Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Super Seven: Gorman’s Bey could be city’s next big basketball standout

The Super Seven girls team will be published Wednesday

Las Vegas Super Seven

Christopher DeVargas

Bishop Gorman’s Jamal Bey is shown at the Las Vegas Sun’s High School Basketball Media Day at the South Point, Nov. 11, 2016.

Jamal Bey, Super Seven

Las Vegas Super Seven

Las Vegas Sun's Super Seven High School basketball team, from left, Kennedy Koehler (Coronado), Troy Brown Jr. (Centennial), Jerrell Springer (Desert Pines) and Cap Uzan (Desert Pines), Christian Popoola (Bishop Gorman), Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman), and Jamal Bey (Bishop Gorman) during the Las Vegas Sun's High School Basketball Media Day at the South Point, Nov. 11, 2016. Launch slideshow »

Jamal Bey showed flashes of dominating play last season for the Bishop Gorman High basketball team.

He’d hit a big shot or drive to the basket for two points, and look so smooth and polished that this lanky player full-of-potential appeared to be perennial power Gorman’s next great prospect.

The 6-foot-6 wing could follow the likes of Shabazz Muhammad and Stephen Zimmerman, two recent graduates who are now in the NBA, or McDonald’s All-Americans Zach Collins and Chase Jeter.

Bey is the lone underclassman on the Sun’s Super Seven preseason team, finding his way onto the list of the city’s top players after continuing his solid play in the offseason.

He immediately flourished in workouts with assistant coach Rich Thornton to catch the eye of college recruiters. By the end of the summer, he had scholarship offers from the likes of USC and Arizona State.

“For Jamal, it was taking it upon himself to know his opportunity is coming,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said. “He got in the gym every day and you can see the result. He has gotten better. He has turned into a big-time guy. He had to realize that this is his time and he doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone.”

In Gorman’s first game of the season last week, Bey delivered. He scored a game-high 26 points against Santa Margarita (Calif.) and was arguably Gorman’s best player, if not the best player on the court.

“I always wanted to start for Gorman,” Bey said. “It just sounds nice to say you start for Gorman. But last year, I wasn’t a starter. I had to sit, watch and learn.”

Bey averaged 10 points per game last season. Still, the potential was obvious and he received his first scholarship offer, from hometown UNLV. New coach Marvin Menzies confirmed the offer when he took over for the old staff.

“I had been working so hard. When I got that first offer I was like, ‘Ok, I made it,’” Bey said. “But I talked with (Thornton) and told me it wasn’t over yet and to keep working.”

If one game is any indication, Bey did just that.

Here’s the rest of our Super Seven team. It’s a who’s who are Southern Nevada’s top players.

Troy Brown Jr., Centennial

6-7 guard

In the seven years the Las Vegas Sun has selected a Super Seven preseason team, Brown is the first three-time selection. He probably should have been selected as a freshman, too.

He let us know about it.

“Why is this only for freshmen?,” the then 14-year-old asked during our media day four years ago.

Brown proceeded to average 15 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.7 steals per game during his freshman season, building a resume unlike any player we’ve seen in Las Vegas. Not many in our town’s history have been a four-year varsity player, let alone four-year varsity standout. He’ll easily go down as one of the city’s all-time best.

Brown, who signed last month with Oregon, is a five-star recruiting prospect ranked in the top 10 nationally for the graduation class of 2017. He played with Team USA this summer in Spain and has participated in many recruiting showcases across the nation.

All that’s left — beating Bishop Gorman.

Brown averaged 19 points, 10 rebounds and six assists per game last season, and in the Sunset Regional championship game, he led Centennial to a near upset of the five-time defending state champions. He missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have won the game.

“I have matured a lot as a person,” he said. “My game has elevated in many different ways. Maturity wise, mentally, I have gotten a lot better handling things like adversity.”

Kennedy Koehler, Coronado

6-7 forward

Koehler, who signed with UC San Diego, averaged 18 points and 14 rebounds per game last season to help Coronado win the Sunrise Region and advance to the state championship game. He was an all-Southeast League selection

“I am definitely an all-round player,” he said. “I don’t excel entirely in one thing. I do a lot of things well.”

Coronado is again the favorite to win the Sunrise, meaning Koehler will have plenty of chances to build off last year’s breakthrough performance.

“What separates me from other players is I put a lot of energy (in) every time down the court,” he said.

Chuck O’Bannon Jr., Bishop Gorman

6-6 forward

O’Bannon, the son of UCLA national champion Charles Sr., was the leading scorer at 21 points per game last season on the state’s best team. He’s a four-star recruiting prospect and one of the nation’s consensus top 50 overall players.

He went from being a reserve as a sophomore to developing into Gorman’s next great prospect.

“Just making better decisions. Growing up basically,” he said.

Gorman’s schedule is loaded with quality national opponents and notable holiday tournaments. Against local foes, everyone tries to dethrone the champs.

“It’s fun to have a challenge. We’re looking forward to it,” he said.

Christian Popoola, Bishop Gorman

6-4 guard

Popoola, who averaged 13 points and four rebounds per game last season, doesn’t have the mentality of a point guard.

“I’ve always thought I was a big man,” he said. “That is why I like to rebound so much. You don’t usually see point guards rebounding and dunking on guys. It is exciting. It is different.”

Popoola, who is a BYU verbal commit, averaged six assists per game last season to help Gorman win a fifth straight state championship.

“Once I started playing in the sixth grade, my dad kept pushing me, ‘You’re a point guard, you’re a point guard,’ so I grew into it,” he said.

Je’rell Springer, Desert Pines

6-5 guard

Springer averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, three steals and two assists per game last season at Shadow Ridge.

Now at Desert Pines, the senior believes he can help the Jaguars win the state championship. They have lost in the title game the past two season.

“My goal is to finish on top, to complete the mission,” he said. “I am the missing puzzle piece (Desert Pines) needs to complete the mission.”

Springer is credited with playing well at fast pace. He has the ability to get to the basket in transition, and also can knock down a jump shot.

“I have a high motor. I compete very well,” he said.

Cap Uzan, Desert Pines

6-foot guard

Uzan, who is verbally committed to play at Air Force, may be the 3A classification’s most decorated player. A two-time Super Seven selection, the point guard Uzan averaged 16.1 points, 5.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in 2015-16.

He led Desert Pines to the Southern League championship, but it lost in the state championship game to Clark the following weekend. Instead of focusing solely on winning a championship this season, Uzan is looking at the bigger picture.

“It’s about having fun. This is our last year,” he said. “You’ll never get this time back, so enjoy it while you can.”

Click to enlarge photo

Las Vegas Sun's Super Seven High School basketball team, from left, Kennedy Koehler (Coronado), Troy Brown Jr. (Centennial), Jerrell Springer (Desert Pines) and Cap Uzan (Desert Pines), Christian Popoola (Bishop Gorman), Charles O'Bannon Jr. (Bishop Gorman), and Jamal Bey (Bishop Gorman) during the Las Vegas Sun's High School Basketball Media Day at the South Point, Nov. 11, 2016.

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

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