SoCal High School & Prep Tourney News

Wooden Inaugural H.S. Invitational:
De Matha v. Los Alamitos--(December 5,1997)

If the first two games seem to pale in comparison to this game, it's because this game was truly great, and a lot of fun to watch. It ended the way we all thought it would from the outset (all of us except perhaps those die-hard Los Alamitos fans and perhaps Steve Brooks), but it was almost inevitable. But the score notwithstanding, Los Alamitos is a very good team, which is going to beat a lot of teams, win their league, and threaten for a Southern Section title.

Los Alamitos is coached by Steve Brooks, who owns an impressive 288-128 coaching record with the Griffins, and he's a pretty good tactician and strategist. He was going up agaisnt the Legend. Morgan Wootten. In his 42nd season as the Stags head coach, he's got an amazing record. 1,123 career wins, and 169 losses, 30 conference titles, and five "mythical" i.e., newspaper poll, national championships.

We don't mean to slight Los Al one bit. They are a very, very good team. But we just didn't see anyone who might become an NBA lottery pick out of high school. DeMatha's got two, maybe three. You got the feeling that any time they wanted to, they could've turned it up a notch and it would have been a true blowout. It's as much to Matt Komer, Rick Garibay and Jeff Grgas' credit that DeMatha never really did turn it up that way. Oh, yeah, and a finger in the eye of DeMatha's Joe Forte didn't hurt Los Alamitos' ability to keep the DeMatha machine from running away completely.

Remember these two names: Keith Bogans and Joe Forte. Make it three with Andre Scott (but he's only a sophomore).

NBA Lottery? Why not. Get an education though first. These two are just juniors, and neither one of them had any clue where they might want to go to college. And because Morgan Wootten is their coach, they will undoubtedly go to college.

First, the score: De Matha 67, Los Alamitos 59.

The game was really pretty close, and the first quarter scoring was almost even. Except for Joe Forte, that is. He had 21 points in the game. And except for Keith Bogans, who had 23 points. And Andre Scott, who had about 15 rebounds. Unfortunately we didn't get to find out if 7'-3" wunderkind sophomore Matt Slaninka can really play, because he didn't. Play that is. Oh well.

Forte is a great player, who can just do it all. He's certainly as good as a Keith Kincade, and maybe even as good as Tayshaun Prince of Dominguez, and there's no doubt that he's a major prospect. In the first quarter he had 12 points in the first quarter alone, slashing, driving, pump faking and with a beautiful hanging jumper. Three minutes into the second quarter, Forte took a finger to the eye from one of the Los Al players, and had to leave the game for a few minutes. At that point he had 14 points. Two minutes later he's back in, and dishing and assisting Bogans, who was driving around in the lane, and must have had four or five reverse behind the backboard twisting layins. These two are just phenomenal. Forte can shoot it from anywhere, and did, and he connected on three's, two's, and made free throws. He's a great defender, with amazing lateral quickness, and great hands. This guy's got it all.

If Forte is the shooter, then Bogans is the slasher, defender and Mr. Attitude. He was certainly the most intense player on the floor, and Wootten wisely at one point sat him down to cool him off. But I just love the way he drives to the hole, makes the shot, and then immediately, and without ever missing a beat gets back on his man and plays just incredibly intense defense, all without missing a beat. No mugging for the crowd, no Jelani McCoy facials. Just a real solid intense player, who is incredibly quick, with a great first step and a handle you wouldn't believe.

Both Forte and Bogans are ABCD guys, and they impressed a few folks there this summer. They'll undoubtedly do it again this summer too. Look for them to be big time.

Andre Scott is another player you'll hear from. He's a very big guy, with an NBA body already. He's only 15, and is already 6'-9". He can block, shoot and has nice touch around the basket, but needs to learn to play with his back to the hoop. He's got the potential, but needs to work a bit on his footwork. He's got plenty of time, and will impress a lot of people.

We love Renard Phillips. At 5'-7" he's just a great little point guard, and he's got an amazing vertical leap, and at least two times during the game, got up above the rim and out-rebounded Komer and Grgas. He takes charge of the floor and runs the point very well, has a great crossover, and does display flashes of brilliance at times. He had a few turnovers, but nothing to worry about. Even though he's small, he should end up at a D-1 school. We don't know who's looking at him, but to anyone out here on the West Coast or in SoCal that's looking for a very capable point with great speed and leadership skills, get this guy.

Brett Herberger, the other starter just seemed to disappear on us. We're fairly sure he played for most of the game, but honestly we didn't notice him as much as the others we were tracking. Don't mean to be unfair to him, but we just didn't really get a good look.

Garibay, Grgas and Komer are going to get it done for Los Al this season. We can also understand why Lavin at UCLA might want to encourage Komer, who's got a UCLA volleyball scholarship to walk on to the basketball team. These guys are the reason that Los Al kept the game close. And Enrique Phillips, don't want to forget him either. Great shooter.

Interestingly, with 2 minutes left in the half, and with most of our attention focused on watching Bogans-Forte battling Grgas-Komer, Coach Wootten pulls a rabbit out of his hat, and this MAN walks onto the floor. He's wearing No. 3. We look at the program and there isn't any No. 3 for De Matha listed. We ask the DeMatha statistician whom we're sitting next to, and he says "Oh, that's Jordan".

"Jordan who?" we say.

"Collins" he says.

Oh.

Jordan Collins is a mammoth player, bigger than Isaiah Fox at Crossroads. He's listed at 6'-9" and 250, but he can play. He's not some slug who can't get up and down the court. While he didn't play very long, he had just one monster block. You're going to be hearing from this kid.

As we said, this game was close at the half. 31-39, De Matha by 8.

In the third quarter, De Matha starts to step it up. At the end of the third, its 52-40 De Matha. In the fourth quarter, with 4:00 left to play, the score is 61-44, and De Matha looks like it could just keep on going. Another 4:00 and another 40 points. Wootten at that point decides that enough is enough, and so he pulls most of the starters, leaving the trio of Bogans, Forte and Scott, but rotating lots of others in and out. The result is that DeMatha starts to let down, and only scores another three baskets, while Los Alamitos runs off 15 points in those final four minutes. But it's not going to happen for Los Al, and the game ends 67-59, DeMatha victorious.

The time at the end of the game, 11:30 pm. PST.

Six straight hours of basketball.

And an hour still to drive home. Sheesh.

But there's still more. Read our last report to see.

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