57

In Corvallis, Oregon State fell 63-57 to Valparaiso on Tuesday. Gary Payton II needed 25 shots for his 25 points but he added 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

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Jacksonville 92, Thomas 64

Host Jacksonville used a 60-36 second half blitz to take down Thomas (GA) on Monday as Kori (CCSF) Babineaux went for 23 points, six assists and four rebounds. Who would have guessed that Dolphins were tougher than Nighthawks?

Kentucky 82, Boston U 62

Marcus (Deer Valley High) Lee played 18 minutes last night for Kentucky and produced nine points plus two rebounds. He shot 4-4 overall, 1-4 at the foul line.

A Pacific Union update

Pacific Union athletics writes that the Pioneers are off to a strong start this season up in Angwin. Jarron (Columbia College) Crump and Mike (Modesto Junior College/Bullard High) Hill are leading the charge.

The CCSF connection

In an unusual circumstance last Friday, seniors Joe Slocum and Travante Williams for Alaska Fairbanks were on the opposite side against junior Vincent Golson of Cal State Dominguez Hills. Each has a degree from City College of San Francisco.

Host AF won the pairing 81-73 with Williams enjoying a 16 point, 15 rebound double-double and Slocum scoring 12 points. Golson posted a 17 point, five rebound line.

Slocum and Williams played together as Rams in the 2012-13 season. Williams and Golson teamed up in the 2013-14 season. Not sure if any of them found themselves matching up with a former teammate during the game but they certainly should have been prepared with intimate knowledge of skills and weaknesses.

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Martin playing his role for LSU Shrevepoort

Former Cañada College forward Manny Martin is aiding the cause this season for LSU Shreveport. The latest: his teamleading eight rebounds against Dilliard in a victory on Monday.

Columbia's win on Saturday

Here's Guy Dossi/Union Democrat on Columbia College's 90-53 win Saturday over Gavilan College.

A greater personal & social consciousness is growing

"The Re-Emergence of Black Consciousness Within the Sports Community" by Delgreco Wilson.

The honorees out of the Mendocino College Invitational

Mendocino College Invitational Tournament All-Tourney Team:

* Mason Washington - MVP (Modesto)
* Joe Hamilton (Modesto)
* Kenny Doss (Cosumnes River)
* Caleb Wood (Lassen)
* Osh'e White (Los Medanos)

If Caltech can do it...

If the Caltech men's basketball program can be turned into a successful one then there is hope for all fans following forlorn teams.

"After decades of defeat, Caltech finds formula for winning in conference"

Yussef hurt again -- maybe a redshirt this season?

Looks like Long Beach State's Temidayo (St. Joseph Notre Dame) Yussef is injured again: "I heard preliminary info on Temi and it looks like he may have reinjured his foot again." 

Wright to the D-League Raptors

Marc J. Spears tweeted: "The Raptors have assigned guard Delon (Utah/CCSF) Wright, the 20th overall pick in this year's draft, to D-League Raptors."

BSU 100, Concordia 53

As expected, host Boise State ran past Concordia (OR) 100-53 on Monday. Freshman guard Paris (Bishop O'Dowd) Austin started, played 29 minutes and scored 15 points on 5-7, 1-2 and 4-5 shooting.

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Pacific 79, Notre Dame de Namur 44

Pacific hosted Notre Dame de Namur Monday night and encountered little trouble on the way to a 79-44 victory. Ex-Modesto Christian-ites Ray Bowles and Anthony Townes each finished with 11 points and the latter grabbed six rebounds.

Jalen Young totaled 18 points for the Argonauts.

Tiger game report.

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Humboldt St. 85, Holy Names 74

The Lumberjacks went to 2-0 last night with a win over visiting Holy Names University. Tom (Diablo Valley College/Arcata High) Witzel led with 21 points and Rakim (Central High) Brown was again enormous via 20 points and 15 boards.

HNU's Dante (Salesian High) Robinson was impressive with 17 points, six boards and four assists.

HSU athletics game reports.

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UCI 79, Santa Clara 61

The Orange County Anteaters had no trouble beating winless Santa Clara on Monday. Senior forward Mike (Terra Linda High) Best finished with nine points plus four boards. The Broncos shot just 25.4%.

Irvine is now 4-0.

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California 69, Sam Houston State 63

California had no trouble Monday night with visiting Sam Houston State, taking down the Bearkats 89-63. The Bay Area connections:

* Jabari (Salesian High) Bird - 10 points

* Ivan (Bishop O'Dowd) Rabb - eight points, five boards, three blocked shots

The Bears are now 4-0, all home games.

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San Diego State 79, East Carolina 54

San Diego State jumped out to a 44-21 halftime lead and won going away 79-54 on Monday. In 22 minutes, Dakarai (Sheldon High) Allen totaled 11 points and four boards, shooting 4-6 overall, 2-4 from distance and 1-2 at the foul line. Malik (Laguna Creek High) Pope went for five and five in 18 minutes but shot 2-8 and 1-5.

Mark Ziegler: "SDSU's starting lineup tonight: Hemsley, Kell ... Allen, Cheatham and Chol. Shepard, Pope and Spencer on bench."

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Kansas 123, Chaminade 74

Played on Maui, the game wasn't close last night but two former Bay Area-connected talents enjoyed solid games for Chaminade:

* Kiran (Miramonte High Shastri - 17 points, 5-10 shooting from long distance

* Rohndell (Cañada College/West High) Goodwin - 15 points

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Portland 87, Abilene Christian 57

Bryce (Jesuit High) Pressley enjoyed 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals in Portland's Sunday shellacking of Abilene Christian. He shot 5-8 overall, 2-4 from long distance. A 48-15 first half put the Pilots on Easy Street.

UCSC 73, Lewis & Clark 70

Powered by Adam Marlow's triple-double -- 13 points, 13 assists and 10 boards -- and 16 points plus 11 rebounds from Sam (Vacaville High) Gabbard as well as Will (Casa Grande High) Crain's 16 and seven, UC Santa Cruz turned back visiting Lewis & Clark 73-70 on Sunday.

For L&C, Markel (Diablo Valley College/Cal Poly, Salesian High) Leonard provided 10 points, five boards and four assists while teammate Jonathan (Central Catholic High) Boddie totaled seven points and six caroms.

Lewis & Clark - UC Santa Cruz box

UH 99, Nicholls St. 74

On Sunday, Hawaii downed visiting Nicholls State 99-74, again powered by Roderick (Indian Hills CC/Castro Valley High) Bobbitt. He posted a line of 11 points and 10 assists in 27 minutes. Quincy (CCSF/Deer Valley High) Smith entered the stat sheet with six points, four boards, two assists and a pair of steals.

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Butte 71, Simpson JV 55

The ChicoER writes about Butte College's 71-55 victory on Monday over the Simpson JV team.

Steph Curry and me

Hey, that's mostly what they said about me, uh, minus the frail frame and my absence of any athleticism:

It's still CCSF in week three

Signal The Light Basketball has City College of San Francisco continuing its Nor Cal top team ranking in week three.

The Crush In The Valley January 29-31

"Coming January 29-31 is the "Crush in the Valley." This is a first year event that will be held at Napa Valley College. Some people are saying this event will have the most talent to ever come to the NorCal area. This is a must see event. We are happy to have local team Bishop O'Dowd battle against Jarrad Vanderbilt and Victory Prep (TX) as part of the event.

The event will include:

Josh Jackson #1 2016 in Country
Deandre Ayton #1 2017 in Country
Thon Maker #1 2016 in Canada (considered top 1-3 in USA if were able to be ranked)
Rawle Alkins #9 2016 in Country
Jarrad Vanderbildt #5 2017 in Country
Jaylen Hands #31 2017 in Country
Abu Kigab #1 2017 in Canada

Lots of potential NBA lottery picks will be on hand. Schedule is listed above. Hope to see everyone there to celebrate the talent and major media coming to Northern California that weekend to Napa, CA. VIP Packages and floor seating/VIP Access are available on demand (contact info@prolificprep.org)"

Aaron Gordon's stats for 2015-16 thus far

14 games have gone by so far this season in the NBA for Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic and here are his numbers:

8.5 points per game on 46%, 24% and 68% shooting alongside 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

This week's PacWest honorees

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Josh Ramirez (Dominican)
G, Jr., Chino, Calif./Ayala HS

Ramirez averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.0 assist per game for the Penguins. He scored a season-high 21 points in a comeback victory over Stanislaus State, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Ramirez is 10th in the PacWest in scoring (16.3 ppg).
                                                                                                                                
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Jordan Giusti (CBU)
G, Sr., Danville, Calif./St. Mary's HS

Giusti helped No. 11 CBU improve to 6-0 with a victory over Cal State East Bay. He recorded a career-high five steals against the Pioneers, along with four rebounds and five assists. He currently leads the PacWest in steals (2.8 spg).

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Kiree Hutchings (Fresno Pacific)
G, Fr., Santa Cruz, Calif./Santa Cruz HS

Hutchings made his first-career start at point guard for FPU against Cal Maritime. He dished out a career-high nine assists, along with seven points, five rebounds and one steal.

John Crumpacker's WCC latest

in John Crumpacker's latest on the West Coast Conference: "Why do broadcast networks always default to beauty shots of San Francisco when televising events in the Bay Area that are outside of San Francisco? It’s cliché, it’s lazy and it’s geographically bogus. Take Sunday night’s Stanford-Saint Mary’s game in Moraga, 21 miles removed from San Francisco. Other than the game itself on ESPN, there were no other shots of Moraga. Granted, it’s as dark as the bottom of a well in Moraga at night, but by day, the rolling hills of this bucolic little burg are attractive. However, there was a shot of the Powell-Market cable car, by golly."

Agreed. Heck, take some campus shots and of the surrounding area. It's plenty attractive if not iconic. Gael fans aren't stepping out of McKeon Pavilion and getting on a cable car or oohing over a view of the Golden Gate.

Interesting read on Celtic Coach Brad Stevens

Coach Bob Walsh provides a link to a recent article on Boston Celtic Coach Brad Stevens who has some interesting things to say about development -- focus on process and progress.

Claus on fire

Yes, it's only November but the gifting by Justin Claus has already started in spectacular fashion. Try a package of 24 points including six treys plus four assists versus Simpson, 28 points, including eight threes, against Skyline plus 13 and three in a matchup with Sacramento City for the 6-foot College of the Redwoods sophomore.

His shooting accuracy and scoring efficiency thus far early in the season have called for dramatic defensing by opponents as Claus has faced both a box-and-one as well as faceguarding in attempts to lessen his effect.

"I've always felt like shooting has been a strong point for me," Claus explained. "In high school, all four years on varsity, I was a true point who could shoot but, once at CR, I've been a two guard, a shooting guard pretty much. When I came here, Johnny Shelton was at the point and an all conference player."

While many were enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures over last summer, Claus was putting purposeful time in at the gym. "I'm always working on my shot. Over the summer, my routine was to begin shooting 50 times two feet from the basket."

He would then work his way away from the hoop. "I would do the same thing at different spots on the floor." This would last 90 minutes.

There has also been the use of a shooting guru of sorts. "I watch a Ray Allen video on shooting." That's someone who played 20 years in the NBA and shot 40% from three-point range in his career.

All this effort has demonstrably paid off so much so that "this year, I can tell when it's [the ball] going in and I can tell why when I miss a shot."

Claus also has a pre-game shooting routine "if there is time but sometimes I have to cut in half or quarters, especially when traveling." The Corsairs have enjoyed but one home game thus far.

About adjustments he has made since the jump from high school, Claus offered, "I'm not the most athletic but I've become more of a shooter and a pretty good point guard."

What he has noticed with junior college competition is "you have to focus much longer, the speed of the game is much faster and everyone here is athletic, there's nobody who doesn't deserve to be here. I'm a smart player and I see the game quicker now, seeing things before they happen."

He also is stepping up his leadership in 2015-16. "We had three sophomores last year so this season I'm more of a leader. I feel confident."

Claus sports a 3.0 grade point average.

Cuesta College 71, Yuba College 69

As part of the Allan Hancock College hosted tournament, Cuesta College got by Yuba 71-69 on Sunday. Manny Malou of the 49ers totaled 20 points plus six boards.

YubaMensHoops: "Very tough loss for 49'ers! Up 1 with .03 left and a steal. Refs reverse call, add time and give ball to Cuesta who hit a corner 3 at buzzer."

The Appeal-Democrat game report.

Full box

Allan Hancock College 62, College of Marin 60

At the Allan Hancock College hosted tournament, AHC bested College of Marin by two points 62-60 on Sunday. Noah (San Marin High) Everly led the Mariners with 22 points and Bobby Reeves grabbed nine rebounds, scored six points, blocked four shots and nabbed three steals.

Full box

San Diego 80, Napa 56

San Diego City College used a 47-26 halftime lead to knock over Napa Valley 80-56 on Sunday. Rae (Fairfield High) Hubbard scored 12 points to lead the Storm.

Full box

Portland St. 79, Texas Rio Grande Valley 61

Isaiah (Sierra College/Placer High) Pineiro took 'they do things bigger in Texas' to heart last night as Portland State bopped Texas Rio Grande Valley 79-61:

"Isaiah Pineiro brought the heat off the bench for the Vikings as Portland State picked up its first road win of the season, 79-61, over Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Pineiro hit eight of his first nine shots, scoring 17 points in his first 11 minutes on the court. The sophomore forward finished with game-highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds. Pineiro's hot start led the Vikings to a double-digit lead midway through the first half and UTRGV never got closer.

Portland State was able to get inside at will early in the game, racing out to a 16-7 lead. The Vikings scored 14 of the first 16 in the paint, including three baskets by Pineiro and three by senior forward Cameron Forte.

Pineiro had 17 points and six rebounds by halftime...

Here's the link for more.

Alaska 90, Life Pacific 75

On Saturday, the Alaska Nanooks bested Life Pacific 90-75 up in Anchorage with Travante (CCSF) Williams scoring 18 points and passing out five assists and teammate Joe (CCSF/Vallejo High) Slocum providing 13 and seven.

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Chriss solid against Penn

At home on Saturday, Washington handled Penn easily 104-67. Freshman forward Marquese (Pleasant Grove High) Chriss finished with 15 points, six boards and three steals, shooting 7-10 overall.

Artis keepin on

On Saturday, UTEP turned away Texas State 77-62 with Dom Artis totaling 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals in 34 minutes of court time.

Modesto JC rolls at Mendocino tourney

From the Modesto Bee: "Not much was expected from the Modesto Junior College Pirates at Mendocino’s eight-team John Hogue Memorial Tournament.

Not only were the Pirates 0-3, they were further weakened by the illness absence of sophomore guard Zack Gonzales.

Go figure the Pirates, who swept all three games for the tournament title. Freshman guard Mason Washington, the tournament MVP, finished a top-tier performance by scoring 35 points during MJC’s 70-65 win over Big 8 Conference rival Cosumnes River in Saturday night’s final.

“To start 0-3 and lose Zack, and to improve this much in one week of practice, shows what this team is made of,” MJC coach Paul Brogan praised. “We held three teams in the 60s. We couldn’t guard anyone during the first three games.”

Washington netted all 12 free throws against Cosumnes River, the 2015 Big 8 champion, as MJC (3-3) made 22 of 28 from the line. Tied 24-24 at half, Modesto nursed a lead late in the game. Brennan Pope’s two free throws with eight seconds left increased the lead to five points.

Brandon Moss also helped with 14 points. Sophomore Joe Hamilton joined Washington on the all-tournament team. The Pirates defeated Las Positas 75-64 and Lassen 86-64 to reach the final.

“It was an important weekend for us,” Brogan said. “We needed it for our confidence.”

Sailsbery starting right out of the gate

In seven games and starts to date for Clarke University in Iowa, 6-foot junior Jud (Butte College/Orland High) Sailsbery is averaging 11.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He's shooting 40%, 38% and 71% respectively.

Sykes for the defense

From Nor Cal Sports TV, the Joshua (Fresno City College) Sykes effect is on display:

A Joey Frenchwood update

Former Montana State and Newark Memorial High guard Joey Frenchwood is a sophomore at Hill College in Texas and in nine games and starts this season he is averaging 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 52%, 55% and 71%.

Updates on Jalen Coates & Cruz Ginns

With fives games under his belt, Jalen (Yuba College) Coates is averaging 21 points plus 4.8 assists for Montana Tech. He is shooting 64%, 50% and 54% respectively.

Likewise, teammate Cruz (College of Alameda) Ginns is averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 boards, 2.8 steals and 2.5 assists, shooting 59%, 37% and a perfect 10-10 at the foul line.

The latest on the duo:

11/20/2015 game report

11/21/2-15 game report

SRJC thus far

Santa Rosa Junior College has four players scoring in double figures at the moment:

* Siaan Rojas - 6-foot-5 sophomore, 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists

* David Niklasson - 6-foot-5 freshman, 13.0 points, 3.2 boards

* Josh Douglas - 5-foot-7 sophomore, 12.7 points, 3.5 assists

* Jacob Wilson - 6-foot-1 sophomore, 12.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists

Teach more -- yell less?

This is a fascinating article about a coaching hazard for some -- "Vocal Strain Poses Long-Term Risks for Coaches. Anyone Have a Lozenge?"

Is there any good done for student/athletes by the NCAA?

"Jayhawks' Bill Self: Cheick Diallo 'should be playing immediately'"

The money is there to have the best and most proficient investigators on staff if that's an area of concern but then again it's a matter of who is concerned, or not.

SF State highlights its all tourney selections

"SF State Gators' Nick Calcaterra and Warren Jackson were named to the 15th Annual Ron Logsdon Classic All-Tournament Team as announced last night in Rohnert Park. The Gator duo were two of the six-member All-Tournament Team.  James Davis of Sonoma State was named the Most Valuable Player.  SF State and Sonoma State each finished the tournament 2-0.

Calcaterra averaged 15.5 points, 1.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in the Gators' two victories over Pac West Conference members, Academy of Art and Dixie State. He also shot 45% from the field including 40% from three-point land and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

In the Gators' 79-75 win over Dixie State on Saturday, the junior guard had a career high 22 points connecting on 7 of his 14 attempts from the field including going 3-for-9 from beyond the arc. The Novato native also was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line including connecting on both attempts to seal the win with two seconds left in regulation. Then on Friday night, Calcaterra scored 9 points connecting on three of his six attempts from beyond the arc while recording two steals.

Jackson averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in the Gators' two wins this past weekend in Rohnert Park. He also shot 50% from the field and from three-point land while going 6-for-7 from the charity stripe. 

The sophomore transfer scored a season high 16 points in the Gators' 72-53 win over Academy of Art on Friday night. Jackson was 5-for-10 from the field and connected on 6 of his 7 attempts from the free throw line while grabbing 5 rebounds. Then in their win on Saturday night over the Storm, the Detroit, Michigan, native scored five points and grabbed four rebounds including a key three late in the game for SF State.

For the season, Calcaterra is averaging a team high 14.3 points per game while shooting 50% from the field and 38% from three-point land. He is a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Jackson is right behind his teammate with his 11.0 scoring average while shooting 50% from the field and beyond the arc. He is also shooting 80% from the line and averaging 3.7 rebounds per game.

Besides Calcaterra, Jackson and Tournament MVP, James Davis (Sonoma State), the three other All-Tournament Team selections were: David Ahern (Sonoma State), Andy Mitchell (Sonoma State) and Brandon Simister (Dixie State). In the two other games of the Classic, Sonoma State defeated Dixie State 72-64 on Friday and Academy of Art 77-56 on Saturday night."

FCC 105, El Camino College 70

Leading 50-32 at the half, Fresno City College continued to roar in winning 105-70 versus El Camino College on Saturday. Sophomore guard Evan (Golden Valley High) Stillahn scored 13 points while teammates Nick (Jesuit High) Hilton tallied 10 points on just three shots and led with five assists.

Nicholas Podesta: "Congratulations to @Bjshelton24 for earning All-Tournament honors this past weekend! Big time sleeper on West Coast who plays the right way!"

Full box

Merritt 79, Siskiyous 71

On Saturday up in Redding, Merritt College used a 50-37 second half to best College of the Siskiyous 79-71. Omari (Sacred Heart Cathedral High) Brown shot 7-11 to lead the Thunderbird and also posted four assists and a trio of steals. Lamont (St. Joseph Notre Dame) Banks enjoyed a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double that included shooting 8-10 and Tyrell (El Cerrito High) Alcorn scored 16 points.

Merritt box

San Diego 68, College of Marin 58 (Allan Hancock tournament)

In a matchup that required overtime before the victor was determined, San Diego City College outscored College of Marin 13-3 in that extra period and won 68-58 on Saturday. George (Heritage High) Johnson paced the Mariners with 14 points and Bobby Reeves just missed a double-double with 10 boards plus nine points.

The COM box

Modesto Junior College's last two games

Via the Modesto Bee:

Saturday

Modesto JC 70, Cosumnes River 65

Modesto JC (3-3) - Mason Washington 35, Brandon Moss 14, Brennan Pope 7, Joe Hamilton 5, Kevin Howland-Wolaridge 4, Donovan Galloway 3, Michael Hatfield 2. Totals: (26, 22-29) 70.

Cosumnes River (3-2) - Kenny Doss 15, Phillip Morgan 15, Leondre Lintz 14, Gerard Andrus 12, Michael Murphy 6, Gor Mikayelyan 3. Totals: (29, 11-14) 65.

Halftime - Modesto JC 24, Cosumnes River 24. 3-pointers: Modesto JC 4 (Washington 3, Hamilton), Cosumnes River 5 (Lintz 3, Mikayelyan, Morgan). Fouls: Modesto JC 15, Cosumnes River 20. 

and

Mendocino Tournament - Semifinal Friday

Modesto JC 86, Lassen 64

Modesto JC (2-3) - B. Pope 27, M. Washington 16, M. Hatfield 13, K. Howland 11, J. Hamilton 9, B. Moss 8, D. Galloway 2. Totals: (34, 6-9) 86.

Lassen (2-8) - C. Wood 32, S. Saunders 12, D. Grayson 12, D. Spinoza 6, D. Givins 2. Totals: (21, 10-16) 64.

Halftime - Modesto JC 41, Lassen 33. 3-pointers: MJC 11 (Washington 4, Pope 3, Howland 2, Hatfield 2, Hamilton), Lassen 12 (Wood 7, Saunders 2, Spinuzza 2, Grayson). Fouls: MJC 18, Lassen 11.