News Bits
Per Moreau Catholic High Coach Frank Knight, 6-foot-7 Kellen Hampton has returned to Moreau Catholic High from Southern California Academy. He is currently playing with Team Lillard as well as MCH this summer.
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CBB Europe: "2024 6-6 G/F Veniamin Abosi has announced his commitment to San Francisco. Eurocamp participant, highly impactful defender with passing chops and an expanding offensive repertoire. Also visited Utah last week."
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Joe Tipton: "4⭐️ Winters Grady, a 6-foot-6 sharpshooter, has scheduled official visits to Oklahoma and Oregon."
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Joe Tipton: "Grady says he is also taking an official visit to New Mexico on August 24th."
Grady is at Prolific Prep up in Napa.
If Grady wants a side, off-season business, he likely could also forge a future as a Calvin Klein cologne model.
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Salesian's Elias Obenyah picked up a pair of recent offers: UC San Diego and Loyola Marymount.
Here's a recent feature on Obenyah.
Montana has also offered. Meanwhile, the Nor Cal programs continue to snore.
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Cameron Holmes: "Beyond blessed to receive an offer from the University of California Berkeley!! Thank you to Coach Scherbenske and staff."
Holmes is a 6-foot-6 2026 wing. USC has also offered.
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Anthony Moore: "Blessed to receive an offer from UC San Diego. Thank you to Coach Eric, Coach Clint and the rest of the coaching staff for believing in me."
Moore is a 6-foot-6 guard attending Lincoln High in Stockton sporting a 4.0 GPA.
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Simply Basketball: "Ardarius Grayson (2025) led section7az in assists with 7.8ast per game! Averaged 22.8ppg 7.8rebs 7.8ast per game. A dawg on the court."
Grayson is 6-foot-1, a 2025 prospect and plays for Oakland Tech and Team Lillard.
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Majuu Alone: "Undrafted Keshad Johnson from San Diego State has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the Miami Heat, sources said. This opportunity allows Johnson to split his time between the Miami Heat and their G League affiliate, showcasing his talents at both levels."
The Heat has a strong culture plus a role expected for every player throughout their system. Pat Reilly doesn't bring in guys who will be bad fits with how the Heat want to play. Zyon Pullin has also signed with Miami and he, like Keshad, has a very good chance of being a longtime NBA player.
Here's a post-draft Ersin Demir on Johnson: "I projected Johnson to be a late second-round pick in my NBA Mock Draft. While being a freak athlete, Johnson is one of the most complete defenders in this class. As a fifth-year senior, his conditioning improved leading to him playing close to thirty minutes for Arizona, while hovering around twenty a game when he played for San Diego State.
The Heat get themselves a good pick-and-roll defender who stands out with his rotations as a team defender. With defensive footwork and his experience as a leader on the court, he fits in the mold of guys who will buy in when it comes to the Miami Heat culture.
I expect Johnson to play in the G League for the majority of the year to improve his three-point shooting off the catch while continuing to work on his passing."
The following is a post-draft Demir on Pullin: "After his four-year career in the Big West playing for UC Riverside, Pullin transferred up to the SEC where he put up more than fifteen points per game at Florida. While shooting close to 45% on more than two three-pointers, it’s feasible the Heat are trying to develop a cheaper contract to fill their guard rotation later on in this season.
He’s an effortless passer and playmaker who put up close to five assists per game. His great decision-making translates to an assist-to-turnover ratio of almost four. All exceptional numbers while playing near 20% usage.
On the defensive end, his great feel for the game leads to him rotating well while showing flashes of NBA-ready point-of-attack defense. At over 200 pounds, he has the upper-body strength to match the intensity against most NBA guards. His task is to show his production in the G League whereafter we’ll likely see him serve as the Heat’s floor general off the bench later on in the season."
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Verbal Commits: "Former High Point F Cade Potter is transferring to Cal Poly Humboldt (DII)."
It #4 in D1 transfers for the Cal Poly Humboldt program thus far this recruiting period.
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Jake Lieberman: "2026 6'5 CG Joseph Hartman out of Rock HS (FL) & Austin Rivers SE Elite has been offered by Virginia Tech. Hartman visited Cal (Offer) earlier this month. Also holds offers from South Florida, Penn State, Wichita State, Omaha, among others."
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"The French basketball revolution arrives at the 2024 NBA draft"
Marc J. Spears works his journo magic yet once more and we say thank you.
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Kyle Monk: "Committed. West ✈️ East! Lets rock!!"
The 6-foot-3 Monk is transferring out of Fresno Pacific to Converse University (the Valkyries) in South Carolina. He is also out of Gregori High.
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"...Reporting last week suggested that the Rockets planned to keep center Jock Landale through his guarantee date on Saturday, and there have been no indications since then that the plan has changed or that his deadline has been pushed back, so we’re assuming his $8MM salary for 2024/25 is now fully guaranteed. Landale, who had an inconsistent role last season, could be used as a salary-matching piece in a Houston trade at some point during the coming league year...
The 6-foot-11 Landale has carved out a fruitful career since departing St. Mary's.
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5-foot-11 Isaac Martinez/Clovis West High has signed on with Yuba College.
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Verbal Commits: "Lamar, Loyola (MD) and Sacramento State offered 2025 Perry (AZ) F D'Andre Harrison.
Harrison stands 6-foot-6.
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Verbal Commits: "2025 1 of 1 Prep (NC) F Gevonte Ware has received an offer from San José State."
Ware is 6-foot-9, 235 and out of North Carolina.
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Verbal Commits: "Jacksonville and San José State offered 2025 Plano East (TX) F D.J. Hall."
Hall is 6-foot-7.
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Francis Folefac: "Blessed to receive an offer from San Jose State University."
Folefac is a 6-foot-6 2025 forward.
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