SoCalHoops High School News

CIF SoCal Regional D-III Semifinals:
Chaminade v. Fresno WU, USDHS v. San Dimas--(March 11, 1999)

There are two games being played tonight in Division III:  Chaminade will be visiting at Fresno's Washington Union, and USDHS will be playing at San Dimas. If you're in the Central Valley area, Chaminade v. Washington Union is one of only two games, and both, as it happens are in Fresno, the other being Fresno Edison v. Mayfair.  If you're in the LA-Orange-San Bernardino area, you've got a lot to choose from, but the San Dimas v. USDHS game looks like it will be fun.

Chaminade v. Fresno Washington Union
At Fresno Washington Union, 7:30 p.m.

We've been thinking and thinking about what Chaminade can do to adjust for what they'll see when they play Fresno Washington Union tonight. And we really can't come up with anything better than simply this: "Do everything and anything to stop No. 0."   Really, even if the Eagles have to put five guys on De Shawn Stevenson, it might not be enough.  How good is he?   He scored 20 points in the first quarter of Tuesday night's rout of Corona del Mar.   How do you stop that? Good question, and we're sure that it's something that Jeff Young is still trying to figure out.   Last year, it was USDHS which got the pleasure of meeting Washington Union in the semifinals, and to most informed observers, it was an amazing victory for the Dons, one that pretty much depended upon the injury sustained by the Panthers Chris Jeffries (6'-8" F) who is now in the NCAA tournament playing for Arkansas.  Had he not broken his foot in the USDHS game last year, Washington Union might now be the defending State Champions in this Divison.  But they're not, and USDHS, which is playing at San Dimas tonight is, and that's ancient history.  Because everything could change tonight.

DeShawn Stevenson has been the player with most of the headlines on this team, and some people have him rated as the best player in his class at his position in the country. Just what is his position? Well, he's got a good enough handle and good enough vision, and in a school team setting, the right
degree of unselfishness (that's right, forget what you all saw at the camps and tournaments, this guy is very unselfish on a team, trust us about this) to play the point; he's got a good enough perimeter shot that he could be a two; he can slash to the hole, drive, rebound, dunk, and do all kinds of
acrobatics to satisfy anyone who wants him to play the three or the four; about the only thing we haven't seen him do is play center, and we're willing to bet that with a little practice and patience, he could. DeShawn is one of the most athletic players in the country, and he really turned a lot of heads
this last year. And the scary thing about him is that he's just a junior and has two more full seasons in high school. He's been called a human highlight film and it's true. A major D-I talent. To hear Washington Union coach Vonn Webb tell it, he thinks that DeShawn plays "two or three steps above everyone else here in Fresno. He really can do it all, but I don't want him to put that much pressure on himself. On our team he really is very
unselfish, and he'll do whatever it takes to win."

That same attitude is shared by Shammel and Coupe. Shammell has grown an inch or two, and has also improved his game, if that's possible, from last season, and this summer he and DeShawn played for EBO, where Shammell continued his deadly shooting and rebounding. On this team he'll play the four spot. He's a good perimeter shooter, quick, smooth and a scoring machine when he's hot. Last season Shammell, who's a slort of sleder inside outside guy, averaged a double-double, and he will be counted upon again for some major production.

As the LA Times Valley Edition put it today, "Beating Fresno Washington Union will be a tall order tonight for Chaminade in a Southern Regional Division III semifinal.  The Eagles (25-4) are up against a lineup that ranges from 6 feet to 6-7, all double-figure scorers. DeShaun Stevenson, a 6-6 junior guard averaging 24 points. Shamell Stallworth, a 6-5 senior forward, averages 21 and is headed to San Francisco on scholarship. Alabama State-bound Coupe Taylor, a senior guard, averages 16 points.  Top-seeded Washington Union (23-6) averages about 90 points.   But Chaminade Coach Jeff Young said Washington plays in a "noncompetitive league" and the Eagles hold opponents to 44 points a game. "I think we're better defensively than we were last year and I think we can slow them down a bit," he said. "   Well, we hope that Jeff brings along some asbestos brake pads to do all that slowing down, because so far, we haven't seen anything that can stop DeShawn.  Chaminade is going to need critically tough performances from all of its big players, including Scott Borchart, J.J. Todd, Darren Tarlow, Chris Canoles, Cayce Cook and Clarence Mitchell.  If the Eagles make it through this one, then we will be the most impressed of anyone, but even if they don't, this Chaminade team has made it incredibly far on guts, talent and intelligent play and coaching, and win, lose or draw, you can't really ask for more than that. Here are the rosters:

San Dimas v. USDHS
at San Dimas High School, 7:30 p.m.

Here are the rosters:

USDHS is the defending State Champions, and they are the also repeated this year as the San Diego Section Division III Champs.   Cousins Chris and Kam Walton come into the game averaging 16 and 8 poiknts respectively, and 8 and 9 rebounds as well.  The team's high scorer, Mike Malloy who was averaging 17 points per game, was injured in the first round win, a close 49-46 victory over a very tough Bishop Montgomery team, but Nate Staggs filled in nicely for Malloy, who managed to limp back into the game in the fourth quarter to make some key shots.  Chris Banan also is averaging 5 ppg, while Adam Olson comes in averaging a little more than 4 points, and if the Dons want to throw a big lineup at San Dimas, a very tough and scrappy team with excellent shooting, they can clearly control the boards.   The usual starting lineup runs 6'-8", 6'-7", 6'-9, 6'-3" and 5'-8", which is pretty balanced.  Whether the Dons though will be athletic and quick enough to run with the Saints is what this game will come down to if the Dons aren't able to control the tempo.

San Dimas comes into the game fresh off a win in the Southern Section D-IIIAA finals, where they took the title from Bishop Montgomery, in a game that D.J. Hackett scored 29 points in the biggest basketball game of his life.   San Dimas' running and pressing style forced many turnovers, and Hackett's shooting didn't hurt either, as he scored 16 points in the first half in that game.

In the first round of the State Southern Regionals, San Dimas outscored Exeter 42-24 in the second half en route to a 66-43 victory and the loss knocked Exeter out of its first regional since 1993. The Monarchs were held (24-8) to a season-low in points and shooting (38%). Hackett was held scoreless in the first quarter Tuesday, contributing just one rebound with two
fouls. So Hackett began running and scored 12 second-quarter points to put San Dimas ahead 24-19 at halftime. Hackett finished with a team-high 18 points. Saint center Josh Smith added 11 points and nine rebounds and guard Jason Greenlee scored 11 points.  Again, for San Dimas, the outcome of this game will largely depend upon the shooting of D.J., and the ability of San Diego to stop him could be decisive.

Whatever the outcome for either team, these are two talented, competitive squads and we can see either of them advancing.   Unfortunately for one of them, the season will end tonight, and the other will get another shot at continuing toward the trip to Sacramento.  We'll post the results as soon as we have them. 

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