SACRAMENTO – Each of the three California Interscholastic Federation boys’ championship games played Thursday in the Sleep Train Arena featured multiple standout performers.
Examples:
*The impressive efforts by freshmen Adam Campos (12 points and eight rebounds) and Kobe Keiner (a critical pair of free throws down the stretch) in Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame’s 55-50 victory over Playa del Rey St. Bernard in the Division V finale;
*Senior guard Robert Fuller’s 15-point, four-assist and two-steal effort that helped St. Bernard stay close throughout;
*Left-handed junior forward Tydus Verhoeven showed off his variety of skills while scoring 11 points with 12 rebounds and four assists as Manteca knocked off Chino Hills Ayala, 60-51, for the Division III championship;
*Ayala (which finished 33-4 and, like 29-6 Manteca, was playing in its first state title game) rallied from an early 17-point deficit to get to within three points early in the fourth quarter, got a strong effort by one of California’s best unsigned seniors, 6-5 John Edgar, who scored 21 points – with four 3s – to go with six rebounds and four steals;
*And 6-6 senior Mitchell Mykhaylov picked a perfect moment to turn in one of his best efforts for Encino Crespi, scoring 19 points with 13 rebounds in the Celts’ 68-53, Division I-championship win over Berkeley in the final game played Thursday night.
But three players stood out among all of the Thursday standouts.
Here they are, in sequence of when their teams played:
*Jade’ Smith (Alameda St. Joseph Notre Dame): The 6-3 Smith (by the way, his first name is pronounced “Jaw-DEE”) is one of the best “combo guard” prospects in the West Coast Class of 2017, as he demonstrated with his 21-point, 11-rebound and two-assist effort.
He’s got some of the tools possessed by De’Anthony Melton (see below) and has a chance to evolve into that type of player, as well.
*Kenny Wooten (Manteca): It’s a good thing that Nevada Coach Eric Musselman signed the 6-8 Wooten to a National Letter of Intent in November because, if Wooten had gone unsigned in the fall, he’s be one of the hottest “big man commodities” in the Class of 2016 this spring, with programs from every “power” conference in pursuit.
That was evident Thursday night while he scored 24 points with 13 rebounds and 11 blocked shots in the Division III title win against Ayala.
If you’ve watched Jordan Bell play for the University of Oregon this season (especially in the Ducks’ West Regional semifinal win over Duke in Anaheim Thursday night), then you’ve got a pretty good notion as to the caliber of player Wooten can be in Reno.
*De’Anthony Melton (Crespi): A lot of folks, in person and via social media, have spent a lot of time (in fact, too much time) debating Lonzo Ball (Chino Hills) and Jason Kidd comparisons.
We’ll I’ll start another debate right now: Melton sure reminds me a lot of Russell Westbrook when he played for Coach Reggie Morris Jr. at Leuzinger in Lawndale before going on to two years at UCLA and All-NBA status with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Now, I’m not suggesting that Melton will be as good as Westbrook was at UCLA or as tremendous as Westbrook is in the NBA.
But the physical dimensions, athletic tools, focus and determination are certainly comparable at the same point in their basketball development.
And he was the best player in the arena Thursday in many more ways than just his 24 points 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots would indicate.
USC got a “steal” – relative to his stature in national “ratings”, etc. – when Coach Andy Enfield signed him in November.
He’ll impact games in a lot of fashions – offensively and defensively – for the Trojans.
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