McDonald's All-American Ivan Rabb could end high school career where he starts college

BERKELEY, Calif. — At long last, Ivan Rabb is sure where he wants to attend college. At least that what his mother Tami Rabb said on Thursday.

It's between Arizona and Cal for the McDonald's All-American and consensus top seven senior national recruit, but mom is sworn to secrecy.

"He's just not ready to tell anyone yet," Tami said. "Whenever he does, it will be a quiet announcement. He won't be looking for TV cameras."

Rabb isn't aloof or secretive by nature, nor difficult or temperamental. Quite the opposite, says anyone who has spent any time around the 6-foot-10, 220-pound senior from Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.).

Those who really know him — coaches, teammates, family and friends — said his high school legacy won't merely be as one of the Bay Area's finest players ever.

Rabb, who averages 25 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks while shooting 71 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line, is a projected lottery pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

"Honestly, you ask any student, any teacher on this campus and they'll tell you there's no friendlier or genuine person here than Ivan Rabb," said Bishop O'Dowd President Steve Phelps.

Said O'Dowd coach Lou Richie: "Classy, gracious and unflappable. You think how much time he's been in the limelight and the stress and pressures it is to be in demand with fans and media and recruiters. Yet in all his years, I can't remember a single day and time when he was rude or out of line.

"That speaks to his values and how he was raised and the very person he is."

And that's why he's not making a big splash about his college plans.

On Saturday, O'Dowd (27-4), ranked 13th nationally by MaxPreps, take on No. 19 Mater Dei-Santa Ana (29-4) in a rematch of last year's CIF Open Division title game at Cal's Haas Pavilion.

It's the final game of the 12-game event, the last game of the NFHS season nationally and the conclusion to Rabb's illustrious career. The only thing missing from it is a state title.

The Dragons have been on a yearlong journey to get back to a game that left them so disappointed last season, losing 71-61. Richie put together an ambitious schedule that sent his team traveling from Florida to Hawaii to Missouri to Massachusetts, playing all of the country's best.

It's no time for distractions now. Rabb wouldn't dare thrust himself into the limelight with his college choice while his team is so razor focused on turning the tables on the 11-time champion Monarchs.

"I'm still trying to figure it all out," Rabb said earlier in the week. "It's been on my mind, but when I know, I'll know. My focus is really just on Mater Dei and finishing this all out."

He's leaned largely on his mom and Richie for his college choice. Tami, a caregiver in the day and cook at night, said she's no "basketball mom," and didn't get Ivan into basketball for a college scholarship or to play professionally.

"He was hell on wheels as a kid," she said with a big laugh. "I did it to keep he and (his now 16-year-old brother Tamarik) occupied."

Tami raised Rabb on her own since he was 2, but not after living a jet-set life as a teen herself. She was a fashion model from ages 14-20 and lived overseas, so she's been a good sounding board for her son on the pros and cons of leaving the nest.

"I feel very good about the fact Ivan has kept me involved in the process," she said. "We've had very nice open discussions. … Believe me, I am not holding him back. I want him to fly baby fly. It's his decision and his life and I'm just here for support."

She couldn't nearly be at all his games over the years — "Someone had to put food on the table," Tami said — and she allowed Ivan to just be a regular kid.

"He likes riding ATV bikes, eating barbecue, going to the beach and snow," she said. "Basketball is his love for sure, but it's not what totally defines him. I did my best to help make him a well-rounded kid who had a lot of self-worth."

But Rabb, without a strong push, just naturally took to the game. He soaks up all knowledge like a sponge. "You only have to tell Ivan something once," Richie said.

With his natural love for the game — his favorite player is Kevin Garnett but approaches the game largely like Tim Duncan — and his height (his mom and dad are both 6-3), Rabb blossomed into an elite player quite quickly. His future is boundless, said West Coast scout Gerry Freitas, a former college assistant.

"If Ivan Rabb brings his A game he is next impossible to stop," he said. "He is active and athletic and very difficult to guard around the basket. ... He has achieved just about everything an individual player could. He will go out as one of the all-time greats in Northern California high school basketball history, and he'll be playing the game for years to come.

"The only thing missing in his accomplishments is a state title ring. Getting that would be a fitting close to a remarkable prep career."

More fitting might be that it will be at Cal, the place he could start school in the fall. Mom wasn't letting the cat — or Golden Bear — out of the bag. But she did offer this.

"Tell all the Cal Bear fans to come out to the game Saturday night," Tami said.