Published by The HOOP SCOOP,
Inc., P.O. Box 37122, Louisville, KY 40233 Editor
& Publisher Clark Francis Email
Address: clark@hoopscooponline.com Phone
(502) 493-0043 Fax (502) 493-0440All
rights reserved - Copyright 1999
CALIFORNIA REPORT
by Clark Francis, Editor
& Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP, and Dinos Trigonis, California
Editor of the HOOP SCOOP
First Team All-State
Tyson Chandler,
7'0, Jr, C, Compton
(Dominguez) CA
Apolinar Fernandez,
6'9, Jr,
PF, Lakewood (Artesia) CA
Travon Bryant,
6'8, Sr, PF, Long Beach (Jordan) CA
Josh Childress,
6'6, Jr,
2G, Lakewood (Mayfair) CA
Deshawn Stevenson,
6'5, Sr, 2G, Fresno (Washington Union) CA
Second Team All-State
Jamal Sampson, 6'11,
Jr, C, Santa
Ana (Mater Dei) CA
Patrick Dennehy,
6'9, Sr, PF, Mountain View (St. Francis) CA
Jack Martinez,
6'8, Jr, PF,
Lakewood (Artesia) CA
Cedric Bozeman,
6'5, Jr, 2G,
Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA
Wesley Stokes, 5'9,
Sr, PG, Long Beach (Poly) CA
Third Team All-State
Robert Turner,
6'8, Sr, PF, Anaheim (Western) CA
Ellis Myles, 6'7,
Sr, PF, Compton (Centennial) CA
Jameel Pugh,
6'4, Sr, 2G, Sacramento (Grant) CA
Derek Craven,
6'2, Jr, 2G,
Torrance (Bishop Mongomery) CA
Errick Craven,
6'2, Jr, 2G,
Torrance (Bishop Mongomery) CA
Fourth Team All-State
Demarshay Johnson, 6'9,
Jr, C, Oakland
(Technical) CA
Andrew Zahn,
6'9, Sr, C, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach) CA
DeAngelo Collins,
6'9, Jr/Soph,
PF, Inglewood (H.S.) CA
Isaiah Fox, 6'8,
Jr, PF, Santa
Monica (Crossroads) CA
Tommy Johnson,
6'4, Sr, 2G, Los Angeles (Crenshaw) CA
Fifth Team All-State
Chad Bell, 6'11,
Jr, C, Los Angeles (Westchester) CA
Jamaal Williams,
6'7, Jr, PF, Corona
(Centennial) CA
Chris Walton, 6'7,
Sr, PF, San Diego (University) CA
Nick Booker,
6'6, Sr, WF, LaJolla (The Bishop's School) CA
Andre Hazel, 6'0,
Sr, Lakewood (Artesia) CA
Six Team All-State
Aerick Sanders, 6'7,
Sr, C, Gardena (Serra) CA
Harriston Schaen,
6'7, Frosh, PF,
Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA
Evan Burns,
6'6, Soph, WF,
Los Angeles (Fairfax) CA
Charlie Rodriguez,
6'6, Soph, PF,
Fresno (Clovis West) CA
Alfred Williams,
6 3, Sr, 2G, Bakersfield (H.S.) CA
CALIFORNIA'S
JUNIOR CLASS NOTHING SHORT OF SPECTACULAR
by Clark Francis, Editor
& Publisher of the HOOP SCOOP
Count them - 6'6 Jr Josh Childress
from Lakewood (Mayfair) CA, 7'0 Jr Tyson Chandler from Compton (Dominguez)
CA, 6'9 Jr Apolinar Fernandez from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'8 Jr
Jack Martinez from Lakewood (Artesia) CA, 6'11 Jr Jamal Sampson
from Santa Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'5 Jr Cedric Bozeman from Santa
Ana (Mater Dei) CA, 6'2 Jr Errick Craven from Torrance (Bishop Montgomery)
CA, 6'2 Jr Derek Craven from Torrance (Bishop Montgomery) CA, 6'9
DeAngelo Collins from Inglewood (H.S.) CA, 6'9 Jr Demarshay Johnson
from Oakland (Technical) CA, 6'8 Jr Isaiah Fox from Santa Monica
(Crossroads) CA, 6'11 Jr Chad Bell from Los Angeles (Westchester)
CA, and 6'7 Jr Jamaal Williams from Corona (Centennial) CA.
That's 13 players in California's spectacular junior class who will be
recruited at the high Division I level and who will be ranked among the
HOOP SCOOP's top 50 nationally when we come out with our next national
rankings later this fall.
As a matter of fact, the Class of 2001appears to be even better than the
great Class of '97, which featured Baron Davis, Schea Cotton,
Chris Burgess, Eric Chenowith, Jarron Collins, Jason
Collins, Kenneth Brunner, Kevin Austine, Kevin Bradley,
Dino Tanner, and Jeff Trepagnier. But unlike that class,
the point guard position in the junior class is very weak at best.
Don't believe it? Well, a quick look at the top five point guards
- 6'1 Jr Chris Hernandez from Fresno (Clovis West) CA, 5'10 Jr Keilon
Fortune from Compton (Dominguez) CA, 5'10 Jr Joe See from Concord
(De La Salle) CA, 5'9 Jr Damien Carter from Richmond (H.S.) CA,and
5'10 Jr Sheldon Pace from Upland (H.S.) CA, - hardly reads
like a who's who of the top players in the junior class in California.
However, the Class of 2001 appears to have everything else, including the
best duo to come out of California since 1970 when La Mesa produced
Bill Walton and Santa Barbara produced Keith Wilkes.
And what's scary is that Childress and Chandler both have the potential
to be every bit as just as good as Walton and Wilkes. Which is why
UCLA has already taken their friend and AAU teammate (Bozeman) and told
him they wondn't recruit another point guard during the next two years,
despite the fact the Bozeman is really a two guard who is trying to become
a point guard, because his outside shooting is questionable.
Like Walton, Chandler has the talent and potential to become one of the
best big men to ever play the game. Already Chandler is a lot stronger
than he looks. Plus he's a great shot blocker and tremendous rebounder,
because he has great hands, excellent timing, explosive quickness, and
an incredible arm span, which allows him to cover a lot of ground in a
hurry. He also has a great feel for the game, outstanding passing
skills, and his offensive skills have improved, although his best move
is still a dunk, which he uses to often bring the house down. However,
Chandler still needs to learn to play harder and develop more post moves,
if he wants to live up to the can't miss superstar tag that has followed
him ever since he was the subject of a 60-Minutes piece when he
was a freshman in high school.
But if Chandler wants to be the #1 player in the Class of 2001 in California,
he's going to have to do it the old-fashioned why - by earning it, because
Childress has the potential to play in just as many NBA All-Star Games
as Chandler does and Childress is not only better, but a lot more consistent
at this stage. Everybody compares Childress to Indiana Pacers star
Reggie Miller, who is one of the best shooters in the game today,
because they both have the same form on their jump shot. However,
Childress also has the same silky-smooth demeanor that Wilkes had and he
has perfected the finger roll when he goes in for a dunk, just like George
Gervin. Childress is also almost unstoppable, as he can score
seemingly at will inside, outside, and from mid-range. Plus he's
a great kid and an outstanding student off the court, which makes him a
terrific role model.
The sky is also the limit for Fernandez, who plays on Lakewood (Artesia)
CA, which will likely be the #1 ranked high school team in the state, if
not the nation. Fernandez has the shot blocking ability, quickness,
and the size to be a force inside, but his game is more finesse.
He can also handle and pass the ball out on the perimter and shoot the
3-pointer, which is why most scouting services list him as a wing forward.
Instead, Martinez, who is an excellent rebounder and relentless competitor,
does all the blue collar work inside. As a result, Martinez provides
the perfect complement to Fernandez, as together they form one of the best
one-two punches we've seen at this level in a long time.
Sampson has a terrific upside and he's a great shot blocker and intimidator,
but right now he only shows flashes. The big question is whether
he ever develop the intangles, like consistently playing hard and developing
a love for the game. But, if he ever does, he could rival Chandler
as the best big man in class. We've already talked about Bozeman,
but if he grows (something which is likely) and refines his point guard
skills and/or improve his 3-point shot, he could turn into a great one.
The Craven twins don't handle the ball well enough to play the point and
they don't shoot it well enough and aren't big enough to play the 2-spot,
but their team always seem to win, because they do all the little things
that go unnoticed in a box score, they are tremendous competitors, and
they are terrfic beating their man the hole.
We're not sure what to do about Collins. Academically he's sophomore,
but due to his age many people in our business now list him as a junior.
So we're going to list him on both our junior list, where he ranks #9 in
the state, and sophomore list, where he ranks #1, and actually make a decision
on which class to put him into later. Either way Collins is a man-child
with great athleticism and explosiveness, which he uses to terrorize opponents.
Johnson is a physical specimen and warrior on the boards. Bell isn't
there yet, but he's made major progress in the last six months and, as
a result, is better than anybody 6'10 or bigger nationally in the senior
class. Right now Williams, who always seems to be in the right place
at the right time, is an undersized power forward, but he's showing signs
of being able to make the transition to the 3-spot.
Other juniors who have the talent and potential to move into that very
elite group are 6'1 Jr Chris Hernandez from Fresno (Clovis West)
CA, 6'6 Jr Dijon Thompson from Redondo Beach (Redondo Union) CA,
and 6'3 Jr Dominic Ingerson from Santa Barbara (H.S.) CA.
Hernandez, who is a coach's son, is a tough hardnosed competitor who beats
you with savvy, smarts and skills. Right now Thompson is still a
sleeper, but he has Jelani Gardner type ability. Ingerson
is still a 2-guard and is a better outside shooter than Tito Maddox,
but there are a lot of similarities.
While words like great, spectacular, and awesome are appropriate to describe
the junior class, the senior class doesn't appear to be worth much more
than a yawn. Sure they is one a great player in the class in 6'5
Deshawn Stevenson from Fresno (Washington Union) CA, who is a consensus
top five player nationally; two very good players in 6'8 Travon Bryant
from Long Beach (Jordan) CA and 5'9 Wesley Stokes from Long
Beach (Poly) CA; a player who has been injured and, as a result, impossible
to recently evaluate in 6'9 Patrick Dennehy from Mountain View (St.
Francis) CA; and a major sleeper in 6'8 Robert Turner from Anaheim
(Western) CA, who is a tremendous athlete with unlimited talent and potential.
But that's it - those are the only players who are ready for prime time
in the senior class in the largest state in the nation. Sure 6'4
Jameel Pugh from Sacramento (Grant) CA is a terrific athlete, but
his jump shot needs work and his academics are a question mark. Johnson's
value is on the rise, because he's has a terrific 3-point shot, a great
body, and good athleticism, but consistency is still a question.
Zahn has tremendous skills and understanding of the game, but that will
only take you so far if you're as slow and none athletic as he's become.
Walton is a tweener power forward. Booker is a tremendous competitor,
but he's not talented enough to be ranked higher than the 150-200 range
nationally. You get the idea - it just isn't very excited when compared
to the junior class!
Helping things some, because he can play in AAU competition during both
the fall and the spring is 6'7 Omar Weaver, who has transferred
from Washington (Coolidge) DC to Compton (Centennial) CA. However,
he likely will be ineligible to play this season, because he's a 5th year
player. Weaver is far from a finished product, but he's got great
natural talent and he's one of the best great 3-point shooters in the nation
at this level. However, academics are still a great big question
and, as a result, a number of college recruiters are holding their breath
in anticipation of whether he'll be eligible to play college basketball
next season.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We also want to give an assist to Joel
Francisco of Southern California's Finest Scouting Service for
providing us with a lot of the names for this report, but most of the rankings
were done by Dinos Trigonis, Editor & Publisher of Fullcourt
Press, which has evolved into the top scouting service on the West
Coast. Trigonis is also the director of the Long Beach based Belmont
Shore Basketball Club, which is one of the premier club teams in the nation,
as well as the founder and one of the organizers (along with Russell
Otis) of the NIKE Dream Classic (formerly the Martin Luther
King Holiday Classic), which is annually one of the premier single
day events in the nation. Trigonis also runs a number of events during
the year, including the Rim Rattler Long Beach Fall Hoops Classic
at Long Beach City Junior College. Anybody interesting in subscribing
to Trigonis' scouting service or participating in one of his events can
call him at 1-(562)-856-9505. Anybody who wants to subscribe to Francisco's
scouting service can contact him at 1-(562)-984-8355.
THE
HOOPSCOOP Online