Trigonis Tidbits: Drew Becoming A Hot Commodity On Tobacco Road (January 3, 2007)   Taft (Woodland Hills CA), led by 6’0” junior point guard Larry Drew, traveled to North Carolina last week to compete in the Glaxo-Smith-Kline Holiday Invitational in Raleigh, North Carolina and played their way into the championship game where they lost 69-43 to USA Today #3 St. Benedict’s (Newark NJ) coached by Danny Hurley and anchored by tourney MVP 6’5” senior Corey Stokes (Villanova signee) and 6’8” junior Samardo Samuels.  While Drew (son of former NBA player and current Atlanta Hawks assistant Larry Drew Sr.) has been a top 2008 target of North Carolina, Washington and Arizona for awhile now, it appears that Duke has also jumped into the picture – the clearest evidence of that being Mike Krzyzewski attending Taft’s semi-final game at Glaxo to get an up-close look at one of the nation’s finest junior point guards.  Drew is a

complete lead guard with the ability to score when needed (has a tremendous first-step off the dribble as well as three-point range) and plays with great poise, “setting the table” well for teammates.  UNC’s Roy Williams has been hot on Drew’s trail for quite sometime and was happy to have the speedy point on campus for an un-official visit last Saturday after Taft finished GSK play………..In other holiday hoop action, the most anticipated game so far this season happened last Friday at the finals of the Orange Holiday Classic being held at Chapman University in Orange CA.  USA Today’s #7 Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA) squared off with USA Today’s #8 Artesia (Lakewood CA) and it proved to be every bit as close as their ranking differential.  In an otherwise sloppy (albeit intense game), Artesia stormed back from a 15 point 2nd half deficit to clip the Monarchs 58-57.   Late in the 4th quarter Artesia tied the game 54-54 thanks to two consecutive long range 3-point bombs by USC-bound 6’5” junior Malik Story and Mater Dei’s atrocious free-throw shooting (missed 7 of last 10 attempts) down the stretch did not help their cause.

Down by just 1 point, Mater Dei had chances during the last minute to win the game, but could not convert.   Artesia’s 6’9” soph Renardo Sydney (16 points/17 boards) was named tourney MVP.   Other players that stood-out at the Orange Holiday Classic include 6’6” soph Jordan Hamilton (Dorsey/Los Angeles CA), 6’2” junior Jerime Anderson (Canyon/Anaheim CA) and 6’9” soph Chris Cunningham (Diamond Ranch/Diamond Bar CA).  Hamilton is a high-scoring wing in the Rasual Butler/Kirk Snyder mold, Anderson (who has verbally committed to UCLA) is a very smooth and productive lead guard that is an underrated defender and Cunningham is a rapidly improving post player that has displayed nice offensive moves in the paint during the past month of December………..After a slow start, Westchester (Los Angeles CA) rallied to beat host Redondo Union (Redondo Beach CA) 71-59 to capture the Seahawk Classic in Redondo Beach CA.  Westchester’s 6’2” junior Jarred Dubois scored 18 points (all in the 2nd half) and was named tourney MVP.

Other players that impressed at this event, include 6’8” senior Darnell Gant (Crenshaw/Los Angeles CA), 6’7” junior Tyreese Breshers (Price/Los Angeles CA), 6’1” junior Charles Odum (St. John Bosco/Bellflower CA), 6’3” junior Oscar Bellfield (Westchester/Los Angeles CA) and 5’11” senior Alex Tucker (Redondo Union/Redondo Beach CA).  After seeing Gant play in the 3rd place game here, one could make a very strong argument that the athletic forward is the best player and prospect in the LA-City ranks this year.  With his future college head coach Lorenzo Romar (Washington) in attendance, Gant played with both passion and poise, displayed a nifty turn-around mid-range jump shot and showed a very nice feel for the game that projects well for his long-term development.  If Gant was a stock, now would be a great time to buy!  Breshers is the best junior shotblocker and rebounder I have seen this year and his effort (especially on the defensive end) improves each time I watch him perform.

Odum does not have a true perimeter position yet, but he is an elite athlete (especially for his size) and his soft floaters over the out-stretched arms of Mr. Gant would have impressed John Stockton.  Bellfield (a Taft transfer) has really improved his perimeter shot and is now a legitimate 3-point threat.  Tucker (named MOP of this event) is one of the West Coast’s top unsigned and quickest points and should be a hot topic this spring when discussing top available PGs…………..  In the Desert Heat Classic at Cathedral City HS (Palm Springs CA area), it was a young De La Salle (Concord CA) squad overwhelming Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood CA) 78-57 to take home the title.  If the names of Spartan players 6’5” junior Nick Montana and 5’11” junior Greg St. Jean look familiar, its because they are the sons of San Francisco 49’ers legend Joe Montana and former NBA coach and executive Gary St. Jean.  De La Salle coach Frank Allocco has plenty of young talent on his squad this year with 6’0” soph Brandon Smith, 6’4” soph Max Pitts and 6’7” frosh John McArthur having the most potential.  6’7” junior Renaldo Woolridge (Harvard-Westlake/North Hollywood CA) continued his fine play this year – scoring 24 points (including 3 “threes”) against Sacred Heart (San Francisco CA) and being named all-tourney…………….. Jesuit (Carmichael CA) beat Dominguez (Compton CA) 64-58 in the championship game of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in San Diego CA.   All-tourney selection 6’4” senior Quinton Watkins (Dominguez/Compton CA) had another impressive performance here.  Illinois, Arkansas, San Diego State, Miami FL and Pepperdine are among the growing number of schools interested in this high-flying wing with deep perimeter range…………Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson VA) led by tourney MVP 6’1” junior Brandon Jennings’ 24 points and 12 assists and Duke-bound 6’3” senior Nolan Smith’s 30 points, knocked off South Medford (Medford OR) 99-90 despite a 39 point effort by South Medford’s 6’8” senior Kyle Singler (Duke signee) to win the Les Schwab tournament title in Hillsboro OR………….Building upon a great freshman year that earned him the distinction of California Freshman of the Year as well as an invitation to the 2006 Reebok ABCD Camp, 6’3” soph Roberto Nelson (Santa Barbara/Santa Barbara CA) has continued his impressive play this season as he is averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game as well as leading the Dons to a 10-1 mark…………One of the most talented freshman duos on the West Coast is Villa Park’s 6’6” Michael Atwater and 6’6” Clint Bozner.  Spartan coach Kevin Reynolds has done a good job developing forwards throughout the years including the likes of Eric Chenowith (Kansas), Sean Phaler (New Mexico) and Drew Viney (Oregon signee) and Atwater and Bozner are the heirs to that VP lineage………...After having 27 points (on 11-15 shooting), 5 rebounds and 8 assists in UCLA’s convincing 96-74 win over nationally ranked Washington are there any remaining NBA “experts” out there who still think that UCLA’s 6’5” junior guard Arron Afflalo is not NBA 1st round material?  There isn’t a better college off-guard in the country that gets the job done at both ends of the floor…………Former Pepperdine and Mater Dei point guard 6’0” Mike Gerrity has decided to transfer to UNC-Charlotte.  Gerrity would be eligible for the 49’ers in December 2007 and have 2 ½ years of eligibility………..One of the most underrated juniors in Southern California is 6’5” combo-forward Jacob Ranger (Carpinteria/Carpinteria CA).  Ranger (an athletic and physical player) poured in 45 points versus Agoura last month at the Santa Barbara tourney…………A senior “sleeper” quietly having a very nice season is 6’2” combo-guard Matt Wallace.  While Wallace attends a charter school (City Honors/Inglewood CA) that does not field a varsity basketball team, he is averaging 17 points and 4 assists per game for Pat Roy’s Inglewood (Inglewood CA) squad.  Matt is a very good student (3.5 GPA/1400 SAT) and proficient scorer (with a season-high 26 points against Corona del Mar at the La Quinta Classic)……………..

A trio of seniors in the 909 area code having senior seasons to remember include 6’3” Nicholas Turner (Chino Hills/Chino Hills CA), 5’8” Jimmy Nguyen (Garey/Pomona CA) and 5’8” Nate Ambrosio (Don Lugo/Chino CA).  Turner (an athletic slashing scorer) had 31 points versus Northview, Nguyen is averaging 24 points per game (including a 41 point outburst against Pomona) and Ambrosio is posting 23 ppg with a season high 33 points coming against Villa Park………5’10” junior Percy Miller Jr. (aka Lil’ Romeo) scored a game-high 22 points in Beverly Hills’ 75-64 win over Valencia (Santa Clarita CA).  Miller (well known as a rapper and actor) has improved substantially and is junior point worth tracking next spring and summer…………6’7” soph Aaron Moore has transferred from Dominguez (Compton CA) to Poly (Riverside CA).

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