Sidney finding his fit
The top prospect in the class of 2009 Renardo Sidney is off to a blazing start for his new high school, and Los Angeles Fairfax head coach Harvey Kitani couldn't be happier about the way Sidney is fitting in with his new team.
"Renardo is still a ways away from being where he knows everything we are doing since he wasn't able to start practicing until October because of tendonitis, but he is playing very well," said Kitani. "I had only seen him play a few times before he got here, and I didn't realize how good he was.
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"He is such a prolific passer and has a great feel for the game. If he gets the ball deep, it really opens things up for everyone else. Usually with a player as good as him, the ball doesn't come back out. But Renardo has been unselfish and makes the right read."
It's not like Sidney hasn't been scoring, though. Through the first four games of the season he is averaging 27.5 points to go along with 16 rebounds per game for undefeated Fairfax. In his opening game of the year, he went for 31 points and 21 rebounds.
His conditioning, which has been a concern at times, is on the upswing despite the tendonitis.
"He's still not 100 percent at this point," said Kitani. "Our goal is to have him there next month. Unfortunately, he is having his tonsils removed this weekend, but we expect him to be full speed for the Amare Stoudamire tournament before Christmas."
As for Sidney's recruitment, Katani noted that UCLA, USC, Ohio State and Texas are the four schools that have been to Fairfax to watch Sidney play.
Renardo Sidney scouting report:
An elite prospect, Sidney has size, athleticism and is skilled with the basketball. He has three-point shooting range and is a dangerous player in both the low-post and high-post. He passes and handles the ball well and can also be a physical rebounding presence down low.