Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Area preps look at small colleges

With the best high school basketball players already signed to play at their colleges of choice, it's easy to forget there are several more who have yet to decide where they will play after graduation.

The national letter of intent signing period begins today and runs through May 15, and while coaches don't expect anyone from the area to sign on with a major Division I program during this period, smaller universities and junior colleges will add Las Vegans to their rosters.

"It's hard to get into Division I," Valley coach Paul Aznarez said. "I think a few guys might blossom at the JC level."

Eldorado's Demarlo Slocum is the only potential late Division I signee, but he is still undecided. The 6-2 guard averaged 25.4 points and 2.5 assists a game and has reportedly been offered a full scholarship to Wagner in Staten Island, N.Y.

"Demarlo has not made a commitment to sign with anybody yet," Eldorado coach Brian McCallister said. "He's getting close to making his decision, but hasn't as of this morning."

Utah Valley Junior College in Provo scored a pair of Las Vegans in 5-foot-9 Durango point guard Jared Call and 6-7 Bishop Gorman center David Sawyer. According to Gorman coach Jeff Wagonseller, Call's brother is an assistant at Utah Valley.

Call, a SUN all-state selection, averaged 11 points and six assists a game in leading the Trailblazers to their second straight state championship. Sawyer averaged 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Durango's Kevon Jones, a 5-11 off guard, isn't sure where he will go. He will visit NAIA schools Denver and Albertson College in Caldwell, Ind.

J. Johnson, Valley's 6-8 center, also has visits planned and has generated interest from Lassen (Calif.) Junior College and Central Arizona, according to Aznarez.

"The important thing in all this is that these kids are getting a free education," Durango coach Al LaRocque said. "I'm sure many of them would like to attend a higher-profile school, but the fact is it's such a luxury these days to get an education because of the costs involved. Plus you get to do something you love, which is play basketball."

Most of the area's best chose their colleges during the early signing period last November.

Durango's Ra'oof Sadat, this year's SUN state basketball Player of the Year, signed with San Francisco. Bishop Gorman's Jim Roban signed with Montana and Cheyenne's Aaron Henderson, the state's leading scorer last year, signed with Southern Utah.

Henderson, however, is expected to forsake Southern Utah for a junior college.

"He said he wasn't going there, that he was going to a JC," Cheyenne coach Phil Clark said. "Now we're going to find the right JC for him. He'll visit San Jacinto (in Pasadena, Texas) in about a week. He'll scrimmage a little with the guys and check out the campus."

Overall, coaches rate this year's basketball class as standard for Las Vegas.

"It's average," LaRocque said. "About four years ago we had six Division I players on our summer league team. That was the year (Clark alum) Ron Riley was a senior. That was a great class."

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