SoCalHoops High School News

adidas Double Pump Hoop Challenge:
Artesia Beats Mayfair--(Jan 18, 1999)

Bottom Line: Artesia 69, Mayfair 53.

So what really happened. Well, this wasn't much of a real contest, even though Josh Childress and Eddie Draughn tried to make it one. We were impressed with Jesus Miranda's point play, but against Artesia, there was no question who was going to win. 

Jason Kapono (6'-8" Sr. PG/SG/SF/PF) recorded the play of the day just before the end of the first half. With 30 seconds to play in the second quarter,   Jason got the ball in Mayfair's backcourt, and playing the 6'-8" point guard, took the ball across the time line and then directed traffic from about midway between the three point line and the half court line. With time ticking off the clock, it was clear that he and the Pioneers were playing for the last shot and of course they were already up 29-17. Jason stood there for what seemed like forever, just yo-yoing the ball.  When the clock hit 10 seconds, he motioned for everyone to start, dished off right to Steffanson as he went all the way through the key, straight down to the right block. 9 seconds. With Steffanson with the ball up on the right wing, Jon pump fakes to his left, then throws a skip pass to the left forward wing spot where Amaury is waiting.   7 seconds. Jason does a v-cut at the baseline and then immediately heads for the free throw line. 6 seconds. Fernandez passes the ball to the lower left block where Martinez is posting. 5 seconds.  He flashes the ball, no shot. 4 seconds.  Jack looks at Kapono who is now midway between the free-throw line and the three-point arc. 3 seconds.   In one quick move, Jason gets the ball from Martinez-- 2 seconds-- turns, plants and releases--1 second--as he's falling backwards behind the three point arc, and with the shot in the air, the buzzer sounds and . . . swish. Nothing, as they say, but net. Unbelievable.  Artesia led at the half 32-17, and it pretty much stayed that way for the rest of the game even though Mayfair made a little run late in the game.

We talked with Wayne Merino about "the shot" after the game, and he told us "Yes, it was a set play that we run for Jason; he goes to the baseline and then gets the shot. But we sure don't plan for him getting the ball falling backwards to hit a three. He's a great player, and I wish I could say that I designed the play to look like that, but that shot isn't something you can plan on ever time. It would be nice though." Well, we're talking about Kapono here, so maybe it would be.  

Jason scored a game-high 24 points, 15 in the second quarter as Artesia put up a 21-4 run; he had seven rebounds and five assists in this game, and looked about as good as we've seen him this year. Not necessarily dominating, but just one of the best basketball players in the country. Smart, knows the game and plays like he knows the game, with the best court presence and skills of any player on the floor on Saturday. We talked with his dad, Joe Kapono after the game, and he again confirmed that Jason's still got the same schools on his list: UNLV, Utah, Missouri, Rhode Island,and maybe, just maybe, Cal.  Of course Cal's Ben Braun and Scott Beeton were out at the games after Cal beat USC at the Sports arena, but not in time to see Jason's game.  They did catch the Bishop Montgomery game (along with Silvy Dominguez of USC---David Miller, another USC assistant had been out earlier in the day to watch Scott Borchart), and brought along Solomon Hughes, who came to watch little brother Gabriel as Bishop beat Serra. But that's another story.

The win was Artesia's 51st consecutive Suburban League victory, and the second of the week for the Pioneers over the Monsoons who are now 13-6 overall and 3-2 in league.  Artesia is 17-2 overall and 5-0 in league.

Josh Childress of Mayfair had 15 points, but we didn't get to see him play much, because he picked up three fouls by early in the second quarter, and he played less than five minutes in the first half. Andre Hazel of Artesia and junior forward James Washington of Mayfair both had 13 points each. 

Amaury Fernandez didn't finish with big numbers, but we think he's really becoming an "interesting" player.  What's so "interesting" about a 6'-8" sophomore who's one of the best players in the country? Well, for starters, any number of D-I teams would (and do) want this guy. Heck, UCLA could use this guy right now. Right now. We keep wondering about how old Apolinar really is, because he's got such a mature game, at least in comparison to some players at the high school level. Ok, almost every player at the high school level. Fernandez  looks like he's about 18 or 19, and he does things that some Division I players only dream of doing. His physical appearance and development seems about as mature as it could be for someone in the 10th grade, and watching him one is tempted to think that he could, in a couple of years, simply bypass college and play professionally.   Really we think he'll be that good in a couple of years. But then reality strikes, and something happens in the game, and you're reminded that this is just a kid, a big little kid, but still a kid.  The revealing moment on Saturday was when Fernandez got called for two quick fouls, including including a technical for hanging on the rim following a huge slam-dunk.  He went from exulting with the dunk, to. . . well, the look on his face was crestfallen, like someone had shot his best friend. . . .his lower lip started to quiver, and he looked like a little kid playing a game, which of course is what Fernandez really is.  A big little kid. But it was an odd moment, seeing this man revealing himself to be the kid that he really is. Interesting. Of course, things like that don't happen often, and Fernandez played very well getting by our count 8 points on the night.  Now, if he could only stop hanging on the rim when he dunks. . . . 

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