Bruin Recruiting: Prep News Roundup (2/9)

By Bruin Basketball Report 

Prep News Roundup is published every Monday. 

Commits 

MODESTO CHR. 55, RIPON CHR. 44, at Ripon -- With Reeves Nelson out of the lineup, Johnny Hutton's career-high 29 points lifted the Crusaders (12-7, 5-0 Trans-Valley League) over RC (11-10, 2-3). Modesto Bee 2/4

Last Friday night, I watched one of our local big-time players have one of his best games in a special environment. They were turning people away at the door at Woodcreek High School Friday when the Timberwolves were hosting Sierra Foothill League powerhouse Rocklin in boys basketball. With a raucous crowd environment and full house as his backdrop, Rocklin center Brendan Lane showed why he is headed to a Division I power, UCLA, on a basketball scholarship. He was absolutely dominant at both ends of the floor, and delivered a big win to his team. Placer Herald 2/4 

Upland 61, Los Osos 51: Zach Robbins had 31 points and 17 rebounds to help Upland (17-7, 4-3) pull closer to second-place Los Osos (15-10, 5-2). Kendall Williams scored 17 for Los Osos, which trailed by four entering the fourth quarter. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin 2/4 

UCLA commit Reeves Nelson, a 6-foot-7 forward at Modesto Christian High, was suspended from his prep team for an alcohol-related incident. UCLA had no comment. LA Times 2/5 

Rocklin High’s varsity boys basketball team led Oakmont 61-13 at halftime in Wednesday night’s 83-35 victory in Rocklin....Anthony Romero led Rocklin with 15 points while Brendan Lane joined Kale with 13 points and Tony Williams had 10. Jackson Cummings and Zach Moss scored seven points each for the Thunder. Placer Herald 2/5 

But McMillan chose to drive to Portland to scout high school players and have lunch Friday with incoming UA freshman Mike Moser. "Moser's going to replace Budinger next year and start at small forward; thank God he isn't going to play for UCLA," O'Neill said. "We'll be young, but Abdul Gaddy is going to be an absolute stud at point guard. He's going to be for us what Isaiah Thomas is at Washington this year. Arizona Daily Star 2/7 

As expected, the Gray Bees (22-2) didn't fold down the stretch. They scored 26 in the final quarter but after scoring 35 through three, not nearly enough. Sophomore Tavon Sledge is a one of the most explosive players you'll ever see at this level and led St. Benedict's with 17 points, Thompson had 14 but most of those were after the game was long decided. Myck Kabongo added 12 points. As usual remarkably balanced scoring for the Monarchs (23-0) as David Wear had 18, Tyler Lamb 17, Travis Wear 13 and Connor Hughes, the new starter in place of injured Andy Brown, had 12. Max Preps 2/7 

The first-place team in the Sierra Foothill League had no trouble with the last-place team on Friday night as the Thunder crushed visiting Roseville 84-28. The Thunder (22-2 overall) are 9-0 in the SFL while the Tigers (10-14 overall) are 0-9. Rocklin led 25-10 after one quarter, 43-12 at the half and 70-22 through three quarters. Thunder center Brendan Lane led the way with 19 points while teammates Pat Stover (12 points), Cody Kale (11) and Joel Day (eight) also got into the act offensively. Placer Herald 2/7 

Sylmar 106, Monroe 65: Garry Ricks and Tyler Honeycutt combined to score 50 points for the visiting Spartans (16-7, 7-1) in a Valley Mission League win.
Ricks scored 24 points while the UCLA-bound Honeycutt had 26 points and 24 rebounds. LA Daily News 2/7 

Kendall Williams hit a last-second 3-pointer to give Los Osos an 87-84 victory over Rancho Cucamonga on Friday. Khalil Kelly led Rancho Cucamonga with 35 points and 21 rebounds. Redland Daily Facts 2/7 

Recruits 

Westchester 69, Venice 52: Jordin Mayes had 17 points and five rebounds and Dwayne Polee had 13 points and seven rebounds for visiting Westchester (22-1, 9-0). Kareem Jamar had 11 points for Westchester. Daily Breeze 2/4 

Birmingham Detroit Country Day's Jordan Dumars was basking in the glory of his 30-point game -- which included eight triples -- against Kalamazoo Central in December. He was then asked about teammate Ray McCallum Jr., who's making the transition from Indiana since moving with his dad, Ray, in his first season as the University of Detroit Titans head coach. “He makes the game so much easier," said Dumars. “He’s a great passer and he can score. He takes the pressure off." Detroit Free Press 2/5 

There was a sense of urgency Friday night for Los Angeles Fairfax. "It was a must-win game," 6-foot-11 center Renardo Sidney said. With the Western League title at stake and a possible No. 1 seeding for the City Section Division I playoffs on the line, the Lions came up with their best defensive effort of the season to upset No. 2-ranked Westchester, 49-42, before an overflow crowd at Westchester. Sidney came through with an effort that was nothing short of sensational. He had 26 points, 22 rebounds and five blocked shots, causing one college recruiter to remark, "He played like the best player in the nation." Sidney had to limp to the bench at the end of the third quarter after grabbing his right hamstring in pain from a cramp. He came back in the fourth quarter and never left. His two free throws with 23 seconds gave the Lions a 45-42 lead. "I think I was dehydrated," Sidney said. "It was hot. I knew the team needed me, and I had to suck it up." LA Times 2/7 

The Mt. Pleasant High School boys basketball team was defeated Friday night by powerful Saginaw High School at home by a count of 71-55....Trey Zeigler poured in 24 points to go along with 11 rebounds to lead the Oilers, while Dan Pittsley added 12 points. Morning Sun 2/7 

It was like running a marathon...and turning around and doing it again the next day. That's how playing two nationally renowned teams in less than 24 hours felt for Fairfax, which breasted the tape in fine fashion both times. A day after defeating Western League rival Westchester, the Lions knocked off Chicago Whitney Young, 64-57, in the Nike Extravaganza. Senior center Renardo Sidney had 19 points and nine rebounds and Solomon Hill had 12 points for Fairfax. LA Times 2/7 

Westchester bounced back from a defeat against its Western League rival less than 24 hours earlier, defeating short-handed Seattle Rainier Beach, 75-65, this afternoon in the Nike Extravaganza. The Vikings were missing four players because of injuries, including Louisiana State-bound guard Aaron Dotson and another would-be starter. Senior guard Dominique O'Connor scored 21 points and junior guard Jordin Mayes had 19 for the Comets (23-2), who pulled away by outscoring the Vikings (11-6), 19-8, in the second quarter. LA Times 2/7

(photo credit: Placer Herald)