Joel Francisco on Jabari Brown

ESPN's Joel Francisco writes about the top 2011 seniors in the West, including this on Oakland High's Jabari Brown:

"Oregon needs a talent influx and it has one coming in the sweet shooting Brown. He needs to get better with the ball and make a more concerted effort at the defensive end, but he'll make an immediate impact due to his shooting prowess"

Saturday's northern California high school basketball report

Mitch Stephens features Oakland High's Jabari Brown.

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Jimmy Durkin has the details on the sites of the major game playoffs.

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Joe Davidson has previews on the games involving Sacramento area squads.

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John Gage previews the San Marin - Bishop O'Dowd matchup.

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Matt O'Donnell previews the St. Patrick - St. Vincent - St. Mary's contest -- who is going to have more saint power as it looks two to one at least in names?

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Ryan Moses writes that it will be Bill versus Bill in the coaching boxes of the Salesian High - Santa Cruz High game.

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Go here to check out the information about joining the Sonoma Valley Cagers.

Friday's report on last night's northern California high school basketball games

Alex Fischler reports on the Archbishop Mitty victory over Casa Grande. Phil Barber was also present.

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Jimmy Durkin is all over Oakland's getting by Jesuit -- the latter had no answer for Jabari Brown.

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Mitch Stephens fills us in on BOD's success versus Sacred Heart Cathedral, plus he features seemingly every other score and mini-write-ups. Jeremy Balan also was there at the BOD - SHC contest.

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Scott Strain has the details on St. Joseph Notre Dame having little trouble with Ripon Christian.

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Dave Campbell is present and accounted for on the Las Lomas win against St. Mary's of Stockton. Stephen Roberson also checks in.

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Chace Bryon was at the DLS 12-point victory over Granite Bay.

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Tony Gonsalez tells readers about El Cerrito's three-point triumph over Burlingame.

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Steve Waterhouse has the scoop on Castro Valley beating Franklin, powered by Roderick Bobbitt's 34 points. Joe Davidson checks in from the Sacramento area perspective.

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Bill Paterson has the game report about Sac High by four over Foothill.

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Joe Davidson reports on Sheldon's 76-57 downing of Santa Teresa.

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Josh Levine covers the University beatdown of Liberty Christian.

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John Dugan writes that it was San Marin by six over Center High.

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Thomas Gase tell us it was Robbie Herndon to the rescue in the St. Patrick - St. Vincent victory over Sacred Heart.

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Bob Padecky has all we wnat to know about Woodcreek's triumph over Montgomery. Game video is here.

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Bill Plaschke gets inside former Modesto Christian player Reeves Nelson and you'll be surprised by what you learn.

Evan Daniels with more on the MickeyD non-selections

Here's national basketball writer Evan Daniels writing about the glaring omissions of Jabari Brown and Josiah Turner from the McDonald's annual hullabaloo. Calvin Andrews cannot be happy and rightly so, joining many others. Here's betting some changes are made in the cast of characters eligible to vote.

Two from NorCal as Holiday Classic all-tourney picks

The entries from northern California were slim so the pickings matched that -- here's the all-tourney selections from the Holiday Classic, including two from our area. The final game report is here.

Jabari Brown to N-I-K-E

Here's a decent report on Jabari Brown's decision to head to the Land of Quack next season. Will he score 20 or 25 points per game as a freshman? He's a talent Coach Dana Altman had to have but how long he has Brown is open to question.

Jabari Brown announcing today

"Last night, five-star shooting guard Jabari Brown  entertained Arizona State for an in-home visit on the final day of the evaluation/contact period. As it turns out, he's going to be making a decision very soon.

Rather than visit Georgia Tech this weekend as initially planned, the nation's 22nd ranked player in the class of 2011 will announce his decision live on ESPNU Thursday afternoon.

A physical, 6-foot-5 shooting guard with deep range, Brown confirmed via text that he will be making his choice but wouldn't give any hints as to which way he is leaning.

Initially considered a heavy lean to Washington, sources close to Brown have speculated that he's cooled a bit on the Huskies and could easily select any of his other finalists of Arizona State, Oregon and Connecticut."

Juan Anderson and Jabari Brown visit updates

Rivals posted this in an article about visits taking place:

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

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

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

Recruiting and the 'net

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

Example #24573:

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

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

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

Jabari Brown talks about Connecticut

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

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

Go here for the full article.

Jabari Brown in the Nutmeg State this weekend

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

The latest wooing of Jabari Brown

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

UCONN and Jabari Brown

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

Jabari Brown recruiting update

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

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

A Jabari Brown feature and one on Josiah Turner

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

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

Jabari Brown receives more offers

Adam Zagoria is back again with an update on Jabari Brown's recruiting: "...Brown played great at the Nike Peach Jam despite his team not being able to win it all. Three major schools noticed his excellent performance and decided to offer. Georgetown offered a day after Jabari’s Soldiers were knocked out of play. Kansas waited until a few days after to pull out an offer for Brown. And St. John’s offered Sunday night. They join the ranks of most Pac-10 schools, as well as Maryland, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest..."

Go here for the entire post (primarily focused on east coast prospects).

MaxPreps' 2011 National 100

The latest Maxpreps list is out -- this one on the 2011 Top 100 nationally -- go here.

Here are the northern Californiai selections:

26. Jabari Brown
Oakland (CA) G, W 6-3/205       
Started the year at Findlay Prep before transferring to Oakland (Calif.), where he scored 23.5 points per game.

31. Josiah Turner
Sacramento (CA) G 6-3/180       
Former Arizona State verbal commitment dropped in 27.9 points per game to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, helping Dragons to 26-7 record.

77. Darius Nelson
Sheldon (Sacramento, CA) W, F 6-6/225       
Defines "tweener" but has been incredibly productive at Sheldon since his freshman season, posting 24.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a junior.

He's back

He is back. No, The Arnold hasn't announced he is going to run for Guv again (thankfully), it's Jabari Brown being back in O-town after a semester attending Findlay Prep. Jimmy Durkin provides the details:

Former Salesian basketball star Jabari Brown transfers back to the East Bay to play for Oakland High
Jimmy Durkin
Oakland Tribune
1/05/2010

Jabari Brown is back home.

The former Salesian High basketball star, who transferred to high-profile Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., over the summer, decided Sunday to return to his hometown of Oakland and has enrolled at Oakland High.

"It wasn't really working out," Brown said of Findlay Prep, which is ranked in the top 10 in several national polls after finishing last year as the USA Today's top-ranked team. "I just decided it would be a good decision for me and the team and I decided to come home."

Go here for the remainder.

A chance to view Jabari Brown

Jimmy Durkin has the details on former Salesian star (now at Findlay Prep/Las Vegas) Jabari Brown appearing on ESPN at 4 p.m. today (Thursday) when Findlay Prep takes on a top team out of Ohio.

The details are here.

A brief Jabari Brown profile

Former Richmond High star Jabari Brown recently participated in a basketball event in Las Vegas and received this writeup:

Las Vegas Fall Showcase Recap
Evan Daniels
Scout Recruiting Analyst
September 24, 2009

...Jabari Brown, SG – A strongly built 6-foot-4 guard, Brown hunted jumpers from mid to long range, but also used his strength inside, as he posted up defenders on a few occasions. According to the Findlay Prep coaches, Brown is one of, if not the best, shooters they’ve had come through the program, and he certainly had it working from 15 to 18 feet during the showcase games...