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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Stuff, Bits & Pieces, & More Stuff From
Around SoCal--(June 15, 2000)

It has been reported by several internet sites, and possibly one or two newspapers (we don't actually know about the latter, but it's what we've heard) that Markee White (6'-5" Sr. SG/SF) from Long Beach Poly, a very talented wing player and a talented football player as well who was expected to return to the Poly Jackrabbit gridders as the starting quarterback next season, had broken his leg this past week, and would be out all summer, and that he was doubtful for football. Well, yesterday, we received an e-mail from his mother, who said, "Markee has not broken anything, hasn't suffered any sprains, strains, or other injury which will keep him out of football or basketball. He was advised by his doctor to not play this summer, and he will be under a doctor's care, but everyone should know that he is physically fine."

Jason Kapono (6'-8" So. SG/SF) from UCLA, who threw his name into the NBA draft, and who reportedly was so intent on leaving school that he was rumored to have said he would rather play in the IBL or the CBA if he was not drafted in the first round, rather than return to play for coach Steve Lavin, has told a trusted advisor that he will make an announcement either Saturda or Sunday that he will be returning to the Bruins next season.

Kapono's teammate at UCLA, Sean Farnham, who graduated this year, has been hired as an assistant coach at Pepperdine, and will join the staff this summer. Congratulations to Sean and the Waves. Joining Sean will be Benjy Taylor who was also hired as an assistant.

Mayfair, Fairfax, and Dominguez, all favorites who will be participating in the LA Watts Summer Games, which starts tomorrow, will each be missing a key player. Josh Childress (6'-6" Sr. SG) from Mayfair, Craig Smith (6'-8" Sr. PF) from Fairfax, and Tyson Chandler (7'-0" Sr. C) from Dominguez will leave today and arrive in Colorado Springs, Colorado for USA Basketball's 2000 Youth Development Camp and Tournament, where they will play with the West Team (we posted the full rosters yesterday as soon as they were officially announced). Additionally, Coach Russell Otis will not be with Dominguez for the first two rounds of the tournament because he will be coaching the West Team at the USA 2000 Youth Development event.

The South Orange County Roundball Extravaganza, featuring 6 all-star games set for June 24 at Santa Margarita HS, was featured on an hour-long segment on OCN, Orange County's cable sports network. The segment featured interviews with participating athletes including Steve Scoggin of Mater Dei who signed with UNLV but who may not play because he just recently underwent surgery. The show also featured other participants in the games including Matt MacGinnis (6'-3" Sr. SG) from Villa Park, Chris Parrish (6'-4" Sr. SG/SF) from El Toro, David Gale (6'-0" Jr. PG) from Buckley, and several of the girls from the top girls' game including Kristin Mann, Guiliana Mendiola, Vanessa Ferragamo (who was also joined on the segment by her father, former Rams' quarterback, Vince Ferragamo, who is also an event sponsor), and Stanford-bound Chelsea Trotter.

Randy Small, head boys' varsity coach at Palm Springs HS, sent us an e-mail with a correction to a story we wrote about this weekend's Palm Springs Girls Tournament. We noted that the series of tournaments would feature 4 girls and 4 boys tournaments over an 8 week period. We were wrong. Randy wanted us to let everyone know that this year there will be only 2 girls tournaments, and 5 boys tournaments. Sorry if our story caused any confusion.

Eric Sondheimer featured a small blurb in his column in the LA Times Valley Edition about the Los Angeles Maccabi Team which will compete this summer in Richmond, Virginia from August 15-25. Sondheimer noted that LA will try for its second consecutive Championship title, and will be led by returning players Craig Weinstein (6'-0" Jr. PG/SG) of Harvard-Westlake, David Gale (6'-0" Jr. PG) from Buckley, and Will Sheslow (6'-0" Jr. SG/PG) from Montclair Prep (who is reportedly transferring to Chaminade). Other players returning from last year's LA gold medal team are Charlie Kranzdorf (6'-2" Jr. SG/SF) and Robbie Wizenberg (6'-2" Jr. SG/SF) from Harvard-Westlake. Sheslow and Gale are the only two with the chance to win a fourth consecutive gold medal, having played for Los Angeles in Seattle in 97, for Orange County in Detroit 98, and for Los Angeles in New Jersey in 99. Harrison Schaen (6'-8" So. PF/SF) will return for the Orange County Maccabi team, which will compete in Cincinnati this summer.