PHPS Elite wins in LA

Monika Choi captures the Full Court Press Cream of the Crop champions: Play Hard Play Smart Elite

PHPS and the NC Pharaohs impress in City of Brotherly Love

Alex Schwartz (a Rivals sub is required) is all over the members of Play Hard Play Smart and the NorCal Pharaohs after catching them in Philly.

PHPS wins Pangos

Chad Groth offers a photo of the Pangos champion Play Hard Play Smart crew repping Sacramento and NorCal.

The 2012 Play Hard Play Smart team

Former BYU Cougar Brian Hamilton is back with his 2012 Play Hard Play Smart (PHPS) squad. Last season, PHPS found itself at 30-1 at one point and the toast of Sacramento as well as northern California after nabbing championships at Gerry Freitas' SoCal Hoop review, the Pangos Sweet 16 and the Magic Memorial Day Festival.

This season it will be a deja vu image, more 40 minutes of hell as the PHPS roster is bereft of 7-footers but loaded with thoroughbred athletes ranging from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-6. That means transition talents, the ripping down of rebounds or the copping of steals and then a furiously turn in the other direction.

Hamilton concise style summary is "get up and down, play hard, be aggressive."

Two players have come over from the top E-Time Hoops Academy team as E-Time apparently will be fielding a younger team or teams this spring and summer.

PHPS will be taking its talent to the Fab 48 in Las Vegas come late July. Prior to that, it will be participation in both a Pangos and a Reebok Invite tournaments and Hamilton's squad will finish up in Los Angeles during August.

As for the makeup of the year's team, here's the roster in alphabetical order with Hamilton's descriptions in quotes:

* Dakarai Allen, 6-foot-4, wing, Sheldon High, 2013 (#7 in the NorCal Preps 2013 rankings, Colorado, Pepperdine, St. Mary's, San Diego State and USF have offered) - "can handle and shoot and is a real good defender"

* Gabe Bealer, 6-foot-6, wing, Antelope High, 2013 - "a tremendous athlete who plays real smooth"

* Matt Donlan, 6-foot-6, wing, Capital Christian High, 2012 (#35 in the Nor Cal Preps 2012 rankings) - "a good shooter and amazing jumper"

* Isiah Ellis, 6-foot-6, wing, Antelope High, 2013 - "a hardworker who does a little bit of everything"

* Theo Johnson, 6-foot-5, wing, Franklin High, 2012 (#12 in the NorCalPreps 2012 rankings) - "will probably be playing in April only"

* Ryan Manning, 6-foot-6, wing, Sheldon High, 2013 (son of Rich Manning who played collegiately at Syracuse and Washington and in the NBA for the Grizzlies and Clippers) - "he's shooting real well and we're looking for him to have a breakout summer"

* D'Erryl Williams, 6-foot-4, Sheldon High, 2013 (#9 in the NorCal Preps'2013 rankings, USF has offered) - "a winner and a workhorse who plays the game the right way"

There will also be a few other talents on the team but who has yet to be decided. 

Practice began for PHPS on March 29.

Brian Hamilton's reports on his Sacramento 50 Elite events

Brian Hamilton, coach of the Play Hard Play Smart basketball club, operates a series of off-season, on-going basketball events up in the Sacramento area. Here are his 50 Elite reports:

50 Elite Write Up, Week #1 (8/27/2011)

The 3rd Annual 50 Elite begin this past Saturday at American River College and is being held September 10th, September 17th, and September 24th. A good group of talented kids, young and old, showed up and competed.  

While there was a bevy of talented kids present, in Week 1’s write up we will highlight just some of the players who performed well. 

Erik Kinney – Sacramento HS, 2012, 6’3” SG – Kinney is a strong-bodied guard, who gets to the basket with ease, and can finish at the rim. His ability to hit the mid range shot also opens up his driving lanes. He also rebounds the ball extremely well and defends at a high level.

David Straughter – Burbank HS, 2013, 6’5” F – David has a good motor; he was active on both ends, rebounding and playing solid defense.

Damion Trujillo – Cordova HS, 2012, 5’9” PG – Is a physical PG who can knock down the long-range shot as well as finish with contact at the basket. He hit several long-range 3’s and was able to beat guys to the basket.

Derrick West – Kennedy HS, 2012, 6’2” SG – Crafty wing with good mid range game. He showed he could score in a variety of ways.

Nick Lewis – Del Oro HS, 2012, 6’6” F – One of Day 1’s best performers.  Has good range and moves well without the ball to get his shot.

Kahlil Foster – Consumnes Oaks, 2012, 6’5” F – Slasher who does a little bit of everything. Did a nice job of getting to the glass and filling the lanes.

Leroy Abraham – Natomas HS, 2012, 6’3” SG – Smooth slasher who can score the ball. His ability to get to the rim opens up his pull-up jump shot.

Caleb King – Antelope HS, 2012, 5’10” PG – A heady PG with a high basketball IQ. Knows how to run a team and always seems to make the right play.

Scott Sanchez – Oak Ridge HS, 2012, 6’6” F – Scott has a good understanding of the game and a decent shot with good quickness around the paint.

Ryan Manning – Sheldon HS, 2013, 6’6” F – Athletic Forward with tremendous upside. Showed nice form and range on his shot, and rebounds the ball very well.

Mitchell Aaron – Burbank HS, 2012, 6’2” CG – Fast PG who plays extremely hard on every possession. Can get to the basket and hit the mid range pull up.

Jay Stone – Burbank HS, 2012, 6’1” PG – One of the strongest guards in attendance. Very solid body with good athleticism.  Stone was able to attack the gaps and make plays for his himself as well as teammates.

Cedric Thomas – Lindhurst HS, 2013, 6’3” Wing – At his best in transition, where he makes athletic plays. Was able to finish with explosive dunks high above the rim.

Deshawn Parsons – Grant HS, 2013, 6’6” Wing – A long, lanky wing who has a ton of potential. Displayed nice form on his outside shot, and showed the ability to beat players off the dribble and finish with dunks.

Matt Donlan – Capitol Christian HS, 2012, 6’6” SG – One of Day 1’s top shooters. He knocked down long-range 3’s, and he used shot fakes well to beat his man for pull-up jumpers. Also can jump out the gym.

Chris Swartz-Edminstin – Sac Waldorf, 2012, 6’3” CG – The Sacramento area's leading scorer last season.  A deep threat whot can handle and makes plays for other people.

David Shelton – Cal Prep, 2014, 6’2” SG – Young strong guard who does a little of everything

Cameron Oliver – Grant HS, 2014, 6’7” SF – One of the young guys who displayed a good skill set, and is long and athletic.

Brady Anderson – Jesuit HS, 2014, 6’8” F – Anderson showed a good feel for the game especially for his size. Has good footwork and moves really well. Knocked down open shots and finished around the rim.

Jeremee Churchhill – Grant HS, 2014, 6’2” CG – A good looking 2014 prospect. His first step and strength allows him to beat his man to the lane. A tough defender and a good rebounder.

AND

50 Elite Write Up, Week #2 (9/10/2011)

Week 2 of the 50 Elite was a really enjoyable day, complete with a lot of known and unknown talent. The 50 Elite is a great way to catch a glimpse of some of the top talent in Sacramento and the surrounding areas all in one gym. It featured five really competitive games and this week's write up will highlight the players who performed well.

Top Performers:

Mike Bryson – Foothill HS, 2012, 6’4” CG – Mike started out the game getting everybody involved and doing all the little things that help teams win. As the game went on, he began to take over -- at one point he scored 16 straight points for his team. He hit long-range 3’s and also finished at the rim with a couple of nice dunks. Has scholarship offers from several D-1 schools.

Bryce Scott – Oak Ridge HS, 2012, 6’2” SG – Bryce had a good solid Week 2 in the 50 Elite. He showed why he is considered one of the area's best shooters. He was able to knock down jumpers and finish strong around the basket.  e has excellent form on his shot, and really solid footwork.

Ryan Edwards – Kennedy HS, 2012, 6’6” F – A strong forward who powered his way to the basket. Rebounded the ball extremely well on both ends of the floor. 

Theo Johnson – Franklin HS, 2012, 6’6” F – An explosive forward, who attacked the rim with authority. Ran the floor well and was able to get a lot of things done in transition.

Justin Heidrick – Arcata HS, 2012, 6’4” SF – A good solid player who did a lot of things well. Does all the intangible things that all players do not like to do. Defended well and played hard at all times.

Blake Williams – Kennedy HS, 2012, 6’2” SG – Blake may have had one of the best performances of the day. He was able to knock down jumpers from all mid and long range. He also was able to get to the basket off the dribble and finish in traffic.

Miguel French – Lindhurst HS, 2012, 6’5” F – A long athletic guy who can get a lot done. French was able to score in a variety of ways. He is very fast in the open court.

Matt Donlan – Capitol Christian, 2013, 6’6” SG – One of the best-unknown players in our area.  Matt was able to hit the jumper and finish above the rim. 

Darrin Johnson – Franklin HS, 2013, 6’4” SG – DJ played well, a really good shooting guard who is able to score in a variety of ways. Very athletic, with a good skill set. A top prospect in the 2013 class.

Dakarai Allen – Sheldon HS, 2013, 6’5” SG – Allen is one of the top 2013 prospects on the West Coast. A good all-around player who loves to play defense, he had a solid  game finishing with 20 points. A player who is getting better each time he steps on the court. 

Anthony Williams – Foothill HS, 2013, 5’10” CG  – Week 2 was a good week for Anthony. He scored 30 points and did it in a lot of different ways, hitting several nice pull-ups and turn-around jumpers.

D’Erryl Williams – Sheldon HS, 2013, 6’3” CG – One of the strongest combo guards and also one of the best players in Northern California. Has a feel for the game that is rare for a HS player. A very productive player.

Isaiah Jones – Center HS, 2013, 6’9” PF – Potential, potential, potential.  Isaiah is an intriguing prospect who seems to have a decent feel for the game and does some things around the block that most bigs have trouble doing. With continued work, could be a college prospect.

Cole Nordquist – Pleasant Grove HS, 2013, 6’4” SF – Strong, solid player who did a little bit of everything. Really good feel for the game.

Aaron Johnson – Encina Prep, 2013, 6’1” CG – One of the fastest players in Week 2. Aaron was able to use his speed to blow by defenders in the open court as well as the half court. One of the surprise players of Week 2.

Jaylen Hicks – Sheldon HS, 2013, 6’2” CG – Hicks played well in his first time out in the 50 Elite. He was able to get to the basket and finish with contact. A really long guard who plays the game the right way.

Daveion Laverett – Weston Ranch HS, 2014, 6’8” F – A forward who can play on the wing or in the post. Finished the game with 28 points, with four 3-point shots and a nice windmill dunk. Big time potential.

Malik Pope – Burbank HS, 2014, 6’5” F – A long wiry wing who displayed a lot of potential. Ran the floor like a gazelle and showed a good skill set for a player his size.

Terence White – Inderkum HS, 2014, 6’1” CG – White is arguably the best 2014 player in The Sacramento Area. Can score in a lot of different ways and competes on every possession.

Marcelas Perry – Capitol Christian, 2014, 5’7” PG – A small PG who knows how to run a team and create his own shot. A shifty guard who can use either hand in traffic, he is also a good on-ball defender.

A Mike Bryson update

Neal Nieves offered up a pair of tweets on Mike Bryson (PHPS and Foothill High):

"2012 Mike Bryson (PHPS) is playing at a high major level for this tourney. I'm sure the PAC 10 schools will come calling"

and

"2012 Guard Mike Bryson (PHPS) tells me his dream schools are UCLA and Cal. Would love to be recruited by both"

Play Hard Play Smart wins another

PHPS just took down Belmont Shores, according to this Neal Nieves tweet, who also comments on some of the PHPS talents here and here.

Sacto area players highlighted

Chad Groth highlights a trio of Coach Brian Hamilton's Play Hard Play Smart players, plus Arik Armstead, in his report on day two of the Ballislife Magic Memorial Festival.