Day 1 at MPHC: Kameron Chatman's return to Southern California is a splash

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — As opposed to his last basketball game in Southern California, Kameron Chatman was all smiles Thursday on the opening day of the 119-team MaxPreps Holiday Classic.

The 6-foot-8 Columbia Christian (Portland, Ore.) swingman and No. 36 senior recruit in the country according to 247Sports scored 28 points and drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left in a 53-51 overtime win over De La Salle (Concord, Calif.) at beautiful Rancho Mirage.

The last time Chatman played a high school game in California, he was inserted late into a season-ending Long Beach Poly lopsided loss to Mater Dei by his Godfather and head coach Sharrief Metoyer in defiance to a CIF rule that made the then top junior recruit ineligible the entire season.

Chatman had transferred from Portland power Jefferson to Long Beach Poly (Calif.) following his sophomore year, but had to sit out the entire season (He sat out his sophomore year as well with an injury.).



Metoyer was subsequently suspended as Poly's coach for a season in exchange for no sanctions against the Jackrabbits. As part of his sentence, Meyoyer can not attend any Long Beach Poly games, which was tricky Thursday because Poly played the game before Columbia Christian at Rancho Mirage.

The Poly players greeted Chatman before he entered the gym and after its 74-51 win over Christian Brothers.

"I'm still close to most of those guys," Chatman said. "Those guys are still my brothers. ... It felt great to come back to California and play like this and win the game."

De La Salle senior Justin Hill had given the Spartans a 51-50 lead with a 3-pointer from the corner with 30 seconds left in the extra period. Chatman dribbled for 15 seconds, eventually backing in near the free throw line. He passed quickly out to Israel Hammond, who immediately handed the ball back to Chatman, who drilled the 3-pointer.

De La Salle called timeout with 1.2 seconds left and got a shot off at the buzzer under heavy duress by Jordan Ratinho missed. De La Salle coach Frank Allocco protested, but to no avail.

Idaho-bound Arkadiy Mkrtychyan had 20 for Columbia Christian and made one of two free throws with 0.7 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. Patrick Marr and Nikhil Peters led De La Salle with 10.



"When it left my hands I thought it was too strong," Chatman said of the game-winner. "This is the first time I've ever made a game-winning 3-pointer. It feels great."

Chatman, who has committed to Michigan, said he worked on his outside shooting extensively in the offseason. His ball-handling was also impressive against one of the state's most stout defensive teams. Chatman remained patient on both the last sequence in regulation and the extra period.

In regulation, he zipped a pretty pass to an open Mkrtychyan underneath the basket. Mkrtychyan was fouled hard but after he missed the first free throw, he swished the second.

On the game-winning possesion, Columbia Christian coach Aaron McKinney said it wasn't a perfect sequence, but Chatman has a way to turn pea soup into New England Clam Chowder.

"We knew who we wanted to have the ball at the end," Columbia Christian second-year head coach Aaron McKinney said. He can create on his own, he can post or he can shoot the 3. He's just a complete player and student of the game. He loves the game."

He must have taken at least 500 outside jumpers a day during the offseason, McKinney said.



"Hey's a gym rat, like all All that helped," McKinney said. "He's a student of the game. He loves basketball."

After sitting out two high school seasons, he loves it even more.

"It was hard those two years, especially last season," he said. "But today helps with all that. I feel like I'm playing pretty well."

Poly plays big: On a team loaded with physical guards, Long Beach Poly's 6-10 junior Jordan Dallas was extremely active and impressive in a 74-51 win over Christian Brothers with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Dallas said he's played much more physical the last three outings and will need to do so to help with his recruiting process. He just received an offer from Northern Arizona.

He said he talked briefly with Chatman in between games.

"He's still our boy and we'll root for him," Dallas said.



Poly (6-3), coached this season by Shelton Diggs, fell behind by double digits very early before getting its fastbreak and strong guard play going. Kameron Murrell had 17 points, while Chris Sullivan and Ke'jhan Feagin had 12 apiece. Christian Brothers had little answer for the physical play of Poly.

"They don't let us play that physical in St. Louis," said Christian Brothers senior post Armon Watts, a 6-4, 260-pound defensive tackle who has committed to Arkansas to play football. "We'll know better for next game."

Not only was the physical play an adjustment, so has the near 80 degree weather. It was snowing and hovering around freezing temperatures when Christian Brothers left St. Louis on Christmas.

"We heard it was going to be warm, but this is sort of crazy," Watts said. "I packed very light."

If Watts enjoys the weather, he might think about staying nearby. UCLA is one of the offers he received, though he said he's firm with his Arkansas commitment.

Invitational Division scores
Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) 74, Alemany (Mission Hills, Calif.) 67
Long Beach Poly 74, Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.) 51
Etiwanda (Calif.) 64, Calabasas (Calif.) 51
Columbia Christian 53, De La Salle 51 (OT)
Westchester 56, Issaquah (Wash.) 51
Jackson 53, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City) 44
Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.) 76, Orangewood Academy (Garden Grove, Calif.) 34
Harvard-Westlake 80, Catalina Foothills (Tucson, Ariz.) 65
Wenonah (Birmingham, Ala.) 64, Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) 62
Etiwanda 59, Bellevue (Wash.) 53
Sunnyslope (Phoenix, Ariz.) 60, JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) 49.



Friday's Invitational winners-bracket games all at Rancho Mirage (Calif.) (main or small gym)
Beverly Hills (Calif.) vs. Capital Christian at main gym, 10 a.m.
Sunnyslope vs. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) at small gym, 10:15 a.m.
Wendonah vs. Tampa Catholic (Tampa, Fla.) at main gym, 11:45 a.m.
American Fork (Utah) vs. Long Beach Poly at small gym, 11:45 a.m.
Capital Christian/Beverly Hills winner vs. Etiwanda at main gym, 4 p.m.
Westchester vs. Sunnyslope/St. Edward winner at main gym, 5:30 p.m.
Columbus Christian vs. Jackson at main gym, 7 p.m.
American Fork/Poly winner vs. Wendonah/Tampa Catholic winner at main gym, 8:30 p.m.