Prep hoops: A month into season, a look at which players, teams have stood out

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 | 2 a.m.

We are about one month into the high school basketball season. Here are a few stories that have caught our eye:

Fightin’ Patriots

A quick four-hour trip into Southern California turned into a seven-hour adventure for the Liberty high basketball team. The Patriots were supposed to arrive a few hours early for their initial game in the The Classic at Damien in La Verne, but like most travelers heading south on the Interstate 15 last week, they had to battle road closures due to weather.

They arrived at 2 p.m. for a game scheduled for 1 p.m. The game started 10 minutes later, and to no surprise, the Patriots fell behind by double digits against Windward of California. But, to their credit, they put up a valiant fight in a nine-point defeat.

The delayed travel may have been a blessing in disguise, giving coach Stefan Berg confidence that his team can handle adversity.

“Other teams I have coached at Liberty, they get down by 10 or 15 and they are quitting,” Berg said. “This team, they keep fighting until the end. They don’t quit and are competing until the end.”

It helps having four-year starter Julian Strawther, who signed with Gonzaga in November. Strawther has elevated his game this season, especially when attacking the basket, Berg said. He’s averaging 36 points per game and needs 44 points to reach 2,000 for his career.

“He’s getting to the line more and making his free throws,” Berg said.

Liberty is 8-6 overall, but the six defeats have all been close. That includes an overtime loss to Arbor View in the season opener when Liberty was missing a few players who were finishing up obligations with the school's state champion football team. Junior tight end Moliki Matavao brings toughness to the post in basketball, and Germie Bernard (a standout sophomore receiver) and Lehi Ausage (the state defender of the year) are strong off the bench.

“We have had our chances in all the games,” Berg said.

That’s because the Patriots are no longer relying exclusively on Strawther. Sophomore post player Joshua Jefferson, junior guard Kobe Stroughter and senior Dante Davis (nine points per game) have all had strong starts to the season, Berg said. And, more important, the Patriots are playing strong defense, led by Davis, Lorenzo Abellar and Demetrius Williams.

Jefferson had 22 points in a win against Riverside Poly of California — a top-50 opponent — in the Tarkanian Classic at Gorman. He's averaging 11.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

“He was the difference maker in that game,” Berg said. “I knew he would be good. I didn’t realize he would be this good," Berg said.

Stroughter, who is averaging 11 points per game, has thrived running the Pats’ offense.

“He is the gas to our engine,” Berg said. “If he isn’t running right, neither are we.”

Game of the Year

Chelsea Camara doesn’t lead the Spring Valley girls basketball team in scoring. She likely won’t be asked to attempt a game-winning shot. Her value comes in leadership and defense — two traits that were obvious in a 77-74 win against Bishop Gorman, coach Billy Hemberger said.

Gorman’s Bentleigh Hoskins was unstoppable in pouring in 31 points, Hemberger said. In the final minutes of the game, though, Camara held Hoskins in check.

“Chelsea is our unsung hero,” Hemberger said. “She’s phenomenal. Just an all-around great kid. We use her to wear other players out. In the final two minutes, Bentleigh didn’t score.”

Spring Valley, Gorman and Desert Oasis are expected to jockey for the Southwest League title, meaning topping Gorman in the league opener is vitally important to playoff seeding. One of the three teams is expected to face powerhouse Centennial for the state championship.

“To steal one like that against Bishop Gorman is a big deal for us,” Hemberger said.

Spring Valley trailed by five points with five minutes remaining after sophomore standout Aaliyah Gayles fouled out. Hemberger, unhappy with the call, was whistled for a technical.

But Garrisen Freeman and Riahana Davis took over for the Grizzlies, matching Gorman sharpshooter Izzy Westbrook basket-for-basket down the stretch, and eventually prevailing late. It was a physical contest featuring 73 foul shots.

Davis, who sat out last season after transferring from Chaparral, is making up for lost time. She averages 15 points per game; Freeman is scoring about 12 per game. The duo helped lead the charge this week as Spring Valley won its third straight Gator Classic, including a 25-point scoring outburst from Gayles in the semifinals as the Grizzlies overcome a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit.

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Spring Valley. They host Desert Oasis (9-1) in the first Southwest game after winter break.

“They ended our season last year. We’ll definitely have that in the back our head,” Hemberger said of Desert Oasis.

Boulder City’s breakthrough player

Boulder City’s Ethan Speaker wasn’t part of any preseason watch lists. He may end up being part of the all-state team.

Speaker, a 6-foot-6 junior forward, is averaging 23 points and nine rebounds per game through the Eagles' (7-6) initial 13 games. Often, he is finishing shots at the rim — a rarity for a player in the class 3A.

“We knew he would be pretty special,” Boulder City coach John Balistere said. “He has a very high basketball IQ. He’s been tremendous around the rim. He can shoot the three. He’s not a one-dimensional player.”

Speaker and junior Matt Morton, who is averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game, have been starters since their freshman seasons. That should be enough for the Eagles, who went 24-4 last season, to be a contender for the 3A Southern League title.

“We still have some things we are trying to figure out,” Balistere said. “We want to go out and win the league. We certainly feel we have the ability to do that.”

Basic playing with confidence

This season can already be labeled a success for Basic. The Wolves, coming off a 6-20 record last season, already have double-digits in wins.

That includes reaching the championship game in their bracket of the Tarkanian Classic.

"The kids are playing with a lot of confidence,” coach Leonard Taylor said. "It's a tight-knit bunch. They are gym rats. They love to be in the gym practicing."

Junior guard Jaylen Berry is averaging 17.6 points per game, including 34 points in a victory Dec. 13 against Canyon Springs, a perennial top 10 program who "never thought in a million years they'd come to Basic and lose," Taylor said. Berry also had 28 points in a win against Las Vegas.

The most significant win, Taylor said, came against Palo Verde, one of the top teams in the Northwest League. Basic turned a double-digit deficit into a victory.

Basic only has two seniors on the roster. Most of its contributors played junior varsity last season by design, as Taylor wanted them to develop a winning mentality on the lower level. The same group of players competed throughout the summer on the same AAU team, getting in more than 50 games.

"The difference from last year to this year is obvious. They just keep getting better and better," Taylor said.

Guard John Board II has also been strong for the Wolves in averaging 14.5 points per game. Senior Isaiah James is doing a little bit of everything with 10 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

"John is starting to become that man," Taylor said.

Bonanza reboot on track

Arbor View went to the state semifinals last season. It is the reigning Northwest League champion. Bonanza is in the first year of a rebuild and not expected to be a contender — well, at least not this season.

Bonanza showed its rebuild is heading the right direction with a 86-75 loss to Arbor View two weeks ago. That’s especially true when considering the Bengals mostly use a rotation of six players, five of whom are undersized guards.

“We are scrappy,” first-year coach Kevin Soares said. “We hit some threes that night. When it was said and done, we were outmanned. We just ran out of gas.”

Bonanza (5-6) has been mostly competitive each game, including a victory against Cimarron-Memorial and a five-point loss to Palo Verde.

Senior guard Kendall Burrell is averaging 251 points per game, and junior Nico Diaz (11 ppg) and senior Tahj Goodlow (14 ppg) have also been productive, Soares said.

“We are getting better each night,” Soares said.

Jags respectable against national opponents

Desert Pines has a 6-5 overall record, which on paper doesn’t seem great for a team with state championship aspirations.

But when you consider the competition — in the national bracket this week at the competitive Torrey Pines Holiday Classic in California and two weeks ago at the Tarkanian Classic — the Jaguars surely feel as if they are in a good spot.

They won the their bracket of the Tarkanian Classic, and three players — Milos Uzan, Anthony Swift and Dayshawn Wiley — were part of the all-tournament team. Uzan was on the all-tourney team in California.

“We knew what we were walking into,” coach Mike Uzan said of the Torrey Pines event. “Every team had a 6-foot-9, 6-10 post player. Every team had a Division I kid.”

Desert Pines kept every game close with one exception — a 30-point loss to JSerra Catholic, a top-50 program, at Torrey Pines. But Desert Pines was also stuck in highway traffic because of a snowstorm.

“We spent eight and a half hours in the vans and had to play right away,” Uzan said.

Still, the experience was priceless. Most games at both events featured college coaches, giving invaluable exposure to his team. Milos Uzan, coach Uzan’s son, is a top recruit for 2022. The others are knocking on the door for scholarship offers.

“That’s why we travel,” coach Uzan said. “It’s big time for the kids to been seen at these events.”

Great start

The Pahrump Valley girls will return to 3A Sunset League play with a 14-2 record, including wins over large-school classification teams Durango, Silverado and Sierra Vista, according to Max Preps. The Trojans are built to last with four juniors and one sophomore in the starting lineup — it's the same starting five as last season.

"The kids, they bust their butt and play hard," coach Bob Hopkins said. "We play good defense most of the time. You look at the two games we lost, we gave up 19 points and 16 points in the third quarter, and we didn't give up that much combined in the other three quarters."

Sophomore guard Tayla Wombaker is averaging nearly 10 points per game to lead the Trojans, including five 3-pointers against Silverado. She is also averaging 3.8 steals, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Junior Kate Daffer is averaging nine points and seven rebounds per game.

"When Tayla has a good game, we are tough," Hopkins said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21