senior shooting guard prospects

SoCalHoops Recruiting Report

Top SoCal Senior Two Guards:
The Shooters--(Oct. 4, 1998)

Here's the second guard installment of our feature on the top seniors in SoCal. We've already done points and centers so that leaves us with the wings and forwards. Hey, this isn't easy, as there are just a ton of guys at this position. Admittedly some of these "shooting guards" could easily be points, and vice versa, and many in fact will play the point or small forward as well this season or in college. If you don't see a name that you think should be listed, let us know. We're human, we make mistakes. We will learn from them. Let us know.

SoCal Senior Shooting Guards:

Aaron Abrams (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Rancho Buena Vista High--Uncommitted--(Looking at Notre Dame, Fresno State, San Jose, and Washington State) Aaron is a very good athlete, quick feet and hands, good defender, on offense sets screens and comes off them well. Good handle, drives well, and could very well play the point in college if he thought about it. He is a playmaker and a player. Nice touch from medium range. A high major prospect.

Ryan Abrahams (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Pacific Hills--Uncommitted--Ryan is Brandon Owens' favorite assist guy, and the two led Pacific Hills to the CIF State Championship in Division V. A very good athlete, with a great handle, excellent speed, likes to drive and penetrate, better as an outside shooter. Occasionally plays at the wing forward spot for his high school team, which is not particularly blessed with height. A strong competitor.

Devrin Anderson (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Crossroads--Uncommitted-- Devrin is a quick, tough player, with a nice first step and a good handle. Defends well, and has a decent j, and can penetrate as well. Also a top prospect in baseball, he didn't play a lot this summer due to injury and academics. . . which doesn't mean he had any trouble in the academics, since he's got a 3.5 GPA and 1150 PSAT, but he did spend time prepping for the Nov. 2 SAT. Devrin was named to the All-Tournament team at the Ayala Winter Classic, was 2nd team all league, and is Crossroads' leading scorer, assist leader and steals leader. Currently looking as several D-I programs, his head to head performances against players like Ryan Abrahams, Craig Calloway have been impressive. Co-MVP of Crossroads team with Chad Gordon.

Gilbert Arenas (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Grant High, Van Nuys--Committed to Arizona-- What can you say about a player who can personally score 63 points against Crenshaw? This is the complete package, great offensive skills, good court sense, great playmaker and creator off the dribble. Could be a great point guard, but doesn't yet think like one. Also needs to work harder on defense, but then Lute will certainly tell him that too. Potential to be really great. Still one of the best in SoCal.

Chaun Ballard (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Pacific High in San Bernardino--Uncommitted-- Strong, athletic player, with a decent three-point shot. Has a good handle, nice crossover. Could go as a point, but doesn't think "pass" on the floor, has a shooter's mentality, which is not all bad, because someone's got to put it in the hole. Moves well with the ball, and effective at setting screens. Good defender, moves his feet and is very active. A streaky shooter, but when he's hot, will bury 20+ a game. Mid to High D-I.

Aras Baskauskas (6'-3" Sr. PG/SG) from Santa Monica HS-- Uncommitted--we listed him as a one, but can and does also play the two.

Otis Belisle (6'-2" Sr. SG/SF) from L.A. Manual Arts--Uncommitted-- Otis is a very intriguing player. He can also play the three spot, and is an effective rebounder. We've seen him be cold as ice, and then heat up and go on a streak. Sometimes needs time to set up on the outside shot, but if he squares up and gets a good look, can kill with the three. Penetrates well, and slashes to the basket. Good defender.

Wayne Bernard (6'-3" Sr. SG/SF) from San Diego Horizon--Uncommitted--has, on more than one occasion, single-handedly saved his club team (Future Stars) from ignominious defeat, and he's a great competitor. Will use his body well slashing to the basket or taking out his man on defense, and can spot up for the long shot out to three, or pull up for the j. Good defender, moves well with and without the ball. Definite D-I.

Brian Bobik (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Newbury Park--Uncommitted--We'll see if he can duplicate his brother's feats. Brian can shoot from just about anywhere, and has a decent handle. Played a bit this summer for his high school team in the Cathedral City tournament, and then dropped out of sight. A capable defender, can set screens or use them to shoot. Should be D-I by the spring.

Jason Bonwell (6'-0" Sr. Sg) from Pasadena Muir--Uncommitted-- Played for the Just Say No Classic Team this fall and showed good speed, quickness and a nice j out to about 18', and if he has time to set, can hit the three. Decent defender, helped his Just Say No team tremendously. Moves well, decent hops.

Jason Bow (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Clovis West High School, Fresno--Uncommitted-- A good athlete who can push the fast break, and an excellent shooter from three point range. Good defender, drives his man to the sidelines well, and has quick hands. Moves pretty well with and without the ball, can also spot up. He may have transferred recently to Buena Vista High in Fresno.

Alex Cabagnot (6'-0" Sr. SG) from Bell Jeff--Uncommitted-- Alex is a great two guard, who was at Eagle Rock last year; he transferred to Bell-Jeff over the summer. He may not be Ruben Douglas, but Alex is lightning quick with a good handle, and will help fill some of the void left by the departure of Ruben for Eli Essa's squad. Alex is a strong defender, uses his feet very well both on offense and defense, moves well with and without the ball, and can penetrate. A nice low to mid D-I prospect.

Mark Cannon (6'-1" Sr. SG) from Chatsworth--Uncommitted--Also plays the point, a very nice, solid player, with great outside shooting and good defense. Great ability to feed the post and involve others. Mark is a solid student, and should be attracting some attention from mid D-1's to D-II. He tells us he's getting lots of letters but is wide open.

Ronald Cass (6'-3" Sr. SG) from L.A. Manual Arts--Uncommitted-- Ronald played very well at the Long Beach Fall Hoops Classic and at the Pump Fall Shootout. Has a nice shot out to three, uses the floor and moves the ball well. On defense uses his quickness and size, and can be a decent rebounder too. D-I prospect worth a look.

Clayton Coleman (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Pasadena High--Uncommitted-- Good shooter, thin build, excellent skills. Very quick, was injured a lot as a junior, but has great spot up ability. Didn't play in any high profile programs that we know of this summer, but did play with his high school team in late June at the summer version of the Best in the West. Excellent size and speed. Decent handle, good jumping ability and when he's healthy can dunk all day.

Dan D'Entremont (6'-2" Sr. SG) from San Luis Obispo-- Uncommitted-- Big time scoring threat, can hit the three or penetrate. If left unguarded will hit all day. Can penetrate some, and has a good handle. On defense he uses his feet and hands well. Could be a D-I player.

Joseth Dawson (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Fontana High School--Uncommitted--A good athlete with a strong drive, and good penetration skills. Can shoot the ball well from close in or out to three, has a nice handle. Good court vision, and occasionally will play the one. Very effective pushing the ball, moves well. Recruiting is a bit of a mystery right now.

Leroy Dawson (5'-11" Sr. PG) from Los Angeles LA High--Uncommitted-- this small but deadly shooter has developed well this summer. Has a good handle, very fast, quick hands, good defender. Plays an uptempo game, can spot up or drive to the hole and plays fearlessly. Definitely a D-I player.

George DeJohnette (6'-0" Sr. SG) from Pasadena High--Uncommitted-- Good player, runs the floor very well, and has good vision. Nice shot, good rotation and makes smart decisions. Very good at beating his man off the dribble and then pulling up for the mid-range jumper. Good defender, also plays point. Mid-D-I prospect at least.

Kent Dennis (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Cleveland High, Reseda--Uncommitted--(Looking at CSUN, San Jose State, others)--Bobby Braswell would just as soon keep Kent's existence a closely guarded secret, and it's fair to say that he's being under-recruited. An excellent shooter, was one of the leaders in scoring in City Section last year, and had he stayed at Bell-Jeff they would have been scary with Dennis and Douglas. An excellent athlete, quick, strong, moves very well in transition, and a good shooter with nice form and great foot positioning. Drives well to the hole. Mid to High major.

Larry Dillingham (6'-2" Sr. SG/PG) L.A. Manual Arts-- Uncommitted--slender shooter, quick footed, and has good court vision. Nice passing skills, and sees the floor. Dillingham was a big component for Manual last year in advancing to the City finals, and he will be one of the team leaders this year. Decent rebounder too.

Terrence Dunn (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Bakersfield High--Uncommitted-- Big time player, averaged about 18 points a game this last season for Bakersfield, and also played for Central Cal Sports Express, coached by George Albanez this summer. Terrence is a quick footed, good shooting true two guard, with nice rotation on his shot. Plays well in the transition game, defends, and competes.

Victor Esquer (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Bonita Vista High in Chula Vista--Uncommitted-- Did not get a lot of exposure this summer, but a good athlete, who moves well and can shoot out to three point range. A decent ball handler, passes well, and can also drive. Had a great spring and good high school season, remains to be seen if he honed his skills this summer. D-II to Mid-D-I.

Chris Ferguson (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Irvine High--Committed to University of San Diego. We listed him as a point guard, but can also play the two.

Tony Freeman (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Santa Barbara High--Uncommitted --Tony was injured for most of the summer, but played anyway, not wanting to pass up the exposure. As a result, he didn't play nearly up to his potential. During his last high school season he averaged almost a triple double every time out. Played well recently at the Rim Rattler Fall Showcase now that his wrist is healed. Tony is a strong defender, with a nice handle, a good scoring mentality developing. Can drive, penetrate and gets to the basket, and can pull up effectively for the J. Plays for Central Cal Sports Express when he's not playing for SB High. Great player, will do very well at the next level. Getting lots of attention, setting up visits, but will sign in the spring.

Joe Gilliam (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Fresno Edison--Uncommitted---Joe is a superior outside shooter, and is very effective in the open court, pushing the break, penetrating and pulling up for the j. He has developed a good handle and is very determined and intense on defense. Should be a mid-major D-I prospect for sure.

Spencer Gloger (6'-5" Sr. SG) from Santa Margarita High--Uncommitted-- (Looking at Penn, Princeton, USD, Richmond, Pepperdine, Cal Poly SLO, USF, Harvard, Holy Cross)Good athlete, with a nice shot and good handle, helped lead SM to CIF State Division II Championship last year. Decent handles, drives well, and pulls up. Can run, and moves with and without the ball, sets screens and picks well too. Can play the point or the three too. Excellent student and great competitor.

Chad Gordon (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Santa Monica Crossroads--Uncommitted-- Very good athlete, runs the floor, good hops, and a fine handle. Drives and penetrates pretty well, and pushes the break and good on transition. Sees the floor well, and can hit out to three-point range. Was named to the 1998 dada Fall Hoops Classic All-tourney team.

Ramesh Graham (6'-3" Sr. SG) from LA Mid City Magnet-- Uncommitted--A player who many don't really know about, Graham was one of the leading scorers last season for Mid-City, and he's a capable shooter, with a good handle. Can drive and push the ball on transition. Decent defender. A competitor.

Nate Hair (6'-5" Sr. SG) from Capistrano Valley High--Committed to USC-- Nate is a guy who was "good" last year, and just exploded this summer. He's a very hard competitor, runs well, has major jumping ability and tends to be an explosive type of player with great speed and a quick first step. No one, and we mean no one, would have picked him to go Pac-10 before this summer, but he just blew away the competition this summer at ABCD, West Coast All-Stars and in Vegas. A very good ball handler and tough defender with quick lateral moves.

Charles Harper (6'-3" Sr. SG/SF) from Canoga Park--Uncommitted-- Charles is currently very underrecruited, but should be worth a look. A fine shooter, quick, moves well, will set picks or come off screens. Good defender, nice handle and will take the ball to the rack. Brother of Carloes Harper, one of the leading scorers in City a few years back.

Jermaine Harper (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Gardena High School--Uncommitted-- Jermaine is a good shooter and good defender, can run the floor or spot up; has a very good handle, nice cross-over and also doubles at the point. Jermaine was another sleeper who impressed a lot of people this summer. His recruiting is wide open. Mike Miller called him a "scoring machine" based on his performance at the Rim Rattler.

Matthew Hendrix (5'-10" Sr. SG) from Venice High-- Uncommitted--Also plays the point, Matt is a transfer to Venice, and is very talented. A good solid handle, good court vision, plays tenacious defense and solid in running the floor. A great addition to coach Dave Goosen's team, will make some low to mid-.D-I happy.

Brandon Hulst (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Hughson High, Hughson, CA--Committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo-- Ok, so he's from Stanilaus County. . . so it's not "technically" SoCal, but he's spent a lot of time here this summer. Brandon is someone who came out of nowhere (well, out of Hughson) and has impressed a lot of people. He has good jumping ability, an excellent shot, and is very fundamentally sound. Handles the ball well, passes well, and has a good shot. Nice transition skills, pushes the break and can run the floor as well as spot up. Great pickup for the Mustangs.

Marvin Isaacs (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Inglewood High--Uncommitted-- Marvin is a strong player, with good hands, a fine handle and good ball control, who can spot up from three-point range, or go for the pull up inside. Pushes the ball, decent defender, moves well with and without the ball.

Casey Jacobsen (6'-6" Sr. SG) from Glendora High--Committed to Stanford-- Casey is a very big, strong player who does his best work coming off screens and using his great quick release. Was the second leading scorer (behind Ruben Douglas) last year in Southern Section. He runs the floor very well, moves with and without the ball, an excellent passer, and absolutely knows the game. One of the best in the country, great three-point shooter.

Willie Johnson (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Fresno Edison--Uncommitted--Willie is a very good athlete, strong, he weighs around 210 lbs, and for a guy tht size has a very good handle and can drive. Nice J out to three point range, really more of a wing and perimeter player. Very effective on the fast break. Mid to high D-I definitely, will probably sign in the spring.

Nick Jones (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Santa Clara High, Oxnard--Committed to UCSB-- Nick is an excellent athlete and a major pickup for Santa Barbara. Has a good handle, runs very well. Sets nice screens and plays excellent defense. Has a decent but not great shot, and is very quick on the floor.

Zack Jones (6'-0" Sr. SG) from San Diego Horizon--Uncommitted--Zack is from the great void called San Diego, and thus gets no real media attention outside of the print zone of the Union-Tribune. Zack can stroke the three all day, is a decent passer, and has great quickness. He's a good defender, and has good defensive abilities. Definite D-I prospect, but not certain of his recruiting. Will qualify.

Eric Knight (6'-1" Sr. SG) from Westchester--Uncommitted--Younger brother of some guy who plays for UCLA, Eric is an excellent athlete in his own right, runs well, a solid player with good fundamentals. Can go to the hole and dunk, or pull up for the j off transition very well. A somewhat streaky shooter, when he's hot, he will burn the building down. Can hit out to NBA three with regularity. Decent defender, quick feet. Should be a mid to high major.

Garrett Lee (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Bishop Montgomery in Torrance--Uncommitted--With the Cravens, Garrett has been caught between two generations of talented players at BM. He's very quick, has a nice dribble and crossover, decent handle and knowledge of the game. Good spot up shooter.

Lavouse Long (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Cathedral City--Uncommitted-- Very quick, can also play the one. Nice handle, good court vision, and will jack it up from just about anywhere, plays with a scorer's mentality. Good defender, big time player, has good hops, and will rebound well too.

Danny Lubinski (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Mira Costa High--Uncommitted--Quick, smart shooting guard, made the 100% Team at West Coast All-Stars Second Session, and also made the Best of Summer All-tournament team. Very tough, good defender. Potential D-I.

Derrick MgBeke (6'-1" Sr. SG) from J.W. North--Uncommitted--Very quick, fast hands, and can knock down the three all day. Has been one of the leaders this summer for IEBP All Stars. Set a few games on first in the Fall Hoops Classic and at the Pump Fall Shootout. A big-time prospect. Unsure of his recruiting, but if left alone on the perimeter will not be denied.

Dewayne Parker (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Crenshaw--Uncommitted--Will be one of the reasons that Crenshaw will challenge for a State Division I title again this year. An exceedingly good athlete, a high D-I prospect, handles the ball well, moves with and without the ball, and plays good defense. Very good transition player, effective rebounder, can also play the three. Has a nice set shot when he squares up and gets a good look. And best of all, he's a full qualifier (3.9 GPA, 1100 SAT).

Darren Peterson (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Long Beach Jordan--Uncommitted-- Darren is a good athlete with a fince shot, who thinks like a two, and will take a shot from just about anywhere. Can drive, dishes some, and is very effective off the fast break. Good defender, moves well and has nice lateral quickness and quick hands. He has a solid handle, a very good first step, can pass and defend.

Marcus Sargeant (6'-3" Sr. SG) From Long Beach Poly High--Uncommitted--Played very well at the Best of Summer tourney this year. He is an excellent defender, will trap his man at the sidelines, or use his hands to pick off the ball. He has excellent size, strength and quickness and can hit the J, or accellerate and drive to the basket.

Eric Seiss (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Redlands High--Uncommitted-- Good athlete, doubles for Rockfish at the two. Moves well with and without the ball, effective screener and can shoot the j well coming off a screen. Should be a big time prospect, for now his recruiting is a bit murky.

Shamell Stallworth (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Fresno Washington Union-- Uncommitted-- Shammell is a streaky shooter, and while the team has benefitted from the physical play of DeShawn Stevenson (6'-5" Jr. SG/SF), DeShawn doesn't pass a lot and this summer Shammell rarely saw the ball. When he did, he had a very accurate shot out to 3 point range. Played very well in Vegas, and can defend. Really a great three-point specialist, led the team last winter at the Reebok Vegas tourney. Very quick, smart player.

Jeff Staniland (6'-2" Sr. SG) from Ventura High--Uncommitted-- Good athlete, can run, shoot, and has a decent handle. Good driving player, good defender, sees the court, a competitor who can also play the 1. Capable rebounder. Mid- D-I or a definite starter at D-II. Team leader at Ventura.

Johnathon Stoa (6'-4" Sr. G) from Whittier Christian--Uncommitted--Johnathon is a tremendously talented player. Great handle, absolutely dead-on shot from three, and we watched as he bombed in about 4 in a row. Also has great ability to take it to the hole, and plays good solid, but not great, defense.

Mike Stowell (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Capistrano Valley High--Uncommitted-- could be a double for Nate Hair, and maybe we're thinking Silvy and Bibby got confused. Really, Stowell is a quick and speedy player with good hands, a nice shot out to 18', can drive and has a good handle. Good defender too, currently very under-recruited.

Imran Sufi (6'-0" Sr. SG) from Mater Dei--Uncommitted-- Overlooked and underrecuited on a team with tons of talent. A smooth shooter, good handle, drives well, defends and will play and compete. Can hit the three or spot up for the j off a screen. Very good player.

Coupe Taylor (6'-0" Sr. SG) from Fresno Washington-- Uncommitted-- We didn't get to see him a lot this summer, but last season was one of the bright spots at Washington Union. Great shooter, good handle and tenacious defender, moves well with and without the ball. Nice three-point range. A D-I prospect.

Detrick Watts (6'-1" Sr. SF/SF) from SD Horizon-- Uncommitted-- Son of "Slick" Watts, can also play the three. A good shooter, with nice range, very fundamentally sound player. Good handle. Very coachable. When he's on, there are few better at shooting off the screen. Pushes the ball on transition. Nice defender, uses his feet and hands well.

Brian Wethers (6'-4" Sr. SG) from Murrietta Valley High--Committed to UC Berkeley--Brian is a physically dominating player with a superior blend of athleticism and quickness. He has a great outside J, has developed a good handle, and can take his defender to the rack and finish. A good pickup for the Bears.

Jamal Williams (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Long Beach Wilson--Uncommitted-- Good 2 guard, played at the Long Beach Fall Hoops and really impressed. A great handle, nice penetration skills, and good defender. Should go D-I definitely.

Marqui Worthy (6'-2" Sr. SG/SF) from Sonora High-- Uncommitted-- This guy will lead the offense now that Jeff Berokoff is gone, and he can do it too. Great handle, nice shot, a streaky three point shooter, but will hit if he's got time to set up. Nice pull up J from inside 15'. Great defender, uses his feet and hands well. Smart player.