big922

SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Best Big Men In The "Region": As Bill Clinton Asked,
What Do You Mean "Region?"--(Sept. 22, 1998)

If you read the LA Times this Sunday (we didn't, but we're just now catching up) then you saw the little ditty Eric Sondheimer wrote about Chaminade's Scott Borchart (6'-9" So. C/F) who is recovering from summer knee surgery. Sondheimer wrote that Borchart "was listed at 6-7 last season but he's closing in on 6-9. He's a 15-year-old sophomore and is much stronger in his upper body. He'll soon be the region's best player--maybe as early as this season. . . ."

Er, um, ok. We really love Scott's style of play and believe that he is perhaps the second coming of one half of the Collins twins, but when you talk about "region" if that term is defined as "the Valley/Ventura" area, then we would might be inclined to agree with Sondheimer, but we'd have to say that the satement is probably a bit of hyperbole, since you'd have to include Chris Williams (6'-8" Sr. C) from Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, and maybe even Dan Kinzer (6'-8" Sr. C/F) from Harvard-Westlake in the "Big Man" category that Borchart is supposed to dominate this season. And of course, you don't want to forget Scott's own big man teammate, J. J. Todd (6'-10' Sr. C).

But if you define "region" as the entire SoCal area, then we'd have to say that while Scott Borchart is talented, and will be a HUGE impact player and top prospect in two years, he's really not going to be the "region's best player" this season. He will certainly be among SoCal's top big men, but there are many, many others who will be included on that list, including (in addition to the Williams and Kinzer) Travon Bryant (6'-7" Jr. F/C) from Long Beach Jordan, Chris Evers (7'-0" Sr. C) from JW North, Chris Bennett (6'-10" Sr. C) from Pasadena Marshall, Shaun Hemsly (6'-9" Sr. C) from Crenshaw, Kamron Leonard (6'-8" Sr. C) from JW North, Glen McGowan (6'-8" Sr. C) from Venice, Eric Rowher (6'-9" Sr. C) from Burbank, Aerick Sanders (6'-8" Jr. C) from Serra, Ryan Romberg (6'-8" Sr. C/F) from Anaheim Canyon, Shomari Sarpy (6'-8" Sr. C/F) from Pomona, Ryan Sims (6'-9" Sr. C/F) from Crenshaw, J.J. Sola (6'-8" Sr. F/C) from Capistrano Valley, Adam Tancredi (6'-8" So. F) from Mater Dei, and don't forget Justin Tidwell (6'-8" Jr. F/C) from Quartz Hill, or David Vance (6'-8" Sr. C) who recently transferred to Venice, or Mike Zepeda (6'-9" Sr. C) from Century High in OC, or Jazon Zippel (6'-9" Sr. C/F) from Foothill. And this list is only a scratch on the surface, because it doesn't include the farthest reaches of SoCal, from Fresno where you'll find Dustin Schultz (6'-9" Sr. PF) from Fresno Exeter, or San Diego where you'll find a couple of guys named Walton, cousins Kam (6'-8" Jr. PF/C), and Chris (6'-7" Jr. PF).