mlk senior players

SoCal High School & Prep Report

MLK Challenge: SoCalHoops' Top Senior
Player Recognition Picks--(January 21, 1998)

Since this was not a tournament, but rather an exhibition event, there was no "All Tournament" team. We know that Clark Francis, of Hoop Scoop, sitting two seats away was busy working on his "Top Players" list to upload to his Hoop Scoop web service. Of course, Hoop Scoop is both a partially free, but mostly subscription site, and we certainly appreciate that Clark needs to make money. Heck, spotting good basketball talent for colleges is what he does for a living, and his opinions are well respected, and he's doing a great job. It was fun meeting him and talking about basketball, the kids, and rankings, even if we did have Gary Klein from the LA Times sitting in between us, telling us to keep quiet because he had stories to write. . .just kidding Gary. And keep up the great work. Really, check out his story on the Dominguez game today in the LA Times. Very nice piece, which captures most of what occurred in the game (at least the important stuff) and which also has some great Tayshaun Prince quotes.

We have no idea who Clark Francis picked as his top players, so he (and others) might either agree or disagree with our top picks, but since we spent all day and night watching basketball from a single chair (with only two 5 minute breaks, mind you), we think we've got some idea of who played well, and who didn't, who the top prospects are, and who might have some potential to be a D-I player someday.

So let's start the list. By class. Seniors first, then juniors, sophs, then freshmen (and there are more than a few). Here are the seniors first.

Top Senior Performances Deserving Special Recognition

David Abramowitz (6'-0" Sr. PG), University of San Diego High-- David was, next to Tyson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince, and maybe a couple of others such as Tony Bland, the most exciting player on the floor in any of the games played yesterday. He has the ability to run the floor, pass with blinding speed, cause misdirection in defenders, pick apart defenses, and can drive, dish, shoot the three, and do it all. Yesterday against Compton, he had 23 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. He just dazzled the crowd, and candidly, he's the most interesting point guard of any we saw yesterday. A great first step, quick as greased-lightning, and very smart and savvy on the floor. A true team leader, and USDHS is really going to miss him next year. He won't be too far away though, as he has signed to play for San Diego State. Next to

Ricky Anderson (6'-9" Sr. PF/C), Long Beach Poly-- Ricky struggled early and often, along with the rest of his team in the first half of the game against Fairfax, but then just came alive, knocking down 21 points, grabbing 17 rebounds (which might have been a high for the day from anyone), getting a couple of assists, and blocking 4 shots. He may not look as dominating or play as athletically as, say David Hamilton--now there would be an interesting matchup-- but he sure does get the job done. He could have had 40 points if the shots had been dropping in the first half. Ricky will play at Arizona next year, and contrary to what a lot of folks say about freshmen playing under Lute Olson, the man himself said yesterday that he believes this freshman (next year) will see more than a little time on the floor with frontcourt mate to be Luke Walton.

Tony Bland (6'-5" Sr. SG), Westchester-- After Tony changed his socks (see our story on the game), he got into the flow of the game easily and early, knocking down 16 points, grabbing 4 rebounds and dishing out 4 assists. He played well at times, but missed a couple of key shots both early and late, like a layup which just rainbowed over the rim from left to right (please write 1000 times on the blackboard "I will use the backboard when making layups"). Tony played well down the stretch, but with Tyson and Tayshaun ganging up on him and Bluthenthal and then Miller, it's all he can do at the end of the game to stay upright. Tony would just love a rematch, but it'll have to wait until if, as, and when the Orangemen of Syracuse meet up with the Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA tourney.

David Bluthenthal (6'-7" Sr. PF), Westchester-- David played erratically in this game, seemingly dominating the boards in the first quarter, fading a bit in the second when he got into foul trouble, and just disappearing in the second half before ultimately fouling out in the fourth with 3:51 to play and Westchester only down by 5, 58-53. David has signed to play at USC, and even though he only had 8 points, and 6 rebounds-- and was held scoreless in the second half, and was credited with only one rebound, there's no doubt that he's a dominating player, and will do well to learn from this loss. Definitely A-list material.

Flinder Boyd (6'-0" Sr. PG/SG), Fairfax-- Flinder just loves to dribble and drive to the hole, and he showed us all how yesterday, when, during the first half of the game with Long Beach Poly, he took Wesley Stokes and Mike McIntyre to school a couple of times. He doesn't really have the bulk to power the ball in all the time, but because of his speed, he can get away with it more often than not. Flinder, who will attend Dartmouth next year, had 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in Fairfax's ultimate loss to Poly, but he still played a great game. We like his style of play, but most opponents will figure out that he likes to go left on most drives, but that may not be enough to stop him, because of his very fast first step. He hit a couple of key threes, and proved that he's an inside and outside threat.

Mike Carson (6'-5" Sr. SG/F), Dominguez-- If Tayshaun Prince's three point shots all missed, Carson's were dropping and he was on fire. He hit three three's, and was just playing like a man possessed. Seemingly a "role player" on this team of stars, on any other team here, or in the state for that matter, Carson would be a star. He played very well, and deserves the A-list rating.

Gary Colbert (6'-3" Sr. G), Etiwanda. After watching the game between Crenshaw and Compton, I was convinced that Colbert had played a great game, and was absolutely astounded to see the official score sheet, which showed that he only had 3 points. However, the scoring alone does not tell the true story, and Colbert had 8 rebounds (we had it split about even between defensive and offensive boards), and 10 assists to go along with his 2 steals. And it was Colbert who managed to pick off the last second inbounds pass and who launched the final shot which almost tied the game for Etiwanda with no time left on the clock. This is a big time player, with a great hesitation, high kick first step off the dribble, who knows the game and can push the ball and distribute it and create for his teammates.

Shelton Diggs (6'-2" Sr. G), Long Beach Poly-- Shelton had 14 points (second highest on his team and third highest in the game) against Fairfax yesterday as LBP just came storming back after an almost-meltdown in the first half. Setting aside the first half, he had some not so good free-throw shooting, and then came alive in the second half, hitting jumpers off screens, three's, and actually making his free-throws in the second half, and was largely, along with Cooley, responsible for tying the game and sending it to overtime. Diggs is a great player with tremendous skills.

Chris Dill (6'-1" Sr. G), Etiwanda-- Dill scored 13 points, had only one rebound and one assist, but overall provided a spark and energy to Etiwanda that kept them going in the game when Colbert's shots just weren't dropping. We really like his play, he's quick, fundamentally good and solid, and should take his game to the next level somewhere. Definitely among the upper echelon of his class and among those at the MLK.

Matt Donohue (6'-3" Sr. G/F), Etiwanda-- Matt played well yesterday in the two point loss to Crenshaw, scoring a team high 13 points (tied with Dill), and he had 2 steals to go along with a single rebound and a single assist. He's an interesting player, who can be intense at moments, and drifting in others, but he played well yesterday, and definitely deserves to be near the top of the list in his class with his performance against the 'Shaw.

Ruben Douglas (6'-5" Sr. PG/SG/F), Bell-Jeff-- We didn't see really any of this game except the first half, and because of personal exhaustion after more than 13 straight hours of watching and writing about hoops, we really couldn't take it anymore. But we saw Ruben enough to see that even though he and Mike West are playing 2 on 5, and sometimes Ruben switches to 1 on 5, he has all the skills, and scoring ability to be a major force. Just imagine him with Luke, Ricky Anderson, and Bibby. What a backcourt. We're betting that Ruben won't have any trouble relearning team ball at all.

Anthony Garrison (6'-4" Sr. F), Crenshaw-- We just love this guy. Like Alex Holmes at Harvard-Westlake, Garrison is a HUGE guy, probably tipping the scales at about 240 or more lbs. He looks like a football player, has a build like a brick house, and moves people out of the way like a tractor; people should start calling him "Baby Diesel", in deference to the fact that Shaq is about 7 or 8 inches taller than him. But like Shaq, he can really get up and jump, and his vertical leaping ability, and the ability to dunk, just had the crowd whooping it up. Garrison knocked down 22 big points for Crenshaw, the game high for all scorers, had 14 rebounds, and played a massively impressive (no pun intended) game. We love this guy.

Andrew Gaulden (6'-9" Sr. C/PF), Anaheim Canyon--Drew will play for New Mexico next year, and yesterday he had a huge game, scoring 16 points and 4 assists. Drew is a big, strong, muscular guy, who can play with anyone. He has great touch around the basket, and will definitely make a great college forward at NM.

Ali Goodman (6'-7' Sr. PF), Anaheim Canyon-- Our favorite player, bar none, from the Canyon team. This kid can play. Defense, offense, inside, outside, you name it, yesterday he scored 11 points off the bench, a couple of blocks (that we counted) and just great defense. A big, strong kid, which quick feet and hands, nice court vision.

Brandon Granville (5'-10" Sr. PG), Westchester-- Brandon demonstrated why he's one of the best points in SoCal, and possibly the state, as he had a tremendous game, collecting 17 points, including three three-pointers, grabbing 4 rebounds, and distributing for 5 assists. The great thing about Brandon is that he has a complete game: He can rebound, shoot, jump, take a man off the dribble, drive to the hole, dish or slash; he was effective last night coming off screens to take some very pretty three's and had it not been for the unfortunate fouls on Bluthenthal and Miller, who knows. . . Definitely one of the best of the best.

David Hamilton (6'-9" Sr. F/C), Compton-- David is one of our favorite players, always animated, very intense, athletic and a real crowd pleaser. He can slam, and put down about three yesterday that were just awesome, and he can block, jump and shoot too. Yesterday in the game against USDHS, he had 20 points, the game high, had 8 rebounds, one blocked shot, no turnovers, shot 80% from the floor, went 4 for 7 from the free-throw line, and in short, played about 29 minutes of nearly flawless basketball. Rod Palmer seems to have all the bugs and kinks worked out now after David's little temper flareups in and following Vegas in December, and he's on our list of the Top 10 at the MLK. David will attend Auburn, not the place we'd think of first if we were from Compton, but then we hear that he has family in the area so it was an attractive choice. And it will give him lots of prime-time TV coverage. A great player.

Brandon Hawkins (6'-2" Sr. SG/PG), Crenshaw-- Brandon, together with EJ Harris, and Anthony Garrison, were what kept the 'Shaw in the game yesterday against Etiwanda. With Hawkins alternating with Harris at the point and wing, and moving the ball, playing aggressive and close defense on Colbert and Donohue and Corey Landrum, he had a nice game, scoring 7 points, quietly getting one rebound, 1 assist and 2 steals. But even though this was not spectacular stuff, it was good, steady play, which certainly put him in the upper half of his class at the event. A smart player, with good court vision and knowledge of the game, he reportedly has qualified academically, but is still waiting to make a decision on where to attend school next year.

Tyler Hoffman (6'-3" Sr. G), Redondo Union-- Tyler is a very quick, agile and lithe guard, somewhat slender, with a deep and accurate shot, the ability to take a player off the dribble, and he also plays tremendously good defense. He scored 14 points in the game against South Torrance. In Redondo's game last Friday night, January 16, he reportedly had 7 three point shots. He is a deadly shooter, with quick hands and feet, and is very athletic. We do not know who is recruiting him, but he should be at the top of any D-I list for shooting guards.

Reggie Howard (6'-2" Sr. G), Compton-- Reggie did not have an especially good day against San Diego, scoring 10 points, shooting only 50% from the field, and suffering with 4 of the total of 8 turnovers committed by Compton during the game. But this otherwise fine player still makes our list of the "best" players at the MLK, simply because he is deserving. When he is on, he's very good, and even though his accuracy was a bit off yesterday, 10 is not bad in anyone's book, especially against a team led by two Waltons and Abramowitz.

Willie Hurst (5'-11" Sr. PG), Dominguez-- Hurst had a great game at point, running the show, but not scoring well, but he did collect 6 assists and 4 steals and played his best in the final run in the fourth quarter. With players though like Chandler and Prince, or Walter Small, and even Jason Thomas in his season debut, it was hard for Hurst to make more of an impression, but if you know point guard play, you have to appreciate just how fine a point Hurst is. Definitely on the A-list.

Greg Jefferson (6'-5" Sr. F), Fairfax-- Was the second high scorer in the game against Poly (second only to Ricky Anderson of Poly) with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and a steal. If not for him, Fairfax might have stayed on the bus, because he just powered this team during stretches when it seemed like no one else could or would. He hit from inside, scored from outside, including three-point range, but he also had his share of miscues, including an early airball, and a dunk following an open-court fast break on which he got called for traveling. But his virtues far outweighed his vices, and he deserves to be right at the top of the list of the "best" players at the MLK.

Corey Landrum (6'-4" Sr. F), Etiwanda-- So why does a guy who missed a wide open dunk which could have cost Etiwanda the game deserve to be rated among the top of his class and among the top of the MLK players? Because other than that one mistake, trying to showboat, Landrum played a very good game, knocking down 9 points, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out 2 assists, and overall being a very positive and good force in the game, and he played very well on defense. He's strong, quick, and exciting to watch. Yes, he's on our list for sure.

Mike McIntyre (6'-3" Sr. G), Long Beach Poly--McIntyre only had 5 points in the game against Fairfax, but he played great defense, had 3 assists, and 3 rebounds, in limited playing time. Setting aside just a terrible first half for Poly as a team, McIntyre showed that with his sheer bulk and size, he can pound inside and clog the middle, and that he can also hit the three. Maybe not one of the high scorers in this game, but certainly one of the best players at the Challenge in his class. Mike will be basking on the beaches of Hawaii next year, really enjoying himself, playing for the surprisingly good Rainbows.

Ron McMillan (6'-6" Sr. F), USDHS--This was the first time we got to see Ron this year, and he is a terrifically talented player. In 31 minutes, he scored 14 points, had 10 rebounds, and 2 assists. He really is a great player, and combining his speed and defensive ability with the height of the Waltons, and the dangerously fast point guard skills of Abramowitz, USDHS could very well be the team in Division III this year. We're almost embarrassed to admit that we're not certain where McMillan is going to school next year, but he can definitely play at the next level with his quality of game.

Albert Miller (6'-3" Sr. G), Westchester-- Miller had a great game, hitting for 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. . . and 5 fouls. Fortunately he saved the last for near the end of the game, but he went out at a crucial time, and his absence, together with David's disappearance due to fouls, caused Tayshaun and Tyson to put on an exhibition for the crowd, with a couple of impressive dunks. Miller is a great player, who unfortunately was on the wrong end of the whistle last night.

DeAndre Moore (5'-8" Sr. PG), Compton-- DeAndre is another of our favorite players. While he only scored 8 points in 32 minutes yesterday against USDHS, his defense, including the six steals, and his assists, another six, told the bigger picture about this fine point guard, who can run the floor, score, and just flat out play. He will be at Vanderbilt next year, a terrific local for a player from the West Coast to get lots of ESPN exposure.

Brian Morris (6'-0" Sr. G), Redondo Union-- Brian is a solid player, muscular, with quick hands and feet, who plays good defense and has good fundamentals. He got a decent amount of playing time off the bench yesterday and during the season for Redondo. We don't know if he's had any offers, but he's a pretty solid player who would do well at some of the smaller D-I or D-II schools. He had 5 points and 2 steals, not remarkable stats, but a good, solid player nevertheless.

James Murdock (6'-1" Sr. G), Artesia-- James is an incredibly accurate and deadly shooter, with great quickness, a terrific handle, and can score from inside and out, and he proved it yesterday against Long Beach Jordan by scoring 14 points, 5 assists and 3 steals (at least according to the "official" stats). This young man is a big-time playmaker, and we hear that he was looking at Portland or Washington State during the early signing period, but will wait until the spring (in a couple of months) to make a decision. We also hear that he's an excellent student. He's been one of the consistently highest scorers for Artesia (just use our search engine and type in Murdock), and can play great defense. An outstanding player, who is largely overshadowed by Jason Kapono.

Jamal O'Quinn (6'-7" Sr. F), Artesia-- Jamal is a big-time player, whose real contributions yesterday were more defensive than offensive. He deserves to be rated in the top group because he's just one of the top guys out there. We've seen him hitting for threes regularly, driving and slashing and rebounding, but yesterday he only had 5 points, but did manage to grab 6 boards and 3 steals in a great defensive effort. He is the younger brother of Mike O'Quinn, who is currently at CSUN under Bobby Braswell after tranferring from LMU. Jamal has signed to play with Boise State next year.

Tayshaun Prince (6'-8" Sr. G/F/C), Dominguez-- The player of the game against Westchester, and the player of the day; other than Tyson, who everyone just had to come and see because we all want to say we saw him "when" years from now, Tayshaun was the "Player of the Games" and demonstrated that he is the best player at Dominguez, and maybe one of the best ever at his position in the Southern Section. While none of his three-point shots was dropping, he still scored 24 points, 11 in the first half, and 13 in the second half, an assortment of floaters, leapers and left-handed slams in the lane, and also grabbed 16 rebounds, had 3 blocks, and simply put on a show for the crowd. And he proved he can play against the best, and when he and Tony Bland matched up, it was frequently Tony who either missed, or was left behind on the fast break. We know Tony would love a rematch, but that's unlikely unless Syracuse and Kentucky matchup next year. We'll be waiting for that one.

Scott Reed (6'-6" Sr. F), Anaheim Canyon-- Gaulden's frontcourt partner, with Ali Goodman, scored only 4 points yesterday, and saw limited time after starting. Good fundamentals, strong, quick and nice court vision, but was plagued a bit yesterday with a lack of scoring. We don't know if he's getting any college looks, but he should be. A fine small forward type in college, he should be able to take his game to the next level.

Ray Ross (6'-4" Sr. SG/F), Compton-- Ray had a splendid day, banging down 10 points, and getting a game high 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and only committing one turnover in 26 minutes of nearly flawless basketball against San Diego. Ray came in off the bench, and just turned the fire up a notch, igniting the scoring run in the first half which caused the game to get out of reach for San Diego. Ray has been the big surprise of the season, the quiet guy who nobody predicted would be such an impact player, but who is really the heart and soul of this team. We love the way this guy plays. On the top of our list from the MLK.

Rudy Simpson (6'-3" Sr. G/F), Etiwanda-- Simpson had 10 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assists and 1 steal, and it was his balanced offense and defensive effort that set him apart from some of the others in his class and on his team. We like his intensity, skills and fundamentals. He pushed the ball well in the first half, scoring and passing to Colbert, and took a pretty savage hit and fall during the fourth quarter, which took him a while to recover from, and he was instrumental in the final plays of the game. A big-time player.

Walter Small (6'-5" Sr. G/F), Dominguez-- Walter "Biggie" Small, played a great game, hitting for 11 steady and powerful points, filling up space, and taking tremendous hits from Bluthenthal and Bland at various times in the game. We love Small's ability to "roll" with the punches, and we mean that literally, and he made one incredible floating off balance shot on a feed from Hurst and then got hammered by Big David. A strong, but silent, and deadly player for the Dons.

Jason Thomas (6'-4" Sr. F), Dominguez-- Even though this was Jason's first basketball game of the season, and the first athletic contest of any kind for him since he injured his leg playing football early in that other season, he was still impressive, looking good, playing loose, and picking up the loose balls, laying a body on Bluthenthal (which caused David to foul out midway through the fourth quarter, and starting a foul-out trend for Westchester), and he collected 3 points and 2 rebounds, but the cold numbers alone don't tell the story. With him back in the lineup, it adds another dimension for Dominguez, another layer of depth to an already talented and deep team. He had reportedly verballed to USC for football, but now the word is that he may have changed his mind. . . we'll see whether he ultimately walks on to the USC basketball team to play with Bluthenthal, or will play somewhere else.