Westchester High School in Los Angeles posted a 35-2 mark in 2008-2009 en route to California’s Division I state title.
Houston’s Yates High School averaged 94.1 points per game and captured Texas’ 4A state title last March, finishing with a 34-1 record.
Westchester and Yates were arguably the nation’s top two public schools a year ago (finishing No. 1-2 in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings and No. 3 and 15, respectively, in the Xcellent 25). Expect both – along with Indiana’s Bloomington South – to vie for that title once again in 2010.
Westchester is no stranger to high expectations under head coach Ed Azzam. The Comets have won five Division I state titles in the last 12 years (1998, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2009) with players like Trevor Ariza, Hassan Adams, Amir Johnson and Gabe Pruitt leading the way.
The junior-dominated roster of a year ago returning to the fold includes USC verbal commitment Dwayne Polee (6-foot-7, wing), Kareem Jamar (6-4, wing), sharpshooting Jordin Mayes (6-2, guard), Denzel Douglas (5-10, guard), Marquise Washington (6-6, post), Mario Nored (6-7, post) and Reggie Murphy (6-9, post).
The Comets’ biggest regular season game of the year could come at December’s Les Schwab Invitational in Hillsboro, Ore. – where Virginia’s Oak Hill Academy will presumably be lined up on the opposite side of the bracket. That could set up a title game with major national rankings implications.
Westchester celebrated its fifth state title in 12 years under head coach Ed Azzam last season.
Photo by David Steutel
In Texas, Yates won its first-ever University Scholastic League (UIL) state basketball title last March, but don’t expect the Lions to take nearly as long to notch a second championship under head coach Greg Wise. In fact, they will be heavy favorites to do it again this season.
With all five starters – including a pair of All-State guards – and 10 lettermen returning, expectations will be huge at Yates.
Brandon Peters, Yates
Photo by Jim Redman
Dynamic duo Joseph Young (6-2) and Brandon Peters (6-1) return to the backcourt and both are major college prospects.
Young, who committed to Providence this week, was the most valuable player of the state tournament and led Yates with 18.8 points per game as a junior. Peters added 17.4 points per game and has multiple major conference suitors pursuing him.
Elton Roy (14.7 points per game) and Marshall Lange (13.4) are additional guards capable of posting big scoring totals on any night.
In the frontcourt, senior Alex Davis has grown to 6-9 and is a major defensive presence. Clyde Santee, a freshman last winter, is expected to emerge into one of the area’s top players over the next three years.
The Lions topped the 100-point mark 13 times last season, including a season-high 111 against Houston Reagan in a mid-January contest.
Yates’ dominant run culminated with a 94-78 victory over Dallas Kimball in the 4A championship game.
Rice, McAdoo headed to Chic-fil-A Classic
New York City powerhouse Rice and junior sensation James McAdoo of Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, Va.) will be among the highlights at December’s Chic-fil-A Classic hosted Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, S.C.
Rice is coming off a 25-3 campaign in 2008-2009 and captured New York’s Class AA state title. Seniors Kadeem Jack (6-8) and Shane Southwell (6-7) and juniors Jermaine Sanders (6-5) and Shamel Williams (6-5) will make the Raiders an elite team nationally once again.
McAdoo, a recent North Carolina commitment, is rated as the No. 2 player in the 2011 class by MaxPreps.com. He averaged over 25 points per game as a sophomore at Norfolk Christian.
North Carolina’s Christ School (Arden) captured the 2008 title and are slated to return to the event, which is scheduled for Dec. 19-23.
Chic-fil-A Classic complete field;
South Carolina teams: Dreher (Columbia), Fairfield Central (Winnsboro), Irmo (Columbia), Keenan (Columbia), Lower Richland (Hopkins), Richland Northeast (Columbia), Ridge View (Columbia)
Out-of-state teams: Charlotte Christian (Charlotte, N.C.), Christ School (Arden, N.C.), Lexington Catholic (Lexington, Ky.), Norfolk Christian (Norfolk, Va.), Rice (New York, N.Y.), Taft (Cincinnati, Ohio), Trinity Christian (Fayetteville, N.C.), Vance (Charlotte, N.C.), Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.)
