Thoughts and other brainwave activity from Saturday

Kevin McCarthy
 

Who was it with the jingle ‘we do it all for you’? Neither holiday shopping nor skyrocketing gasoline prices could keep us from our appointed rounds on Saturday so, in that vein, here we go with musings from our marathon effort.

Well, we live and breathe just that attitude at NorCapPreps.com as exemplified by remaining seated for 10 or so hours last Saturday while viewing the Nor Cal Tipoff Classic. However, this effort now requires making amends to our collective behinds and this writer’s significant other, not necessarily in that order.

By the way, kudos to Gerry Freitas, for providing the prototype that all others wishing to operate a first-class series of basketball games should emulate. From having a program, including rosters, available for the press and fans and a public address announcer for every game--in this case the inimitable Carl Foster--to merchandise raffles and superb team matchups, Saturday was an exercise in excellent organization. Not to mention a great geographical location just off the freeway and a clean, well-lit gymnasium.

Anyway here’s our stream of consciousness thoughts that just appeared during the process: Why is it that it seems everywhere we go to catch a game, San Jose State Assistant Coach Donald Williams is already there?...Of course, other coaches of note were also in attendance Saturday, with a number of D-1 and community colleges represented...Did I mention that Gerry Freitas actually set up a hospitality suite for us pixel-stained wretches of the Fourth Estate and other so-called VIPs? The burritos were superb and the path to the room well worn...Piner’s Lucas Devenny is a throwback player. He can face up and does so at times but he’s much more of an in-the-paint guy--a plowhorse not a throughbred--who knows how to position himself and play the angles using his size and strength...Greg Simogyi obviously needs greater bulk and strength but is a factor right now at the defensive end just on his height alone. He doesn’t display the instinctive-like movement of someone who has mastered the nuances of his position but he’s still a relative newbie and UC Santa Barbara/The Big West Conference is the perfect level for him to begin the adjustment to Division One basketball...El Cerrito’s Ken Rancifer is an impressive package of athletic ability and basketball potential. The junior already has a D-1 body but has to get consistent production down...Acalanes impressed us the most as a successful team being better collectively than individually, a credit to the players and Coach Russ Scheibley...Chase Tapley is the real deal, the classic two guard with scoring ability from all ranges. The battle for his services should be a veritable battle royal...his teammate, Bobby Evans, had his moments Saturday flashing the potential for being a major minutes player down the line in Division One...Fremont’s James Albright is a true warrior on the court, with a serious D-1 body and frame. The three spot seems made for him if he can add shooting range...Junior James Robinson was also impressive on Saturday for Fremont...Clovis East was as scrappy, gritty and physical a team as can be, especially with a roster chock full of 6-0 and unders but why the Clovis coach didn’t play a box-and-one or some such defense to cool down Valley Christian’ Max Hooper is curious...Speaking of Hooper, it’s not exactly a secret but give him an open look and time to get set and he’s money. We haven’t seen shooting ever at the high school level like that of Hooper on Saturday night. His shooting form is a work of art....We also liked the confident ballhandling and play of his Valley Christian teammate, sophomore Kyle Travis...Tim Harris was easily the best physical talent on the court when he and his teammates went up against Clovis East despite that not translating into production but look for a revival from him, using Saturday as a learning experience...Chris Jones is simply the glue for Newark Memorial, ballhandling, defending and scoring inside and out. He nailed some nice three-pointers against Sacred Heart...the first half matchup of Jones and SH’s Teandre Hubbard was enjoyable to watch seeing two cerebral players going against each other...E.J. Farris surprised us with his offensive output on Saturday as we had him with 23 points...Sacred Heart’s Jerry Brown was effecitve in the paint and from three-point range on Saturday but his last three attempt had to be from NBA range...We have an idea--have Drew Gordon head to UCLA right now. No that didn’t come from the other West Catholic Athletic League coaches and players--our thinking is that he will not be facing the challenges he needs to grow his game in his senior season at Mitty--Collin Chiverton is looking better and better, more confident and consistent with his outside shot and displaying more tenacity on dribble-drives to the basket...