Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (4/6)

Prep News Roundup published periodically during the offseason.

Commits

In the McDonald's All-American game held at Cox Arena is San Diego, the West defeated the East team, 112-94. UCLA-bound forward James Keefe had 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots in 14 minutes of play. Bruin Basketball Report 3/31

Combined with UCLA signee James Keefe, a forward from Santa Margarita (Calif.) High School, the Pac-10 had five signees in the game. That was second-highest total behind the Atlantic Coast Conference, which had seven. Arizona Daily Star 3/31

Harvard-Westlake of Studio City senior Alex Stepheson has been selected to Parade Magazine's All-American High School Boys' Basketball team [...] UCLA recruit James Keefe, from Santa Margarita of Rancho Santa Margarita, is a second-team selection. L.A. Daily News 3/31

Looking ahead to the 2006-07 boys basketball season: Of the top teams from this past season, the one might be most hard-hit by graduation is Santa Margarita, which loses All-County/All-American center/forward James Keefe, hustling forward Christian Hernandez and a very good defensive point guard in Jonathan Gunderson. O.C. Register 3/29

All-County Basketball: James Keefe, Santa Margarita, Senior, 6-9
[...]
Season highlights: James Keefe put together another All-County first-team season despite an early-season back injury. He had some of his best games in the playoffs. Keefe scored 25 points with 20 rebounds when the Eagles beat Gahr of Cerritos in the CIF-Southern Section Division III-AA quarterfinals. He had 24 points and 13 rebounds in a victory over La Cañada in the III-AA semis.
[...]
Quotable:"The one thing makes him so good is drive and determination to improve himself as a player. He worked hard to improve himself and his team." - Santa Margarita coach Jerry DeBusk O.C. Register


Recruits

PARADE’s All-America High School Boys First Team: The son of former NBA player Stan Love is making his own headlines as a junior at Lake Oswego High in Oregon. Kevin Love, a 6-foot-10 forward, averaged 16.2 rebounds and 28 points this season, which included 46- and 42-point games. Parade Magazine 4/2

Lake Oswego junior post Kevin Love was named the Player of the Year after averaging more than 28 points per game and leading the Lakers to the state championship Sun-Sentinel 3/29

Kevin Love said at the recent state tournament that he has trimmed his potential colleges to UCLA, Duke and North Carolina, but is in no hurry to make a verbal commitment.
[...]
Kyle Singler will return to the basketball court in two weeks at an AAU tournament in Las Vegas as a member of the Nike-sponsored Portland Elite Legends coached by Troy Berry. While Love has been a member of that team in the past, Singler said he believes Love will be playing his AAU basketball this offseason with a Reebok team in California.
[...]
Kyle Singler’s short list includes Duke, UCLA and Arizona, although Kansas and North Carolina are still in the mix. He has said that he planned to make his decision before the school year is out but likely won’t do so until he makes official visits to the aforementioned programs. Neither player can sign a letter of intent — the binding document that would officially connect them to a school — until November. As juniors, they also aren’t permitted to make official visits to a university, but can make unofficial visits, as each has done in the past few months. Mail Tribune 4/1

But even South Medford High standout Kyle Singler had to take a step back recently upon learning that he has been named to the 50th annual Parade magazine All-America high school boys basketball team (second-team). "It came as a shock to me," the 6-foot-8, 210-pound wing said of the honor Friday Mail Tribune 4/1

Representing the SOC on the boys all-state rosters were a trio of South Medford players. Junior wing Kyle Singler was named to the first team News-Review 3/29

Darnell Gant, a 6-8 junior power forward from Crenshaw High in Los Angeles, Calif., is among the top players in the country at his position. UCLA has offered the talented forward, with Texas, Washington and North Carolina among the other programs showing interest. FoxSports 3/26

Undoubtedly, Arizona and UCLA (among others) will clash on some Southern California prep stars of 2007 and 2008. In fact, they already are. Both are chasing Chace Stanback, a wing player from Fairfax High, home of many ex-Bruins and former Wildcat Chris Mills. Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani coached Budinger in the McDonald's game. Perhaps the top-rated point guard of 2008, Compton Dominguez's Brandon Jennings, projects as an Arizona or UCLA signee. AZStarnet 4/1

Farmar was one of the reasons much-heralded sophomore guard Larry Drew Jr. chose to come to Taft. Before he even arrived on campus, teammates and coaches told Drew Jr. he would have to step in for Farmar. "I'd go to their games all the time. Then that year they win City and I'm like, 'Man, I gotta fill those shoes?' "Drew Jr., the son of former Lakers' guard Larry Drew, is used to the spotlight and high expectations. He seems to have adopted Farmar as a mentor in those matters. Drew even went down to San Diego to watch UCLA in the first and second rounds of the tournament. He has followed the rest of UCLA's games on television. "I'm proud of him," Drew said. "At Taft, he wasn't as athletic as some other guys, but he was smart. He knew what he was doing. He was just such a great leader." L.A. Daily News 4/1

The Southern Section team features four more South Bay players, including Leuzinger's Russell Westbrook, a two-time Daily Breeze All-Area selection. Courtney Beach of Rolling Hills Prep is scheduled to play, as are Serra's Donavan Bragg and West Torrance's Darrin Kirk. Daily Breeze 4/4

Derek Glasser, a 6-1 senior point guard from Artesia High in Lakewood, Calif., has decided to play at USC next season. Glasser had an outstanding senior season as he led Artesia to the state championship. Glasser's teammate, junior wing James Harden, is also considering USC. FoxSports 4/5

All-Arizona Boys Basketball Team: Harper Kamp, 6-8, Jr., center, Mesa Mountain View: Kamp, last season's Big School Player of the Year, could share scoring duties on a balanced Toros team but was a load inside with great passing ability and tremendous defensive skills. AZCentral 3/25

(BruinBasketballReport.com)

(photo credit: McDonaldsAllAmerican)