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SoCal High School & Prep Report

City Section Playoffs: Grant Loses Big To
Crenshaw As Arenas Shines--(February 21, 1998)

This time Grant didn't throw the game away. Sure, they lost, but this time they were just flat-out outplayed by a bigger, stronger, faster and better shooting team. But it took a while, and Gilbert was determined to keep it from happening, not before Grant's super junior point guard Gilbert Arenas had scored 42 points in a losing effort in which Crenshaw just hammered the shorter, slower, and badly-shooting Lancers. The final score: Crenshaw 112, Grant 74.

A 38 point difference. Now that's a lot. It's almost as much as Arenas scored. By himself.

Maybe Congress shouldn't outlaw cloning of human beings just yet; we don't know much about the process but maybe it's possible to reproduce a 16 or 17 year old junior in less than one year's time. But never mind such foolishness, as Gil now has a lot more believers than he did before this game started. With his performance last night, he convinced a lot of people that he may be not only one of the best point guards in SoCal, but he just might be the best. He also convinced more than a few that Crenshaw, Westchester and the rest of the 4A teams had better watch out for Grant next season. They'll be back. They're young, talented, and if Arenas can get some help, they could beat almost anyone.

But for now, Grant is finished, staring at a 38 point defeat, as Crenshaw moves on. The teams to beat this year look like Crenshaw, LA, and Westchester. Anthony Garrison scored 21 points for fourth-seeded Crenshaw, which has won five consecutive 4-A titles, and is trying to repeat. Crenshaw was also helped by E.J. Harris who had 18 points, Brandon Hawkins with 10, and Donte Barrett (6'-2" Sr SG) scored 11 points. Eric McLennan (6'-2" Sr SG/SF) had 4 points, Louis Gray (6'-4" So PF) had 4, Shaun Hemsley (6'-9" Jr PF). Crenshaw got a great performance from Armand Thomas (6'-8" Jr PF) who only scored 6 points, but he played incredibly well down low, easily containing Grant's inside players, and he shot well from beyond his normal range. Gregory Gilmore (6'-2" Sr. G) had 15, while Dewayne Parker (6'-3" Jr. G) had 6.

The game started out as a mismatch from the beginning. Even with Adir Levy in the game, after being cleared to play following his surgery, and playing with a Bill-Lambier type of hard plastic face mask in his last high school game, you'd have thought it was the Phantom of the Opera out there; and the result was that Adir turned into a phantom, able to score only 6 points, which is just a shame because he's such a fine player, it's a sad commentary that one kid can take another's season away with his fist. Ah, but the culprit has been arrested, and justice will exact a price. But there's really no way of bringing back what might have been, and last night, try as he might, Adir was clearly not himself, and couldn't really play effectively. Hell, no one besides Arenas, and possibly Yildiz, really played effectively, as the rest of the guys combined for only 31 points total. There were some incredibly easy layups missed from point blank range by a few of the Lancers, and it's actually a good thing the season is over for Coach Levine, since we're certain that with the time off, and the impending start of the Dodger season (if you sit in section 1 behind home plate you'll recognize Coach Levine--he's been there for more than 20 years as part of the Dodger organization), his blood pressure will drop back to normal. Frankly, we don't blame him for getting excited, since it's hard to fathom how some of the Grant players could have missed so many open looks at easy baskets. And then there were those cross-court passes in the lane. . . hmmm.

But if Adir was cold and rattled, and couldn't get used to his new face, Gilbert was smooth, comfortable, and put on the show of his life. He drove, he hit 3's from way outside, and with his quick release, just stunned the partisan crowd with his shooting and driving moves. In the first half, Gilbert had scored 20 of 26 total team points, and by halftime, he personally had scored 25 points.

It didn't matter what Crenshaw did, Gilbert was the show, and the crowd ate it up. Gilbert is just an amazing player, and for many in the gym, it was the first time they'd seen him play. If he'd really had any help things might have turned out differently. Had Levy been healthy, had anyone else on the Lancer team been able to score consistently. If, if, if. Admittedly, Grant is a very young team, with only three seniors (Levy, La Ron Harris, and Asatyr Bagaryan) and they will only get better next year as players like Hans Hoefer and Justin Buttikofer improve over the summer.

Crenshaw's pressure defense forced Grant to play a different game than they would have liked, allowing Crenshaw to score easily off the transition. Crenshaw just plain outshot Grant, outrebounded them, and out-played the Lancers. What a shame that the Shaw will have to face Westchester in a semi-final game due to their lower seeding. What genius planned that one?

For Grant, the final tally was pretty meager. In addition to Arenas' 42 points, well over half the Grant points, Levy had 6, Yildiz 9, Daniel Tarr 2, Bagaryan 2, Harris 1, Buttikofer 3, Evans 6, and Hoehn 2.

Crenshaw will next play the Los Angeles Romans, and this should be a terrific matchup. Stay tuned.