Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (11/30)

By Bruin Basketball Report 

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday.  

Commits 

Mater Dei went on to a 31-2 season, with the Monarchs' only losses to M.L. King of Riverside in the CIF-Southern Section I-AA final, and to Fairfax of Los Angeles in the CIF Southern California Regionals. This year's Mater Dei team won't be as tall, with the Wear twins, 6-foot-11 David and Travis, now at North Carolina. But the Monarchs will be as quick as ever, with guards Gary Franklin (6-foot-3, signed with Cal), Tyler Lamb (6-5, UCLA) and Keala King (6-6, Arizona State, transferred from Dominguez of Compton). OC Varsity 11/26

Recruits (See List of Prospects)

The Panthers are loaded. Branden Dawson is one of the best players in the country. Latroy Taylor and Brandon Bradford are pretty good compliments too. Perhaps no team in Northwest Indiana has more athletic guys that check in at around 6-5 than the Panthers. The challenge for Dawson will be to keep everyone happy and to make sure everyone shares. Dawson needs to get more involved offensively if Wallace is going to make a deep run in the tournament. Post Tribune 11/23

Most opponents expect the Cardinals, who were 28-8 last year, to get the ball to 6-9 Angelo Chol, a junior who set the national record for blocked shots in a season with 337. Chol, who was named to the U.S. National Junior squad but was unable to play when the team won a world title this summer because his citizenship hasn't been finalized, said the honors and camps have been a positive. “It hasn't been a distraction,” said Chol, who was born in Sudan and is on every list of the nation's top juniors. “I've taken the stuff I've learned in camp and brought it back. “I'm still primarily a shot blocker, but I've worked hard to get more rebounds and points this year. I face up to the basket more and I've worked hard to learn how to go by people.” Chol said he was a little surprised and very pleased to find that the atmosphere isn't what it used to be when the players get together in open gym. “We really go at it,”Chol said. “We have a lot of very tough guys this year. The competition is high.” Union Tribune 11/24

Junior guard Nick Johnson continues to be a viable scoring source and a walking human highlight reel, as he may be quietly one of the most spectacular dunkers in the nation.  Bleacher Report 11/24

Findlay beat Carbondale (Ill.) Brehm Prep, 74-59. Joseph led the way with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Thompson had 18 points and 11 boards, and junior guards Jabari Brown (13 points, 6 boards) and Nick Johnson (13 points) chipped in for the Pilots. Las Vegas Sun 11/27