A Jabari Brown interview

Here's Jabari Brown being interviewed at the NBA Combine:

Bossi and Gershon on Chriss

Via Eric Bossi: "Marquese Chriss. 2015 PF committed to Washington is so close to turning into a big time prospect. Size, fluidity can make a jumper."

He then added:  "Key with Chriss is shaking off a negative play and moving to the next one. Can't let one bad play turn into three of them."

On the flip side, Josh Gershon tweeted: "2015 #Washington PF commit Marquese Chriss of Team Superstar is a ridiculous leaper. Explodes off floor in hurry. Very good rebounder too."

Graham grabbing honors hardware

Talk about being bestowed with honors -- per EuroBasket, Justin Graham has been named the Finals Most Valuable Player, the Player of the Year, the Import of the Year, and the Guard of the Year playing for Inter Bratislava in the Slovakian League. He played at Ripon High and then San Jose State University before heading overseas.

CCSF's Dunk-fest

Mario Gomez has produced a City College of San Francisco Dunk-apalooza video:

Blackwell generating positives

Via Josh Gershon: "2015 Team Superstar PG Noah Blackwell has definitely improved. Making good decisions with ball and getting to basket. Physically gifted."

Chabot Basketball Skills Clinics

Chabot Basketball is holding youth clinics in June and July featuring Coach Denny Aye and his coaching staff:

* Session 1 Dates: June 16th - 20th

Times: Block A 9am - 11:30am $125

Times: Block B 11:30am - 2pm $125

Discount attend Both Blocks A & B $200


* Session 2 Dates: June 23rd - 27th

Times: Block A 9am - 11:30am $125

Times: Block B 11:30am - 2pm $125

Discount attend Both Blocks A & B $200
   

* Session 3 Dates: July 7th - 11th

Times: Block A 9am - 11:30am $125

Times: Block B 11:30am - 2pm $125

Discount attend Both Blocks A & B $200


* Session 4 Dates: July 14th - 18th

Times: Block A 9am - 11:30am $125

Times: Block B 11:30am - 2pm $125

Discount attend Both Blocks A & B $200


Head here for more information and to register.

The Soldiers win a pair

It was an 83-51 drubbing of The Challenge to open EYBL Saturday play for the Oakland Soldiers as Ivan Rabb posted a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double..

Then the Soldiers downed All Ohio Red 69-53 as Jordan Ford finished with 19 points on 8-11 overall shooting, 3-4 from beyond the arc. Stephen Zimmerman finished with a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double. Ivan Rabb played just 19 minutes.

Giacomazzi not going anywhere

A tweet from Cosumnes River College Coach James Giacomazzi: "Contrary to rumor, I'll be the coach at CRC this season and for years to come. Negative recruiting only lasts for so long and eventually starts working against you."

One reporter has it down to three for Oregon State

Kerry Eggers/Portland Tribune, writes that three finalists are in the running for the OSU opening: Mike Hopkins, Travis DeCuire and Wayne Tinkle.

Questions:

* Why would Jim Boeheim's longtime assistant see OSU as desirous?

* Why would Wayne Tinkle want to take on such a bigtime rebuilding job in need of both talent and facilities while always to be Avis to Oregon's Hertz in the state?

Don Meyer has passed

Legendary basketball coach Don Meyer has died. Yes, he is the all-time leader in wins but, just as important if not more so, he was an extremely generous mentor.

Short postings today

Gotta head out the door and get to The City for a basketball tournament. Sorry for the abbreviated postings today.

Meet Galuega Toailoa

One of the joys of prep sports is viewing young talent currently situated in the category of Ones To Watch. Count Salesian High football and basketball participant Galuega Toailoa, who also plays hoops for the West Valley Basketball Club (WVBC), as a resident. But he'll more than likely be stationed at a different level based on what he is displaying this spring and summer.

At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Toailoa is a running back and outside linebacker on the gridiron and a frontcourter/backcourter in the gym, depending on where he is needed.

About the latter, he has no hesitation in answering a query regarding his top hoops assets -- "My best skill is defense. I've been working on defending ever since I started playing. But I'm also developing my driving to the basket, shooting and scoring."

With Salesian, he is asked to play a heavy of sorts. "I actually play the post or power forward, wherever they need me. I'm a team player, doing whatever is best for us to win."   

Salesian Coach Bill Mellis offered, "Galuega is a very versatile player for us, as he can play the perimeter or the post. He is quick enough to play defense at his natural guard/forward position, but he is strong enough to guard a post player, which is something we asked him to do for us last year.Off the court, Galuega is a very popular person. He gets along with everyone and his teachers all like him a lot. His parents have done a great job of developing an all-around respectful young man."

Mellis finished with, "He is in good hands this summer with the West Valley Basketball Club. We have had players in the past who have had good success with that program and we know that Coach Bramlett and Coach Grigsby do an excellent job of developing their players."

Toailoa's participation with WVBC has him positioned at the point and shooting guard positions. Toailoa modestly offers, "I'm beginning to be successful [as a backcourter]." He was a latecomer of sorts to hoops -- "I picked it up late, starting in the sixth grade. He understand that he would be a point at the next level due to his height.   

Here is WVBC Founder and Coach Bob Bramlett: "'You can coach kids to be tougher, but you can not necessarily make them “tough' or as Bill Parcells said, 'if they didn’t bite when they were puppies, then they won’t bite as dogs' G bites for sure. He is naturally tough, thrives on contact and forces his opponent to man up. His upside is huge, depending on his attention to the details of the game. Being a two-sport star is not an impediment at all to his development because he works at it March 1st to March 1st."

However, Toailoa is also still working out with the Salesian football team with the current goals of "getting stronger and leading." As he put it, "football is a part of my life. My Dad played in college and my brother in high school." His cousin is former Salesian lineman Freddie Tagaloa, who was at California but has now transferred to Arizona and Toailoa cites all three as influences. A running back and outside linebacker, he averaged two sacks a game defensively and racked up six sacks in the championship semi-final contest.

There was also a third sport for a while.

"I played baseball up until last year and I think I was pretty good at it," he recalled. His activity on the diamond began way back when as a kindergartner.

Toailoa is on target academically but it took some adjustment. "I struggled at the beginning of my freshman year when I moved from a public school to Salesian. But I get a lot more one-on-one with teachers now and they seem to really care for you."

Although just a junior-to-be, Toailoa has seemingly zeroed in on a college major. "It will be graphic design because drawing is a big hobby of mine."

With recruiting, "I want to go out of state. That gives more time to focus on academics and sports and it would help me grow up faster."

Regarding the prospects for his Salesian athletic participation next season, "we'll definitely a strong team  in basketball even though we have Jonathan Galloway and one other player leaving." Sharpshooting Bernard Ward will be a senior and Nakota Sherard-Creer a junior for the Pride. In football, "we won the NCS and pretty much have the whole team back so we should be pretty good."

"The Last Shot"

Amos Barshad revisits the subjects and subject matter featured in Darcy Frey's book "The Last Shot."

Remember that one? An excellent read. How time flies.

Getting Nikiya Bechtle to Colorado Springs

Going in a different direction here because this is about a fellow Scotts Valley-ite:

A local basketball player has been invited to Colorado Springs to try out for the U17 National Team:

2014 USA Basketball Women's U17 National Team Trials Roster

Nikiya Bechtle G 5-7 120 2016 Scotts Valley H.S. Scotts Valley, CA

But to do so requires paying one's way to-and-from as well as expenses incurred while there. So a fundraiser of sorts has been developed:

Help Nikiya get to Team USA U17 Trials

(an excerpt from the above link) -- Nikiya recently was accepted to tryout for the Team USA U17 Womens Basketball team in Colorado Springs, CO. USA Basketball chose 169 of the top 17 and Under players in the nation to recieved the chance to make the team.

Just last year Team USA U16 basketball team went undefeated in the FIBA Americas Championship where they won by an average of 64 points (63.8). This was a qualification tournament that allowed them to represent the Americas (North and South America). This years team if she makes it will be playing for for the FIBA U17 World Championship in Bratislava, Czech Republic June 28th-July 6th.

Here is how you can help us out!

Nikiya committed to do her part on the basketball court. Spending countless hours working on her game to be able to do the best job she can do at the trials this year in Colorado Springs. But this comes with a comes with a cost. All athletes eligible to come out to the trials need to take care of accomodations. This includes but are not limited to flights, hotels, rides to and from training center, etc. This as you may or may not know can be a  financial hit for anyone, but the opportunity greatly outweigh any financial obligation from the family.

What I am asking is for a little assistance. I am reaching out to everyone I know (and hopefully you know) to be able to help oliviate some of the financial costs. The goal is to raise $1000 or more so that we can help get Nikiya get to the trials. Anything you can do help is appreciated. Whether it is $5 or $100 or even the whole thing! Even if you just wanted to wish her good luck that still goes a long way!

I have even created a wish list to help out understand where the money is going towards.

My hope is that we can get all of this completed as soon as possible. Feel free to send me an email with any questions or if you just want to send your best wishes to her it will be passed on.

Thanks in advance to everyone who is a part of this journey! 


Please assist if you can.

So why the Kerr mania?

Not attempting to impugn anyone here, just asking why did Steve Kerr become such a desired candidate for NBA coach? To move from a name not mentioned for openings to being the focal point of an East Coast/West Coast NBA team battle and gaining a $15,000,000 contract is beyond remarkable. Hopefully, someone will work up a background piece on why Kerr, who hasn't coached previously, became this hot commodity.

Mitch Stephens provides some of the reasons Kerr went with Golden State.