News Bits
Jalen Stokes: "🌟100% committed 🌟 Beyond excited to announce my commitment to the University of California Davis!"
The 6-foot-5 Stokes is a 2025 prospect out of Dougherty Valley High (formerly at Dublin High) and Team Lillard. He recently visited Davis and also tripped to Montana mid-September. Davis offered him in late July. Prep Hoops recently ranked Stokes fifth out of 276 2025 northern California prospects. Leading Aggie returning scorer Ty Johnson is a guard and a senior.
.........................
Stepinac Basketball: "Congratulations to Adonis Ratliff & Darius Ratliff who both have been offered by Stanford University of the ACC!"
The former Ratliff is 6-foot-9 and is a member of the 2026 class. The latter Ratliff stands 6-foot-11 and is also a member of the 2026 class. Former NBA center Theo Ratliff is their father.
.........................
Abdou Torre: "I am blessed to receive a D1 Offer from Stanford University… Thank you Coach Elkin and the Stanford Coaching staff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The 6-foot-6 2026 Toure also has offers from Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Louisville, Texas A&M, Oregon, Yale and others. He's out of Guinea and currently attending a prep school in Connecticut.
From Guinea to Stanford? Please, please, please go for it.
.........................
Stepinac Basketball: "Congratulations to junior guard Jasiah Jervis on being offered by Stanford University of the ACC!"
Jervis is 6-foot-5 and in the 2026 class.
.........................
Verbal Commits: "2026 Sunnyslope (AZ) G Rider Portela has received an offer from UC Davis."
Davis Coach Jim Les has a number of offers out to backcourters. Remember that this one came after big guard Jalen Stokes committed.
.........................
Obinna Okezie: "Blessed to receive an offer from the University of Kansas. Thank you for the opportunity!"
and
"Obinna Ekezie Jr. is Making His Own Name"
Ekezie is a 7-footer, in the 2026 class and at Prolific Prep.
.........................
"Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga enters key season with Dikembe Mutombo on his mind"
and
"Warriors have seemingly unearthed new backcourt"
.........................
More on Jasir Rencher's commitment to Texas A&M
.........................
Preston Copeland: "Blessed to receive a D1 offer from San Jose State University!!"
Copeland stands 6-foot-8 and has previous offers from Appalachian State, Ball State, Cincinnati, College of Charleston, ECU, Georgetown, HPU, Indiana, Nebraska, Radford & Xavier.
SJSU continues offering North Carolina-based prospects.
.........................
Nathalio Gray Jr.: "Blessed to receive my first division 1 offer from Cal Men's Basketball. Thank you to the coaching staff for believing in me."
He's 6-foot-1, in the 2027 class and attends The Branson School.
.........................
Six players from northern California reside on the 2024-25 UC Davis roster:
6-foot sophomore guard Connor Sevilla (Dougherty Valley High)
6-foot-6 redshirt junior guard Marsalis Roberson (Bishop O'Dowd/California)
6-foot-7 sophomore forward/guard Derek Sangster (Archbishop Mitty)
6-foot-4 redshirt junior guard Sione Losé (Capital Christian High)
6-foot-6 senior forward Lukas Prongos (The Branson School/College of Marin)
6-foot-7 freshman Jacob Gilchrist (12 Bridges High)
.........................
Ira Winderman: "Zyon Pullin is participating in camp on an Exhibit 10 contract. The former Florida guard knows he’ll be ticketed to the Miami Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. “It’s really just been definitely spend time in Sioux Falls and really just trying that development program, the history and track record it’s had,” Pullin said, per Winderman. “It’s a reason why I wanted to be here in the first place. So I think it’s just continue to lock in once we go down there and keep developing and see where it goes from there.”
Pullin graduated from College Park High.
.........................
Marquese Chriss has been traded to the Birmingham Squadron from the Wisconsin Herd in a G League trade. He graduated from Pleasant Grove High, colleged at Washington, played some in the NBA but has resided in the G League for a while. Chriss was drafted with the eighth pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.
.........................
Blake Murphy: "Raptors 905 are acquiring the rights to Jared Rhoden from College Park (Hawks affiliate) for the rights to Omari Moore (playing in Istanbul, Turkey) and a 2025 1st-round pick (via Capital City)."
Another G League deal, the 6-foot-4 Moore is a San Jose State University grad.
.........................
Jake Lieberman: "6'8 wing Travis Torain out of Panola Junior College (TX) is a freshman qualifier who shot 40% from deep at the Oklahoma Juco Jamboree. Tons of versatility and skill for his size. Dynamic prospect."
and
Panola Junior College: "Travis led the Ponies in scoring this weekend in Oklahoma. He knocked down six 3’s against Frank Phillips IN THE SECOND HALF! You will not find a better shooter/switchable defender at his size!!"
San Jose State University offered the 6-foot-7, 185 Torain (out of West High in Tracy) in early September 2023 when he was at Dream City Christian, an Arizona prep school. Torain has now moved on to a Texas community college so that Spartan offer may mutually be moot. In 2022, Oakland, UC San Diego and Seton Hall extended offers.
.........................
Colorado basketball has received four commits thus far, three guards and a 6-foot-5 wing. Of the backcourters, it's one point and two 6-foot-4 scoring guards, including the top prospect in the state of Colorado. So why this in a Nor Cal Basketball rag? Because 6-foot-5, 190 guard Courtney (Dublin High) Anderson redshirted with Colorado this past season and is returning to the court in 2024-25. Coach Tad Boyle obviously is feeling the need for backcourt talent after this season but let's hope Anderson performs early and well in his initial college playing experience.
.........................
"National Letter of Intent program in recruiting nixed by NCAA council for new sign-aid agreements"
.........................