More on Nike Extravaganza
See game report, photos and video on following games:
Mater Dei boys 73, St. Benedict's 61
De La Salle 64, Dominguez 38
Fairfax 64, Whitney Young 57
Westchester 75, Rainier Beach 65
Mater Dei girls 64, Cajon 56
Foothill girls 57, Long Beach Wilson 32
By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
MitchMash had a bash at the best two-day basketball bonanza on the West Coast, the Nike Extravaganza at the too-good-to-be-a-high school-facility Meruelo Athletic Center last week.
Here are some "extravagant" observations concerning it and other high school items from throughout the country.
* Of all the interviews we did through the 14-game event, one of the most delightful was with St. Benedict’s 6-foot-9 forward Tristan Thompson, one of the nation’s top 10 juniors. He couldn’t have been more cordial, humble or complimentary to his opponent after the team’s humbling defeat to Mater Dei.
That’s why his departure from the team just two days later is so disconcerting.
The New Jersey Star-Ledger reported that coach Dan Hurley dismissed Thompson from the team for insubordination. The University of Texas commit from Ontario averaged 19.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. Evidently there was an incident during the team’s victory Tuesday over Passaic Tech.
“When you’re told to do something on the court, there’s an expectation that you will accept the coaching,” Hurley told zagsblog.com. “'He did not a take a swing at a coach or at a player, but when you're told to do something on the court for our team, you take the coaching and you do it. You don’t have a response.”
Hurley also told the Star-Ledger: “He’s an intelligent, talented, personable young man who’s an honors student who, in my opinion, is being influenced negatively by the grassroots forces in basketball in the United States.”
Huh? What does that mean? The grassroots/AAU basketball ordered Thompson to talk back to his coach during a game?
Like a family squabble, who really knows? But to kick a young lad off a squad is a very serious move. My observations of Thompson were all positive. His body language appeared strong and he played very hard late in a decisive loss. When asked if the Gray Bees would learn and take a positive away from the Mater Dei loss, Thompson told me this:
“Of course we’ll rebound. We always rebound. We’ll get back to practice, look at the tape, and see what we need to improve on. We’ll make up for it the next game.”
Doesn’t sound close to subordinate. Unfortunately no next game at St. Benedict’s for Thompson. Unless cooler heads prevail. For all involved, let’s hope so.
* Even without Stanford-bound forward Andy Brown, out for the year with a knee injury, Mater Dei is the best high school boys team I’ve seen in person.
And I’ve been covering high school sports professionally since 1984. (Good God that’s a quarter century or about a decade older than many of the whippersnappers I cover today).
* Much has been made about Mater Dei's cohesion and five Division I starters, but what sets them apart are two players you can't tell apart – the 6-10 twins, Travis and David Wear. The North Carolina-bound forwards are just flat-out hoopsters with every skill imaginable. With their length – and Division I guards to get them the ball – the team is simply a pleasure to watch.
“(The twins) give us a huge advantage,” said 6-4 junior guard Tyler Lamb, who has already committed to UCLA and who is also blessed with vast all-around skills. “We don’t just have big guys. We have big guys who can move. They can shoot the 3 which makes them almost impossible to guard. We also use them on press release – you see (them) bringing the ball up court. It’s a pleasure to play with big guys like that.”
* As good as Mater Dei is and played in the wire-to-wire win, the most impressive performance was De La Salle’s 64-38 dismantling of Dominguez, a tenacious team that simply does not fold or buckle. But against the Spartans’ stranglehold defense and near perfect offensive execution, Dominguez simply wilted.
“We were definitely functioning on all cylinders tonight,” De La Salle coach Frank Allocco said.
* What De La Salle is doing defensively is truly off-the-charts. Always known as a defensive juggernaut, this is the Spartans most impressive squad yet, allowing 32.5 points per game. Ten opponents haven’t even hit 30. And remember folks, there’s a shot clock in California.
* One of the most spectacular perimeter defensive players in recent memory is De La Salle senior guard Jordan Estrada. Absolutely menacing.
* At 65 points per game, the Spartans aren't shabby on offense either. The combination makes them not only the favorite to get to the state Division I title game from the North, but if they play like they did Saturday, they’ll win it. De La Salle faces another stiff test Friday at a very strong Monte Vista (Danville) team (21-2), a team that lost at the Spartans 45-34 on Jan. 21.
* After De La Salle 6-7 senior forward Beau Levesque had 11 points - including a pair of truly spectacular high-flying reverse layups - and a game-high nine rebounds, Allocco said this: "The kid has to be the most under-rated and under-recruited player in America. He's a tough minded kid who does everything you ask and he's got all the skills. I just don't understand it."
* A team De La Salle could face in the state finals is Fairfax, which is suddenly talking nothing but defense after its 49-41 win over league and Los Angeles rival Westchester on Friday. “We’re not quite ready for a state run yet,” said 6-10 senior Renardo Sidney, one of the nation’s top five recruits. “Our defense is just starting to play well two games ago. If we keep it up then we’ll be ready for state.”
* Obviously Sidney is Fairfax’s superstar, but the kid who really makes them go is 6-6 junior Solomon Hill, who has already committed to USC. Hill is a tenacious rebounder – he had 17 in a win over Whitney Young (Chicago) – a great slasher to the bucket (he had spectacular drive and slam dunk) and coach Harvey Kitani is playing him at guard.
* As good as Fairfax looked without Sidney being at 100 percent, I wouldn’t bet against Westchester. I love their guards, USC-bound Dwayne Polee is a living, breathing highlight reel and 6-9 junior Reggie Murphy is a load coming off the bench.
* Of all the sons of famous athletes, no one has a bigger target than Whitney Young 6-3 senior Marcus Jordan, MJ’s boy. But the smooth lefty seemed neither guarded or pretentious during post-game interviews. His game against Fairfax was very impressive, knocking down three 3-pointers as well as driving hard to the basket.
* Young (17-7) isn’t going to be among anyone’s final top 25, but there’s no one who has lost to more teams outside its own state. Mater Dei, Oak Hill Academy (Va.), Montrose Christian (Md.), DeMatha (Md.), St. Anthony (N.J.), St. Benedict’s (N.J.) and Fairfax. That is all of of Young's defeats in fact.
“We’ve seen every one,” junior guard Ahmad Starks said. “We’re ready to make our city and state run back home.”
* Anyone debating Mater Dei’s strength should talk to Young coach Tyrone Slaughter. His team was - OK I have to do it - slaughtered by the Monarchs 86-61 at the HoopHall Classic on Jan. 19. Young has hung tough in every other defeat.
* The toughest road to Santa Ana on Saturday was Rainier Beach of Seattle, which lost an overtime game at Bainbridge late Friday night then had take a ferry home. Most didn’t get to bed until midnight and four hours later the Viking woke to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Los Angeles.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Rainier Beach was already down four players to injury, including 6-4 senior Aaron Dotson, one of the most highly regarded guards in the country who has signed to LSU.
Despite that, coach Mike Bethea had his team in the game all the way before losing 75-65 to Westchester. “I suppose (the late game and travel) had some effect,” said 6-7 senior forward Corey Stern, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds. “I felt real good early but ran out of gas at the end.”
* The battle between top-ranked Mater Dei and No.15 Cajon (San Bernardino) was one of the most physical girls games I’ve seen. Both teams showed remarkable resiliency and numerous floor burns.
* Seems to me that Mater Dei's girls will be at the top of the national picture at least two more seasons with the triangle of sophomores Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Alexyz Vaioletama, and freshman Jordan Adams, along with one of the country’s top coaches Kevin Kiernan.
* There can’t be a tougher more savvy point guard in the country than Layshia Clarendon, of Cajon. Her 28-point performance with three different defensive mainstays coming at her constantly is one I’ll sock away in in the memory books for a long time.
Besides her grit, what I’ll remember is her absolute distressful expressions throughout. She played like a razor blade was glued to her socks. Beyond the pained looks she was constantly tugging at her own jersey and adjusting her headband, all while dribbling the ball against heavy pressure.
When she fell, she stayed down. Close to a minute each time. When fouled, she seemed utterly exhausted so at the top of the key she’d bend at the waist, place the ball between her knees and rest for 10-15 seconds before getting to the line.
There she would bounce the ball 5-6 times before shooting. Afterward she admitted she was stalling to reserve energy. “It’s an old trick my dad taught me,” she said. Kiernan chided the referees throughout and then afterward praised Clarendon for utilizing “pseudo timeouts.”
* The delays were obviously frustrating to the Monarchs who wanted the game sped up, but they never let on. Mosqueda-Lewis, who has played with and against Clarendon since both were in grade school, said she admired all aspects of her foe’s game. “It’s nothing new,” she said. “Layshia always goes out there and kills.”
* Teams that bond as tightly as the Foothill (Santa Ana) girls basketball team are tough to break. Don't be surprised if the Lady Knights, with seven seniors who have played together since their baby teeth were replaced, win their first Southern Section (Div. III) title since 1985 and reach their first state title game. See video.
"The girls have all grown up together," Foothill coach Bill Seibert said. "We're probably one of the only top teams in the state that has no transfers. The all belong at the school. They're all home grown. Many have been playing together since elementary school."
* Here's hoping the Nike Extravaganza stays together for years. It's truly one of the year's top events regardless of sport, region or season. Thanks for all those volunteers who put on a great show and made us feel so welcome.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
