Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (3/9)

By Bruin Basketball Report 

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday. 

Commits 

Modesto Christian High School basketball player Reeves Nelson realizes many eyes are on him, fans and refs included. The senior year of Modesto's first five-star basketball player has not gone smoothly. There was Reeves Nelson's decision to play football for Modesto Christian High, even after his verbal commitment to play basketball at UCLA, and the subsequent football season-ending surgery to repair damage from a football-related knee injury. Modesto Bee 3/4 

This wasn't the ending Reeves Nelson had anticipated, not after four spectacular years of playing power forward for Modesto Christian. But the 6-foot-8-inch senior could only watch as Vista del Lago prepared to fire a potential, game-winning 3-pointer. That shot never took flight, though, thanks to the aggressive defense and quick hands of 6-4 junior Marcus Butler. He stole a pass at midcourt and then hit two free throws with 4.6 seconds left Wednesday to secure MC's 64-60 win in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV semifinal at Tokay. Modesto Bee 3/5 

The top-seeded Thunder, top ranked in the state at D-II by Cal-Hi Sports, used an 8-0 run to close out Wood of Vacaville 67-57 in a D-II semifinal tonight at Arco Arena. Brendan Lane, the 6-foot-10 center headed to UCLA on scholarship, hit a bank shot, Anthony Romero - the last man on Whitney's bench last season before his transfer - had a corner three with 53.5 seconds to go and a Cody Kale three-point play with 34.7 seconds left stalled Wood's upset bid. Lane had 19 points and eight rebounds. Sacramento Bee 3/6 

All three playoff teams from the Portland Interscholastic League earned trips to the eight-team field at McArthur Court. Reigning state champion Grant, behind 22 points from UCLA-bound senior Mike Moser, had to rally in the second half to beat visiting Beaverton 61-57. Oregonian 3/7 

Trying to repeat as CIF champions, the Trojans were stopped in the Division V-A championship game 72-62 by a bigger and more experience Windward team. Not only was Windward (26-6) the division's top seeded team, the Los Angeles school boasted 6-foot-10 center Anthony Stover, bound for UCLA next fall...Getting Stover into foul trouble helped La Verne Lutheran ease back into the game ever so slowly. Stover was also showing frustration at the Trojans' attacking defense that was led by 6-6 junior forward Jordan Salley.
With 4:08 remaining in the first half, Stover committed his third foul.. The Trojans couldn't take complete advantage, though, outscoring Windward by only three points (9-6) with Stover on the bench for the remainder of the half. "We thought we had (Stover) right where we wanted, in foul trouble," Salley said. Stover returned in the second half and never committed another foul. He scored 13 second-half points, many on dunks, and had six of his eight rebounds after the break. He also had six blocked shots. San Bernardino Sun 3/7 

There's a new king of high school boys' basketball in Southern California. Riverside King, the plucky team that features no superstars, just talent, waylaid mighty Santa Ana Mater Dei, 71-56, for the Southern Section Division I-AA championship Saturday night at the Honda Center....The Monarchs also pride themselves on shooting the ball, something they had trouble doing as King executed its game plan of contesting every attempt by Franklin and junior guard Tyler Lamb. The pair finished a combined eight for 24 from the field. LA Times 3/8 

Top-seeded Rocklin High repeated as Division II champions Saturday night at Arco Arena, beating No. 2 Fairfield 60-56....Rocklin 6-foot-10 senior center Brendan Lane, bound for UCLA, had 23 points and six rebounds while making 11-of-17 shots. He played all but 46 seconds. “We knew with our talent that if we just went out and played hard and played good defense – we knew we would get here (championship game),” Lane said. “(Fairfield is) just a tough team and we match-up well with them.” Placer Herald 3/8 

All eyes were on Reeves Nelson, the UCLA-bound power forward who has dazzled friends and foes alike the past four years. And he didn't disappoint. Nelson used his 6-foot-8-inch frame to full advantage, rattling the rim with four dunks, hitting three twisting layups in traffic, swatting three ill- advised shots into the seats -- and hitting a sweet 3-pointer. Just another day at Arco Arena for Nelson and the Crusaders, who routed top-seeded Christian Brothers 92-63 for a record 10th consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section crown.
Nelson still has some ball to play. MC opens the Northern California playoffs Tuesday at home, but Saturday's victory marked the end of an era. He is the section's No. 3 all-time playoff scorer and holds single-game and single-tournament scoring records, too. He did all this while never losing a section playoff game, going 16-0 to win four titles. Modesto Bee 3/8 

Recruits 

Floyd has had to recruit against a resurgent UCLA program and because the Bruins have been getting the bulk of who they have recruited from the Los Angeles area, Floyd has had to resort to picking up UCLA’ s scraps and going after players of questionable academic and eligibility standing. This may finally be catching up to Floyd. Rumors are out now that USC is being investigated by the NCAA over the OJ Mayo recruitment of last year. On top of that, last week I wrote about the Renardo Sidney situation and his choosing of USC, and now rumors are floating out there that the NCAA has actually already opened a file on Sidney. Couple this with the fact that the USC football program is being quietly looked at by the NCAA over allegations of improper oversight in the Reggie Bush situation and the major men’s sports at USC are under the microscope. College Hoops.net 3/4 

Shirley Barnes, the mother of Ames High standout basketball player Harrison Barnes, says there is no truth to radio reports that her son plans to transfer to Oak Hill Academy for his senior year. Oak Hill is a prep school known for its perpetual status as one of the top high school basketball programs in the country. A sports talk show on Des Moines radio station KXNO reported earlier this week that Harrison would transfer to Oak Hill at the request of the Duke basketball coaching staff. The Ames Tribune 3/6 

Finally, in the waning minutes, top-seeded Westchester got some decisive rebounds, made some clutch free throws and found a way to give Coach Ed Azzam his 10th City title with a 60-55 victory at the Galen Center....Westchester (30-2) countered with its own strong efforts from junior guards Jordin Mayes and Kareem Jamar. Mayes scored 18 points and connected on a critical three-pointer with 3:42 left that tied the score at 51-51. LA Times 3/7 

The Miller School found a simple but effective formula for success against top-ranked Atlantic Shores Christian in the VIS Division II championship game on Saturday. The Mavericks worked the ball inside early and often and used a stingy defense to upend the Seahawks, 69-61, and capture their first title. Miller also got a stellar performance from junior Mychal Parker in the win. Parker did a little bit of everything, as he led all scorers with 26 points to earn tournament MVP honors. Parker also pulled down nine rebounds and had several assists and a pair of steals. Daily Progress 3/8 

(photo credit: Modesto Bee)