Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (1/12)

By Bruin Basketball Report 

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday. 

Commits 

"We shot ourselves out of the game," Tyler Honeycutt said. "We shouldn't have been down at halftime even. We would just chuck up shots and then not get back on defense. Games like this are why we don't get the respect we think we should have. We should smash teams like we played today." The 6-foot-9 Honeycutt, who will attend UCLA next season, finished with 21 points, 20 rebounds and four blocks. LA Daily News 1/5

  

Rocklin’s starting five, which consists of seniors Brendan Lane and Pat Stover and juniors Jackson Cummings, Tony Williams and Cody Kale, were all part of the aggressive defense in the opening quarter. Lane and Stover combined to block several shots and the entire group continually turned turnovers into baskets in that first quarter. Lane scored 10 of his game-high 23 points in the opening quarter and was a star defensively throughout the game. “He is so good defensively,” Rocklin coach Steve Taylor said. “He changes and blocks so many shots. He makes it really hard to come to the basket.” Placer Herald 1/7 

In its 83-68 victory, Rocklin (13-2, 1-0) led 20-0 after a quarter and did not allow a Woodcreek field goal until 7:36 remained in the second quarter....A Milani basket with about three minutes left got Woodcreek within 12. Then Brendan Lane stepped in front of a crosscourt pass and in a flash finished at the rim with an emphatic dunk. "That really took the wind out of our sails," Pinkerton said. The play was one of two fourth-quarter dunks for Lane, whose defense was just as vital to Rocklin's success as his scoring. Sac Bee 1/7 

MODESTO CHR. 95, BULLARD 84, at Salida -- UCLA-bound Reeves Nelson had 32 points and 15 rebounds while Johnny Hutton had 18 to lead the No. 1 small-school Crusaders(4-7) past the Knights. Modesto Bee 1/10 

Recruits 

Harrison Barnes, a 6-foot-6 junior forward from Ames (Iowa) High School, attended on an unofficial recruiting visit and sat behind KU’s bench. Before the game, Barnes left his seat to shake hands with Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl, who had wandered to KU’s side of the court to visit with the Jayhawk coaches. KU and Tennessee are on Barnes’ list of schools, with Duke, Iowa, North Carolina and others. KU Sports 1/5 

Dominguez (Calif.) 58, Fairfax (Calif.) 56: A pair of Los Angeles-area schools traveled all the way to Hillsboro to square off in the LSI title game. And the Dons from Compton pulled out a tight one Dec. 30. Tournament MVP Renardo Sidney of Fairfax, a 6-10 load inside, finished with an LSI-high 32 points, to go along with 13 rebounds. Oregonian 1/6 

The Kentwood Conquerors are letting it be known that they are not all about pounding the ball inside to 6-foot-9 forward Josh Smith. Sure, the focus is still on Smith, one of the top-rated high school juniors in the nation. But the Conquerors have a group of guards that can shoot – as the Auburn Trojans learned in Kentwood’s 64-43 home victory Tuesday night. Kentwood shot 43.8 percent on 3-pointers (7-of-16 shooting). That was key on a night where Auburn’s packed zone defense limited Smith to just 16 points. News Tribune 1/7 

College recruiters might start showing up at Taft junior varsity games starting next week now that the Toreadors are expected to add forward De'Andre Daniels to the team. Daniels, a transfer from La Canada Renaissance, was declared ineligible for varsity competition but has been cleared to join the JV team. Another top player who could be joining him is guard Bryce Jones, a transfer from View Park Prep. LA Times 1/7 

Ames improved to 7-0 overall, 3-0 in the CIML Iowa Conference. The Little Cyclones share the state’s No. 1 ranking with Linn-Mar of Marion. All-state forward Harrison Barnes scored 12 points in the opening quarter. He finished with 18. Des Moines Register 1/8 

Mount Pleasant rallied from a seven-point deficit with two minutes remaining, earning the Saginaw Valley League win on a 3-pointer by Trey Zeigler at the buzzer. "We had a couple big shots, a couple big defensive stops," Mount Pleasant coach Sam Taylor said. "Trey made the big shot. He has to make the read. It's either him or, if they double-team, a couple other shooters spotting up. It's nice to have some success in a tough situation."
Zeigler finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds. MLive 1/9 

Ames ruled the second half and the Little Cyclones took a two-point game in the late going of the first half and turned it into a 29-point victory over Marshalltown Friday. Harrison Barnes finished with 22 points as the second-ranked Little Cyclones defeated the eighth-ranked Bobcats 69-40 in CIML Iowa Conference boys' basketball. Times Republican 1/10 

(photo credit: Placer Herald)