seniorpoints1001

SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Top Senior SoCal Point Guards:
A Recruiting Update--(Oct. 1, 1998)

Well, it's October 1, and we're now about halfway through the early part of the fall recruitment process, i.e., we're about halfway home to the November signing period which starts on November 9. So we figured what better time for a recap of who's who, and who's going where among the top point guards (yeah, we plan on doing similar pieces in the coming days on the top 2 guards, three's, fours and fives, so relax).

Let's start off with a review of the top senior point guards in SoCal only. Maybe in a bit, we'll do the entire west coast, but for now, this is a pretty big chunk to break off, and admittedly, we have this rather nagging sensation that we've forgotten more than one player who could or should be on this list. Admittedly, much of our analysis is extremely subjective, and in fact, we've listed some guys who's normal position might be considered the two guard (shooting guard) or even the 3 (wing-forward) spot, but by designating these guys as "points" that's where we think they project out at the college level. We're sure we'll get a ton of mail objecting to some of our comments, or correcting our takes on some of these players, but that's what makes this stuff so much fun. If you think we've left anyone off the list, let us know.

SoCal Point Guards:

Calvin Afualo (6'-1" Sr. PG/SG) from Rialto Eisenhower HS--Uncommitted-- Calvin doesn't get a lot of exposure, but this summer he played very well. He has a nice handle, runs the break well, and can penetrate or dish. He is actually a better two guard, but we've listed him here because he frequently handles point duties too.

Lanere Anderson (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Compton High--Uncommitted-- How tough is it to play point behind Tito Maddox? Ask Lanere. Has speed, runs the floor well, a steady passer and shooter, who can penetrate, but doesn't go for the flash or take over a game the way Tito does. Will probably go Mid D-I or D-II.

Baron Baker (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Fontana High--Uncommitted--Baron is a very quick, speedy player, runs the floor well, and can direct a team effectively. A savvy player, who can break down a defense, or pull up and hit the three. Could go mid to high D-I but will probably not sign until the spring.

Julius Barnes (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Rowland Heights HS-- Committed to Stanford-- Julius is an excellent athlete, with a solid handle, good court vision, and a nice shot. Very fast, will be very effective backing up Arthur Lee this year and then will take over when he graduates.

Scott Barlow (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Woodbridge High--Uncommitted-- A nice, athletic player who has not gotten a lot of attention this summer. Good passer, has a good handle and has good court vision. Strong player, can run the offense well.

Aras Baskauskas (6'-3" Sr. PG/SG) from Santa Monica HS-- Uncommitted (Looking at Yale, Gonzaga, UC Riverside, and Columbia)--Aras is a good athlete, with a nice handle, who really excels more at the two spot than as a point, and he can hit with regularity out to three range.

Lenny Brown (6'-2" Sr. PG) from Inglewood High--Uncommitted-- Virtually disappeared this summer and may have transferred, but last season he was a very effective 1-2 combo guard, with very quick feet and great speed, almost a sprinter. However, now a virtual unknown after this summer.

Craig Calloway, Jr. (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Long Beach Jordan HS--Uncommitted-- Craig is an excellent passer with a good handle, and a decent shot. And best of all, he will be a full qualifier. Drives to the hole nicely and finishes.

Cayce Cook (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Chaminade Prep--Uncommitted-- Cayce is a nice point, who has developed an even better handle than he had last season. Every bit as good as Russell Lakey, and will run the show at Chaminade as they challenge for a D-III CIF and possible State title. Quick, drives reasonably well, handles the break and pushes the ball. Should be at least a mid-major D-I.

Sean Corkery (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Moorpark High--Uncommitted-- received some limited attention this summer and fall with the ARC traveling team. Sean is a very quick, smart and tough player. Good handle, nice defense, and a good outside shot too. Has all the tools, now just needs the platform. Definite mid D-I.

Kyle Dodd (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Brea-Olinda HS-- Uncommitted (Possibly USD, UC Riverside, UC Riverside, Idaho State) Kyle is a good athlete with great leaping ability. Won the dunk contest at the second session of West Coast All-Stars this summer, defeating DeShawn Stevenson. Drives well, very fast first step, reasonably good shooter, goes to the basket very well, and is a good defender. Another of our favorites.

Tony Dow (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Ocean View High, Huntington Beach--Uncommitted--Tony is another great point from Orange County, with good hands, nice lateral quickness, a very good defender, and a solid passer. Currently very under-recruited, he should be a mid to high D-I player, but may end up going the jc route.

Trennell Eddings (5'-7" Sr. PG) from Rialto Eisenhower--Uncommitted-- Another speedy little point from the Inland Empire, Trennell has good hands, loves to steal, and pushes the break well. His only limitation is size, which occasionally affects his ability to pass in traffic, but hey, if Stanley Thorne, Jr. can end up at the point at LMU (and we certainly don't mean that in any negative way), Trennell should at least go mid D-I.

Ed Estavan (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Palisades High, LA--Uncommitted-- did not get any real exposure during the summer, missed all the major tournaments and camps, but based on his play last season, could be a solid D-II player. Had some very high scoring games, 25+. Nice handle, good shooter, could be a two, but not at the next level given his size. Would make a great D-II point.

Chris Ferguson (6'-2" Sr. PG) from Irvine High--Committed to University of San Diego-- Chris is a good athlete, with nice passing skills, and the ability to penetrate well. We wonder why USD would also be looking at Dodd though, because Ferguson will qualify. But you never can have too many good point guards, right?

Benny Garcia (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Paso Robles High--Uncommitted-- Another athlete who didn't get a lot of attention this summer. A pretty decent athlete with a good handled and really spectacular passing ability. A good spot-up shooter, with a nice pull-up J, can hit from inside or out to three-point range.

Connor Hulburt (6'-3" Sr. PG/SG/SF) from USDHS, San Diego--Uncommitted-- Last season with David Abramowitz at the point, Connor played the 2-3 spot, but this season, he may see some time at the point, which is where we would project him at the next level. A very athletic, strong, quick player, has strong heart and a nice shot. Decent passing ability, good fundamental player

Jerry Inzunza (5'-7" Sr. PG) from Troy High School, Fullerton--Uncommitted-- Will get much attention during the season, but didn't play at any of the camps or tournaments this summer. Quick, speedy little point, one of the best in Orange County, should attract some mid D-I schools by the time spring rolls around.

Brandon Jacobs (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Sylmar High--Uncommitted-- Very quick, athletic and strong point, with a decent handle, pushes the break, and helped lead his team last season to the LA City 3-A Championship. Sometimes gets a bit out of control, he's a smart player. Penetrates and has a good first step.

James Jackson (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Compton Dominguez-- Uncommitted--Mostly overlooked in the rush to get Fortune (Keilon is only a soph though), James is really aggressive, active, and can run the floor nearly as well as Keilon, and sometimes better. Probably one of the quickest points in all of the senior class, should be a D-I player.

Ronald Jackson (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Hawthorne High School--Uncommitted--We haven't seen him play a lot, in fact we didn't catch him all summer, but those who do know him, say that he's an excellent passer, can push the break, gets his share of steals, and is generally under-recruited.

Lonnie Jackson (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Daniel Murphy High--Uncommitted-- played on a team last year loaded with guards, but did reasonably well, with a good handle and nice shot. Can, and will also play the two in high school. Solid D-II or possibly low to mid D-I prospect. Time will tell.

Donald James (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Compton Dominguez--Uncommitted-- A real playmaker who doesn't get a lot of playing time because the bench is really loaded. Has not been on "The Hood" roster this summer or in the fall tournaments, which raises the question of whether he's still on the team, or has transferred elsewhere. If you see him, don't blink, because he has great speed and a good handle.

Kristian Jordan (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Etiwanda High-- Uncommitted-- Jordan plays for IEBP and is one of the best pure 1's around. Has a solid J, good quickness and plays defense very well. Starting to fill out, but is a bit think. Definite mid D-I player, sees the floor, runs the break, pushes, and distributes the ball exceedingly well. Also plays the 2 for IEBP along side Jamaar Walker (5'-9" Sr. PG).

Ash Knowlton (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Clovis West--Uncommitted-- Ash is a good defender, doesn't shoot a lot, should shoot more, at least he didn't shoot a lot during the tournaments we saw him in this summer, especially the Nike Summer Championships in San Diego at High Five. Very competitive, and he can defend just about anyone.

Damian Knight (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Corona High School in Corona--Uncommitted-- good athlete, shares point duties on IEBP team with Kristian Jordan and Jamaar Walker. Nice handle, good defender, a real competitor. Should go at least mid-D-I, but probably more like low D-I to D-II.

Shantay Legans (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Goleta Dos Pueblos-- Committed to Cal--An excellent athlete, with great speed, very good passing ability, and a good handle. Can push the break, run the floor, and penetrate. Not really focused on scoring, but a passing point. According to Mike Miller, will lead the Bears to the NCAA in 2002. Perhaps he will. . .

Gary Lenoir (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Lynwood High-- Uncommitted--Gary is a player with great knowledge of the game, and truly has fun playing. Was one of the best players two weekends ago at the Rim Rattler Fall Showcase, and has recovered nicely from a hip injury at West Coast All-Stars this summer. Nice handle, good passer, will drive, has good vision, and should be a high to mid D-I prospect. One of the most fun guys to watch.

Tito Maddox (6'-4" Sr. PG) from Compton High--Uncommitted (Looking at UConn, Arizona State, Michigan and others)--Tito is another very good athlete, who runs the floor, has great court vision, uses the bounce pass better than anyone in the class, and will go to the rack without hesitation. Not a great defender, but he does look to score a lot. Huge potential.

Derrick Mansell (6'-2" Sr. PG) from Mater Dei--Uncommitted--we view Derrick as more of a two guard, but he can also run the show. Better than average shooter, with strong dribble and good first step, nice spot up shooter. Plays good defense too. Makes nice entry passes, good soft touch.

Marcus McGill (6'-2" Sr. PG) from El Camino High in Oceanside--Uncommitted-- a nice athlete who can run the floor, has a good handle and passes well and sees the floor. Good knowledge of the game, a smart player. Doubles as a shooting guard and small forward, can also rebound effectively.

Kenny Mitchell (6'-2" Sr. PG) from Diamond Bar High School--Uncommitted-- also plays some two, has not gotten a lot of attention this summer. Good athlete with good size, a bit overshadowed by his teammate Bryan Pinchon who plays for IEBP All-Stars and will run the point on the high school team, while Mitchell mostly plays the two.

Devin Montgomery (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Alemany High--Uncommitted-- Devin recently transferred to Alemany from San Fernando where he led the team last season at the point. Speedy, pushes the break and a good shot. Mid-D-I, look for CSUN to get involved possibly this spring.

Marcus Moore (6'-4" Sr. PG) from Redondo Union--Uncommitted-- Marcus tried to transfer to Dominguez, but ended up back at Redondo Union. A good athlete, with good vision, who also pushes the break well and sees others on the floor. Not a terrific shooter, but a very good team leader.

Bim Okunrinboye (6'-2" Sr. PG) from Sonora High School--Uncommitted-- Sees the floor well with his size, and also can double at the two, and has good range out to three point land. With Marqui Worthy, will help run the show at Sonora this season. Pushes the break and uses the transition game effectively. Good defender.

Brandon Owens (5'-9" Sr. PG) from Pacific Hills in Brentwood--Uncommitted-- Brandon is another of the points in the Shantay Legans mold: Quick, speedy, great handle, relentless defender with very good lateral quickness and ability to change directions, blistering cross-over, his only drawback will be his size. Very effective passer and involves everyone. One of the most unselfish players, led his team to the State Division V Championship last year. Unbelievable he's not getting more looks.

Marlon Parmer (6'-3" Sr. PG) from Verbum Dei-- Uncommitted-- an excellent athlete, with good speed, nice handle, good cross-over and change of direction. Pushes the ball well up the floor, looks to score, and has a nice jumper out to 18'. Also led his team to a State Division IV Championship last season. Streaky, but can be a great shooter.

Andrew Pleick (6'-4" Sr. PG) from Los Alamitos--Uncommitted-- Plays the point only occasionally, but would be better suited to this position in college. Probably a mid-D-I player would make some WAC, WCC, Big West coach very happy. Good size enables him to see the floor well, and he's a good passer and pretty unselfish. Also a nice rebounder.

Marquis Poole (6'-2" Sr. PG/SG) from Compton Centennial--Uncommitted-- Very good ball handler with nice passing skills, penetrates and drives to the hole really well, and can take a defender off the dribble on isolation. Very good defender, smart and knows the game.

Andre Porter (6'-0" Sr. PG) from St. Augustine High in San Diego--Uncommitted-- One of the quickest points in the class, rivals the speed of anyone. Big time prospect will probably only go either local or mid D-I. Played very well at the Nike Summer Championships, scored 27 points in the Nike Christmas Tournament in San Diego. Can push the ball, passes well, involves everyone on the team.

Matt Santos (5'-10" Sr. PG) from Upland High School--Uncommitted-- smart, very coachable player, with good speed, nice handle, and good court vision who involves his teammates, thinks "pass-first", a true point who can run a team. Named to All-Tournament Dada Fall Hoops Classic Team. Matt is looking at several D-I mid to major schools, but the question is whether they are looking back. Look for him to sign in the spring.

Brandon Smith (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Rancho Cordova High--Uncommitted-- Good mid-D-I to D-II athlete, extremely quick, did not get a lot of attention this summer. Very good handle, speed, pushes the ball and runs the break exceptionally well. Big time player as a junior, but we haven't seen him this summer.

Jonathon Stokes (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Crenshaw High--Uncommitted-- Completely disappeared this summer, and we don't know why. He's a very good athlete who had a good season last year, but mostly played the 2 spot behind Brandon Hawkins and E.J. Harris last season. Will probably still play the 2 if he shows at the 'Shaw, but projects as a 1.

Tim Thompson (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Southwest High, San Diego--Uncommitted-- Another good athlete who did not get any significant (or really any) exposure this summer, and we haven't seen him since early last season. But we were impressed with his handle, speed and quick first step.

Stanley Thorne, Jr. (5'-9" Sr. PG) from Fairfax High--Committed to Loyola Marymount University-- Stanley is an extremely quick passer, pushes the ball well, but his only drawback is size and seeing over or around bigger players and sometimes has difficulty passing in traffic as a result. Still one of the quickest points in the class, can drive, plays tenacious defense, and is one of our favorite players to watch. Had Tito Maddox pulling his socks up with a great crossover.

Jamaar Walker (5'-9" Sr. PG)--from Riverside La Sierra High--Uncommitted-- has taken to running the point regularly now for IEBP All-Stars, pushes the ball well, scores, drives and plays decent defense. A very smart player, but doesn't go for much flash. Solid fundamentals.

Joe Walton (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Fresno Edison --Uncommitted-- good floor general, nice no look passing ability and good speed. A natural athlete, makes good decisions and nice entry passes to the post. Very unselfish player.

Jeff Washington (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Pasadena Muir High School--Uncommitted-- A good athlete, he can also play the two, and has nice range out to three point territory. Part of the Muir guard attack, runs the floor very well, and can take a man off the dribble in isolation. Will probably go Mid D-I since size is a factor, but he works harder than almost anyone on the floor.

B.J. Ward (6'-1" Sr. PG) from Santa Clara High--Committed to UCSB-- B.J. is a team leader, with excellent handle, passes well, and penetrates. Sees the court, and involves teammates. Very fast, will be an instant contributor as a Gaucho, and should vie for the starting job soon.

Alex Will (6'-0" Sr. PG) from Villa Park High School--Uncommitted--really more of a two, he was the leading 3-point shooter for most of last season (and perhaps all of the season) in Orange County. A very good defender, will probably continue to play the two spot, as his teammates Kevin Seuss (5'-11" Sr. PG)--Uncommitted--, Justin Haney (6'-1" Sr. PG/SG) --Uncommitted--, and Robert Hamlin (6'-0" Sr. PG/SG) --Uncommitted-- will trade chores this season.

David Word (5'-9" Sr. PG) from LA Polytechnic (Sun Valley)-- Uncommitted-- That is, he's uncommitted in basketball, but will probably go as a football player. Has tremendous speed, handles the ball well, and pushed the break. Won't have Ellis Richardson this year, but that could be a benefit.

Lewis Woods (5'-10" Sr. PG) from LA Washington High-- Uncommitted--Lewis gets more than his share of steals with quick hands, is a fine passer, and plays terrific defense. His only drawback is that he didn't start a lot last season, coming in off the bench for the Generals, but he does have a good handle and a solid shot, with the ability to create off the dribble.

James Wright (6'-0" Sr. PG) from LA Manual Arts--Uncommitted--James is a good athlete, with very quick feet and tremendous ability to change direction. Has a nice mid-range shot, and dunks well. Most effective in the transition game, a decent defender.