On Saturday November 29, the Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic will bring together 14 of the finest boys high school basketball programs in California and Nevada, culminated by a marquee matchup of two of the top teams in the country: Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) vs. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas).
The Dragons will welcome their visitors from Nevada with a loaded lineup featuring one of the top players in the country, 6-9 forward Ivan Rabb, along with Boise State commit Paris Austin, a 5-10 guard. Rabb remains uncommitted, but has narrowed his choices of schools to Arizona, California, Kansas, Kentucky and UCLA.
Gorman is led by a wealth of NCAA Division I-level talent, including 7-0 center Stephen Zimmerman, who is being courted by Kansas, Kentucky, UCLA, Arizona, Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina and UNLV and 6-10 post player Chase Jeter, who has committed to Duke.
We will be taking a closer look at each of the seven matchups at the Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic over the next few days. Today we focus on the middle three games on the docket:
3:45 pm – College Park (Pleasant Hill) vs. St. Mary’s (Stockton)
College Park is a senior-laden squad led by versatile forwards Steven Daily and Kevin Crosno. Daily, who missed the 2013-14 season with a torn ACL, started on the team that reached the state championship game during his sophomore season two years ago. Crosno averaged 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
“Our team is strong at the top with five senior leaders,” College Park coach Troy Faulk said. “Although our bench is young and short on experience, there is a lot of talent in frosh guards Blair Newman and AnDrei Sunga in addition to sophomore Raazhel Watkins.”
Last season, The Falcons finished 18-7 overall (10-2 DVAL) and lost in the first round of the North Coast Section playoffs, 61-50, to Washington-Fremont. These two teams met in the Tip-Off Classic last year with St. Mary’s prevailing, 65-56.
“No matter the outcome, we will learn a lot about our team by the way we are able to compete against such a strong team in St. Mary’s,” Faulk said. “They should have skill guys at all five positions, they play the game the right way and are tough to play against.”
The Rams are coming off a 27-2 season, including a perfect 10-0 mark in the TCAL. Their season ended in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs in a heartbreaking 76-74 loss to Cosumnes Oaks.
Although St. Mary’s lost high-scoring guard Gabriel Vincent (22.8 ppg) to graduation, the Rams are stocked with plenty of talent in 2014-15, led by 6-5 senior forward Lance Coleman II, who averaged 13.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season.
Senior point guard Devin Williams (8.6 ppg, 3.6 apg) is back to run the offense and seniors Jacob Aruta (7.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and Alex Smith (7.4 ppg, 3.6 rps) are being counted on up front.
“We have talented, experienced players that won a lot of games last year,” St. Mary’s coach Kenneth Green said. “We are motivated by our second-round exit in last season’s playoffs.”
5:30 pm – Modesto Christian vs. Bullard (Fresno)
After finishing 10-0 in the County Metro League, Bullard advanced to the finals of the Central Section Division I playoff before losing in the first round of the CIF-Southern state playoffs to Centennial Corona.
Led by all-league senior guards Austin Armstead (13.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), Marquis Macumba (8.4, 3.6) and Kevin Howland-Woolaridge (10.7, 4.0), the Knights are expected to play an up-tempo style and utilize their depth. Bullard returns 10 players, depth it will need to rely upon to offset the graduation of Calvin Young (11.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.7 bpg).
Armstead was a first-team County Metro performer and also made the all-Valley team as a junior last season. Macuma and Woolaridge were also all-league performers.
Modesto Christian finished 24-9 last season and went a perfect 12-0 in the Trans Valley League. The Crusaders won the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship, defeating Christian Brothers, 57-45. They also reached the CIF-Northern California regional semifinals, losing to Bishop O’Dowd.
The Crusaders have a history of success, having won 16 Sac-Joaquin Section titles, four Northern California championships, and two state titles.
Seniors Anthony Townes (Pacific) and Jeff Wu (Sacramento State) have committed to four-year schools and will be counted on for leadership. Another player to watch is 6-2 junior Christian Ellis.
7:00 pm – Newark Memorial vs. Folsom
The host team, Newark Memorial, finished a perfect 14-0 in the Mission Valley Athletic League last season en route to an overall record of 25-8. It was the 12th consecutive MVAL title for the Cougars, who also captured the North Coast Section Division 2 championship with a 74-70 win over Concord. It was Newark Memorial’s third straight NCS title under coach Craig Ashmore.
Folsom is yet another team in the Prep2Prep Tip-Off Classic that went through its league season undefeated, as the Bulldogs went 10-0 in the Delta River and finished 32-3 overall in 2013-14.
The Bulldogs rolled through the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs, defeating Cosumnes Oaks, 79-62, in the championship game. Folsom advanced all the way to the CIF-Northern California title game, losing to St. John Bosco.
Coming off a season in which he averaged 9.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, senior Colin Russell, a 6-8 forward, has committed to Portland. Junior guard Jordan Ford led the Bulldogs with 22.5 points per game and he forms a potent backcourt with 6-0 junior Tre Finch.
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