Over the summer, whenever I saw someone with ties to the JC world, I posted the highlights on this page.
This summer there were the two shootouts in Southern California (Summer Heat @ El Camino, July 14-15 and SoCal Summer Showcase @ Azusa Pacific, July 21-22), the Drew League and of course a day at the venerable SF Pro-Am league at historic Kezar Pavilion.
The JC exposure events each get their own pages (links are at the bottom of the page).
August 11: The Drew League @ King-Drew HS, Watts
Delon Wright (San Francisco) started alongside 3 players from the NBA and another from the NBDL for the Kings of LA in the Lo Clark Division Final Saturday afternoon.
The Kings fell, 84-70, to the Money Gang, which includes Jayceon Taylor (Antelope Valley) and had 5 current NBA players, which is believed to be a Drew League first, on the floor for much of the second half.
Wright, playing alongside his older brother Dorrell (Philadelphia 76ers) and Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings), finished with 5 pts, 4 rebs, 3 steals and an assist. Evans led the Kings with 28 pts and added 8 rebs, 4 asts and 3 steals; Dorrell had 18 pts, 7 rebs and 2 steals.
Neither team led by more than five points until Demar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors) hit a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 64-56. The Kings rallied to tie it at 66 on a 3-pointer by Evans with 5:48 left.
The Money Gang then went on an 8-0 run to re-take the lead, and led the rest of the game. A 3-pointer by Metta World Peace (LA Lakers) mde it 80-69 with 1:13 left, basically clinching the win for the Money Gang.
Taylor had 2 pts, 2 rebs and 4 asts in the game, including an off-the-backboard pass to DeRozan for a slam dunk on a fast break in the first half that brought the crowd to its feet.
DeRozan led all scorers with 36 pts and added 8 rebs and 3 asts. John Wall (Washington Wizards) had 21 pts and 6 asts, and J.R. Smith (New York Knicks) had 11 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts, 3 steals and a blocked shot. Paul George (Indiana Pacers) had 8 pts and 4 rebs, and World Peace had 6 pts, 6 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and a steal despite arriving just before halftime.
Chris Young (LA Southwest/Slamball) came off the bench for the Kings and had 2 pts, 5 rebs and an assist. Victor Michel (Chaffey) also saw action for the Kings and had 3 pts.
In the P.K. Kennedy Division final, 2-time defending champion LA Unified had little trouble with Athletes' Renaissance, jumping out to an early 32-9 lead and cruising to an 84-65 win.
Chris Childress (Santa Ana) started for the Rens but did not score. Carlos Rivers (LA Valley), Mikey Lambert (Orange Coast), Phillip Zarif (Saddleback) and Jeff Ledbetter (Irvine Valley/Idaho) all saw brief action off the bench but did not score, though Ledbetter did register a pair of steals.
Jordan Hamilton (Denver Nuggets) led Unified with 23 pts while Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls) and Brandon Bowman (NBDL/Israel) had 20 pts each. Bobby LB Brown (NBA/Europe) had 13 pts and 13 asts.
Austin Daye (Detroit Pistons) led the Rens with 24 pts, 14 rebs, 6 asts and 3 blocked shots. Josh Childress (Phoenix Suns) had 24 pts and 8 rebs.
August 5: The Drew League @ King-Drew HS, Watts
Jayceon Taylor (Antelope Valley) aka The Game scored 13 pts, including 3 three-pointers, and added 5 rebs, 4 asts, 2 steals and a key defensive play in one of the most amazing games in Drew League history, a 117-114 OT win by Money Gang over #1-seeded Top Prospects in a semifinal of the Lo Clark Division Sunday afternoon.
For much of the game, Money Gang seemed on its way to an easy win, no small feat considering Top Prospects was the #1 seed in the division. Money Gang held a 49-39 win at halftime and expanded it to 20 after a three-quarter court buzzer-beating heave by Rob Harris made it 81-61 at the end of the third quarter. A more conventional 3-pointer by Harris made it 84-63 early in the fourth quarter.
But the Top Prospects came roaring back, led by Washington Wizards' guard Jordan Crawford, who scored 23 of his team-high 33 pts in the 4th quarter. Crawford, first known for dunking on LeBron James at a summer camp three years ago, made 4 threes and 8 field goals in the 8-minute quarter.
And the Top Prospects rallied from that 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to take a 104-103 lead on a steal & basket by CSUF alumn and NBDL veteran Frank Robinson with 20.6 seconds left.
John Wall of the Wizards put Money Gang back in front moments later with a driving lay-up that became a 3-point play when he was fouled and converted the free throw. That made it 106-104 with 14.8 seconds left. But SD State alumn and overseas vet Brandon Heath scored on a driving lay-up with 3.2 seconds left to tie the score and send the game to overtime.
In OT, the Top Prospects jumped out to a 114-110 lead midway through the 3-minute extra period. But Money Gang got a 3-pointer from Harris to make it 114-113. Then Wall drew a foul driving to the basket with 2.6 seconds left and made both free throws to put Money Gang on top, 115-114.
At this point, everyone in the building knew the Prospects would try to get the ball to 6-7 UCLA alumn and onetime Phoenix Sun Dijon Thompson, who was being guarded by Taylor in the post. But when the ball arrived, Taylor nudged Thompson, preventing him from jumping to receive the pass, and the ball went out of bounds to the Money Gang. Wall added two more free throws with 2.1 seconds left to make it 117-114, and Sticks Milton intercepted the Prospects' final inbounds pass near midcourt to finally secure the win.
Wall finished with 43 pts, 12 rebs and 9 asts. Demar DeRozan (Toronto Raptors) had 34 pts, 10 rebs and 5 asts. Crawford had 33 pts, 5 rebs and 5 asts for the Prospects. Robinson had 25 pts and 7 rebs, Thompson had 20 pts plus 9 rebs and 6 asts, and Heath had 18 pts, 8 rebs, 9 asts and 3 steals.
Mike Mayo (LA Southwest/Cochise/Mississippi Valley State) played briefly for the Top Prospects but did not score.
That was just one of three amazing finishes on the day. Two other games came down to the final shot.
Malcolm Thomas (SD City/SD State/Spurs/NBDL) had 18 pts, 13 rebs, 3 asts, 4 blocks and a steal in Hank's Blazers' 93-90 loss to Athletes' Renaissance in the first game of the day.
Thomas, a key part of the Blazers' upset of #1-seeded NWA the previous day, helped the Blazers jump out to an early 17-5 lead after a putback slam dunk midway through the first quarter.
The Rens answered with a 16-0 run to go in front, 21-17, and the lead went back and for for a while after that. The Blazers held a narrow 45-43 lead at halftime.
The Rens gradually took control in the third quarter, taking a 65-52 lead on a 3-pointer by Mychel Thompson (Pepperdine/Cavaliers), son of longtime LA Laker and current Laker broadcaster Mychal Thompson. The Rens seemed in complete command with a 93-80 lead after a basket by Austin Daye (Pistons) with just over two minutes left in the game.
But the Blazers put in one last run, cutting the deficit to seven after two free throws by Tyrone Shelley (SD State/overseas) after a Thomas block. A slam duny by Kenny Lawson (Creighton/Israel) made it 93-88 in the final minute. Another basket by Lawson made it 93-90. But Lawson's last-second would-be game-tying 3-pointer from the corner missed at the buzzer, allowing the Rens to escape with the win.
Thompson led all scorers with 32 pts and added 9 rebs and 4 asts. Daye had 25 pts, 10 rebs, 4 asts, 5 blocks and 2 steals. NBA veteran Josh Childress, most recently of the Phoenix Suns, had 19 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts, 2 blocks and 3 steals. Lawson led the Blazers with 23 pts.
Amongst JC alumni, PG Horace Wormely (Pasadena/Vanguard/NBDL) had 12 pts and a game-high 15 asts for the Blazers. SF Steven Mallory (Mt. SAC) came off the bench for the Blazers and saw some brief action but did not score.
For the Rens PG Carlos Rivers (LA Valley/CS Dominguez Hills) had 2 pts, 2 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. SG Derek O'Neil (Florida Gulf Coast) did not score but dished out 3 asts. Ctr Chris Childress (Santa Ana/Sacramento State), Josh's younger brother, and PG Phillip Zarif (Saddleback) both saw brief action but did not score.
And then there was the day's finale, in which Salvatori's No Shnacks lost, 101-100, to 2-time defending champ LA Unified despite 42 pts from SD State standout Jamaal Franklin.
LA Unified, led by the NBA veteran backcourt of Bobby LB Brown (CS Fullerton) and Marcus Williams (Connecticut, who just signed to play in the Euroleague next season with Unicaja Malaga in Spain) is seeking to become the first team to 3-peat in the illustrious 39-year history of the Drew League. And for much of the game Unified seemed in control, holding a slim but constant lead. A putback basket by Scott Cutley (CS Fullerton/Argentina) made it 90-79 with 5:24 left.
But No Shnacks rallied after that, cutting the deficit to a single point after a pair of free throws by DeShawn Stephens (Santa Monica/SD State) with 3:06 left. Then Perris Blackwell (Etiwanda/San Francisco) gave No Shnacks a 98-97 lead on a free throw after a rebound with 1:27 left, No Shnacks' first lead since the opening minutes of the game.
Cutley put Unified back in front moments later, 99-98. Then Trevele Jones (Cerritos/Texas Southern) split two free throws with 1:02 left to tie the score at 99. Brown made two free throws with 45.7 seconds left to give Unified a 101-99 lead. Franklin split two free throws with 43 seconds left to make it 101-100, but Williams missed the front end of a one-and-one with 13.6 seconds left to give No Shnacks one last chance.
After a couple of inbounds plays followed by desperate timeouts, No Shnacks had one last chance with 5 seconds left. The ball went in to Franklin, who tried a contested 3-pointer from the right wing. The shot was on target, but just a little strong, and bounced off the rim as the final buzzer sounded, keeping Unified's dreams of a 3-peat alive for another day.
Stephens finished with 24 pts, 8 rebs, 4 blocks and 3 steals for No Shnacks, and Jones had 13 pts, 4 rebs and 6 asts. Trone Jackson (Chaffey/Livingstne) did not score but had 5 asts, and Brandon Clemons (Chaffey/Lindsay Wilson) came off the bench for 2 pts and 2 rebs.
Franklin led all scorers with his 42 pts while adding 6 rebs, 5 asts and 2 steals. The 6-5 guard figures to be on a lot of preseason All-American lists prior to this, his junior season with the Aztecs.
Williams led LA Unified with 25 pts, including 6 threes, and added 5 asts. Brown, who has played with the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers in recent years, had 21 pts, including 4 threes, and 9 asts.
In the other semifinal, Delon Wright (San Francisco) had 10 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts and 2 steals to help the Kings of LA to a 72-59 win over Hank's A-1 All-Stars.
Wright, the 2011-12 JCHoops.com Northern California Player of the Year, was surrounded by his brother Dorrell (Philadelphi 76ers), Tyreke Evans (Sacramento Kings), Jeremy Tyler (Golden State Warriors) and Leuzinger HS teammate Jerry Evans (Nevada) for a star-studded starting line-up.
And the Kings led virtually all the way, jumping out to a 21-12 lead after the first quarter. The A-1 All-Stars got within two points at 31-29 late in the first half, and within two points again at 43-41 midway through the third quarter, but never quite caught up.
The Kings went on an 11-2 run to push the lead to double digits at 54-43 after a fallaway jumper by Dorrell Wright late in the third quarter. Another Dorrell 3-pointer made it 61-48 midway through the fourth. A fall-away jumper by Tyreke Evans pretty much put the game away a couple of minutes later.
SF Chris Young (LA Southwest/Slamball) came off the bench for the Kings and had 8 pts and 5 rebs. SG Victor Michel (Chaffey) saw brief action but did not score.
Tyreke led all scorers with 23 pts and added 13 rebs and 5 asts. Dorrell had 16 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts, 5 blocks and 3 steals.
For the A-1 All-Stars, Garrett Nevels (Mt. SAC) led the way with 20 pts and 7 rebs. Wayne Andrews (Compton/Fullerton/CS Dominguez Hills) had 14 pts, 5 rebs and 3 steals. Antonio Biglow (Mt. SAC/Montana State), the 2010-11 JCHoops.com Southern California Player of the Year, had 10 pts, 3 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. Corey Allen (Mt. SAC) had 8 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts and a steal, and Ctr Mike Cox (Fullerton/CS Dominguez Hills) had 4 pts, 7 rebs, 4 blocks and 2 steals. Josh White (Mt. SAC) had 3 pts and 3 rebs.
Also appearing for the A-1 All-Stars, a team mostly of players coached by Coach Allen Caveness at Compton, Fullerton and Mt. SAC, were Dontay Sanford (Mt. SAC) and Jamal Barnes (Mt. SAC), who did not score.
And Caveness himself even took the floor for a few minutes, not scoring but going up against the likes of the Kings' Tyreke Evans. Caveness' next head coaching gig is at Grays Harbor JC in Aberdeen, Washington, a town that until now was best-known for being the hometown of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.
August 4: The Drew League @ King-Drew HS, Watts
PF Malcolm Thomas (SD City/Pepperdine/SD State/NBA Spurs) had 22 pts, 9 rebs, 4 asts, 3 blocks and a steal, and PG Horace Wormely (Pasadena/Vanguard/NBDL) had 19 pts, 6 asts, 4 rebs and 4 steals to lead Hank's Blazers to a stunning 88-84 upset of #1-seed NWA in the Drew League playoffs.
The Blazers jumped out to an early 27-9 lead, but had to withstand foul trouble to Thomas and a furious NWA rally to hold on for easily the biggest upset in this year's Drew League playoff bracket.
The Blazers held a 56-41 third-quarter lead, but NWA closed the tap to six points with just over 5 minutes left in the game. And moments later Thomas picked up his 5th foul of the game.
But the Blazers never surrendered the lead. NWA got within three at 73-70 with 1:30 left, but Thomas fed SD State teammate Tyrone Shelley for a lay-up to make it 75-70. NWA got within two points at 80-78 with about 20 seconds left, but Wormely made six free throws in the final 8.9 seconds to secure the win for the Blazers.
Ctr Mark Dawson (Pasadena/LB State) started for NWA and had 9 pts and 11 rebs; SF Jushay Rocket (Arizona Western/Texas State/Alaska-Fairbanks) also had 9 pts and 11 rebs while adding 3 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot. PF Durwin Williams (Glendale/CS Dominguez Hills) had 6 pts and 6 rebs. PF Mike Martin (LA Valley/West LA) came off the bench for 5 pts, 4 rebs and 3 steals. SG Van Girard (Cerritos/CS Dominguez Hills) had 6 pts and 3 rebs.
In an earlier game, PG Trone Jackson (Chaffey/Livingstone) had 5 pts and a game-high 13 asts to help Salvatori's No Shnacks to an 88-76 win over Hank's Bulldogs.
No Shnacks led all the way, powered by SD State standout Jamaal Franklin, who scored a game-high 33 pts, many on assists from Jackson. No Snhacks held a 13-point lead at halftime and expanded the bulge to 23 points by the end of the third quarter for an easy win.
Ctr DeShawn Stephens (Santa Monica/SD State) also had a strong game for No Shacks, finishing with 18 pts, 9 rebs, 3 blocks and 4 steals. SF Trevele Jones (Cerritos/Texas Southern) had 15 pts and 4 rebs, and SG Bradon Clemons (Chaffey/Lindsay Wilson) came off the bench for 6 pts and 3 asts.
Ctr Tyrone Riley (LA City/San Francisco) led the Bulldogs with 26 pts while also grabbing 9 rebs. PG Kendrick "Milk" Harris (LA Southwest/Lamar) had 20 pts, 11 rebs and 7 asts. SG Franklin Sessions (Saddleback/Weber State) had 9 pts, 5 rebs and 3 asts but battled foul trouble throughout and fouled out with just less than 5 minutes left in the game. PF Ron Allen (LA City/Cincinnati) had 13 pts and 8 rebs, and SG Rodney Blackmon (West LA) had no points but 3 asts.
In the closest game of the day, PG Ervin Ware (Mt. SAC/LB State) had 7 pts and 6 asts and SF Tim Austin (Cypress/Hawaii-Hilo) had 4 pts and 4 rebs in a supporting role for Hank's Cheaters II in a 92-87 overtime loss to 2-time defending champion LA Unified.
Unified, led by NBA veterans Marcus Williams and Bobby LB Brown and supplemented with current Chicago Bull Taj Gibson, had all they could handle with the Cheaters and Ervin's older brother, former LB State standout Casper Ware, who poured in 38 pts, including a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left in regulation that sent the game to OT.
In the next game, NBA veterans Austin Daye (Pistons), Josh Childress (Suns) and Mychel Thompson (Cavaliers) led Athletes' Renaissance to an easy 97-72 win over Team COA and former Clipper Craig Smith.
PG Phillippe Zarif (Sadddleback) started for the Rens and had 6 pts on two 3-pointers. Ctr Chris Childress (Santa Ana), Josh's younger brother, also started for the Rens. PG Carlos Rivers (LA Valley/CS Dominguez Hills) came off the bench for 8 pts and 2 asts, and SG Derrick O'Neil (Fla Gulf Coast CC) had 6 pts and 2 asts.
For COA, PF Amani Daanish (Cowley/Indiana State) had 2 pts, 7 rebs, 2 asts and 3 steals. SF Ivan Jackson (LA Southwest/Cal State LA) saw brief action but did not score.
Next up was the league's "Glamor Team", Money Gang, led by SF Jayceon Taylor (Antelope Valley), better known as the rapper "The Game", as well as current NBA players John Wall (Wizards), Demar DeRozan (Raptors), Ed Davis (Raptors) and Rasaul Butler (a free agent most recently with the Raptors) for their game vs. Hard Times.
Taylor made a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 13 pts as Money Gang romped to a 94-81 win. After holding just a 2-point lead after the first quarter, Money Gang pushed the margin to 13 early in the second quarter and led by double digits the rest of the way.
SF Kirpatrick McCauley had 15 pts and 8 rebs for Hard Times, and SG Nick Porter (Compton/Creighton) had 12 pts, 8 rebs and 5 asts. PG John Smitty Smith (Santa Monica/CSUN/W Georgia) had 10 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. SG Kashif Watson (Irvine Valley/Idaho/NBDL) came off the bench for 3 pts and 3 asts.
July 31: San Francisco Pro-Am:
SG Dominique Johnson (SW Tennessee) scored 23 pts to lead SF City to a 118-101 win over Bay City at Kezar Pavilion.
Johnson, who played at Azusa Pacific for two years and has spent the last two seasons with the Texas Legends of the NBDL, helped SF City rally from an early 11-2 deficit to secure a share of first place in the Pro-Am standings.
SG Dante Sykes (CC San Francisco/overseas) came off the bench for 9 pts and 3 rebs for the winners. Ctr Jake Noisat (Chabot/Dominican) played briefly but did not score.
PG Brian Goins (Diablo Valley/Concordia) led all scorers with 32 pts for Bay City, while PF Jimmy Allen (Cuesta/Montana State/ABA) had 28 pts, 7 rebs and 2 blocks.
Ctr Jeff Jones (San Jose CC/New Mexico State/Taiwan) and SG John Hunt (Chabot) both also started for Bay City; Jones had 6 pts, 4 rebs and 3 asts, while Hunt had 4 pts, 3 rebs and 2 asts. PF Eric Fearn (Alameda/Holy Names) came off the bench and had 6 pts, 6 rebs and 2 asts.
July 22: JBL Pro-Am. Though I wasn't in attendance, I've been told that Kejuan Johnson (Long Beach CC/Long Beach State) scored 72 points in a game this morning. 72 POINTS!!! Wow.
July 1: The Drew League @ King-Drew HS, Watts
PF DeWayne Dedmon (Antelope Valley/USC) scored 20 pts and added 13 rebs and 3 blocked shots as part of what is likely the tallest front line in the history of the Drew League in a 75-50 win for Hank's Problems over In The Paint Sunday.
Playing alongside longtime NBA and overseas veterans 7-3 Ctr Keith Closs (LA Clippers) and 6-9 SF Tony Farmer (Charlotte Hornets/Golden State Warriors), the 7-foot Dedmon came off the bench to post game-high totals in all three categories in the Problems' easy win.
PF Gerard Anderson (Saddleback/CS Fullerton) started for Problems and had 19 pts and 11 rebs. PG Kejuan Johnson (Long Beach CC/Long Beach State) also started and had 6 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals.
PF Kilpatrick McCauley (Santa Monica) started for In The Paint and had 10 pts, 5 rebs, 2 blocks and 4 steals. PG Jason Pruitt (West LA) added 2 pts.
In the next game, SF Jushay Rocket (Arizona Western/Texas State/Alaska-Fairbanks) had a double-double with 19 pts and 10 rebs to lead NWA to an 80-71 win over Hank's Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs gave NWA all it could handle, but NWA pulled away in the fourth quarter to stay undefeated and atop the P.K. Kennedy Division. NWA is one of two unbeaten teams in the league and will face the other, Hank's A-1 All-Stars, in the Drew League's showcase July 14th at the Galen Center.
In this one, PF James Boyd (West LA football), who played high-level travel ball while at Jordan HS in Los Angeles before signing with USC to play football, provided a huge emotional lift for the Bulldogs. His fallaway jumper gave the Bulldogs a 49-47 lead. He was fouled but missed the resulting free throw; however, he ran down the rebound and tried a putback. He also missed the putback try but stole the ball back moments later and scored to make it 51-47 for what would be the Bulldogs' largest lead of the game.
NWA rallied to take a 52-51 lead moments later and led, 54-53, entering the final period. NWA went on an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter to break a 58-all tie. The Bulldogs got within two points at 68-66 with just under two minutes left, but scored the next six points, pushing the lead back to eight and sealing the win after a putback by Rocket made it 74-66.
PF Mike Martin (LA Valley/West LA) started for NWA and had 12 pts. Ctr Mark Dawson (Pasadena/Long Beach State) also started and had 4 pts and 7 rebs. Ctr Tom Granado (Citrus/Concordia) played briefly off the bench but did not score.
For the Bulldogs, SG Franklin Session (Saddleback/Weber State) scored a game-high 26 pts, including 5 threes, pretty much shooting his team back in the game several times. He scored 16 of his points in the 4th quarter to keep it close down the stretch.
PG Kendrick "Milk" Harris (LA Southwest/Lamar) had 14 pts, 6 rebs and 3 asts, and PF Tyrone "50" Riley (LA City/University of San Francisco) had a double-double with 12 pts and a game-high 11 rebs. Ctr Nashid Beard (LA City/Lamar) started and had 4 pts and 6 rebs. PG Rodney Blackmon (West LA) started and had 3 pts and 3 asts. Boyd finished with 6 pts, 7 rebs and 2 steals.
In the 2 pm game, SF Jaquain Weary (Cerritos) had 10 pts including several spectacular dunks to help Hank's Cheaters II to a resounding 99-76 win over Money Gang, a team that featured a pair of current Toronto Raptors.
The Cheaters led wire to wire, starting the game with a long 3-pointer by PG Ervin Ware (Mt. San Antonio/Long Beach State), who played alongside his older brother Casper. It was 55-50 midway through the fourth quarter but then the Cheaters pulled away for the easy win.
Ervin Ware finished with 4 pts and a game-high 5 asts. SF Tim Austin (Cypress/Hawaii-Hilo) started and had 5 pts and 3 rebs. SG A.J. Gasporra (Citrus/Concordia) came off the bench and didn't score but had 4 rebs and an assist.
For the Money Gang, Ctr Kwame Alexander (Irvine Valley/CS San Bernardino) had 6 pts and 4 rebs. PG Bryce Cartwright (Fresno State/Paris TX JC/Iowa State) had 2 pts and 3 rebs. NBA types DeMar DeRozan and Ed Davis had 22 and 13 pts, respectively.
June 23: The Drew League @ King-Drew HS, Watts
Hank’s A-1 All-Stars, a team of JC alumni (and one current JC player) coached by former Compton, Fullerton and Mt. SAC coach Allen Caveness, continued its stellar Drew League season, running its record to 6-0 with an 84-55 thrashing of the Kings of LA Saturday afternoon.
After falling behind, 8-3, in the first few minutes of the game, the A-1 All-Stars used their swarming press to quickly take control of the game. The A-1 All-Stars led, 21-13, at the end of the first quarter before pulling away in the second quarter.
PF Kaimyn Pruitt (Antelope Valley/Mt. SAC/Adams State) made three of four free throws in the first 45 seconds of the second quarter to make it 24-13. Then SF Lavell McDade (Mt. SAC) converted a 3-point play on a fast break off a pass from SG Corey Allen (Mt. SAC) that pushed the lead to 14 points at 33-19.
Ctr Darnell Martin (Mt. SAC) scored on an inbounds play to make it 35-19. Martin scored off a pass from PF Mike Cox (Fullerton/CS Dominguez Hills) to make it 38-20. Then PG Antonio Biglow (Mt. SAC/Montana State) made two free throws after a steal by Allen to make it 40-20 with 1:31 left in the first half.
The Kings, led by NBA veteran PG Mike Taylor (LA Clippers/Greece), rallied to trail by just 11 points at 47-36 in the third quarter. But then the A-1 All-Stars pulled away again, going on an 18-4 run to push the lead to 25 points at 65-40. PG Da’Shawn Gomez (Antelope Valley/Iona) scored on a putback after a steal by Pruitt to make it a 25-point game late in the third quarter, and the A-1 All-Stars led handily the rest of the way.
Allen, who was SCC-North Player of the Year for Mt. SAC last season as a freshman, led the A-1 All-Stars with 16 pts, 8 asts and 4 steals. Biglow, the 2010-11 JCHoops.com SoCal Player of the Year, had 12 pts, 4 rebs and 4 asts.
In addition, Martin had 12 pts and 8 rebs, and Pruitt came off the bench for 11 pts and 7 rebs. McDade had 9 pts, 5 rebs and 2 asts. Ctr Josh White (Mt. SAC) had 8 pts and SF Wayne Andrews (Compton/Fullerton/CS Dominguez Hills) had 6 pts. Gomez came off the bench for 6 pts and 4 asts. Cox had 4 pts and 4 rebs.
For the Kings, Taylor led all scorers with 20 pts and added 3 rebs, 3 asts and 3 steals. PF Tylon Bickham (LA Southwest) had 10 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals. Slamball's Chris "Ghetto Bird" Young (LA Southwest) had 8 pts and 9 rebs before getting ejected with two technical fouls with 2:47 left. SG Victor Michel (Chaffey) had 2 pts and 3 rebs, and PF Danny Edozie (Tyler JC) also saw brief action but did not score.
In other games...SG M’Jumbe Williams (West LA/Fresno/Arkansas-Monticello) had 22 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts and 2 steals to help New Image to a 78-67 win over Salvatori’s Problems. PG Kejuan Johnson (Long Beach CC/Long Beach State) had 12 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts and 5 steals for Problems, and PF Thurman Sutton (LA Harbor/Cal State LA) had 8 pts and 9 rebs. Gerard Anderson (Saddleback/CS Fullerton) added 11 pts, and SG Leon Jacobs (Compton/LA Pierce/Utah Valley) had 3 pts. Ctr DeWayne Dedmon (Antelope Valley/USC) came off the bench and had 9 pts, 9 rebs and 6 blocked shots.
SF Jayceon Taylor (Antelope Valley), better known as rapper “The Game” or “Game”, had 12 pts, 3 asts, 2 steals and a big part in the highlight-reel play of the day as the Money Gang topped the ABA squad San Diego Surf, 89-73.
Taylor hit a pair of threes in the fourth quarter, and then threw a lob off the backboard on a fast break that SG Mike “Money Mike” Efevberha threw down for a one-handed jam, cementing the win and drawing a huge response from the crowd.
PF Kwame Alexander (Irvine Valley/Cal State San Bernardino) came off the bench for 8 pts and 8 rebs for Money Gang, which was led by NBA veterans Ctr Anthony Randolph (Minnesota Timberwolves), who had 21 pts, 16 rebs, 4 asts and 3 blocks, and PF Metta World Peace (LA Lakers), who had 18 pts, 9 rebs, 4 asts, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots.
PF David Kinder (SD City) had 12 pts and 8 rebs for the Surf. Ctr Josue “Josh” Mulamba (Imperial Valley) had 8 pts and 4 rebs. And PF Justin Brownlee (San Francisco/St. John's) had 8 pts and 7 rebs off the bench.
And in the 3:30 game, SG Jeff Ledbetter (Irvine Valley/Idaho) had 23 pts, including 6 threes, and SF Derek O’Neil (Florida Gulf Coast CC) had 17 pts, 11 rebs, 3 asts and 4 steals to lead Athletes’ Renaissance to a 74-51 thrashing of Triple Threat.
It was tied, 31-31, at the half. But Ledbetter sparked an 18-3 run with back-to-back three-pointers to start the third quarter, sending the Rens on their way to an easy victory.
SG Darnell Taylor (Saddleback) had 8 pts, 7 rebs, 2 asts and a steal for Triple Threat. PG Marquintice Davis (Bakersfield/CS Dominguez Hills) had 2 pts and 2 asts, and SF LaCurtis Sumlin (West LA/Chico State) had 3 pts off the bench. Ctr Reggie Murphy (Antelope Valley/TCU) started but did not score while grabbing 3 rebounds and blocking a shot. PF Brian Pruitt (El Camino/CS Fullerton) also did not score in brief action.
June 16: The Drew League @ King-Drew HS, Watts
I stopped by for three games at the West Coast's premier Pro-Am league, and the JC presence didn't quite run from A to Z but instead from B (Antonio Biglow, Mt. SAC/Montana State) to W (Hakeem Washington, Citrus/CS San Marcos) amongst the spectators.
On the court, Slamball star PF Chris "Ghetto Bird" Young (LA Southwest) and SG Victor Michel (Chaffey '05) started alongside NBA veteran PG Mike Taylor (LA Clippers) and UConn alumni Jeff Adrian and Donnell Beverly, helping the Kings of LA to an 86-58 blowout win over COA.
Young had 9 pts, a game-high 10 rebs, 2 asts and 2 steals. Michel had 2 pts and 6 rebs for the winning side, and SF Tylon Bickham (LA Southwest) added 5 pts and 2 asts. PF Tevin Rollins (LA Harbor) came off the bench for 2 pts and 2 rebs, and Daniel Edozie (Tyler TX JC) also saw brief action. PF Amani Daanish (Cowley/Indiana State) had 12 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals, and SG Ivan Jackson (LA Southwest/Cal State LA) had 7 pts and 3 asts for COA, which was led by NBA veteran Craig Smith (T-Wolves/Clippers/Blazers). Smith had 23 pts and 8 rebs.
Next up were two of the more high-profile teams in the Drew League and the Detroit Pistons' Austin Daye took center-stage with 40 pts, 10 rebs, 5 asts and 3 steals for Athletes' Renaissance in a 104-98 win over the Money Gang
SG Jeff Ledbetter (Irvine Valley/Idaho) broke a 98-all tie with a lay-up and hit a jumper to make it 102-98. He ended up with 10 pts, including a pair of threes, and 5 asts in the game as he played alongside NBA types Daye, Josh Childress (Phoenix Suns), Mychel Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Jelani McCoy (who played for the 2002 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers). SF Derek O'Neil (Florida Gulf Coast CC) had 6 pts and 2 asts and Ctr Todd Follmer (Irvine Valley/Hawaii) had 2 pts and 2 rebs. PF Chris Childress (Santa Ana) and SF Johnny Dukes (San Bernardino Valley/University of San Francisco) both saw brief action but did not score.
For the Money Gang, Jayceon Taylor aka "Game" or "The Game", who had a brief stopover at Antelope Valley College before embarking on his highly-successful career as a rapper, had 21 pts, including a couple of 3-pointers. Ctr Kwame Alexander (Irvine Valley/Cal State San Bernardino) had 16 pts and 8 rebs. Paul George (Indiana Pacers) led the Money Gang with 23 pts.
In the next game, there were no JC alumni involved but the Top Prospects pulled a huge upset, knocking off 2-time defending champion and previously-unbeaten LA Unified, 92-85.
Behind a trio of recent NBA alumns, the Top Prospects built a 15-point first-half lead only to see LA Unified rally to take a 4-point lead in the third quarter. But the Prospects bounced back, taking a 9-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and holding on for the win.
Eugene "Pooh" Jeter (Sacramento Kings) led the winners with 25 pts and 7 asts, and sealed the win with 6 free throws in the final minute. Dijon Thompson (Phoenix Suns) had 24 pts and Julian Wright (New Orleans Hornets) had 23 pts and 8 rebs.
Bobby "LB" Brown (Sacramento Kings/LA Clippers) led all scorers with 32 pts for LA Unified. Trevor Ariza (New Orleans Hornets) had 19 pts and 7 asts. And though some Citrus coaches were seen in the stands, and though the Owls have brought in several impact bouncebacks in recent seasons, and though it is also true that Ariza only used one season of eligibility at UCLA, this all appears to be but a coincidence. Officially, of course, Trevor is still under contract to the Hornets for two more seasons.
JC Shootout Events
California JUCO Showcase
SoCal JUCO Shootout
