There were 24 teams involved in the 2013 Cerritos JUCO Slam held July 27 & 28 at Cerritos College in Norwalk.
I managed to see 21 of the 24 teams in 13 games over the two days. And I saw the 3 teams I missed - LA Harbor, Orange Coast and El Camino - last weekend at the San Gabriel Valley event.
I've selected a Most Outstanding Player, three All-Tournament teams and an Honorable Mention list for players seriously considered for the All-Tournament teams.
And of course, all these opinions are my own. I've roughly followed the stats and results, but there is some subjective judgment involved as well. I've also finessed some of the positions so the most deserving players are recognized. I realize there's plenty of room for disagreement, but this is what I think...
Most Outstanding Player:
Codye Hatcher, LA Pierce (OC Pride). Codye suited up for OC Pride and was pivotal in a 61-59 win over Cypress. The 6-7 forward, who played for WSC-North co-champion LA Pierce last season, had 16 points on 8-for-11 from the floor, 5 rebounds, 5 blocked shots, 3 assists and 2 steals. His back-to-back blocks at the rim in the final minute helped OC Pride preserve a 57-54 lead in the eventual 2-point win. OC Pride was a team of unsigned sophomores, and while academic issues will force Hatcher to a Division II or NAIA school, he has reportedly finished his classwork this summer and is ready to sign with a 4-year school right now.
All-Shootout Teams:
First Team:
G-J.R. Williams, LA Pierce
G-Kristien Owens, Long Beach
F-Chris Camper, Long Beach
F-Codye Hatcher, OC Pride (LA Pierce)
C-Declan Daly, Irvine Valley
Second Team:
G-Breejae Flonnoy, Chaffey
G-Madison Higgins, Santa Monica
F-Emmitt Duvall II, Glendale
F-Joel Brokenbrough, Fullerton
C-Gor Plavchyan, Glendale
Third Team:
G-Desmond Flentroy, Glendale
G-Daviyon Draper, Antelope Valley
F-Jeff Nibo, Chaffey
F-Zachary Hollis, Antelope Valley
C-Chris Sherwood, Miramar
Honorable Mention:
Andre Blanding, LA Trade Tech
Cole Brewer, Miramar
Ben Burris, Palomar
Eric Emanuel, Santa Ana
Victor Evans, LA Pierce
Reggie Fields, LA Southwest
Aaron Fitts, LA Trade Tech
Terrel Funches, LA Pierce
Billy Glenn, Cerritos
Tim Gordon, Rio Hondo
Roger Hamel, Fullerton
Diondrey Holt, San Diego Mesa
Shaquille Hunter, Irvine Valley
Victor Jones, Cerritos
Mike Karimu, Desert
Alonzo McCain, Santa Barbara
Shane McPherson, Miramar
Ramez Michail, Fullerton
Jason Payne, Fullerton (OC Pride)
Aaron Roedl, Palomar
William Taylor, Santa Monica
Jerry Sheldon, Santa Monica
Montel Shirley, LA Pierce
Brandon Shaw, Mt. San Jacinto
Thurman Thomas, LA Southwest
Robby Weaver, Cypress
