Potpourri, Jun 28

News Bits

CCCMBCA: "Hall of Fame coach Percy Carr passed away yesterday (June 26, 2024). He coached at San Jose City College for over 40 seasons. His 900 career wins are most in California community colleges history."

Honoring Coach Percy Carr

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This is one of the best dunks I have ever seen. I love that it's during a game and not an artificial setup. Semetri Carr has already left the floor on his way up, has to reach out a tad, connects one-handed with the ball and guide-slams it. Wow.

Four new offers have come in for Carr from Loyola Marymount, Southern Methodist University, California and New Mexico.

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Okay, not counting Jared McClain and his tenuous Nor Cal connection going to the 76ers, California shooting guard Jaylon Tyson is the sole local/regional first rounder. Cleveland nabbed him with pick #20.

With the first selection in Round Two, San Francisco's Jonathan Mogbo went to Toronto. named as the 31st talent chosen. Jaylen (Folsom High/Sonoma State) Wells heard his name called by Memphis as a second round selectee, the 39th prospect taken..

Yes, Bronny James was taken by the Lakers at #55 in Round Two.

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Let's have some fun with the initial round of the NBA draft. We're offering various selections and the positives/negatives minus any explanations about each one. Their names appear in the second paragraph on each talent. Age appears to be exceedingly important in getting drafted early as is the level of promise and projection.

We begin: Why My Phone Never Rings With The Caller (An NBA Draft Exec) Asking For Help

A 6-foot-6 19-year-old freshman, he shot 27% from three-point range this season yet went fourth to San Antonio in Wednesday's NBA draft. WHY?

Connecticut's Stephon Castle, who shot better in the last half of the season and especially in the NCAAs. He certainly makes plays at the defensive end.

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With the fifth pick, Detroit selects a 6-foot-7, 200 pound, 18-year-old who played for the G League Ignite and shot under 30% (11-46) this season. His likely NBA position is as a wing. WHY?

Ron Holland II is uber athletic, tops in the draft, and plays aggressively. He will be a fantastic pick if he develops a consistent face-the-basket jumper with decent range. If not...

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At the sixth spot, another 18-year-old is chosen after he posts averages of 9.7 points, 3.9 rebounds in 54 games and 40 starts. WHY?

6-foot-9, 220, French wing Tidjane Saldaune is noted for his shooting prowess possibilities, his motor and his long term promise.

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At #10 goes a 6-foot-9, 19-year-old, D1 college wing who averaged 11.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game and more turnovers than assists in 2023-24. WHY?

Colorado's Cody Williams comes from a hoops family (brother Jaylen is blowing up with Oklahoma City in his second year after an excellent first season). Much promise is present plus great length.

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With the 17th selection, the Los Angeles Lakers nabbed  a wing who was expected to go within the top 10 but he is 23, the oldest player in the draft, and likely without much left in his further development tank and with questions about his defensive effectiveness. You see what you'll get here. WHY?

See 6-foot-6 Dalton Knecht who who averaged 21.7 points per game on 46%, 40% and 77% shooting. He earned the SEC Most Valuable Player honor this season and is the most ready offensive prospect in the draft. He'll contribute right away and for the next 10 or so years rather than develop over two or three seasons into becoming a steady, count-on-him-nightly type.

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Plucked as the #23 best talent, this 6-foot-4 guard put up terrible numbers this season in Australia. He played in a league he wasn't ready for and defines projection. At 170 pounds or less, his body isn't yet ready for playing against men and his skill set is mostly a minus. WHY?

AJ Johnson defines upside but it will take an organization both willing to wait for any payoff and to patiently construct and instruct. Every so often he'll do something on the court that displays his promise (but not consistently). So is Milwaukee the right place to be for him?

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At #28, the Phoenix Suns selected a 6-foot-8 talent who didn't average even 10.0 points per game collegiately this season. He also is a minus with his ballhandling. A team taking him won't get a payoff for a number of years. WHY?

Yes, he is a void on offense but Ryan Dunn is a defensive stopper and can shut down opponents at multiple positions.

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Max Feldman: "Top-150 2026 wing Drew Anderson has heard from the following programs since last night:

•  San Francisco •  Harvard
•  Boise State •  New Mexico
•  UC Riverside •  Seattle
•  UC Irvine •  Montana
•  Yale •  UCSD"

Anderson is a 6-foot-8 2026 forward in the SoCal prep ranks.

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Clint Parks: "Salesian is a high level program with some dudes. Real hoops being played over there. The Elias kid and the lefty shooter can GO."

Parks is a longtime SoCal prep coach who speaks his mind minus any superfluous words. He's referring to 6-foot-4 junior Elias Obenyah (above) and 6-foot-4 senior Alvin Loving (below).

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Luke Isaak: "Thank you Section7Az for the opportunity!!!3-1 (Lost in OT in championship):

•  23.5 ppg   •  9.3 rpg  
•  3.5 apg   •  2.3 spg  
•  46.5% FG%   •  43.3% from 3 (7.5 Attempts)"  

Isaak is a 6-foot-4 2025 guard with topnotch grades.

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Compton Magic: "6-7 Bruce Branch III @PerryPumaMBB has picked up an offer from San Francisco."

Besides the Dons, Branch owns offers from Texas, Fresno State, Nevada, West Virginia and Tarleton State. He's a 2027 talent.

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Riordan's Semetri Carr now has an offer from California and New Mexico.

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Verbal Commits: "2026 Dream City Christian (AZ) G Miles Sadler has received an offer from California."

Sadler is a point guard.

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Jasir Rencher: "Blessed to receive an offer the University of New Mexico #GoLobos."

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Anthony Moore: "After a great conversation with Coach DeGeorge, Coach Sam, and the rest of the coaching staff. I am blessed to receive an offer from Cal Poly."

Moore is a 6-foot-6 combo guard at Lincoln High in Stockton.

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Jalen Stokes: "After a great talk with Coach Fennell, I'm grateful to say that I received a D1 offer from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley!"

Not gonna happen. This is like me trying to ask Scarlett Johansson for a date. But it doesn't hurt to ask, at least in basketball.

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Steve (Nes) Emeneke: "Blessed to say I received a D1 scholarship from the Montana state university!! Thanks to Coach Logie and Coach Sam Scholl and the rest of the staff for this amazing opportunity!!"

and

Steve (Nes) Emeneke: Blessed to say I received a D1 scholarship from the University of Pennsylvania!! Thanks to Coach_Donahue and the rest of the staff for this amazing opportunity!!"

Get the process for academic acceptance to enter Penn started ASAP!!! The 2025 Emeneke sports a 4.1 GPA at Archbishop Riordan.

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Derek Murray: "2026 Caeden Hutcherson (6’4 G) of Mitty Men's Hoops and Team Lillard AAU has earned an offer from the University of Idaho."

and

Derek Murray:"2026 Caeden Hutcherson (6’4 G) of Mitty Men's Hoops & Team Lillard AAU has earned an offer from the University of Montana.

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Rocky Mountain College: "The frontline just got a whole lot better for the Battlin' Bears! Welcoming our newest addition Jaylon Lee! We are excited to have Jaylon coming to play for us. He will make an immediate impact in our program!"

Lee is 6-foot-9, 245 out of College of the Sequoias.

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Max Feldman: "Top-30 2026 G Slim Rogers has heard from the following programs since last night:

•  Stanford •  Harvard
•  New Mexico •  Utah
•  San Diego •  Boise State
•  UNLV •  UC Riverside"

When is the last time (first time) Stanford admitted anyone with the first name of Slim?

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Darryl DJ Stickman: "Blessed to receive my first official offer from Fresno State."

and

Darryl DJ Stickman: "Blessed to receive my second official offer from the University of Montana."

Stickman is at Clovis West High and received an offer from new Fresno State Coach Vance Walberg who formerly coached at CW High.

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Jake Lieberman: "6’10 2025 prospect Nes Emeneke out of Archbishop Riordan HS (CA) & Oakland Soldiers tells me that he’s receiving interest from Stanford, Princeton, San Jose State, UNLV, Hawaii, UTEP, +. Emeneke just picked up offers from UPenn, Montana & Montana State."

He sports a 4.1 grade point average.

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Lewis & Clark State: "Excited to announce new assistant coach Kevin Warren! “We’re excited to add Kevin Warren to the staff. Kevin begins his coaching career after a successful playing career at Chico State and overseas in Australia. He brings great energy and insight to our program!"

Warren was a 6-foot-4 shooting guard for the Wildcats out of St. Mary's College High with Oakland as his hometown. He earned a master’s in communications studies with a minor in broadcasting.

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Lance M. Carr: "I am blessed to have received an offer from San Jose State MBB." 

Out of the Texas prep ranks, Carr is a 6-foot-7 guard/wing in the 2025 class.

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Cameron Carroll: "After a great conversation with Coach Sleight I am blessed to say I have received a Division 1 offer from San Jose State!" (Austin Sleight is the recruiting coordinator)

Carroll is a 2025 6-foot-3, 185 point guard out of Texas. Besides SJSU, Sam Houston State, Montana State, TAM-Corpus Christi, Rice, Long Beach State, Texas State, SMU and Mississippi State have also extended offers.

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San Jose State University has offered (June 21) 6-foot-1 Mason Magee, a 2026 point out of Arizona.

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Potpourri, Jun 26

News Bits

"Keshad Johnson, brother, will share NBA draft day triumph after childhood tragedy"

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"Santa Cruz star Kirby Seals transfers to WCAL powerhouse"

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Verbal Commits: "2025 Quincy (IL) Bradley Longcor III has committed to Santa Clara."

He stands 6-foot-4 and is the MVP of his conference plus an all-stater.

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Verbal Commits: "Former Langston (NAIA) G Anthony Roy is transferring to Green Bay."

Roy enjoyed a bountiful season at Langston scoring18.4 points, grabbing 4.8 boards, and dishing out 1.5 assists while shooting 42% from three-point range.

It's back in the Bay (of sorts) and D1 for the native Oaklander who played at Langston University this season and New Mexico State the previous season. His first college out of Dublin High was USF.

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Brandon Cole: "2026 Myles Jones top 150 Rivals guard out of Modesto Christian basketball and now the Jalen Green Elite has heard from the following so far:

•  Boise State •  Stanford
•  San Francisco •  New Mexico
•  Montana •  Portland
•  UCSB •  Fullerton"

You can catch him at Section7Az and on the 3SSBCircuit this summer!"

He's a 6-foot-3 point.

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In the "2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder" article comes: "The 2026 offseason is an important one to keep in mind for OKC, as that’s when Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams will have completed the fourth and final seasons of their rookie scale contracts and will be up for new deals. Based on how they played this past season and factoring in projected growth, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if they both received maximum-salary contracts in the future, whether that comes via extensions in the 2025 offseason or as restricted free agents in 2026."

Looking to begin his third NBA season and out of Santa Clara, Williams averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 54% overall and 43% from long distance in 2023-24.

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Tyran Stokes: "Blessed to receive an offer from The University of North Carolina."

A bigtime offer for the 6-foot-7, 225 Prolific Prep standout.

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NBN Magazine: "Colleges calling 2024 PangosAACamp Top 60 Game pick 2026 Kaiden Bailey the past few days include: Purdue, Virginia, Stanford, San Diego State, Boise State & San Diego."

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Jeff Goodman: "One veteran NBA GM to me: “The depth of this draft, especially in the back half of the first round, isn’t much different than in most years. But the top 5, and even Top 10 collectively is as underwhelming as I’ve ever seen it.”

and

Ersin Demir in his final NBA Draft Report has Jared McClain (Sacramento hometown) going at #14 in Wednesday's NBA draft. California's Jaylon Tyson is at #27 followed by Jaylen (Folsom High) Wells at #28.

USF's Jonathan Mogbo comes in at #34 in Round Two. Demir has the Golden State Warriors nabbing forward Harrison Ingram out of Stanford and North Carolina with selection #52.

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Jonathan Wasserman has Jared McClain going at #18 to the Orlando Magic with Jaylon Tyson heading to Milwaukee at #23.

In Round Two, Keshad (San Leandro High) Johnson is the choice of the Memphis Grizzlies with the 39th selection. Jonathan Mogbo goes at #41 to Philadelphia. Jaylen Wells comes off the board at #50 and the Warriors select Harrison Ingram at #52.

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James Fletcher doesn't place talents with NBA teams but instead lists his Top 100 NBA prospects:

  • 14. Jared McClain
  • 27. Jaylon Tyson
  • 39. Jonathan Mogbo
  • 51. Keshad Johnson
  • 62. Jaylen Wells
  • 70. Zyon Pullin (College Park High)
  • 100. Spencer Jones (Stanford)

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Bryce Buchanan: "Blessed to announce my commitment to San Jose City, 100% COMMITTED! Go Jags."

Buchanan is a 6-foot-8, 210 wing/forward out of Inderkum High. Grades aren't the issue for him as he sports a 3.8 grade point average.

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"Former Warriors guard Jeremy Lin wins championship alongside brother".

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Verbal Commits: "2026 Milton (GA) G Nathan Earl has received an offer from California."

He's a 6-foot-1 point.

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Team Rampage Basketball: "Congrats to 6’7’ Christian Rodriguez on his commitment to Cal Maritime University!!"

The sophomore is out of Cabrillo College and Armijo High prior to community college.

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Anthony Moore: "Blessed to receive an offer from High Point University. Thank you to Coach Flynn and Coach Alan for believing in me."

Moore is a 2025 6-foot-6 combo guard out of Lincoln High in Stockton.

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"Golden State Warriors plan to retain Kevon Looney"

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Team Rampage Basketball: "6’7’ Armon Naweed is headed to @sanjosecitymbb! He had a FANTASTIC spring, and will continue to develop."

He weighs 190 and went to high school at Kimball High and Modesto Christian High.

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Potpourri, Jun 24

News Bits

Derek Murray: "2026 Elias Obenyah (6’4 G) of Salesian (CA) & teamlillardaau has earned an offer from UNLV."

It was Montana offering last week.

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Chase Rawlins: "Thank you to Lafayette Men's basketball staff for having me out this week."

He was just in attendance at the Princeton Elite Camp.

So when is any Nor Cal D1 program going to offer even one of these two? C'mon, it's getting annoying.

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Jake Lieberman: "2026 PG McKae Amundsen out of Clovis North HS (CA) & Lakeshow 17U has heard from the following since June 15:

  • UC San Diego
  • Cal State East Bay
  • Fresno Pacific University"

Yes, he's just 5-foot-8 but he's chock full of skills.

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Ersin Demir has Jalen Tyson and Jaylen Wells going late in the first round of the NBA draft which takes place this week (Wednesday and Thursday). Draft predictions are such a crapshoot but this is the first draft preview having both NorCal-connected talents landing in round one.

"27. Minnesota Timberwolves — Jaylon Tyson (Junior, SG) California

The Wolves will address their need for scoring depth in the second unit. In Tyson, they are getting an advanced pick-and-roll playmaker and scorer who has shown a scalable game from serving as a floor-spacer and shooter at Texas Tech, while also being capable of running the offense and leading his time during his days at California.

Tyson’s size, handles, defensive toughness, and feel for the game will do wonders for their offensive rating, keeping production on the floor even with their second unit. His strength and size advantage will eventually translate into him serving as a multipositional defender in the future."

and

"28. Denver Nuggets — Jaylen Wells (Junior, SF) Washington State/Sonoma State/Folsom High

Wells is one of the best shooters in this class. He transferred up after being an All-American at the Division II level last year. As the season progressed, he improved in utilizing his shooting gravity by improving his passing game, leading to his assist numbers increasing in the last ten games.

As a team defender, he gives NBA decision-makers the most value. After he turned himself into one of the Cougars’ most important players, Wells got more comfortable in taking his role as a leader on the court. His awareness as an off-ball defender combined with his decision-making make it feasible for him to be able to become an above-average team defender in the future.

The Nuggets can afford to slowly bring him to their rotation while filling their shooting needs on the wings while banking on Wells’ team defense to complement their stars."

San Francisco forward Jonathan Mogo is at #34 in round two.

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6-foot-6 Shemar Morrow has signed with Allen University, a DII program at a private historically black university in Columbia, South Carolina with a 600+ student body.

Morrow may have made some Bay Area AAU appearances (possibly the Oakland Soldiers?) during his high school days but I don't think he ever attended high school here. It's interesting that his hometown is listed as Sacramento.

So why write about him? Because he is a member of the John Mosley-coached East Los Angeles community college team made a media hit by the Last Chance U Netflix series. Plus, Morrow first first entered the national basketball consciousness by dunking the basketball as a sixth-grader in Akron, Ohio and thus being dubbed "the next LeBron." Another title bestowed on him: "the No. 1 middle schooler in the country."

But later on, Morrow wasn't going to graduate from his high school or earn a GED so he needed to go the community college route and earn his A.A. degree. He played in he 2021-22 season at ELAC but it looks like he redshirted his second year, getting back on the court in 2023-24 and averaging 6.7 points per game. The NBA will not be calling his name on draft night and it's likely he won't earn money anywhere as a professional. Academics has been a lifelong struggle for him. Periods of homelessness certainly also hasn't helped.

So it appears he has graduated from ELAC and that is his greatest victory to date in his life. Forget the early hoops accolades as well as the claims of him being a failure for not achieving what was predicted of him on the court. Morrow will be attending a four-year college, one with a small student body and thus hopefully receiving any academic assistance he requires. For him now, a B.A. is in reach. Let's hope there is a second positive ending to his story.

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"Fardaws Aimaq Scouting Report/Ersin's NBA Draft Newsletter

June 17, 2024

His combination of fundamentals and strength makes him an interesting pro prospect with enough areas that are NBA translatable. Will we see him continuing his career in the States?

Physical Profile

At 6’10.5” in socks, Aimaq is one of the strongest big men in the last few draft cycles. While measured at 251 pounds, he has broad shoulders and a strong upper body. His frame overall developed well throughout the years, which is expected as he turned 25 in January. His biggest area of impact is on the glass, where he's one of the best rebounders in the country.

With a 27-inch vertical, Aimaq doesn’t stand out with his bounciness, but he makes up for his with his good lateral quickness. He has great defensive footwork but lacks overall foot speed due to his strength-based body. His strong upper-leg area and decently fluid hips make him surprisingly mobile when he’s defending, mostly due to his history as a swimmer in his youth.

However, for the NBA, being able to guard away from the paint will be a challenge as he doesn’t project to play the same 32 minutes a game in a faster-paced NBA game..."

Hit this link for more and/or to sign up for Ersin Demir's emails or to move into his paid section. His analyses to date are insightful and lengthy.

Here is Demir's look-in-brief of another Bay Area talent:

"25. Jaylen Wells (JR.) — Washington State

After scouting him intensively at the end of February, I dedicated an in-depth piece on his NBA role before the NCAA Tournament. While growing to a crucial part of a winning high-major team, Wells earned All-American honors at the Division II level. In a nutshell: NBA teams are buying a potentially elite shooter late in the first round here.

Despite the jumper-heavy scoring diet, Wells’ three-point shot is one of the most consistent and reliable in the whole country. As the season progressed, he improved in utilizing his shooting gravity by improving his passing game, leading to his assist numbers increasing in the last ten games of the season.

As a team defender, he gives NBA decision-makers the most value. After he turned himself into one of the Cougars’ most important players, Wells got more comfortable in taking his role as a leader on the court. His awareness as an off-ball defender combined with his decision-making make it feasible for him to be able to become an above-average team defender in the future..."

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Colby Christensen: "110% committed, let’s get to work."

Out of Palm Desert High (close to Palm Springs), he is a 6-foot-1 combo guard who will play the point for the next two years under the guidance of Las Positas College Coach James Giacomazzi.

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The Portal Report: "After leading the program to its second consecutive Final Four appearance in just his first season at the helm, CSU San Bernardino head coach Gus Argenal and Co. have rebuilt this roster to contend once again come March!

  • 5️⃣ 10+ PPG Transfers
  • 3️⃣ Former D1 Recruits
  • 2️⃣ Top-100 Rebounders
  • Multiple All-Conference Selections
  • Camren Pierce, 5-11 G - CSU San Marcos
  • Josh Adoh , 6-4 G - Bucknell
  • Evan Oliver, 6-0 G - Chico State
  • Giordan Williams, 6-5 G - Montana
  • Charlie Henderson, 6-8 F - CSU San Marcos
  • Nic Welp, 6-10 F - Western Washington
  • Fallou Cisse, 6-7 F - CCSF
  • Drew Henderson, 6-5 G - Sonoma State"

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Portal Updates: "Marist center Max Allen II will be pursuing a professional career with the Danang Dragons in Vietnam. Allen, a 6’9” sophomore averaged 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and was named to All-MAAC Second Team this past season. Was previously in the transfer portal."

Out of Las Vegas, he played at San Jose State University as a freshman.

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Verbal Commits: "2026 Rock (FL) G Joseph Hartman has received an offer from California.

He stands 6-foot-5.

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Devin Aye: "Congratulations to Jags sophomore, Jurrien Sparks on signing his athletic scholarship to Warner Pacific University (Portland, OR)."

Out of Castro Valley High and San Jose City College, Sparks stands 6-foot-7.

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Recruits Zone: "Top-55 2026 prospect Imahri Wooten has been BUSY since the June 15th Initial Contact Period. 📞 Has heard from 24 schools, including Michigan, Rutgers, Auburn, Virginia, Syracuse, & more. Received offers from Seton Hall, Bryant, Rhode Island, St. John’s, Stanford, ODU, & MSU."

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Jake Lieberman: "2026 6’ PG BJ Powell out of Georgia Stars AAU has recently heard from Western Michigan, Stanford, Columbia & St. Louis. Powell holds a couple of early offers."

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Recruits Zone: "Top-110 2026 6-1 prospect Archie McFadden tells me that he has heard from the following schools since the initial contact period began:

•  California (offered) •  Cal State Bakersfield (offered)
•  Bryant (offered) •  Jacksonville
•  Gardner Webb •  Mercer
•  High Point (offered) •  Wake Forest
•  Colorado"  

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Bryan Rooney: "Great to have Coach DK at camp! Headed to Iceland to begin his professional basketball career-well deserved opportunity. Excited to follow his pro journey and thankful he will always be a Pioneer!"

That's 6-foot-6 senior Dimitrios Klonaras who transferred from California to Cal State East Bay.

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Delta Men's Basketball: "Congratulations to Julian Brown on signing with Pacific Lutheran University."

Brown is a 6-foot-4, 190 guard out of Gregori High. PLU is located in Tacoma, WA.

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Florida has an incoming freshman named Olivier Rioux who measures up at 7-foot-9 and 290 pounds. He stood 6-foot-11 by sixth grade.

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"Gary Payton II reportedly staying with Warriors, opts in to $9.1 million option"

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"2024 NBA draft profile on Washington State forward Jaylen Wells"

Wells is out of the Sacramento area, graduated from Folsom High and blew up as a sophomore at Sonoma State before transferring to Washington State.

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Prolific Prep's Winters Grady has received offers from West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Michigan.

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Jake Lieberman: "6'6 Junior College prospect Chol Deng out of Grayson College has committed to Cal State Monterey Bay. Stats: 13.6 points (50% FG), 6.6 rebounds & 1.8 assists."

Looks like a solid pickup for Coach Isaac Williams.

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