There is an old saying about how you always find what you're looking for in the last place you look. John Loyd looked long and hard at several schools, but the point guard from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) finally found what he was looking for over the weekend.
File photo by Louis Lopez
John Loyd, Bishop Gorman
Loyd, who led the Gaels (30-2) to their second straight Nevada 4A state title in February and a No. 7 ranking in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 boys basketball poll, made an official visit to Oregon and signed his letter of intent with the Ducks on Monday to put an end to a whirlwind recruitment.
"Johnathan is an exciting young man who is a proven winner and leader," new Oregon coach Dana Altman said in a statement announcing Loyd's signing. "He’s a true point guard in every sense. He possesses a quickness that will translate well to (the) Pac-10 Conference."
Loyd had offers from schools such as Cal Poly and Northern Arizona in the fall before he averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 assists and 3.3 steals as a senior and became one of the fastest-rising prospects during the spring recruiting season. Loyd then received offers from the likes of Florida, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Washington State, and the Gatorade state player of the year had reportedly narrowed his choices to George Washington, Northwestern and UNLV just last week.
Loyd's father, Michael, played at UNLV from 1978-81. However, Loyd used his final official visit to check out Eugene, Ore., and ultimately decided it was the place for him. Altman recruited Loyd while the coach was still at Creighton, and that familiarity was a major factor in Loyd's commitment.
The 5-foot-9 Loyd also said he has liked the Ducks since his freshman year at Gorman, when Oregon knocked off UNLV in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament behind the play of undersized guards Aaron Brooks and Tajuan Porter.
"I talked to my dad," Loyd told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We went to lunch when I got back, and he felt like Oregon was a good situation. His input means a lot to me.
"I liked UNLV since I was young. But when I was in ninth grade, I wanted to go to Oregon. When those two offered me on the same day, it blew my mind away."
ANOTHER GRIMBLE CHOOSES USC
Jalen Grimble, a rising senior defensive end at Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), made a non-binding verbal commitment to Southern California last weekend before the school's spring football game.
Grimble's cousin Xavier, one of the top tight end prospects in the country, signed with the Trojans in February.
Jalen Grimble had 59 tackles, eight sacks and two fumble recoveries as the Gaels won the Nevada 4A state championship. The 6-foot-2, 255-pounder is expected to be one of the top prospects in the class of 2011 and had offers from schools such as LSU, UCLA, Nebraska and Alabama.
"It feels great. The business school, the financial school and the coaches are hard to come by," Jalen Grimble told Nevadapreps.com.
POSTSEASON AROUND THE CORNER
Most of the participants for the 4A baseball playoffs have been decided in the Northern, Sunrise and Sunset regions, but there are still a few spots to be determined during the final week of the regular season. The softball playoffs, meanwhile, are all but set.The postseason is scheduled to begin May 11 across the state for baseball. The Sunrise and Sunset softball playoffs also begin May 11 at Majestic Park in Las Vegas, while the Northern Region starts May 13 at Bishop Manogue (Reno).
Here is a quick look at the top games this week:
1. Liberty (Henderson) at Silverado (Las Vegas) baseball, Wednesday: These teams are battling with Coronado (Henderson) for the final two playoff spots in the Southeast League. The third-place Skyhawks (18-9, 8-4) currently have the upper hand on Liberty and Coronado, while the fifth-place Patriots (14-9-1, 7-6) need a victory and some help along the way, although if there is a three-way tie at 8-6, Liberty would win the tiebreaker.
2. Chaparral (Las Vegas) at Eldorado (Las Vegas) baseball, Wednesday: This is a must-win situation for the visiting Cowboys (12-11, 6-7), who trail the fourth-place Sun Devils (11-16, 7-6) for the final playoff berth from the Northeast League. A Chaparral victory would force a one-game playoff between the rivals.
3. Spanish Springs (Sparks) vs. McQueen (Reno), baseball: The No. 2 seed from the High Desert League is on the line in this three-game series that starts Wednesday. Spanish Springs (23-4, 12-3) has not lost since being swept in a three-game series against Reno to open the league slate. McQueen (11-7, 10-5) is the only team in northern Nevada to beat Reno. The final game of the series takes place at Aces Ballpark on Friday.
David Schoen works at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is a former Associate Sports Editor and Turn2 columnist for the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. You can reach him at ByDavid1@aol.com.