An Orlando Johnson update

Former Palma High star and current UC Santa Barbara player Orlando Johnson has declared for the NBA draft but with the proviso of not hiring an agent, meaning he can return to the Gauchos if he decides to pull his name out from consideration.

Head here for the school announcement.

NorCal ballers receiving Big West Confernce honors

UC Santa Barbara junior Orlando (Palma High) Johnson landed an All-Big West first team spot as did Cal Poly senior Shawn (Bishop O'Dowd High) Lewis.

Two UC Davis players, seniors Mark (St. Mary's High - Stockton) Payne and Joe (St. Mary's High - Stockton) Harden, plus UC Santa Barbara's junior James (Weston Ranch High) Nunnally and Pacific's sophomore Allan (Merced High) Huddleston landed on the Honorable Mention list.

UC Davis' Josh (Forest Lake Christian High) Ritchart was the Co-Freshman of the Year. 

All the selections can be found here.

JC scores and HS links

Both James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson had quite the night Thursday eve in leading UC Santa Barbara to a victory over Cal Poly.

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Joe Davidson offers a nice writeup on the Monterey Trail team.

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Salinas High is enjoying a strong season as John Devine reports.

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Los Medanos 61, Contra Costa 54

Los Medanos -- Bennie Johnson 7 4-7 22 (including four treys), Dominigue (Georgia JC) Grant 5 2-2 13, Corey (Castlemont High) Douglas 6 0-0 12

Contra Costa -- Bobby (Inderkum High) Ward 6 3-4 17, Jeremy (DeAnza High) Bardwell 7 2-2 16

&

Merritt 68, Napa 60

Merritt -- Saajid (Grant High) Polite 5 6-10 17, Will Tolefree 7 1-2 16, Roman (Rodriguez High) Robinson 5 3-4 14   *** Merritt basketball can be followed here

Napa -- Brandon (Vallejo High) Cole 5 3-4 16, Jordan (Hogan High) Greenwell 6 2-4 14

The Draft Express site looks at Orlando Johnson

Ex-Palma High star Orlando Johnson is enjoying a nice career at UC Santa Barbara and the Draft Express site takes a look at his NBA potential:

Matt Kamalsky
Draft Express

Orlando Johnson, 6'5, Junior, Shooting Guard, UC Santa Barbara
18.7 Points, 6.3 Rebounds, 2.7 Assists, 2.8 Turnovers, 1 Steal, 48% FG, 43% 3P, 81% FT

The returning Big West Player of the Year Award winner, Orlando Johnson has continued to build on his strong play from last season. After spending his freshman year setting first-year records for scoring and rebounding at Loyola Marymount, the transfer made an immediate impact for the Gauchos as a redshirt sophomore. A great scorer at the mid-major level, Johnson has put up some tremendous individual performances this season including a 35-point outburst against Fresno State and a 15-rebound double-double in an upset win over UNLV. While Johnson will need to continue to play at a high-level to create some draft buzz, he's an incredibly diligent worker and one of the most interesting small-school players on the West Coast...

Go here for the remainder (scroll down).

Nunnally and Johnson team up to top UNLV

What a win and paced by two northern California players.

UC Santa Barbara went to Vegas and beat #22 UNLV 68-62 for a solid signature victory. Weston Ranch star James Nunnally scored 23 points and grabbed seven boards while Palma's Orlando Johnson scored just 12 but grabbed 15 boards.

Each is averaging over 20 points per game.

A great Orlando Johnson read

Orlando Johnson is the best of the Big West
Sophomore forward leads UC Santa Barbara into the NCAA tournament, but it wasn't an easy journey
Chris Foster
Los Angeles Times
March 18, 2010

This was an impromptu family reunion for Orlando Johnson.

UC Santa Barbara had just outlasted Long Beach State to win the Big West Conference championship and qualify for the NCAA tournament and the celebration grew considerably as Johnson's family joined in.

"It was just my brothers and sister and her mom and stepdad," said Johnson, a sophomore forward. "And all my nieces and nephews, my uncle and his wife and her mom and her kids … oh, and my cousins."

An entire family helping to raise the roof...

Go here for the remainder.

Orlando Johnson named Big West POY

Former West Valley Basketball Club member Orlando Johnson, now in his second season at UC Santa Barbara (he redshirted last year), was recently named Player of the Year in the Big West Conference.

From the Santa Barbara basketball site:

"...A transfer from Loyola Marymount, Johnson enters the Big West Tournament leading UCSB and the conference in scoring at 18.0 points per game. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 48.5% overall and 39.6% from 3-point range. A two-time Big West Player of the Week, Johnson is the first Gaucho since 1996-97 to score in double-figures in every regular season game. In addition, the 6-foot-5 native of Seaside, Calif., has scored 20 or more points nine times and he has two double-doubles..."