Will Davis down to two

Pete Hutchins, the coach at New Hampton School, recently tweeted this:

PF Will Davis is down to Delaware and UC-Irvine

Davis, formerly of Sac High, spent this season back in New Hampshire at prep school. 

Two items today

Here's Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee with a basketball recruiting update on the departing sophomores at Yuba College.

+++++

The Bee's John Schumacher writes a bit about the UC Davis search for a new basketball coach. We have a bit different take in that we're calling it the hoops version of "Waiting For Godot" -- the current Davis players need to know ASAP if the next coach wants to retain them as basketball scholarship openings elsewhere are being filled.

Merritt's Richard Walker makes it official

From the Prarie View site, comes this name among the list of signees:

Richard Walker
Forward
6-7 - 190 - Junior, J.C.
Atlanta, Ga. - Merritt College (Calif.)
Finished as the third-leading rebounder on the team and 10^th in the Bay Valley Conference with 7.1 boards per game…shot 46 percent from the field and tallied 26 blocked shots.

Chabot's Jourdan (Castro Valley High) DeMuynck signs

At the Chabot College basketball site, this has been announced:

Jourdan DeMuynck has signed D1 to Prairie View A&M!
4/27/11

Chabot sophomore guard Jourdan DeMuynck has officially signed his NLI to Prairie View A&M today. DeMuynck had a great career at Chabot which was capped off with him earning All-State Honorable Mention honors. DeMuynck was also awarded First Team All-Conference, and was the 2nd leading scorer in the states toughest conference with his 18 ppg in conference play. For the season DeMuynck filled the stat sheet with averages of 15 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.5 steals. Jourdan's career high came in a win versus Ohlone College where he poured in 30 points.

The Panthers of Prairie View A&M is an NCAA Division 1 basketball program located in Prairie View, Texas, which is just outside of Houston. They compete in the SWAC and are looking for Jourdan to be an immediate impact player. Jourdan chose Prairie View A&M over a handful of other D1 schools. Congratulations to Jourdan DeMuynck on his decision!

Stay tuned for more D1 signings in the coming weeks.....

The Damian Lillard videos (must see)

Damian Lillard came out of Oakland High a few years back and quickly earned Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year and First Team All Conference honors in his initial season at Weber State.

The next season, it was the Big Sky Conference MVP crown.

In 2010-2011, a foot injury after participating in just nine games cut short his collection of awards.

But in a brilliant move, an idea that originated in the commissioner's office of the Big Sky Conference, Lillard was given a camera and the "Life With Lillard" (our title) videography series began.

Episode One

Episode Two

Episode Three

Episode Four

By the way, former McClymonds star Frank Otis is finishing up a redshirt season at Weber State and will be back on the court come the 2011-2012 go-around.

Plus, Davion Berry, the former Hayward High star, is now also headed to Ogden, Utah.

The success of Lillard was certainly a lure for Otis and Berry. He was the pioneer, establishing that saying yes to Coach Randy Rahe and Weber State offered a viable path towards allowing one's talent to blossom.

But it's been a two-way street because, since Lillard's arrival, the Wildcats have gone 21-10 and 20-11, before this season's 18-14 during his absence.

Patrick Lacey -- Claremont McKenna to Intel

Bill Paterson reports on a former Sacto area prepster -- Patrick Lacey -- who enjoyed his college ball experience and is now moving into the business world.

Checking in on the Oakland Kings

We didn't know Oakland had become a monarchy but the Oakland Kings zipping through the competition recently in Vegas is a royal accomplishment.

OAKLAND KINGS BASKETBALL

Kings win Las Vegas Easter Shootout – Zamora and Vermeer named MVPs

The Oakland Kings won the 16U elite division of the Las Vegas Easter Shootout April 23, 2011 in Las Vegas. The Kings went undefeated (6-0) over two days of play facing elite AAU travel teams from Arizona, Utah and Nevada. The Kings defeated the Las Vegas Prospects, a fully sponsored Adidas squad and a nationally ranked travel team, in the final game to take the championship. The tournament win earned the Kings a national ranking at #21. 

JoJo Zamora and Grant Vermeer were named Tournament Co-MVPs. Each had outstanding overall tournaments but they distinguished themselves with extraordinary shooting beyond the arc. Both had games in which they made seven treys respectively. Zamora is a 5-foot-9 extremely quick backcourter out of Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo. Vermeer is a versatile 6-foot-1 guard who plays for Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose during the high school season. Both are sophomores (class of 2013) with huge upsides.

Jo'saf Zamora

Grant Vermeer

The Oakland Kings, with a roster made up of mostly underclassmen from some of the finest high school basketball teams in the Bay Area, are one of the best AAU basketball teams in Northern California. They are coached by former Fresno State standout and professional basketball player Darnell McCulloch.

A look at the City College of San Francisco players moving on

Fresh off a California state championship, City College of San Francisco Coach Justin Labagh has seen a number of his current players recently enjoy the fruits of their labors -- earning basketball scholarships.

Previously announced was De'End (Lincoln High) Parker heading to UCLA. With junior backcourter Malcolm Lee situating himself in the NBA draft, the opportunity for playing time will certainly be present for Parker and he possesses the skills set and the body to do well immediately.

But before all that plays out, it's important to both understand and appreciate that we are talking about someone coming out of the AAA basketball ranks and from San Francisco to boot, nabbing a scholarship to play in one of very top programs in the country. For anyone unimpressed about such an accomplishment, well, hopefully someone will check for your pulse and soon.

For the old-timers and the not-so-old who read this: has anyone else with these so-called 'bloodlines' accomplished something similar?

Jonathan (Kennedy High - Richmond) Williams elected to cross the country and play at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY. But that leaves out the story behind the story, or the backstory if you prefer. At a basketball camp back east long ago, Williams connected with the Hurley family of New Jersey hoops fame and, per Labagh, actually came close to attending St. Anthony High (Jersey City, NJ) and playing for now Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley. Williams now will be mentored by brothers Dan (head coach) and Bob Hurley (assistant coach and the former Dookie) who run the Wagner basketball program. The Seahawks play in the Northeast Conference.

Collin (Archbishop Mitty High) Chiverton is still undecided as recruiting interest in him has been displayed by Nebraska, Texas Tech, Eastern Washington and Gardner Webb.

High-flying Fred Sturdivant was born in The City, left just before high school for Tennessee but came back here to play JC ball as a sophomore and now is headed to Coach Tony Harvey's Texas Southern hoops program in Houston. He was the CCSF fan favorite and one of very few players ever who was on a championship team both years of his community college tenure (he also won one while at Walters State College in Tennessee as a freshman).

Darryl (Sacred Heart Cathedral) Cooper looks set to be at Lethbridge College, in Alberta, Canada, next season. He'll be playing for Coach Skouson Harker.

That's a ton of talent departing but rebuild isn't in the CCSF basketball vocabulary. Reload, yes. In a few months, we should know the 2011-2012 roster for the Rams.

More hardware for Aaron Gordon

Alex Pavlovic writes about a familial and local connection to a certain state basketball award.

A little more on Casey Arent

Based on this tweet from Jeff Goodman, Sierra College's Casey Arent may end up as the lone 'real' big for new Sooner Coach Lon Kruger:

Oklahoma 6-foot-9 signee Robert Goff has been released from his letter of intent, Hutchinson JC assistant Ryan Freeberg told FOXSports.com.

Also, here's an article from OK.com in which Arent's strengths are laid out and the young man is also quoted. 

This is a treat -- must reading for all recruits, would-be recruits and parents

The following is courtesy of Philippe Doherty, he of the Bay Area Hoosiers and also a former assistant coach at USF. Call it the authoritative questionnaire -- a visual comparative worksheet -- for succeeding in the recruiting process:

Take out a sheet of paper and write three big columns down.

On the left hand column list these 35 things:

* Head Coach - Strong?
* Experience of Head Coach (Pro and College)?
* Aptitude of Head Coach?
* Head Coach Honesty?
* Attitude of Program?
* What has Coach accomplished in the years he has been there?
* Can the team win league?
* Can the team make post-season?
* Can you play early?
* Will you develop - how fast?
* Will you be challenged?
* How are the type of players in the program?
* What do the players feel?
* Where is program headed?
* Environment?
* Academics?
* Major choice?
* School Location?
* Do players graduate in that program?
* Where do the players have jobs afterwards?
* School Alumni base - how big is it?
* What was the AD like?
* Is there a strength coach?
* Is there a nutrition program?
* What is the academic support like?
* If you get hurt is your scholarship honored?
* Can you take summer school before frosh year?
* Can you take summer school in other years?
* What is the housing situation like?
* How many years left on Head Coach Contract?
* Are there NBA teams in close proximity?
* What are the players in the previous recruiting class?
* What are the players in your recruiting class?
* Is there a trend of players transferring from the program?
* Style of play?
* Can your family see you play?
* How many teams in the conference are near your home town so family can support?

Then take a pen and write which school is better in that area and mark it down.

Davion Berry to Weber State

Former Hayward High star Davion Berry, who has torn up the California Collegiate Athletic Association the last two seasons with his scoring for Cal State Monterey Bay, has transferred to Weber State of the Big Sky Conference. He'll be joining former Oakland High backcourter Damian Lillard and forward Frank Otis, who played at McClymonds High.

A Chico State recruiting mention

Melvin Grussing at his excellent Antelope Valley College basketball site writes about 6-foot-5 Gary Winfield and the host of schools showing interest, Chico State among them. Winfield is an in-the-paint talent who is built like Charles Atlas (for you old timers).

Yuba's Julian Scott signs

Yuba College Coach Doug Cornelius keeps churning out players heading to D-1, with Julian Scott the latest.

"Southern Utah basketball coach Roger Reid announced on April 25 that he has signed Julian Scott, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward from Marysville, Calif.

Scott, 235 pounds, was an all-Bay Valley Conference performer at Yuba College last season, averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. His team went 25-6 and won the conference championship. He shot 58;6 percent from the field and averaged more than an assist a game. Scott prepped at Inderkum High in Sacramento"

Here's the Appeal-Democrat with additional information.

Quality Education Academy

Just the name itself raises eyebrows: Quality Education Academy. Hey if you are, then there's no need to emblazon it as your name or title. We're posting this because the article features the school Josiah Turner transferred to after departing Sacramento High. Form your own opinions after reading the article.

Growing hoops program in North Carolina raising NCAA eyebrows over school's 'Quality'
Kevin Armstrong
New York Daily News
April 24, 2011

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - There is one game-worn jersey hanging from the rafters of the windowless gym inside the Quality Education Academy on the last Wednesday in February. It is emblazoned with the No. 10 on its front and belongs to Jason Calliste, a sophomore guard at the University of Detroit. Basketball coach Isaac Pitts hopes it is the first of what will be a laundry line of former Fighting Pharaohs.

"We'll have two St. John's jerseys hanging there next season," says Pitts, a heavyset 48-year-old with a bald head and booming voice.

That prophecy by Pitts, a convicted felon with a criminal record that reaches back two decades, will go unfulfilled. On Wednesday, St. John's released Dwight Meikle, a 6-6 wing, from his national letter of intent, citing a mutual agreement between Meikle and the school. Like teammate Sir'Dominic Pointer, an elastic guard from Detroit, Meikle enrolled at Quality, a state-funded co-ed charter school of 75 students and six teachers, in search of improved grades, and committed to St. John's as part of a heralded recruiting class. Both recognize there is academic work to be done...

Go here for the remainder.