Reinhardt & “X” Johnson Among Early Season Standouts (January 3, 2011)
There was a ton of high school hoop action during the month of December from coast to coast and the early returns show us (among other things) that Mater Dei’s junior combo of 6’5” lead guard Katin Reinhardt and 6’6” swingman Xavier Johnson haveproven to be a dangerous duo and turned a young Mater Dei squad considered to be in re-building mode into a legitimate CIF Southern Section and state contender! The versatile Reinhardt is perhaps the most underrated 2012 prospect on the West Coast and for 32 minutes during Mater Dei’s 84-66 win over Winter Park (Winter Park FL) and ESPN.com’s 2011 #1 Austin Rivers during the 3rdplace game at the City of Palms Classic (Ft. Myers FL) on December 22nd, Katin was every bit of Austin’s equal – scoring 28 points and grabbing 7 boards. So a
far this season, Reinhardt has exhibited that he is a multi-dimensional guard with the size, athleticism, shooting range, pin-point passing ability as well as court savvy to be a potential Top 25-50 prospect in the 2012 national class. Just a few days ago Katin gave USC coach Kevin O’Neil a New Year’s Eve present when he committed to the Trojans after USC’s home win over Washington State. Katin’s MD teammate Xavier Johnson (a transfer from Chapparal/Temecula CA) has really improved his perimeter shooting and his increased athleticism has allowed him to make big plays above the rim at both ends. Xavier also showed up big in the Winter Park game (26 points/9 rebounds) but it was his dunk in transition over Austin Rivers that turned heads and made ESPN’s Sportscenter as the #1 play of the day! Xavier’s strong play during his junior campaign (which includes a 40 point performance versus Anaheim Canyon) has raised his stock substantially and he is now a legitimate 2012 McDonald’s Game candidate. While Reinhardt and Xavier are the main production cogs for the Monarchs, Gary McKnight also has at his disposal this year his most talented freshman duo is recent memory in 6’6” Shaquan Aaron and 6’5” Stanley Johnson (no relation to “X”). While the long and lanky Aaron has been inconsistent at times this season, he did pick a great time to display his enormous offensive potential when he poured in a season-high 24 points (including 6-8 from beyond the 3-point stripe) against eventual tourney champion St. Patrick (Elizabeth NJ) in a City of Palms semi-final game. Aaron exhibited great confidence in his perimeter stroke in that contest and made a loud statement that he is deserving to be an early candidate in the running for the 2014 McDonald’s Game although he does have a lot of work to do on the defensive end and needs to improve his strength and quickness in order to attain the lofty super-status some have already pegged him with. Like Aaron, Stanley also has legitimate McDonald’s
potential and due to his strength and his high basketball IQ is arguably the mostphysically ready of the two to contribute on a consistent basis at both ends of the floor at the moment. While Aaron looks to score often from the perimeter as a member of MD’s starting five, Johnson (just 14 years old) has taken on a different role his freshman season – sacrificing his offensive ability (had 32 points during the Top Freshman Game at the Fullcourt Press Fall Showcase last September) and providing excellent defense, rebounding and energy off the bench to help Mater Dei (now 13-1) win games. With that being said, both young MD prospects are great teammates and look to be a dynamic duo for the Monarchs in the coming years. The Monarchs start Trinity League play this Wednesday January 5thtraveling to St. John Bosco – where they will face the Cezar Guerrero-led Braves (13-2)………….For Mater Dei to regain their championship form in 2011, the road to Sacramento will definitely run though Long Beach Poly who have started red hot – rattling off 12 straights wins to start the season including winning tourney titles at the Pacific Shores tourney (Redondo Beach CA), National Prep Classic (Santa Maria CA) and ESPN iScore Holiday Classic (Torrey Pines HS/San Diego CA). Coach Sharief Metoyer has received excellent senior leadership from 6’8” Boston College signee Ryan Anderson, 6’2” USC-bound Alexis Moore and 6’3” Alex Carmon (one of the area’s top unsigned seniors) as well as 6’5” super-soph Roschon Prince. At Torrey Pines, Poly’s terrific defense allowed them to escape tough challenges from Lincoln (San Diego CA) and future UCLA Bruin 6’3” senior Norman Powell 66-65 in the semi-finals and Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland CA) and top 10 national junior 6’8” Brandon Ashley 48-42 in the title game. Anderson was named MVP of all three tourneys (Ryan had 19 points/14 boards in the win over Bishop O’Dowd) and is in the hunt for 2011 California State Player of the Year honors. Poly is now
ranked #4 in the nation by MaxPreps.com………….….As far as San Diego Lincoln goes, Powell and the 6’3” sophomore Robinson twins (Tyree and Tyrel) get most of the headlines but the glue to the Hornet squad might be 6’6” senior swingman Rasean Simpson who was outstanding in San Diego and projects to be a mid-high major late signing period prospect………………..…Speaking of the ESPN iScore Holiday Classic, upstart Sierra Canyon (11-2) defeated Westview (San Diego CA) 61-52 to win the Mayor’s Cup Division of that event. 1styear head Ryan Silver (formerly at Rolling Hills Prep) has done an amazing job molding this young Trailblazer squad into a legitimate championship contender in CIF-SS Division V. Sierra Canyon (ranked #20 in Southern California by the Los Angeles Times) are led by 5’10” soph point guard Jahmel Taylor who scored 30 points in the title game and is averaging 22 points and 4 assists per game this season. Taylor has already attracted substantial college attention from the likes of USC (offer), Stanford, Washington, Cal, Georgia Tech, Maryland, SMU, San Francisco, Portland and Northwestern. Besides Taylor, Silver has two of California’s better freshmen in 6’4” wing Bryan Alberts and 6’6” PF Marsalis Johnson (younger brother of Louisiana Tech forward “Deuce” Johnson)………………….Sparked by 24 points by tourney MVP 6’5” senior Byron Wesley (USC signee), Etiwanda (Etiwanda CA) topped Loyola (Los Angeles CA) 70-61 to capture the Oaks Christian Hardwood Invitational title. Etiwanda (now 14-0) also received 15 points from 5’9” senior point guard Jordan Daniels. Other standouts at the Oaks Christian tourney include 6’2” senior Josiah Turner (Sacramento CA/Arizona signee), 6’3” senior Lonnie Jackson (Valencia CA/Boston College signee), 6’1” senior Askia Booker
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasss(Price/Los Angeles CA/Colorado signee), 5’10” junior Chass Bryan (Oaks Christian/Westlake Village CA), 6’5” junior Julian Harrell (Loyola/Los Angeles CA) and 5’9” junior Max Guercy (Alemany/Mission Hills CA)…………….After having just one non-league game to prepare for one of the nation’s top holiday tourneys (Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina) and dealing with the tragic events that have plagued the team for the past several months including the deaths of the father of current player Kevin Payne and the mother of graduated player Jordan Salley as well as the near death of current teammate Xavier Jones who collapsed at a pre-season team practice and had to be revived by coaches, La Verne Lutheran has learned a little about what adversity means during the past year and on their trip to Myrtle Beach last week. Without the services of the 6’7” Jones (who is still waiting to see if he can be cleared to play after doctors inserted a defibrillator in his chest 3 weeks ago) and 6’4” soph Eric Cooper Jr. (still not 100%), La Verne Lutheran was able to defeat St. Rita (Chicago IL) 73-71 on a made shot with 8 seconds to go in the game by 6’1” senior Bruce English (Loyola Marymount signee) in their 1stround game, but the Trojans dropped their next two tourney games – leading to a 1-2 record at the Beach Ball. Arizona-bound 6’9” junior Grant Jerrett played well in Myrtle Beach – earning all-tourney honors and recording 18 points/11 boards/5 blocks vs. St. Rita and 20 points/14 boards/3 blocks against Greater Atlanta Christian (Atlanta GA)……………Former Windward (Los Angeles CA) star 6’4” point guard Darius Morris is having a break-through sophomore season atMichigan this year averaging 15.3 points (shooting 50.3 % from the field) and 7.4 assists per game (currently tied for #3 in assists in NCAA D-I this year). Morris’ impressive efforts this season include 26 points/12 assists against Bryant,
21 points/10 dimes versus Gardner-Webb, 20 points/4 assists against UTEP and 20 points/10 assists in a win over Penn State. Morris is a floor general with NBA length for his position and in less than two college seasons has developed into a slightly less-athletic version of Devin Harris (NJ Nets) which should result in increased NBA scouting attention in the coming months………….6’5” shooting guard Nick Colletta (Glendora/Glendora CA) is having a stellar sophomore season after transferring from La Verne Lutheran (where he was a member of the Trojans’ 2010 CIF Division V state championship squad. Colletta started the season with a bang by scoring 30 points in Glendora’s 63-45 win over Rowland (Rowland Heights CA) to help Glendora claim the championship of the Baldwin Park/Sierra Vista tourney – earning tourney MVP honors in the process. Colletta (an excellent student) is now averaging 24.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for a Tartan squad that has started the season 12-2. Nick has scored 20 points or more in all but one of Glendora’s games so far this year…………6’2” junior sharpshooter Austin Mills is providing Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills CA) with plenty of scoring this year – averaging 17.9 points per game with offensive performances of 31 points versus Arroyo Grande, 28 points against Rio Americano and 27 points versus Community Charter……………………..One of the emerging senior prospects in the Long Beach area in 2010-11 is 6’3” combo-guard Victor Jones (Lakewood/Lakewood CA). The wiry Jones is averaging 22 points per game this season with an impressive 35 point outburst against St. John Bosco (Bellflower CA) earlier this season………….……….SoCal sleeper senior 6’7” forward Temjae Singleton (El Camino Real/Woodland Hills CA) has committed to New Mexico State. Singleton’s high school teammate at El Camino Real is promising 6’2” freshman guard Julian Richardson (son of former UCLA
aaaaaagreat and NBA guard Jerome “Pooh” Richardson……………..Bishop Montgomery (Torrance CA) knocked off Washington (Los Angeles CA) 80-68 behind 25 points from tourney MVP 6’2” senior point guard Tyler Harvey (an excellent outside shooter and terrific student) to capture the Seahawk Classic in Redondo Beach CA..………Phoenix Shadow Mountain’s loss has been Redondo Union’s gain this year as 6’2” senior combo-guard Martyre DeMarco has been the Redondo Beach CA school’s most effective offensive weapon this season……….Former Compton High and USC star 6’7” DeMar DeRozan (now with the Toronto Raptors) poured in a career high 37 points last Friday versus the Houston Rockets and added 27 points against the Boston Celtics last night. DeMar is now averaging 14.2 points per game in his 2ndseason in the league and is emerging as a go-to-guy for the rebuilding Raptors…………After tons of speculation this fall on whether the NCAA will re-open the April period for NCAA Division I viewing this year, ESPN.com’s Dave Telep has reported that his sources indicate that the NCAA will not do so – thanks in large part to inaction and lack of organization among the nation’s college coaches with respect to this issue. It is amazing that the overwhelming majority of the country’s 320-plus D-I schools would not demand fairness vis-à-vis elite programs like Kentucky and North Carolina and re-open the spring period so that schools at the mid-major level or below can have a better chance to accomplish their recruiting goals and objectives…………..In my last column, I highlighted the impressive NBA rookie play and development of Long Beach native and former Los Alamitos HS and Stanford star Landry Fields – now with the New York Knicks. While I acknowledged Landry’s youth coach AC Diaz (Lakewood Hoops) as
instrumental in Fields’ evolution as a player, I inadvertently failed to recognize Dave Benezra and the LA Rockfish grassroots program whom Landry played with during his high school days. Benezra is the grand daddy of active SoCal grassroots coaches/directors whose club dates back to the mid-1980’s (or earlier) – at a time that I was still in high school at Long Beach Wilson HS (god I feel old!). In fact, one of my high school teammates Dave Brotz (who would later go on to sign with and play at Northwestern) played for Benezra and the Rockfish. Benezra has (ala Pat Riley) retired to the sidelines recently and has elevated former Rockfish player Jeff Berokoff (Auburn/San Diego State player) to head coach. Berokoff (SoCal’s version of Scott Skiles) guided his underrated Rockfish to a 5-1 record at last July’s Las Vegas Fab 48 – recording a huge 1stround upset over my own Belmont Shore squad before succumbing to the eventual tourney champs the Drew Gooden Soldiers. They are classy guys that deserve every bit of the respect they are due.
