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Fullcourt Press Southern California
Class of 2011 Rankings: Combo-Guards
By Dinos Trigonis
(May 14, 2010)
This is the second of a five part series of 2011 rankings that will be released over the next week or so. Unlike some other media sources that don’t fully understand that the college and pro game positions are inherently different for many reasons too detailed to discuss here, the Fullcourt Press has always broken down its rankings into 5 different position areas: (a) Centers/Post-Forwards, (b) Combo-Forwards, (c) Wing Forwards/Off-Guards, (d) Combo-Guards and (e) Point Guards. These position categories reflect how multi-dimensional the college game has become and how much the concept of “versatility” is valued by college coaches. These rankings reflect both current player talent level/skills as well as their “upside” or potential. The Fullcourt Press also tends to value “intangibles” (e.g. work-ethic, attitude, character,
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leadership, basketball IQ, etc.) more than several of our fellow West Coast scouts. We also feel that projecting a player’s potential involves not just looking forward but also reflecting on a player’s past body of work. We believe that this overall and comprehensive perspective gives us a better read of a player’s present and future capabilities. We have ranked the top players in each of our five position categories from 1-10 with others deserving consideration listed further below. For purposes of these rankings: “Southern California” is the area bordering the Fresno area to the north and the Mexican Border to the south.
We will update these 2011 rankings again in late August/early September – after we get a chance to digest how much all of these players either improve or digress between now and the July recruiting period. Additional players will be added to the list below in future reports as we get a chance to see and discover other prospects at future events this summer.
Listed below are the top Combo-Guards in Southern California’s Class of 2011 – led by one of the fastest rising prospects in the nation: Norman Powell. Spencer Dinwiddie, Gelaun Wheelwright and Bruce English are also prospects that are being held in high regard by college coaches and media while the rest of the Top 10 are players worth taking a long look at this July.
2011 Combo-Guards
1. Norman Powell 6’3” Lincoln (San Diego CA)
Ever since he showed flashes of his immense potential at last September’s Fullcourt Press Fall Hoops Classic, Powell has definitely been a player on the rise and his junior season was a big personal stepping stone – leading his San Diego Lincoln team to a CIF Division II state title. Very athletic combo-guard in the Russell Westbrook mold has improved his ballhandling and is very skilled beating his man off the bounce and getting to the basket. While he is an athletic jump shooter (ala Eddie Jones), Norman can be streaky from the perimeter and needs to improve his consistency from beyond the stripe. Powell also needs to increase his motor as he has a tendency to coast at times but the potential for future greatness is there and is too real to ignore. Good student has offers from San Diego State, Fresno State and just recently UCLA with Washington State, Kansas and Arizona also showing strong interest.
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2. Spencer Dinwiddie 6’4” Taft (Woodland Hills CA)
Skilled and smart lead guard has the tools and size to play both guard spots very effectively. Very good shooter when he gets a clean look, Spencer also has the necessary arm span to be a potential lock-down defender. Great kid is young for his grade and has a body that has much room for future physical growth. Excellent student is hearing from Arizona State (offer), Washington, Washington State, UCLA, Cal, Stanford, Georgetown and Harvard.
3. Gelaun Wheelwright 6’2” Centennial (Corona CA)
High-octane scorer can really fill up the score-sheet in a variety of ways. Gelaun is a dangerous shooter when hot, but also needs to show the ability to run a team and make teammates better in order to reach his full potential. Very good student committed to USC in July 2009.
4. Bruce English 6’1” La Verne Lutheran (La Verne CA)
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Very explosive lead guard can really score especially while driving to the basket. Bruce’s baseline jump shot at the buzzer lifted La Verne Lu over Windward to win the 2010 CIF-Southern Section Division V sectional title (his team would also capture the California State Division V title this year as well). Impressive in the classroom, English’s talents have caught the attention of UNLV, Stanford, USC, SMU, Colorado, Arizona State, UTEP, Hawaii and Pepperdine.
5. Askia Booker 6’1” Price (Los Angeles CA)
Crafty but very underrated athlete was an important player for California State Division V champion Price this year – complimenting nicely his Cal-bound senior teammates Allen Crabbe and Richard Solomon. Recent all-tourney selection at the Fullcourt Press Easter Classic has a knack for making tough shots. Good student is hearing from Virginia, Baylor, Washington State and San Diego.
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6. Davon Potts 6’2” Gahr (Cerritos CA)
Excellent defender is an underrated ballhandler that loves to push the rock in transition. Very good perimeter shooter (averaged 21.4 points per game this past year) is also a fine student and one of the West Coast’s top 2011 sleepers. Potts is the object of attention from the likes of Davidson, UC-Davis, San Diego, Portland, Pacific, Portland State, Stanford, Cal and Arizona State.
7. Camryon Crocker 6’2” Los Alamitos (Los Alamitos CA)
Lanky guard needs strength but is a terrific passer and dependable ballhandler. Very good student is attracting attention from the likes of SMU, Penn, Princeton, Stanford and UC-Davis.
8. James Douglas 6’0” Orange Lutheran (Orange CA)
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Strong and athletic guard has nice ability to beat defenders off the dribble. Fierce competitor and good student is attracting Ivy, WCC and Big West interest.
9. Denzel Johnson 6’2” Clovis West (Fresno CA)
Dangerous 3-point marksman is also a solid student. UC-Santa Barbara, Stanford, UC-Davis, San Diego and Arizona State among the schools expressing interest.
10. Darren Hechanova 6’2” North (Torrance CA)
Strong and reliable ballhandler is an excellent leader and teammate. Underrated scorer plays with the energy coaches love.
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Other 2011 Combo-Guards To Follow
* Brandon Boyd 6’1” Redondo Union (Redondo Beach CA)
Fine passer dished out 10 assists against Peninsula (Rolling Hills CA) this past season.
* Brandon Cunningham 6’1” Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga CA)
Scrappy lead guard plays hard at both ends.
* Jordan Fuller 6’1” Alemany (Mission Hills CA)
Clever combo-guard has an underrated perimeter stroke.
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* Christian Garrett 6’5” Oaks Christian (Westlake Village CA)
Lefty combo-guard is lacking game experience but has as much upside as any prospect on this list due to his impressive length (has grown 3 inches within the past 1-2 years) and his ability to beat defenders off the dribble. Very good student will likely attend a prep school (South Kent is a real possibility) this fall. Schools keeping tabs on Garrett include Stanford (has unofficially visited), Yale (invited to their elite camp), Columbia (invited to their elite camp), Northwestern, Princeton and Portland (invited to their elite camp).
* John Gilliam 6’1” Upland (Upland CA)
Scoring combo averaged 17.5 ppg this past year and was the 2010 co-MVP of the Baseline League.
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* Van Holloway 6’2” Righetti (Santa Maria CA)
Hard-working guard always plays with a purpose and has a nice mid-range game. Very good student.
* Shaquille Hunter 6’2” Villa Park (Villa Park CA)
Perimeter shooter averaged 17.1 points per game this past season.
* Evan Jenkins 6’2” Etiwanda (Etiwanda CA)
Jenkins was a complimentary player as a junior for the CIF-SS Division I runners-up (losing a very close 3 point decision to Mater Dei) but look for him to assume a more primary role next season.
* Victor Jones 6’3” Lakewood (Lakewood CA)
Very improved combo-guard with considerable upside is long and has emerging athleticism. Solid student too.
* Sam Kruk 6’1” Rim of the World (Lake Arrowhead CA)
Excellent from beyond the arc as well as in the classroom.
* Marqise Lee 6’0” Serra (Gardena CA)
TR Dunn-type defender is an underrated slashing scorer.
* Darrius Middleton 6’1” Leuzinger (Lawndale CA)
Scrappy combo with a quick first step is also an aggressive defender.
* Matt Mounier 6’3” Crespi (Encino CA)
High-energy guard plays with passion and has a knack for getting buckets. More than adequate ballhandler is an incredible student.
* Jesse Neugarten 6’0” Torrey Pines (San Diego CA)
Tough lead guard handles defensive pressure well and is a very good student.
* Davion Niter 6’1” Morningside (Inglewood CA)
Pesky defender can apply pressure baseline to baseline.
* James Northup 6’1” Bonita (La Verne CA)
Cerebral lead guard has excellent court vision and is a fine passer and accurate shooter. Good student is a sleeper in this group.
* Alex Perez 6’2” Otay Ranch (Chula Vista CA)
Sharp playmaker is a fast-rising prospect in this class due to his package of rock-solid ballhandling, accurate outside shooter and impressive ability to run a team. Perez could very well break into this list’s Top 10 by summer’s end.
* Louis Rose 6’2” Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga CA)
Athletic guard is a harassing defender that always gives maximum effort.
* Xavier Roy 6’2” Barstow (Barstow CA)
San Diego HS transfer is a strong and physical slashing scorer that is a very good defender. Father Kenny Roy is an assistant at Barstow JC.
* Michaelyn Scott 6’2” Washington (Los Angeles CA)
All-LA City selection produced an impressive 17.8 points, 4.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game this season.
* Joe Stein 6’3” Loyola (Los Angeles CA)
Big-time shooter is a physical guard. Good student started HS career at Concord De La Salle.
* Jeremiah Tardy 6’1” San Bernardino (San Bernardino CA)
Very good jump shooter poured in 29 points versus Patriot (Riverside CA) this year.
* Josh Wilson 6’0” Westchester (Los Angeles CA)
Athletic slashing scorer can also knock down perimeter shots. Good student.
Photos of Norman Powell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Gelaun Wheelwright, Bruce English, Davon Potts and Christian Garrett by Nick Koza (SportsAmp.com).
** Copyright 2010 by Fullcourt Press
All rights reserved
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