July 17, 2009
Lee for the defense
One half of the basketball firm of Lee and Lee was recently profiled at NorCalPreps.com so here is the remaining figure of that hoops partnership -- Demetrius Lee. A longtime starter for Coach Manny Nodar’s St. Mary’s High squad as well in the opening five of the Bay Area Hoosiers top club, Lee is in the midst of a critical summer.
Lee is a deluxe defender
A longtime starter for Coach Manny Nodar’s successful St. Mary’s High squad as well in the opening five of the Bay Area Hoosiers top club, Lee is in the midst of a critical summer -- those three months following a high school athlete’s junior year. Granted, the evaluation period officially extends further but impressions on both sides of the recruiting equation are often cemented during summer showings.
For the record, at 6-foot-3 and a strong, extremely athletic 200 pounds, college recruiters are currently looking at Lee as a wing and two guard. NorCalPreps.com currently has him ranked #12 in the 2010 class.
So what is Lee primarily working on this summer in order to do his utmost in attracting suitors? "My ballhandling. I want to become more of a point." Although he can and will rock the rim when the opportunity presents itself, Lee has a reputation for more often than not taking what is given. He’s hoping displaying additional offensive creativity elevates his status.
He already has the reputation of a lockdown defender, more often than not given the task of solitarily reducing the influence of a certain opponent. With the dribble-drive and either shoot or kick the ball out offense becoming more and more in vogue, those who can hamper penetration are being seen by college recruiters as a got-to-have-at-least-one-of-them commodity.
As for his final go-around at St. Mary’s this winter, Lee is focused on ultra rival Salesian High, a four-time winner over the Panthers in 2008-2009. Throwing down the proverbial gauntlet, Lee said, "This year is going to be different, we are going to beat them."
As for a destination beyond the 2009-2010 high school season, San Francisco and Lee are seriously considering a long-term relationship.
Lee participated in three games in the recent adidas It Take 5ive tourney before an injured knee sidelined him. He’s presently in Los Angeles, having participated in the Pangos Full Court Press All-West Camp and now the “Cream of the Crop Challenge” in Long Beach. Then it will be the adidas 64 in Las Vegas in late July and right after that another Los Angeles event.
Lee hopes to sign a letter-of-intent in November if everything works out to his satisfaction but for now it’s audition time. Remarkably, there is a band called Tenacious D based in Los Angeles but someone else with such a reputation is on tour this summer and providing some sweet notes.