Published Jul 20, 2013
Play of Serra teammates yields results
Chris Karpman & Edward Lewis
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting Staff
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LOSANGELES--Itmayseemincongruous,buthalfwaythroughtheJulyevaluationperiod,twoofthemostunderratedprospectsintheWest's2014classareteammatesatoneofthemostprominentLosAngeles-areahighschools.
TavrionDawson,a6-foot-7powerforward,andRonFreeman,a6-foot-5smallforward,helpedtopropelGardenaSerratoitssecondconsecutiveCIF-SSregionalchampionshipthisyearbutsomehowremainedinconspicuoustocollegerecruiters.
Untilnow.
DuringDawson'sEarlWatsonPangosEliteteam'scomfortableFridaynightwinoverSaltLakeMetroBlackattheDoublePumpBestofSummer,onePac-12headcoachwasoverheardasking,"WhoisNo.30?"
DawsonhadoffersfromonlyLoyolaMarymountandMontanaStateenteringJuly,buthehasbuiltuponthatlistwithCal-Davis,CalPolyandRhodeIslandfollowingsuitandmorearecertaintocome.Probablyalotmore.
ArizonaState,WashingtonandUSCarecloselytrackingDawson,andthenthere'sthatcoachwhocouldn'tstopaskingabouthimFriday.He'sprobablyinterestedaswell.
"IthinkIpickeditupalotfromthespring,"saidDawson,whoscoredondrivingdunks,midrangepull-upjumpersandcatch-and-shoot3-pointers.Healsoreboundedanddefendedwithaplomb."Myhandleisbetter,I'mgettingtotherack,makingsomeplays,doingagoodjobandmakinganameformyself.
"EverybodyItalkto,theysaythatit'scrazyIhaven'tbeengettingmoreattention.Butit'sstartingtohappen.It'sbeenalongprocess.I'vebeenworkinghard,soitfeelslikeit'spayingoffnow."
Freeman,too,isseeinghisstocksoarintheJulypressurecooker.HewentonatearinthefirstevaluationperiodplayingforSuperiorProspects,andheplayedamajorroleintheteam'swinoveranultra-athleticLouisianaFutureonFriday.
GrandCanyon,NorthernArizonaandUtahStateextendedscholarshipoffersbeforethefirstevaluationperiodended.Numerousothers,includingArizonaState,CalStateFullerton,NewMexico,OregonStateandSanDiegoState,aretakingaseriouslook.
"Prettymuchmyshootinghasimproved,"saidFreeman,whoisyoungforhisclass,havingturned17lastmonth."I'vebeenshootingitprettygood,onahighconfidencelevel.That'sreallyhelpedmyoverallgame,andnowI'mjusttryingtokeepitgoing."
Hemsleyturnsitup
JeremyHemsleywouldtenseup.Orhisshotwouldbeoff.Orhislegswouldn'tbounceliketheyusuallydo.Orthe6-foot-3,165-poundshootingguardjustwouldn'tplaywell.
Whateverthecase,whenthelightsturnedon,Hemsleyfeltlikeheturneddown.
Butlastweekend,attheDoublePumpSummerTip-Off,theSuperiorAthletesguardwentoff.Hescored,hedunked,hedashedandhepassed.Andhediditallinfrontofcollegecoachesandmediamembers.
HisdominantweekendyieldedoffersfromArizonaState,USCandColorado,inadditiontotheSanDiegoState,NewMexico,ConnecticutandBostonCollegeoffershealreadyhad.
"IthinkIjustshowedthedoubtersthatI'makidwhocanplay,"Hemsleysaid."Ithinkthecoachesnoticedthat,soIthinkthat'swhyIgotmoreofferslastweek."
Thisweekend,atanotherPumpsevent--theDoublePumpBestofSummer--Hemsleywasbackatit.Whilehisoutsideshotwasn'tfallingasmuchashewouldhaveliked,heshowedhigh-levelathleticism,exceptionalquickness,bouncearoundtherimandagoodfeelforthegame.
Thistime,hediditfrontofheadcoachesaswell.UNM'sCraig"Noodles"Nealwasthereformostofit,whileColorado'sTadBoylewasthere,too.AssistantsfromSDSU,BostonCollegeandotherswerewatchingintently,too,clearlymakingHemsleyapriority.
"IjustthinkIhaven'ttakenadvantageofwhenIhavetheopportunitytoshowpeoplethatIcanplay,"Hemsleysaid."Ihaven'treallyshownmytalent,butlastweekandthisweekIthinkIdidagoodjobofshowingpeoplethatIcanplay."
Simonnolongerlostincrowd
LedbyTylerDorsey,MarcusLoVett,AaronHoliday,SedrickBarefield,RexPfluegerandKendallSmall,Californiaischockfulloftop100guardsinthe2015class.
JustinSimonwantstomakeitclearthereshouldbeenoughroomforatleastonemore.
Simon,a6-foot-4utilityguard,hasbeenenormouslyimpressivethelasttwodayswhileplayingforGamepointRed16,includingina40-pointwinFridayinwhichhehadthreedunksthatfollowedstealsinasinglehalf.
"I'vekindofgotachiponmyshoulder,"Simonsaid."I'mnotreallyanattentionguy,butI'vegottokeepsteppingupandplayinglikethiseveryday.Thewordisgettingout,andI'mgoingtogeteverybody'sbestgame."
Irvine,SanJoseState,SanDiegoandSantaClaracomprisedSimon'soffersheetbeforetheJulyperiod,andNewMexicoofferedafterwatchinghimlastweek.
Theonslaughthasn'tstartedyet,however,asKansasState,Miami,NotreDame,Oregon,PennState,USC,VillanovaandWashingtonhavebeenintouchinthelastweekinsomeformorfashion.
Simon,whotransferredtoTemeculaValleyafterplayingtwoseasonsatCoronaRoosevelt,isaplusathletewithaterrificbasketballbodyandextremelylongarms.Hecandefendfourpositionsandplayatanyperimeterspotonoffense,andhecanevenrunateam.
Mageemakinghiscase
LouisianaFuture'sAAUsquaddrewabig-timecrowdofSECschoolsFriday,andoneofthebiggestreasonswas6-foot-4PGDominicMcGee.
Thebigpointguardshowedseriousvision,aswellasoutstandingathleticism,andhehelpedholddownHemsleyasmuchaspossibleintheirfirstmeetingoftheday.Laterintheafternoon,Mageehadanothergreatouting,provingthecrowdofSECschoolsgatheringtowatchhimwasnofluke.
Mageesaidhe'snowhereclosetopickingaprogramhe'llplayfornextyear--mostlybecausehisoffersheetisgrowingbytheday.
"Icouldn'ttellyourightnow,tobehonest,"Mageesaidwhenaskedaboutfavorites.
Hesaidfiveschoolswerestandingoutthemostintermsoftheiraggressiverecruitingefforts:Alabama,LSU,OklahomaState,MemphisandMinnesota.
He'llmakehisfirstofficialvisitnextmonth,althoughhedoesn'tknowwhereyet.Hesaidhe'snotsurewhenacollegedecisionwillcome.
Fridaytip-ins
Four-star2015forwardMarqueseChrissClickHeretoviewthisLink.landedanofferfromWashingtonafterhisgamesFriday.HealreadyboastedoffersfromBoiseStateClickHeretoviewthisLink.andNorthernArizona.
Stanback's2015pointguardteammateMichaelOguineClickSix-foot-102016forwardTrevorStanbackClickHeretoviewthisLink.saidhehasbeenreceivingmuchmoreinterestfromWashingtonandArizonaClickHeretoviewthisLink.lately.ThecenterholdsoffersfromUNLVClickHeretoviewthisLink.,UConnandUSCinhisearlyrecruitment.HeretoviewthisLink.flashedathleticismthatcouldlandhimonthePac-12radar.Fornow,the6-foot-1PGismostlyhearingfromBrown,Harvard,NorthernArizona,PennsylvaniaandSantaClara.
PumpandRunEliteforwardsJackWilliamsClickHeretoviewthisLink.andMaxHoetzelClickHeretoviewthisLink.landedoffersthisweek.WilliamsaddedtheUniversityofSanFranciscoandLongBeachState,whileHoetzellandedUtahClickHeretoviewthisLink.andUtahState.
Aubrey DawkinsClick Roman DavisClick Louisiana Future 6-foot-8 power forward James ThompsonClick Here to view this Link. benefited from a trip west to play in the Double Pump Best of the Best Tournament in the form of a scholarship offer from one of the region's most prominent programs, Arizona, on Friday. The three-star 2014 prospect is trending well, with Kansas State, LSU, Memphis, OklahomaClick Here to view this Link., Oklahoma StateClick Here to view this Link. and Texas A&MClick Here to view this Link. having extended offers. Here to view this Link., a 6-foot-6 hybrid forward at Los Angeles Winward and the No. 63 prospect in the 2015 class, picked up his first high-major offer from Arizona State this week. Here to view this Link., the son of Stanford coach Johnny DawkinsClick Roman DavisClick Louisiana Future 6-foot-8 power forward James ThompsonClick Here to view this Link. benefited from a trip west to play in the Double Pump Best of the Best Tournament in the form of a scholarship offer from one of the region's most prominent programs, Arizona, on Friday. The three-star 2014 prospect is trending well, with Kansas State, LSU, Memphis, OklahomaClick Here to view this Link., Oklahoma StateClick Here to view this Link. and Texas A&MClick Here to view this Link. having extended offers. Here to view this Link., a 6-foot-6 hybrid forward at Los Angeles Winward and the No. 63 prospect in the 2015 class, picked up his first high-major offer from Arizona State this week. Here to view this Link., is planning to reclassify to 2014 with a postgraduate year at New Hampton Prep in New Hampshire after graduating from Palo Alto High. A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Dawkins is plenty athletic to generate a lot of interest after somehow flying under the radar in the last year despite suggesting he was a full qualifier.
Click Here to view this Link.
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