Potpourri, Jan 31

News Bits

Clovis North's 6-foot wizard Connor Amundsen has decided on an Ivy League school, Dartmouth College, located in New Hampshire. What a great get for Coach David McLaughlin. The team is currently 5-12, 1-3

Alec Nolan: "Clovis North's Connor Amundsen has verbally committed to play basketball at Dartmouth."

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"80 Next Up: Grassroots, HS, & More"

There is a large number of Nor Cal coaches and trainers honored here.

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In 20 games, 14 starts and 27 minutes a contest, 5-foot-10 senior Jaden (Salesian Prep/Independence CC) McClanahan is averaging 7.6 points an outing and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 34%, 29% and 75% respectively. His assist to turnover ratio is 58/32 alongside 18 steals. Every coach wants and needs a shooter.

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Cuesta College's 6-foot-4 Drew Arduoin may deserve the mantle of the best long distance shooter in the California juco ranks this season. He certainly is in the running. In 21 games, he is shooting 45% from three-point range, better than his 44% overall plus 90% at the foul line. Ardouin is averaging 21.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He has 80 treys in 21 games.

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John Bynum Jr.: "Full STLB Norcal Rankings:

1. West Valley 21-0
2. Chabot 17-4
3. Yuba 19-2
4. Cabrillo 19-2
5. San Francisco 16-5
6. Merced 17-3
7. Sacramento 19-2
8. Columbia 17-3
9. Sequoias 16-4
10. San Jose 16-5
11. Santa Rosa 15-6
12. West Hills Lemoore 14-5
13. Los Medanos 13-7
14. Ohlone 13-8
15. Skyline 16-6

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"West Valley Continues Its Undefeated Run, Remains No. 1

For the sixth straight poll, West Valley locks down the top ranking"

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"Corsairs score season-high 95 points in road win at Shasta"

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Joe Tipton: "2025 Top-20 recruit Tounde Yessoufou tells me he’s hearing from these 10 schools the most often. The 6-6 SF says he is currently working on scheduling visits to Arizona and Cal..."

Cal Coach Mark Madsen will have his work cut out for him considering UCLA, Stanford, Arizona and Kansas are also vying for this young man. But he made the top 10 and still being in the running gives him a shot.

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Game Scores

No games to cover on Monday.

NCAA scores, Tue, Jan 29

• Texas Christian 85, Texas Tech 78 full box score. Chance (Bethel High/Golden State Prep/Grand Canyon University) McMillian shot 7-13 overall, 5-9 from long distance in scoring 19 points. 
• Utah State 82, San Jose State University 61 full box score. 6-foot-8, 250 Great Osobor lived up to his first name for USU with 31 points as the Spartans struggled again in defending a bulky big. He shot 19 free throws.

CA Community College scores, Tue, Jan 29

• Cosumnes River College 72, Modesto Junior College 59
• Santa Rosa Junior College 70, Sacramento City College 69 SRJC is en fuego, having won six in a row and seven of its last eight.
• San Joaquin Delta College 79, Folsom Lake College 70 Delta MensBball: "Dayton Magana lead the way with 28 points. Dom Perasso added 23 points and 8 rebounds. Delta is 7-2 in Big 8 and 11-10 overall.
• American River College 63, Sierra College 50

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Jace Anderson Is Productive & Thankful

Anderson eyeballing his defender

"I have been very fortunate to have incredible coaches in this journey," said 6-foot-7, 2024 prospect Jace Anderson of Damonte Ranch High and the Rose City Ballers in graciously describing his many basketball coaches who have contributed to his skill advancement starting in the fifth grade.

With interest from Cal State East Bay, Dominican and an offer via Southern Oregon providing evidence of Anderson's well-rounded offensive and defensive arsenal, soccer generated his focus early on, with him plying his trade as a goalie.

But after playing rec league basketball for the Sierra Nevada Warriors where his dad was his first coach, Anderson became more interested in hoops and gave up soccer. "Being more focused on basketball, I sought out more competitive opportunities with Reno Elite, the Nevada Wolverines and Jam on it."

Anderson skying above the opposition

Measuring 5-foot-7 as an eighth grader, Anderson reached 6-foot-4 entering the ninth grade as a romance for basketball was blooming. "I fell in love with basketball." His father stands 6-foot-4, his mother measures 5-foot-10 plus there is a rumored 7-foot uncle on his father's side, so Anderson's height isn't all that surprising.

What is surprising is that he was of average height until he found out he had a broken nose (from playing soccer) that ended up stunting his growth and, after surgery, Anderson shot up and hasn't stopped since. But with the height came growing pains in many different ways including a pandemic, a fractured back, as well as a broken ankle that were all season ending.

Anderson shooting over his opponents

With such limited time on the court, Anderson has learned to cherish every minute he gets to play the sport he loves and make the most of the available opportunities. "I have been very fortunate to have great teammates and coaches including my mentor Ed Hawkins, who played a a critical role in helping me become the player I am today. Brandon White as well because he provided exposure to college coaches and the opportunity for me to play at a high level of competition with the Rose City Ballers."

About his best hoops assets, Anderson said, "I have great length and long arms so I'm versatile on the offensive end and I can also guard a smaller opponent. I can rebound and pass and also shoot the three. This season Anderson is averaging 16.5 points per game alongside 13.4 rebounds a contest. Attesting to the balance in his game, he is ranked ranked 44th in the nation for double doubles.

Anderson with a good look in the key

Additionally, "I definitely see myself as a leader. I've played on varsity since my sophomore year and we have very good chemistry. We talk things out if we have any problems."

Anderson's favorite basketball moment actually took place this season. "It's the environment I'm in, surrounded by a consistent will to win and a hatred of losing. Each of us are 100% all in. It's a brotherhood, just by playing with these guys and improving everyday."

As for his future college position, Anderson offered, "I'm not a post, not a five, more a three or a four."

He cited his father and mother as strong influences in his basketball growth. "My parents have been very involved and have pushed me in a good way to achieve. My Mom had multiple college offers (in basketball) coming out of Pleasant Valley High (Chico). My Dad, who played college football at Butte College, has dedicated himself to helping me. He'll get up early and rebound for me at the gym, and both have been very supportive. They are #1." Anderson also credits "my brother and my girlfriend —she plays college basketball at Dominican University" — for being important components in the surrounding group that provides him critical support.

An intense Anderson at the foul line

Anderson sports a sparkling 4.275 grade point average challenging himself with junior college classes. He graciously credits his instructors for "providing a lot of support." He'll be majoring in business finance with economics a possibility. "I want to work with money," he explained.

Anderson knows what he can do and stays within such a framework although he continuously works to hone his present skills while advancing with new ones. He is gracious about and thankful to those who have aided in his development and advancement. Anderson's ego is minimal and he 'gets' the 'one for all, all for one' team attitude that is critical to success. Any coach getting his services also won't have to worry for a moment about his academics. Thus, Anderson will carry multiple plusses to whichever college program lands him.

Potpourri, Jan 29

News Bits

UC Merced Men's Basketball: "Cameron Brown did his thing on Saturday night, tying the program’s single-game scoring record with 36 points!"

Hit the UC Merced Men's Basketball link above to see video of some of Brown's baskets. He is a 6-foot-2 soph out of Bishop O'Dowd.

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The team rankings for the state in community college hoops.

West Valley remains undefeated and, in my opinion, will remain in that status at least until the state playoffs get interesting. Five southern California teams follow West Valley in the rankings.

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"As Warriors mourn a terrible loss, Steve Kerr’s leadership lights a hard road ahead"

Credit Marcus Thompson II for a superb article.

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Verbal Commits: "2025 PHHoenix Prep (AZ) G Ty Virgil has received an offer from Long Beach State."

Virgil is 6-foot-6 and out of the Sacramento area.

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Verbal Commits: "2027 Laguna Creek (CA) G Jaylan Virgil has received an offer from Hampton."

Jaylan is a 6-foot-1 guard.

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Verbal Commits: "2025 Utah Prep (UT) G J.J. Mandaquit has received an offer from Santa Clara."

Mandaquit is a 6-foot-1 guard out of Hawai'i. Stanford has offered as has Hawai'i plus 16 others. On3 has him as the seventh best prep point in the nation.

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Verbal Commits: "2024 Cloud County CC (KS) G/F Isaiah Sy has received an offer from Sacramento State. Qualifier w/three years to play."

Sy is a 6-foot-7 guard who possesses outstanding academics.

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Rose City Ballers: "Nick is putting up big numbers. D2/NAIA’s reach out. Looking to get on the East Coast or South so that he’s closer to his family that  recently relocated. Also open to other opportunities. 3.7gpa."

That's 6-foot-3 sophomore Nick (Oak Ridge High) Graves of American River College who just put up "42 points 13 rebounds 4 assists 2 steals 1 block 17/22 FG 3-6 3P 7/8 FT" in a matchup with always tough San Joaquin Delta.

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Idaho's student-athletes, Maddie Timm and EJ Neal, have been named the Vandal Academic Services Student-Athletes of the Month supported by P1FCU

Neal is a junior on the men's basketball team. He is a transfer student hailing from San Francisco, California studying organizational science and communications. Boasting a 3.82 GPA, he is known as an extremely hard worker. 

"EJ has been a great addition to our student-athletes this academic year," said Thad Hathaway. "He works very hard in the classroom and is involved in the community. He regularly meets with area elementary students to talk about building healthy life habits and the benefits of attending college."

Neal feels that his time at Idaho has equipped him with everything he needs to achieve success both on and off the court. "The transition to Idaho has been a great one. With the multitude of different resources we have here at U of I it has really made the transition a seamless one for me to be successful with my academics," said Neal. "Also, the transition to Moscow has been fun as I have felt a very warm welcome and sense of belonging with my teammates on the basketball team and with other athletes on campus as well."

Looking ahead, Neal hopes to remain involved in sports. "What I plan to do with my communications degree is to go into the sports broadcasting field, as a color commentator, play by play, or insider," explained Neal. "I have some experience with the ESPN+ crew here at U of I and enjoyed my experience with them so far commentating Vandal games."

P1FCU is proud to partner with the Idaho Vandals and support the financial literacy education of our students through various programs. Learn more at p1fcu.com/govandals.

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Coach Brian Rooney: "4 years ago 1 of our @eastbaymbb Pioneers, Ben (Las Lomas High) Wood, was diagnosed with an awful disease. Through Ben’s strength, many prayers, an awesome God and tremendous medical professionals, today he is a devoted husband, an awesome father and a cancer survivor!"

Hit the link above for photos. Here is a 2020 feature on Wood's ordeal.

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San Francisco State Men's Basketball: "Gators hit the books last semester!"

To the tune of a 3.53 collective grade point average!

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Game Scores

NCAA scores, Fri, Jan 26

• California 73, Stanford 71 full box score

CA Community College Scores, Fri, Jan 26

• Ohlone College 62 , Cañada College 60
• Gavilan College 85, Hartnell College 52
• Sacramento City College 94, Diablo Valley College 83
• American River College 65, Cosumnes River College 62
• Sierra College 55, Modesto Junior College MJC box
• Santa Rosa Junior College 76, Folsom Lake College 55
• Los Medanos College 78, Mendocino College 64
• Cabrillo College 89, Monterey Peninsula College 84
• Skyline College 71, College of San Mateo 66
• San Jose City College 94, Foothill College 65
• Napa Valley College 69, College of Alameda 56
• City College San Francisco 88, Las Positas College 74
• Yuba College 95, Solano College 67
• Merritt College 72, Contra Costa College 64

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NCAA scores, Sat, Jan 27

• Florida 102, Georgia 98 full box score. Zyon (College Park High/UC Riverside) Pullin finished with 20 points plus eight assists for the Gators.
• Texas Tech 85, Oklahoma 84 full box score. Chance (St. Patrick-St. Vincent/Jesse Bethel High/Golden State Prep/Grand Canyon University) McMillian exploded for 27 points, shooting an extremely efficient 10-13, 6-8 and 1-1 while also grabbing eight boards. for TT.
• Northern Colorado 89, Idaho 68 full box score. Quinn (Bellarmine Prep/West Valley College/Cal State San Marcos) Denker scored 14 points and assisted six times for Idaho.
• Washington State 78, Colorado 69 full box score. Jaylen ( Folsom High/Sonoma State) Wells posted a 17 point, 10 rebound double-double for WSU.
• UC San Diego 92, UC Davis 59 full box score
• Tennessee 75, Vanderbilt 62  full box score
• San Francisco 76, Portland 64 full box score
• UNLV 77, San Jose State University full box score
• Montana 70, Sacramento State 67 full box score
• St. Mary's 70, Loyola Marymount 65 full box score
• Gonzaga 80, Pacific 70 full box score
• Hawai'i 83, Cal Poly 73 full box score. In defeat, Kobe Sanders concluded the evening with 32 points and 10 rebounds plus four assists.

CA Community College Scores, Sat, Jan 27

• College of the Siskiyous 84 Feather River College 65
• Columbia College 71, West Hills Lemoore 59 
• College of the Redwoods 95, Shasta College 74 
• College of the Sequoias 79, Fresno City College 62 full box score. For the victor, Jose Cuello scored 33 points.
• Merced College 104, West Hills Coalinga College 68 WHCC box score
• Butte College 87, Lassen College 80 Butte box score
• Hartnell College 105, Barstow College 83

CCAA Scores, Sat, Jan 27

• San Francisco State 68, Cal State Monterey Bay 60 full box score game report
• Chico State 69, Sonoma State 67 full box score game report
• Cal Poly Pomona 70, Cal State Los Angeles 67 full box score
• Cal State Dominguez Hills 94, Cal State San Bernardino 83 full box score
• Cal State San Marcos 80, Cal Poly Humboldt 65 full box score
• Stanislaus State 79, Cal State East Bay 73 full box score game report

Pacwest Conference Scores, Sat, Jan 27

• SAGU 78, Westmont 72 full box score
• Concordia University Irvine 72, Dominican 53 full box score
• Biola 62, Fresno Pacific 50  full box score
• Point Loma 75, Chaminade 73 OT full box score
• Azuza Pacific 58, Hawai'i Hilo 53 full box score

California Pacific Scores, Sat, Jan 27

• UC Merced 87, Cal Maritime 73 full box score Merced's Cameron (Bishop O'Dowd) Brown scored 23 points alongside six rebounds, five steals and four assists.

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No Sunday games featuring northern California teams in any of the conferences and leagues we cover.

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Jordan Espinoza Heading to Cal State East Bay

Jordan Espinoza of Clovis North High could have received Michael as his first name. Instead his brother gained it. Now Michael is a fine name, it sounds good and all and there is nothing wrong with it, as millions of Michaels (and Michael Jordan himself) will attest. But it ain't the iconic J-o-r-d-a-n which, upon simple mention, will still spark imaginations 100 or more years from now and, in the context of Jordan Espinoza's basketball participation, well, consider him as coming out ahead when his parents applied first names to their male offspring.

But the 6-foot-3, 195 Espinoza doesn't just play hoops. He's good at it. So much so he has landed a scholarship to play the sport at Cal State East Bay in Hayward under the very respected Bryan Rooney.

His brother Michael played varsity football along with basketball in the 2022-23 season. On the gridiron, he was credited with 96 total tackles along with a pair of interceptions. Michael, along with Kobe and Tiger, are Jordan's half brothers.

Why Espinoza's choice of college? "I wanted to stay in California and Coach Rooney first reached out late last summer and eventually offered. When I went on a visit with my Mom and sister, he exuded energy on and off the court. He kept asking if we have any questions which I appreciated. He's just a phenomenal coach. Even the players came by and said hi to my Mom and sister."

With that choice, Espinoza's family and friends will enjoy the opportunity of attending home games minus a lengthy drive.

Asked what he was feeling once he called Rooney to say yes, Espinoza said, "a sense of relief combined with happiness." Finally knowing where you will be heading next is vastly underrated in a process where all fans read about is the laudatory texts and phone calls and hopping on a plane to head to the next possible landing spot.

A why basketball and not another sporting activity query to Espinoza was answered with, "I love the ongoing action. Other sports take breaks." It's true that baseball almost requires having reading material to peruse between pitches and inning changes while football and soccer have separate offensive and defensive units. Having a father who played high school basketball and a mother who played softball as well as volleyball certainly didn't deter Espinoza from entering the roundball world.

Espinoza touted his footwork as "pretty good" as well as his boxing out in rebounding. Such modesty requires digging further. In mid-January, it was highlighted that Espinoza earned the #1 ranking in career steals for his Clovis North program. In the same time frame, he passed the 1,000 points mark in career points. Plus, Espinoza earned Tri-River Athletic Conference Co-Player of the year last season, an award that would not have come his way for just plus footwork and boxing out.

Regarding the mantle of leadership, Espinoza offered, "Yes, I am a leader. My going so hard influences my teammates and I also speak up and tell them where to go when they're out of position.

About major hoops influences in his life, Espinoza somewhat surprisingly named, "the Clippers when they had Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Jamal Crawford. Everyone is a Lakers fan so I had to be different. I liked Jamal Crawford's style of play and I see myself playing with that intensity. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin had great chemistry. When I was nine my uncle took me to watch my first NBA game and it was a Clippers game."

His best basketball moments is an interesting choice. "It's a game in my sophomore year where we played four overtimes against Clovis West." Clovis North lost in an almost NBA-like score 102-94.

In giving thanks to those supportive during his basketball journey thus far, Espinoza said, "my Mom and my grandpa and late grandma who passed away recently—she was one of my biggest supporters. Plus, Jeff Young who is the father of Jackson Young, one of my travel team teammates. Jackson and I would travel together when we left the Fresno area for tournaments." Espinoza's Mom doesn't travel so Jeff Young would act as a chaperone of sorts, looking out for his son and his friend.

Espinoza is looking to major in civil engineering because "I understand it (the curriculum) more than any other."

One of those good teammates who does a little bit of everything, Espinoza takes on what his team needs the most at that time. He plays physical, will always work at the defensive end and may or may not get noticed in the box score. But his coach and fellow players understand and appreciate how he positively affects the outcomes of games.

Potpourri, Jan 26

News Bits

Prolific Prep of Napa Christian (CA):

"had 3 players selected as McDonald’s All-Americans for the Class of 2024. 6’7” Senior Forward Derrion Reid (Grovetown, GA), 6’11” Senior Center Aiden Sherrell (Detroit, MI), and 6’4” Senior Point Guard Zoom Diallo (Tacoma, WA) were all selected as a 2024 McDonald's All-American. Derrion, Aiden, and Zoom will be 3 of 24 players playing on April 2nd in Houston, (TX) at the Toyota Center in the 48th McDonald’s All-American game. Only 46 McDAA games have been played due to 2020 and 2021 games being cancelled because of Covid-19 pandemic.

Prolific Prep of Napa Christian (Napa, CA) Senior Derrion Reid (Grovetown, GA) is the 10th Prolific Prep player in the past 9 years to be selected to the prestigious McDAA game. Derrion joins his current teammates Aiden Sherrell and Zoom Diallo as McDonald’s All-Americans in this year’s 2024 class. Derrion has led his team to a 16-1 overall record prior to injuring his knee in late December. Derrion had started all 17 games to that point in the season. Derrion is on track to returning to the lineup sometime in February. Derrion is an elite student (3.75 PA).

Derrion who is a University of Alabama commit was averaging 16.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 7.0 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 1.0 SPG, 47% FG (38% 3 PT-FG) this season. Derrion had a fantastic summer with Team Thad (TN) on the NIKE EYBL circuit where he led Team Thad to a 1st place regular season finish. He then led them into the Peach Jam. Derrion averaged 17.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, during the regular NIKE EYBL season prior to Peach Jam and he shot 57% from the field.

Derrion played for 3 seasons at Grovetown High School in Grovetown, GA for Coach Darren Douglas. In 2020-21 Derrion was HM Region 3 6A. In 2021-22 Derrion was 2nd Team Region 3 6A and won the state championship that year. In 2022-23 Derrion was Region 3 6A Player of the Year, Defensive player of the Year, and 6A 1st Team All-State. In 3 years Derrion was 1,000 point scorer. Derrion was a NBAP100 camp participant this past summer in Orlando, FL. Derrion’s mother Marie Reid was a standout basketball player at the University of Memphis and has done an incredible job raising Derrion.

Prolific Prep of Napa Christian (Napa, CA) Senior Aiden Sherrell (Detroit, MI) is the 11th Prolific Prep player in the past 9 years to be selected to the prestigious McDAA game. Aiden joins his current teammates Derrion Reid and Zoom Diallo as cDonald’s All-Americans in this year’s 2024 class. Aiden has led his team to a 21-3 overall record to date. Aiden has started all 24 games o far this year. Aiden who is a University of Alabama commit is averaging 12 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.0 BPG, so far this season.

Aiden had a fantastic summer with Vegas Elite (NV) on the NIKE EYBL circuit where he led Vegas Elite to the Peach Jam championship game. Aiden averaged 12.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG during the regular NIKE EYBL season prior to Peach Jam. Aiden bumped up his averages in 8 Peach Jam games where he averaged 14.5 PPG and 5.8 RPG. Aiden was a NBAP100 camp participant this past summer in Orlando, FL. Aiden’s mother Latoya Lenear did a fantastic job raising Aiden, and Aiden’s two brothers Austin and Ashton were huge mentors and coaches throughout his young life.

Prolific Prep of Napa Christian (Napa, CA) Senior Zoom Diallo (Tacoma, WA) is the 12th Prolific Prep player in the past 9 years to be selected to the prestigious McDAA game. Zoom joins his current teammates Derrion Reid and Aiden Sherrell as McDonald’s All-Americans in this year’s 2024 class. Zoom has led his team to a 21-3 overall record to date. Zoom has started all 24 games so far this year. Zoom who is a University of Washington commit is averaging 14 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG so far this season. Zoom had a fantastic summer with Beauchamp Elite (WA) on the Adidas 3SSB circuit where he led Beauchamp Elite to their first ever season on the Adidas circuit. Zoom averaged 19.5 PPG, 7 APG, 5 RPG this summer with Beauchamp Elite.

Zoom played his first 3 years of High School at Curtis High School in Tacoma, WA where he played for coach Tim Kelly. Zoom led Curtis High School to back to back State Championships, was a 2 Time State MVP, MaxPreps Washington Player of the Year, Washington Gatorade Player of the Year. Zoom also was selected to the NBAP 100 Camp this past summer and was selected to participate in the Adidas Euro Camp in Italy this past summer. Zoom was also a participant at the USA Basketball October Mini-Camp this past October.

Zoom’s parents Siaka and Adja Diallo are from the Ivory Coast. Siaka and Adja did a fantastic job raising Zoom who is an elite student with a 3.85 GPA, and Zoom’s two brothers Sindou and Ibrahim were huge mentors throughout Zoom’s life.

Derrion, Aiden, and Zoom are the 10th, 11th, and 12th players from Prolific Prep of Napa Christian (Napa, CA) to be named McDonald’s All-American since 2016. They join former Prolific Prep (Napa, CA) players Aden Holloway in the class of 2023, MJ Rice and Adem Bona in the class of 2022, Nathan Bittle in the class of 2021, Jalen Green and Nimari Burnett in the Class of 2020, Jordan Brown in the Class of 2018, Gary Trent Jr. in the Class of 2017, and Josh Jackson in the Class of 2016 as fellow McDonald All-Americans from Prolific Prep (CA).

Derrion, Aiden, and Zoom are Prolific Prep of Napa Christian’s Head Coach Ryan Bernardi 4th McDonald’s All-Americans. Ryan has led Prolific Prep of Napa Christian to a 35-2 record in his first year as Head Coach of the Crew. This is the 4th time in the history of the McDonald’s All-American game where 3 teammates were selected in the same year joining IMG’s 2018-2019 team, Montverde’s 2019-2020 team, and this year’s Montverde’s 2023-2024 team.

Prolific Prep of Napa Christian’s school principal is Justine Leonie and assistant principal is Darren Smith.

Prolific Prep McDonald’s All-Americans:

• 2024 Aiden Sherrell McDAA (Alabama)
• 2024 Derrion Reid McDAA (Alabama)
• 2024 Zoom Diallo McDAA (Washington)
• 2022 MJ Rice McDAA (Kansas)
• 2022 Adem Bona McDAA (UCLA)
• 2021 Nate Bittle McDAA (Oregon)
• 2020 Jalen Green McDAA (G League/Houston Rockets)
• 2020 Nimari Burnett McDAA (Texas Tech/Alabama)
• 2018 Jordan Brown McDAA (Nevada Reno/Arizona)
• 2017 Gary Trent Jr. McDAA (Duke/Portland Trailblazers)
• 2016 Josh Jackson McDAA (Kansas/Phoenix Suns)"

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"College basketball refs let coaches walk onto court and touch opponents mid-play"

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Trilly Donovan: "Some early names expected to make the rounds at DePaul:

• Josh Schertz - Indiana State>
• Bryce Drew - Grand Canyon>
• Bryan Mullins - Southern Illinois
• Will Wade - McNeese State
• Bobby Hurley - Arizona State"

My take: Drew is limited in any national impact at Grand Canyon but has a great setup with students packing the stands. Schertz and Mullins have no name impact but could surprisingly get the dismal DePaul program going since each has their low major programs succeeding. Will Wade is a winner but has too much very recent NCAA investigation baggage. Bobby Hurley hasn't done much as #2 in the state of Arizona (74-74 in league play overall) so why would he succeed in Chicago? No Black coaches either heading a program or assisting at one are named here. Hmmm.

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Chabot Basketball: "Gladiator Basketball is excited about the commitment of (Lewis & Clark Univ/ Bishop O'Dowd HS) 6’3 G Amos Hodgson. Amos is a hi level 2 way guard with IQ who can defend, score, and shoot the 3 at a hi %!"

Known as a three-point shooter in high school—8 in one game—Hodgson should be able to come in with freshman athletic eligibility since he attended Lewis & Clark for just the first semester and it looks like he participated in just one game.

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"Claim Jumpers' comeback falls short in 69-66 loss to Merced"

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Chabot Basketball: "Gladiator Alum PG Isaiah Veal just put up career high of 37 pts in a win for Spring Hill College! Isaiah in 15 games is averaging 15.8ppg, 36% from the 3, 3.1rpg, 2.3asg 85% ft"

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6-foot-7, 225 Keshad (San Leandro High/Envision Academy) Johnson is at Arizona this season and in 18 games/starts and 26 minutes a game, he is averaging 11.4 points and 6.4 rebounds an outing while shooting 55%, 36% and 78% respectively. He has 13 blocked shots. Johnson is the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Communications, Sociology and Recreational Management from San Diego State.

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Game Scores

NCAA scores, Jan, Wed 24

• Northwestern 96, Illinois 91 OT full box score. Coleman (Antelope High/Prolific Prep) Hawkins finished with 22 points and 13 boards.
• Washington State 79, Utah 57 full box score
• New Mexico 95, San Jose State University 75 full box score. Myron Amey Jr. finished with 24 points, nine boards and four assists.

MBCCCAA scores, Jan, Wed 24

• West Valley College 91, Gavilan College 67
• Folsom Lake College 79, Sierra College 52 Sierra box score
• West Hills Lemoore 81, Fresno City College 74
• Columbia College 72, Porterville College 67
• College of the Sequoias 102, West Hills Coalinga 69 WHC boxscore. A 53-28 first half did the trick.
• Los Medanos College 71, Merritt College 61
• Feather River College 57, Butte 54 full box score
• Chabot College 91, Las Positas College 76 Chabot box score For Chabot, Zach Broadous exploded for 31 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out five assists, all team highs. 
• Cabrillo College 76, Foothill College 75
• San Francisco City College 63, Skyline College 47 CCSF box score
• College of Alameda 72, Contra Costa College 71
• College of the Redwoods 93, College of the Siskiyous 73 Redwoods box score
• College of San Mateo 71, Ohlone College 66
• Monterey Peninsula College 78, Hartnell College 65
• College of Marin 81, Solano College 69 full box score
• Yuba College 88, Napa Valley College 58
• Merced College 72, Reedley College 68

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NCAA scores, Jan, Thu 25

• Gonzaga 77, San Francisco 72 full box score. The game was basically tied (31-30) at halftime.
• Santa Clara 94, Pepperdine 71 full box score. A 54-39 second half broke the game wide open.
• St. Mary's 76, Pacific 28 full box score. Pacific scored 14 points in each 20 minutes.
• Oregon State 83, Arizona 80 full box score. 6-foot-2 sophomore Jordan (Freedom High/Prolific Prep) Pope buried a three at the buzzer for OSU. He finished with 31 points. Keshad (San Leandro High/Envision Academy) Johnson scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Wildcats.
• UC Santa Barbara 78, Hawai'i 61 full box score

CCAA scores, Jan, Thu 25

• San Francisco State 72, Stanislaus State 42 full box score. Jailen (Mountain View High/Gavilan College) Daniel-Dalton enjoyed 13 points, 10 boards and three assists.
• Chico State 95, Cal State San Marcos 61 full box score
• Cal State East Bay 82, Cal State Monterey Bay 66 full box score
• Cal State San Bernardino 73, Cal State Los Angeles 70 full box score
• Cal State Dominguez Hills 101, Cal Poly Pomona 87 OT full box score. CSDH outscored CPP 14-0 in overtime.
• Cal Poly Humboldt 66, Sonoma State 64 full box score

Pacwest Conference scores, Jan, Thu 25

• Fresno Pacific 95, Westmont 94 4OT full box score There was one overtime when neither team scored.
• Academy of Art 75, Concordia University Irvine 54 full box score
• Azuza Pacific 71, Chaminade 58 full box score
• Point Loma 78, Hawai'i Pacific 75 full box score 

California Pacific Conference scores, Jan, Thu 25

• Embry-Riddle 78. Park-Gilbert 63 full box score
• Benedictine Mesa (AZ) 97, La Sierra 79 full box score
• UC Merced 90, Pacific Union 44 full box score
• Simpson University 75, Cal Maritime 65 full box score
• Westcliff 77, Antelope Valley 66 full box score

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COMPANION PIECE: The Difficulty of Making an Impact Even in JC Hoops

(written and published in late December 2015 on one of my earlier blogs. Reading it now, it seems incomplete. One missing element is the simple fact that none of the players highlighted possessed NBA ability as well as high major college potential. Each of them could have done everything right in reaching their best and maybe some did but their respective ceilings were not at major college or NBA levels.—1/23/24)

So many kids chatter about what they're going to do when they get to the Big Show. It's admirable to have such lofty goals but flat out a pipe dream without first constructing the building blocks necessary in attempting to fulfill these ambitions.

A prime example of the difficulty in reaching the highest level of professional basketball, let alone possessing a D1 college scholarship, is available for viewing at most community college basketball programs.

Look around northern California—are there any just-out-of-high-school natives, 2015 grads, who are dominating opponents? Even being consistently overall plus factors each game?

The answer appears to be no.

Yes, there are those who are currently averaging in double-figures although such an achievement is not a predictor for a next level of scholarship let alone earning eventual NBA status. But let's use it as a barometer here even though these guys have just completed but the first half of their initial collegiate seasons.

• Mohammed Abdulrasul, Fremont High (Sunnyvale), West Valley: 13.2 ppg.
• Terrell Alcorn, El Cerrito High, Merritt: 14.2 ppg.
• Omari Brown, Sacred Heart Cathedral High, Merritt: 10.8 ppg.
• Soren Carpenter, Lowell High, Skyline: 10.0 ppg.
• Will Ingersoll, McKinleyville High, College of the Redwoods: 15.9 ppg.
• Kameron Johnson, Granada High, Las Positas: 11.9 ppg.
• Michael Murphy, Valley High, Cosumnes River: 10.4 ppg.
• Alex Smith, St. Mary's High, San Joaquin Delta: 11.4 ppg.
• DeAndre Stallings, Liberty Ranch High, Columbia: 14.6 ppg.
• Eric Toles, Cosumnes Oaks High, Sierra: 14.6 ppg.
• Tyler Wright, Mills High, Skyline: 11.6 ppg.

Note: Players such as Derrick Randolph, Mason Washington, Anthony Smith, Mark Thomas and others are not listed here because they finished high school earlier than last season.

Now this is not to diminish anyone's achievement—hats off to these youngsters above—but to point out a harsh reality. If academically eligible to make the jump, it looks like none of the above will be doing so come April. There are still too many holes in their respective game, too many gaps, a lack of overall consistency.

As was written earlier: To get on the court (at the D1 level), bodies must be built stronger, endurance extended, existing skills honed further and new ones developed, new roles accepted and possibly most importantly, the learning of how to defend at the (four year) college level is foremost. That's a plate stacked pretty high.

If there isn't a breaking down of statistics as well as film taking place at the community college level (there is), as well as the absorption and application of such in order to increase individual basketball IQ, then it's pie-in-the-sky whose taste is more than likely to be far less sweet than desired.

Potpourri, Jan 24

News Bits

King Tut: "Blessed to receive an offer from San Jose State, thanks Coach Ed Gipson."

Thomas Tut is a 6-foot-9, 210 talent at Garden City (Kansas) Community College. He recently scored 31 points versus Coffeyville, 26 in another. He's a transfer from St. Peter's and is originally out of South Sudan.

In 17 games, Tut is averaging 14.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 51% shooting overall, 36% on three-pointers and 79% on free throws. His assist to turnover ratio is 38/17 and he has nabbed 16 steals.

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San Diego State has four Nor Cal scholarship talents on its roster. So far:

• 5-foot-10 senior guard Darrion (St. Ignatius/CCSF/Seattle) Trammel is averaging 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 36%, 27% and 78%.
• 6-foot-7 sophomore guard Miles (Lincoln High) Byrd is averaging 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 37%, 28% and 84%.
• 6-foot-10 sophomore Demarshay (Salesian Prep) Johnson Jr. has played just 58 minutes thus far and his numbers are negligible. He redshirted as a freshman and is a candidate to be looking elsewhere after this season in order to get on the court.
• 6-foot-2 heralded freshman BJ (Modesto Christian) Davis has seen just 53 minutes of court time so his numbers mean nothing at this point. The team's backcourt numbers on the team are against him so he may be a redshirt candidate.

Unscholarshipped Nor Cal players on the Aztec squad are:

• 6-foot-9 Cade Alger out of Ripon Christian 
• 6-foot-1, Ryan Schwartz out of Miramonte High
• 6-foot-3 Desai Lopez out of St. Francis High  and College of San Mateo

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Jerina: "and Final @crushvalley:

• Riordan (San Francisco, CA) 69 (Zion Sensley 24pts) vs Centennial 58 (Eric Freeny 17pts)"

Player of the Game: Zion Sensley 24p 4r 3a 1s

• Jordy McKenzie 14p 2r
• Carter Bryant 15p 6r 1a 2s 1b
• Isaiah Rogers 16p 1r"

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Crushvalley: "FINAL Game 13

• Weston Ranch (CA) 94 - Bullard (CA) 53

Player of the Game: Darrion Lilly 30p 4r 1a 5s 1b

• Richard Banks 20p 5r 3a 3s
• Dalen Felder 16p 3r 1a 1s
• Ja'Vance Coleman 9p 3a"

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Prolific Prep goes 'Zoom-Zoom,' pulls out wild win; Crush of the Valley Basketball Showcase live updates (1-20-2024)"

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The Grind Session: "FINAL

• Salesian College Prep (CA) 69, Millennium (AZ) 68

Player of the Game: Aaron Hunkin-Claytor 12p 3r 4a 5s

• Elias Obenyah 14p 4r 2a
• Cameron Holmes 24p 6r 1a 2s 2b
• Kingston Tosi 15p 11r 2a"

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Crushvalley: "FINAL Game 8

• Clovis North (CA) 79, Vanden (CA) 63

Player of the Game: Connor Amundsen 25p 4r 4a 1s

• Loukas Jones 12p 6r 2a 1s
• Tyler Thompson 18p 1r 1a 4s
• Ahsan Huff 8p 12r 1b"

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"Vikings at top spot in week 10"

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A trio of Bay Area talents dot the Seattle University roster:

• 6-foot-6 senior Seyi (De La Salle (OR)/City College San Francisco) Reiley who in 19 games/two starts and 19 minutes an outing is averaging 5.3 points and 4.5 boards while shooting 58%, 0% (no treys attempted), and 60% respectively.
• 6-foot-6 junior Vicktor (The Branson School/Golden State Prep) Rajković who in 12 game, zero starts and 14 minutes a game is averaging 3.8 points and 1.3 boards while shooting 43%, 33% and 94% respectively. Injuries have held him back.
• 6-foot-7 freshman Will (Williams High/Southern California Academy) Heimbrodt looks to be redshirting.

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Game Scores

NCAA scores, Mon, Jan 22

• Houston Christian 88, New Orleans 80 full box score. Marcus (Archbishop Mitty/Scotland Prep/Sacramento State/Panola College) Greene scored 18 points on a very efficient 6-8, 3-3, 3-4 shooting.

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NCAA scores, Tue, Jan 23

• San Diego State 81, Wyoming 65 full box score. Darrion (St. Ignatius/Seattle/CCSF) Trammel tallied 12 points for the Aztecs. 

CCCMBCA scores, Tue, Jan 23

• Santa Rosa Junior College 72, Diablo Valley College 61
• Sacramento City College 69, Modesto Junior College 66
• American River College 93, San Joaquin Delta College 89 2OT

PacWesat Conference scores, Tue, Jan 23

• Hawai'i Pacific 66, Azuza Pacific 58 full box score
• Hawai'i Hilo 75, Point Loma 71 OT full box score 

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Alex Martin Scores & Boards

Martin is enjoying a banner season

Not many have the personal constitution to detail areas in their skills set needing improvement. Listing what they do best comes easy but what needs work is generally a no-go area. Credit 6-foot-6, 210 guard Alex Martin of Las Positas College for his willingness to be open and honest.

The 6-foot-6 prospect currently averages 18.8 points each night, shooting 51% overall, 32% from long distance and 66% at the foul line. He’s also pulling down 9.1 rebounds a contest and currently he's tops on his team in both scoring and boards.

Martin with a spectacular slam

His analysis of what he brings to the table (actually, in this case the court) includes plusses and minuses. "My best skills as a basketball player are taking it coast to coast off of rebounds as a ball handler, driving to the rim, getting to the free throw line and making shots off the dribble. My glaring weakness as a player is a consistent three point shot and finding my teammates for more assists. So it's continuing to improve my skills as a passer and shooter."

In The Beginning

So why hoops as his choice of sports and not say baseball, football or fast-growing soccer? "I chose basketball as my sport growing up because of my natural feel and talent for the game and seeing guys like Kobe and Durant play growing up."

Martin lays it in (it looks like a layup line)

"My biggest influence is my Dad who has coached me all my life. He pushes me to be a better player every day and keeps me motivated. As well as my beautiful mother who recently passed away this last Spring. She motivated me to always stay positive and give my all to the things that I love.

Hoosier Hysteria In His Blood

"My Dad and his brothers all played in high school living in Indiana. Plus, my older brother, Chris Martin, played basketball at Bishop O’Dowd High but was also a high major football recruit."

Regarding his most memorable hoops memory, Martin offered, "My best moment on the basketball court during my time in juco was a game winner last year at home versus Contra Costa College. My older brother (Chris) was in attendance and I hadn’t seen him in a while. It was a special moment for my family and my previous team from last year (College of San Mateo)."

Offering Thanks

"As my basketball journey goes on, I would like to thank my father and my family who I devote this game to, and my coaches who have helped along the way. Coach (James) Giacomazzi from Las Positas College has been a great coach for me and only wants my success on the court. My former coach, Mike Marcial from College of San San Mateo, taught me a lot about college basketball and how to play harder, showing me the concepts of four-year basketball. I chose to transfer to Las Positas instead of some other schools that were closer by due to my familiarity with the coach and the fast tempo play style we have. I’m grateful for having the opportunity to play here, and being given a chance to show off some of my skill set."

Martin has given thought to what position he'll play come next season. "I feel as though my natural position at the four-year level is either small forward or shooting guard, I move naturally at the wing, being a secondary ball handler and being the point of attack." 

Martin goes left on a shot in the key

As for leadership, "I see myself as a leader on our team with leading by example on the court, and making sure my teammates have a good attitude while the game is going on."

Martin concluded by saying, "I am a four-year qualifier after this spring and I hope to increase my interest after this season. I also hope to change my major from communications to Kinesiology or Business once I get to the next level."

He gets buckets and Martin's work on the boards is also a plus factor. Those two elements should prove enticing to four-year coaches.

Potpourri, Jan 22

News Bits

"10 years after brain tumor surgery, Sac City basketball coach still living the good life"

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Derek Murray: "6’2 G Javontae Campbell of Northern Oklahoma Tonkawa has earned an offer from San Jose State University."

In 15 games/starts, Campbell is averaging 25.9 points per game while shooting 50%, 28% and 75% respectively. Add in 5.7 rebounds a contest alongside 3.7 steals and 2.7 assists. He started the season ranked #69 in the 2024 JUCO 100 Best Players.

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West Coast Preps Sacramento: "Sacramento State’s offered, and Tuesday once again highlighted why. West Park 6’10 senior Tallis Toure is an ELITE prospect who dazzled in a big-time win over Ponderosa."

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Former Chabot College player David (Moreau Catholic High/CCSF) Hector signed with Southwest Baptist University after last season. So far this season in 16 games and starts and 28 minutes an outing, he is averaging 7.5 points and 5.7 boards while shooting 42%, 25% and 60%. His 59 free throw attempts leads the team as does his 48 assists and 21 steals.

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At Belmont Abbey, Jaiden (Putnam Science/Chabot College) Rivera has played in eight of 17 games at 16 minutes a clip and is averaging 5.1 points on 39%, 23% and 80% shooting respectively alongside 3.5 rebounds a contest. But he doesn't appear on the BA roster so something is amiss.

Curiously, the team also has players with first names of Jaylon, Jaylen and Jalen.

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"No. 7 state-ranked Cabrillo blasted by No. 1 West Valley"

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CCSF Men's Basketball: "Rams pick up a good Friday night win at Ohlone 82-58. Ray John Spears lead way for the Rams tonight with 14 pts. Up next… Wednesday night (1/24) vs Skyline & Friday night (1/26)at Las Positas."

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Does the ballhandler/shooter get credit for an assist here. So does it consist of a rebound, a basket and an assist, all credited to a single player?

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Former Archbishop Mitty 6-foot-2 guard Marcus (Scotland Prep/Sacramento State/Panola College) Greene is enjoying a solid season at Houston Christian (Southland Conference) this season. In 15 games/starts and 33 minutes an outing, he is averaging 13.5 point and 3,5 rebounds a contest with 50 assists. Greene is shooting 45%, 36% and 78% respectively.

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Lakeshow (Jan 21): "Lakeshow Alumni Chance (Jesse Bethel High/Golden State Prep/Grand Canyon) McMillian finished with 14 points. 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in the win against BYU."

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"Archbishop Riordan remains No. 1 following an overtime win at No. 2 Archbishop Mitty and Half Moon Bay soars up the rankings off a 3-0 start in the PAL-Bay in the latest Prep2Prep CCS Top 25."

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Game Scores

CCCMBCA scores, Jan, Fri 19

• San Jose City College 75, Gavilan College 72
• Foothill College 86, Hartnell College 69
• Los Medanos College 83, College of Alameda 76
• Chabot College 84, Skyline College 75 Chabot box
• Cañada College 68, Las Positas College 65 LPC box
• City College San Francisco 82, Ohlone College 58
• Sacramento City College 81, Folsom Lake College 71. "'Money' Lott's double-double (28 pts and 15 rebounds) helps lead the Panthers past the Falcons 81-71; Sid Duplessis scored 18 and Andrew Ferrara-Jones had 16."
• Diablo Valley College 73, Sierra College 66
• Santa Rosa Junior College 81, Modesto Junior College 65
• College of Marin 70, College of Alameda 65
• Yuba College 93, Contra Costa College 73
• Mendicino 72, Merritt College 66

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NCAA scores, Sat, Jan 20

• St. Mary's 77, San Francisco 60 full box score. "St. Mary’s men blitz USF, take sole possession of 1st place in WCC" Thought the final score would be much closer.
• Arizona 77,  UCLA 71 full box score
• California 81, Washington State 75 OT full box score. For Cal, Fardaws Aimaq posted an 18 point, 14 rebound double-double.
• Stanford 90, Washington 80 full box score
• UC Davis 54, UC Irvine 52 full box score
• Santa Clara 101,  Portland 86 full box score
• Northern Arizona 70, Sacramento State 61 full box score. Austin (Sonora High/Wofford/Patterson led the Hornets with 16 points.
• Houston Christian 78, Lamar 77 full box score. 6-foot-2 guard Marcus (Archbishop Mitty/Scotland Prep/Sacramento State/Panola College) nailed a trey with one second remaining for the game winner as Houston Christian prevailed.

CCCMBCA scores, Sat, Jan 20

• College of the Siskiyous 82, Lassen College 65
• Feather River College 84, College of the Redwoods 66
• Butte College 109, Shasta College 76
• College of the Sequoias 72, Porterville College 48 full box score
• Merced College 69, Columbia College 66
• West Hills Lemoore 95, West Hills Coalinga 87 WHL box

CCAA scores, Sat, Jan 20

• Cal State Dominguez Hills 83, Chico State 74 full box score
• Cal Poly Pomona 74, Cal State Monterey Bay 64  full box score
• Cal State Los Angeles 81, Cal Poly Humboldt 59 full box score
• San Francisco State 64, Sonoma State 50  full box score. Tyjean (Antelope High/College of the Sequoias) Burrell totaled 21 points in 25 minutes, shooting 5-7 on treys.
• Cal State San Bernardino 72, Stanislaus State 62 full box score
• Cal State East Bay 68, Cal State San Marcos 65  full box score

Pacwest Conference scores, Sat, Jan 20

• Academy of Art 87, Dominican 82 full box score
• Hawai'i Pacific 69, Hawai'i Hilo 66 OT full box score. For the victors, Diggy (Chabot College)  Winbush totaled 20 points, six rebounds and five assists.
• Fresno Pacific 66, Concordia University Irvine 60 full box score
• Westmont 72, Biola 68 full box score

California Pacific Conference scores, Sat, Jan 20

• Cal Maritime 84, ">Park-Gilbert (AZ) full box score
• Embry-Riddle (AZ) 74, La Sierra 68 full box score
• UC Merced 85, St. Katherine 68 full box score. For Merced, 6-foot-2 sophomore Cameron (Bishop O'Dowd)  Brown poured in a very efficient 36 points, shooting 16-22, 2-2, 2-2.
• Westcliff (CA) 73, Simpson (CA) 64 full box score
• Benedictine Mesa (AZ) 78, Pacific Union (CA) 64 full box score

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