senior centers

SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Top Senior Five Men: The View
From The Top--(Oct. 2, 1998)

See, we told you that we weren't going to do this in any kind of real order, so we're jumping straight from the ones to the fives, putting the bookends out there, and we'll cover the middle shortly with the twos, threes and fours. This list of 5 men was a whole lot easier to compile than the list for point guards, because there are far fewer true fives in this year's senior class than point guards. So tell us something we don't already know. Some of you will say that many of the guys we have listed aren't really fives, but power forwards. Hey, it's our list, and unlike the point guard list, where we included guys at the one spot because that's where we think they'll project out, this list includes guys who might really play the four in college but who are currently treated as fives by either their club or high school teams. Go figure.

Top SoCal Five Men:

Michael Ahmad (6'-8" Sr. C) from Glendora HS--Uncommitted--Michael has a nice touch around the rim, and a good, well-developed body, up to about 230 lbs. now. He thinks like a perimeter guy and still has nice touch out to 18', but also has good moves in low. At least a mid D-I, but could attract some additional attention now that the pressure is off Casey and Chris at Glendora this season.

Jerome Beasley (6'-9" Sr. C) from Moreno Valley High--Uncommitted--A virtual unknown before the summer, he made an appearance at the Rim Rattler Camp and impressed a lot of people. Big body, needs to add a bit of weight to take it to the next level. Good hands, moves his feet and has good leaping ability. Decent defender, can box out or post up. Not a clue about who's recruiting him currently.

Chris Bennett (6'-10" Sr. C) from Pasadena Marshall High--Uncommitted-- (Looking at UMKC, Idaho, Washington State, Oregon State)--very active, agile player, one of the hardest working guys around, a true basketball nut, loves to play and can do it all day at the tournament level. On the thin side, but a good frame to hang another 30 lbs of muscle if he hits the weights. Very strong already. Great rebounder, nice touch in close, and decent footwork. Should go at least Mid D-I but could be a major.

Rafael Berumen (6'-9" Sr. C/F) from Simi Valley High--Committed to New Mexico--Rafael is a very strong player, who often tends to avoid the post in favor of the medium to long range jump shot. Played injured for most of the summer with a strained achilles tendon. Actually an effective spot up shooter out to three-point range, but he's far more effective when he stays inside, and has some nice post moves. Will be an instant contributor at New Mexico.

Jesse Boyd (6'-8" Sr. C) from Mira Costa High--Uncommitted--(Looking at UCSB, San Diego, & Ivy Schools--he's got a 3.5 GPA) Jesse is deceptively strong post player, who really came on in the late summer, following impressive showings at the West Coast All-Stars Camp and the Fall Discovery Shootout. He has decent post moves, needs to be more active with his feet and runs the floor reasonably well. Good hands with a good touch, he's a good defender and shot-blocker, but could benefit by an agility program with some weights. Mid D-I at least.

Josh Burgess (6'-8" Sr. C) from Woodbridge High--Uncommitted--Definitely not his brother, but still a capable mid-D-I player. Decent footwork, can post up and runs the floor very well. Really more of a four than a five, but he will play the post during the season at Woodbridge. Went to ABCD camp and impressed a few people, but won't get the kind of attention his family is used to getting. Still, a very talented player in his own right, and very pleasant and coachable young man. Smart player, knows the game.

Jake Dederer (6'-9" Sr. C) from Palos Verdes Peninsula High--Uncommitted--(Looking at UMKC and UC Riverside) Jake is an excellent athlete, who is just getting used to the fact that he has grown 6 inches in the last year. As a result, he still has great perimeter skills, thinks a little like a guard/forward, and has great pass & move skills. He can rebound well, but needs to hit the weight room, and his lack of bulk will mean that he will probably red-shirt his first year, and then have four great years. A lot of schools would love to get him, but for now he's looking only at UMKC and UCR.

Noel Felix (6'-8" Sr. C) from Inglewood High--Uncommitted--(Looking at UNLV, other high to mid-majors)Noel is a very good post man, who can score with regularity. Rebounds extremely well, and has great leaping ability. Also a fine shot blocker, with good footwork, he often prefers the wing position. Good hands, soft shooting touch. Will make some college coach very happy for four years.

Steve Hamilton (6'-11" Sr. C) from Upland High School--Uncommitted-- was granted an extra year of eligibility for this season, as he missed a year and a half of basketball because of a back injury. Played with IEBP on and off this summer. Huge guy with good post moves and a nice scoring touch. His recruitment is a complete mystery to us at the present. Could be a big time player at the college level if he's healthy.

Johnny Hardwick (6'-10" Sr. C) from LA Manual Arts High--Uncommitted--An enigma; really tall, sometimes he's there, sometimes he's not. During the high school season, he was just great, but during the summer with various travel teams he either flourished or wilted. Wiry thin, Hardwick has all the tools, but needs to develop the mental edge to really succeed. Nice post moves, huge shot blocking capability, and a nice touch in and around the hoop. A very nice young man who jumps very well with a great verticle. Huge upside if he will work at it.

Shaun Hemsley (6'-9" Sr. C) from Crenshaw High School--Uncommitted-- Big power guy, an agile player with good skills who has gotten a lot stronger physically and more assertive mentally in the last year. Decent post moves, a big shot blocker, and works hard on both ends of the floor. Should be at least a mid-major D-I, but could go even higher if he works really hard and is able to qualify.

Gabriel Hughes (6'-9" Sr. C) from Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance--Uncommitted-- Gabriel is a thin, effective shot blocker and rebounder who is improving steadily. Played in Rockfish spring league and for several travel teams this summer. Did very well at West Coast All-Stars. Definite mid to high D-I prospect.

Dalron Johnson (6'-9" Sr. C/F) from Verbum Dei--Uncommitted (Cal and UNLV are the leaders)-- Dalron is a widebody kind of player, an excellent athlete who can run the floor, post up and drive. Huge upside, but really projects out as a 4/5 combo in college, especially with Nick VanderLaan (6'-11" Sr. C) playing the post. Very active, but occasionally has mental lapses, like at last year's state championship game (which Verbum won). Excellent player, major talent.

Kamron Leonard (6'-8" Sr. C) from J.W. North High, Riverside--Uncommitted-- Huge body, similar to J.J. Sola, very active in the post, plays well with his back to the basket, and good at boxing out and establishing position. Kamron currently plays for IEBP All-Stars and has seen action against some of the biggest big men on the west coast. Major upside. Nice shooting touch and good soft hands. Will only get better.

Chris Monroe (6'-9" Sr. C) from Granite Hills HS, El Cajon--Uncommitted-- (Currently looking at Idaho, Washington State & New Mexico) A good athlete with nice post up skills, who can rebound and run the floor well. He has a decent shooting touch, with good footwork, and his upside is that he'll only get better with time. Suffered a bit this summer from lack of exposure as he was originally slated to be High Five America's center, but didn't see much playing time due to the presence of 7'-5' Yao Ming from China who played with the team. UNM is probably out now that Rafael has committed. Major upside, and will get bigger, perhaps 7'-0" according to his doctors.

Chris Osborne (6'-9" Sr. C) from Westchester High--Committed to Arizona State--Chris is a very strong player with a decent shooting touch, who is very energetic on the floor. A huge shot-blocker, has some very nice post moves too. He can run with even the quickest guards, he's a major pickup for Arizona State, and provided he qualifies, he'll be an impact player immediately.

Leon Purnell (6'-8" Sr. C) from Los Angeles High--Uncommitted-- A virtual unknown, hasn't played with any of the major traveling teams, and his recruitment is likewise a mystery. Decent athlete, runs the floor and surprisingly agile. Needs work in the post-up department, but has a good shot and nice turn around moves.

Eric Rohwer (6'-9" Sr. C) from Burbank High--Uncommitted-- (Looking at Navy, Washington State and others)--Big, strong guy who has vastly improved but who is being under-recruited currently after seeing USC and other high majors drop out early. Good rebounder, active, runs well, and can put his body on an opponent and uses his feet well. Decent shot, has developed his hands. Passes and moves well.

Ryan Romberg (6'-8" Sr. C) from Anaheim Canyon High--Uncommitted-- He looks a lot slower than he is; can run well, uses his upper body strength, but really projects out as a four. Decent shot blocker, good rebounder, with ok post moves. Will definitely help Canyon High this season, but won't sign until the spring. Mid D-I or D-II prospect. A very hardworking player at both ends of the floor. Very coachable.

Shomari Sarpy (6'-9" Sr. C) from Pomona High--Uncommitted-- (Looking at Boise State, San Jose State, St. Mary's, Northern Arizona, Wyoming, Texas-Pan American, and UC Irvine) Extremely gifted athletically, very agile, runs the floor as well as any big man in the class if not better, can shoot well, dunks and rebounds well. Needs to work on post up moves, but has absolutely huge potential. Nice shot blocker. Should be a high D-I major prospect, but will probably not go until the spring.

Bo Segeberg (6'-9" Sr. C) from Wrightwood--Committed to Sacramento State-- Bo is a worker, who pushes himself and everyone around him. A fine athlete, with a strong, big body, he rebounds well, has pretty good back-to-the-basket play, nice footwork, and is an excellent student. Not a big shot blocker, certainly not a showy player, just a guy who goes out and gets it done. Played for Pump-N-Run this summer and did very well.

Ryan Sims (6'-8" Sr. C) from Crenshaw High--Uncommitted-- Ryan is the other third of the triple towers at Crenshaw (Armand and Shaun are the other two-thirds). Ryan is an excellent athlete, but needs to bulk up a bit for the next level. A very active player, runs extremely well, but needs to work on his fundamentals a bit, especially his block out and post moves. Should go mid D-I at the very least. Huge potential.

J.J. Sola (6'-8" Sr. C) from Capistrano Valley High--Committed to Loyola Marymount-- Big guy, runs the floor reasonably well, but needs to work on stamina. J.J. is a big body, probably weighing around 240-250 lbs., and most of that weight is in his upper frame. Strong legs, and a nice shooting touch, but not much of a shot blocker. Decent rebounder, will be an impact player next season.

Armand Thomas (6'-8" Sr. C) from Crenshaw High--Uncommitted --Armand would be a very nice catch for one of the Washingtons or Oregons. A good athlete, with tremendous rebounding skills, he plays with energy and power. Decent post moves, with the ability to greatly improve during the next four years. Nice shooting touch too.

J.J. Todd (6'-10" Sr. C) from West Hills Chaminade Prep--Uncommitted--(Looking at several schools, including Lehigh, UC Riverside, and 7 others)--Big kid with much upside potential, J.J. is still growing, and developing. Didn't play much last year for his high school team, and so it's hard to evaluate his level of play based on the lack of game time. This summer showed greatly improved skills, nice footwork, good hands, and a more developed sense of confidence. Will definitely go at least mid D-I, even if it's Riverside which is switching this coming year from D-II.

Joe Velasquez (6'-8" Sr. C) from Rancho Cordova High--Uncommitted-- Joe suffers a bit from location, in that he hasn't had a lot of exposure. An athletic player, good shooter from inside, reasonably good player with his back to the basket, alters a lot of shots, but jumping is not his thing. A good player. Watch for him this season, and will probably not commit until the spring. Will qualify.

Chris Williams (6'-9" Sr. C) from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame--Uncommitted--(Looking at UMKC, CSUN)-- Athletic, runs the floor well, also plays the four spot, and has a tendency to think like a wing player rather than post player. Thin, wiry player, effective shot blocker and rebounder, can also score from medium range. Has some good moves around the post, but needs to work on the weights. Will probably sign int he spring, and will probably play the 4 in college since red-shirting doesn't seem to be a reasonable option.

Mike Zepeda (6'-10" Sr. C) from Anaheim Century High School--Uncommitted (Looking at UC Riverside, Northern Arizona)--Big strong guy who is a tenacious rebounder, with good post up moves and nice footwork. Reasonably good shooting touch. Had not much visibility this summer, played for BWBA for a while than dropped out of sight. Will probably commit before the spring to one of the two schools.