Here are links to my reports on the 2002 and 2003 Southern California Showcase events, and also my 2003 summer updates. The reports are mine (thanks to Fullerton coach Dieter Horton and DVC coach Steve Coccimiglio for inviting me!); the sites for the Say No Classic, the SF Pro-City and the LA Summer Pro League are those leagues' official sites. The box score from Magic's game is mine, as is the page of Summer Updates from 2002.
Highlights from whenever I saw someone associated with the JC world playing in a summer league game...
July 27: A Mid-Summer Night's Magic All-Star Game (@ Staples Ctr):
Marcus Banks (Dixie CC/UNLV/Celtics) got into Magic Johnson's annual All-Star charity game for the Rookies in their 127-123 win over the team of Veterans. While LeBron James (28 pts, 12 rebs, 7 asts) and Carmelo Anthony (34 pts, 7 rebs) got most of the headlines, Banks acquitted himself well, contributing 8 pts and 2 asts in limited time. He was the only JC alumn in the game but he fit right in and showed he'll be ready to contribute right away at the NBA level.
July 26: Say No Classic (@ West LA College):
On the first day of the playoffs, several JC guys had standout performances but nobody was more impressive than Tony Key (LA City). Key, who played at LACC in 2001-02, led Hank's Top Prospects to a 92-74 win over B-N-R with an overpowering performance: 18 pts, 13 rebs and 6 asts and his impact went even beyond his numbers as he was a true force inside. Also coming up big in the win was Marquis Poole (Mt. SAC/Idaho) who started at PG and finished with team bests of 20 pts and 9 asts. Kevin Lewis (Compton CC) added 9 pts and 4 rebs for the winners, while Marcel Jackson (San Jose CC/Long Beach State) contributed 2 pts and 6 boards in a reserve role. B-N-R lost despite yet another standout performance from Blake Walker (San Bernardino Valley/Portland State). Walker tossed in a game-high 30 pts and ranks among the top scorers in the league. What's more, Walker has split his time in this league between SG and SF after being a standout PF at SBVC the last 2 years, and he's been even better on the wing. Former SBVC teammate Mark Peters (now at UC-Riverside) had a nice game at PG with 14 pts and 9 asts, while another SBVC teammate Damio Ware added 12 pts. Jaqay Carlyle (LA City) came off the bench to contribute 2 pts, 4 rebs and 2 asts.
In the day's first game, Danny Lambert (Irvine Valley helped CABC rebound from a poor start to beat Top Flight, 71-66. CABC fell behind 11-4 early on before a pair of threes by Lambert helped draw them even. They pushed the lead to 17 at halftime and though the final score was close they never led by less than 4 in the second half. Lambert finished with 12 pts and 4 rebs. Ronald Eskridge (Santa Monica CC) led Top Flight with 14 pts and a game-best 13 rebs. Lynn Grayson (LA Harbor) added 14 pts, while Calvert Wright (LA City/CS-Los Angeles) had 9 pts and 6 asts. Rondell Eskridge (Ron's brother - also Santa Monica CC) had 6 pts and 4 rebs in a reserve role.
In the second game, Hank's Bakersfield Boys had no subs and dropped a 73-59 decision to Hank's Big Time. For Bakersfield, which was comprised of players now at CS-Bakersfield, three JC guys played prominent roles: Abe Lorenzana (Cypress) with 14 pts, 9 asts, Curtis Washington (Porterville) with 16 pts and 6 rebs, and Martin Rajniak (Cuesta) with 12 pts, 9 rebs and 5 asts. But the lack of depth caught up with them, particularly since Hank's Big Time had the likes of Tyler Newton (Shasta/Pacific) coming off the bench. Newton finished with 4 pts, 6 rebs and 2 asts after arriving at the gym early in the 2nd quarter.
In the finale, Team Say No dropped a 77-72 overtime decision to Hank's Team despite a solid performance from Steve Moore (Santa Ana CC/NE Okla/Arizona State). Moore had 13 pts and 5 rebs, including a key 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation that tied the game. But it wasn't enough to keep his team from losing even after holding a 14-point lead late in the first half.
July 19: Say No Classic (@ West LA College):
Eric Butler (Compton CC) started at PG and led Bishop II to a surprisingly easy victory over B-N-R in the day's finale. The 5-8 Butler finished with 14 pts, 5 rebs and 4 asts and punctuated his performance with a dunk in his team's 88-54 win. Blake Walker (San Bernardino Valley/Portland State) had 16 pts in a losing cause for B-N-R. Mark Peters (San Bernardino Valley/UC-Riverside) had 5 pts and a game-high 7 asts and Damio Ware (San Bernardino Valley) contributed 5 pts and 5 boards. Jaqay Carlyle (LA City/UC-Davis) had 3 rebs and 2 asts.
In an earlier game, Tezzaray Banks (Cerritos) came off the bench to register 10 pts and 7 rebs for Entertainment Tonite in their 84-82 loss to Hank's Big Time. Banks backed up starter Jason Chivers (LA Trade Tech/Seattle Pacific), who battled foul trouble all day before finishing with 0 pts and 3 rebs.
July 15: LA Summer Pro League (@ the Long Beach Pyramid):
Jannero Pargo (Neosho CC/Arkansas/Lakers) scored a game-high 24 pts and dished out a team-best 5 asts, but it wasn't enough as the Lakers fell to the Clippers, 103-97. Pargo used this league last summer as a springboard to making the NBA Lakers as a free agent. Bennett Davison (West Valley/Arizona/Europe) came off the bench and added 11 pts on 4/5 shooting. Schea Cotton (Long Beach CC/Alabama) got some minutes for the Clippers, contributing 5 pts and 2 rebs to the winning cause.
In the next game, a pair of standouts from Porterville's recent dynasty saw action. David Bell (who also played at Montana) had 4 pts and an assist for SFX, which won a 110-100 decision. Meanwhile, Mike Mackell (who went on to San Diego State) started for the Surf and tallied 4 pts and 4 rebs in 23 minutes. NBA veteran Cedric Ceballos (Ventura/CS-Fullerton) came off the bench for the Surf and contributed 15 pts and 3 asts. Jimmy Miggins (LA City/Pepperdine) got into the game for SFX just long enough to score a basket.
In the 12:45 game, Mike Batiste (Long Beach CC/Arizona State/Grizzlies) scored 6 pts and grabbed a game-high 9 rebs in the Grizzlies' 92-84 loss to the Raptors.
July 12: Say No Classic (@ West LA College):
In the 11 am game, Dennis Coutee (Riverside CC/Azusa Pacific) scored 12 pts, grabbed 5 boards and dished out 5 assists to help West Coast Sports to a 79-68 win over Hank's Bakersfield Boys. The Bakersfield team, which is made up of players at CSU-Bakersfield, featured a number of JC players, including Martin Rajniak (Cuesta) who finished with 13 pts, 7 rebs and 3 asts. Fred Nichols (Sequoias) had 6 pts, 4 asts and a team-best 8 rebs. Garrett Brown (Bakersfield CC) started at SG and had 6 pts plus 3 asts. Andre Hardwick (Saddleback) was the first sub in and had a strong performance with 9 pts and 6 rebs. Abe Lorenzana (Cypress) had a solid game with 4 pts, 4 rebs and 3 asts in a reserve role.
In the next game, a trio of JC alumni saw time for The Highlanders in a 69-64 loss to the Running J's. The Highlanders, mostly featuring players from UC-Riverside, had Brett Ost (Yuba) start at PG and he finished with 4 pts, 4 rebs and 3 asts. Chris Victor (Canada College/Concordia NAIA) came off the bench and added 10 pts and 2 asts before turning his ankle midway through the 3rd quarter. David Jobe (Diablo Valley) had 2 pts and 5 rebs off the bench.
The next game I saw went to OT, and Bishop II edged Top Flight, 67-65. Eric Butler (Compton CC) saw some playing time for the winners, finishing with 4 pts, 2 rebs and 2 asts as the backup PG. Top Flight had a trio of JC guys: Ronald Eskridge (Santa Monica) had 12 pts and 9 rebs, while Lynn Grayson (LA Harbor) had 15 pts and 6 rebs. Calvert Wright (LA City/Cal State LA) manned the point and finished with 6 pts, 4 rebs and 5 asts.
The 5pm game was another thriller, as Hank's Top Prospects lost a close one to Hank's Lil Hoopers, 79-75. Marquis Poole (Mt. SAC/Idaho State) started at PG for the Prospects, and totalled 12 pts, 4 rebs and a team-best 5 asts. Tony Key (LA City) started at Ctr and flashed moments of dominance en route to an 11-point, 8 rebound performance. Marcel Jackson (San Jose CC/Long Beach State) had 2 pts and 4 rebs in a reserve role.
In the nightcap, Grace Ford's Coyotes topped B-N-R, 63-49. The Coyotes, made up of players at CS-San Bernardino, featured a pair of JC alumni: T.K. Reed (Moorpark) manned the point, scoring just 3 pts but dishing out a best-of-the-day 9 asts, while Darnell Graham (Golden West) scored 10 pts and grabbed 8 of his 9 rebounds in the second half. Meanwhile, B-N-R had a trio of San Bernardino Valley standouts that did most of the damage: Blake Walker (headed to Portland State) had 13 pts and 7 rebs, while Damio Ware scored a team-high 15 pts and also grabbed 7 boards and PG Mark Peters (now at UC-Riverside) added 5 pts and a team-high 8 asts. Jaqay Carlyle (LA City/UC-Davis) had 6 pts and 6 rebs.
July 10: San Francisco Pro City (aka SF Pro-Am):
Cris Kelley (Monterey Peninsula/Sonoma State) and David Bell (Porterville/Montana State) helped Bay City to a 112-97 win over the Oakland Believers. Kelley started at PG and finished with 21 pts, 7 rebs and a team-high 5 asts, while Bell came off the bench and added 15 pts, 5 rebs and 3 asts. The Believers were led by Will Levy (Diablo Valley/Idaho State), who scored 21 pts and grabbed a game-high 13 rebs. Anthony Woodards (Skyline/St. Mary's) and Emanuel Enyinwa (Sacramento CC) also saw action for the Believers
July 9: SF Pro City:
A quartet of JC alumni helped the Dream Team top the Gilbert Arenas-led South Bay, 100-99. Maurice Brown (CC San Francisco/CSU-Bakersfield) had a superb game with 16 pts, 11 rebs and 6 asts, and sealed the win with a rebound of a South Bay putback attempt in the final seconds. A couple of Pro City legends, Edward "Topper" Allen (Skyline/Pepperdine) and Derrick "D-Mack" Hogan (CC San Francisco) also had big roles in the win: Allen finished with 11 pts while Hogan scored 13 pts and grabbed 5 rebs. Bill Shannon (CC San Francisco) provided muscle off the bench and added 4 pts and 2 rebs. Robert Kately (Skyline) saw some time for South Bay, finishing with 4 pts, 1 reb and 1 ast.
July 8: SF Pro City:
Marek Ondara (Skyline/Mira Costa/UC-Irvine) scored 11 pts and grabbed 9 boards to help SF City to a 91-79 win over East Bay. Several JC alumni saw action for East Bay, including Dante Sykes (Skyline/Hawaii Pacific) who started and tallied 9 pts, 4 rebs and 4 asts. Jarvis Michael (Alameda/Pikesville KY) saw some time off the bench and added 4 pts and 4 boards. Jono Metzger-Jones (West Valley/Pacific) and Thaddeus Wiltz (Marin) also saw limited action.
July 7: SF Pro City:
In the most one-sided game I've ever seen in this league, the Bay Raiders hammered Bay Pride, 127-70. Six JC alumni were on the winning squad, including Bryan Thomasson (Skyline/Nevada-Reno) who started the game and finished with 10 pts, 5 rebs and 7 asts. Dave Granucci (CC San Francisco/San Jose State) also started and contributed 6 pts and 10 boards. Eto Onyengecha (CC San Francisco/CS-Northridge) registered the game's only double-double with 14 pts and 10 rebs. Vic Venters (Diablo Valley/Montana) added 13 pts and 8 rebs for the winners. Malachi Thurston (Diablo Valley) added 12 pts and 3 rebs, though he also "learned" some streetball moves from former Cal star Raymond "Circus" King. Vince Fowler (CC San Francisco/Northern Colorado) had 7 pts including a pair of spectacular dunks.
June 21: Say No Classic @ West LA College:
Lynn Grayson (LA Harbor) arrived a little late, but had a huge game off the bench to lead Top Flight to a 71-58 win in the final game of the day at the Say No Classic. Grayson tossed in 20 pts, including 4 threes, and grabbed 10 boards. Ron Eskridge (Santa Monica CC) started and registered a double-double with 10 pts and a game-high 11 rebs for the winners. Calvert Wright (LA City/Cal State LA) scored 4 pts and dished out 7 asts in the victory. David Warsaw (El Camino/CS-Fullerton) scored a team-high 18 pts for Hank's Panthers in a losing cause.
Earlier in the day, a trio of JC alumni helped The Highlanders, a team made up of UC-Riverside players, to a 74-71 OT win over Hank's Big Time. Chris Victor (Canada College) and Brett Ost (Yuba) split the PG duties and finished with 5 asts, and Victor contributed 7 pts. And David Jobe (Diablo Valley) came off the bench and added 6 pts and 7 boards for the winners. Tyler Newton (Shasta/Pacific) came off the bench to lead all scorers with 19 pts and posted a team-best 7 rebs for Hank's Big Time.
In the 6:30 game, Hank's Team established itself as the team to beat in the league with a resounding 87-62 win over West Coast Sports. A Pair of JC guys saw action for the winners: Brian Pruitt (El Camino) came off the bench and grabbed a pair of rebounds, while M'Jumbe Williams (West LA) scored 5 pts and dished out a game-best 5 asts. Dennis Coutee (Riverside CC/S. Indiana/Azusa Pacific) scored 12 pts and grabbed a team-best 7 rebs for West Coast Sports.
And in the other game I watched, Danny Lambert (Irvine Valley) posted totals of 11 pts, 4 rebs and 3 asts for CABC in their 78-64 loss to Hank's Lil Hoopers.
And though I just saw the last couple of minutes, B-N-R, a team featuring Blake Walker (San Bernardino Valley/Portland State) nipped Running J at the buzzer, 77-76. Jaqay Carlyle (LA City/UC Davis) and Aaron Lesane (Riverside CC) are also on B-N-R.
June 15: Say No Classic @ West LA College:
Blake Walker (San Bernardino Valley/Portland State) scored 25 pts and grabbed 6 rebs to lead B-N-R to a 93-69 win in the nightcap of the first day of the Say No Classic. Walker and SBVC teammate Damio Ware (17 pts) helped the winners extend a 4-point halftime lead to a 24-point win. PG Mark Peters (San Bernardino Valley/UC-Riverside) had an outstanding game as well, finishing with 8 pts, 9 rebs and 7 asts while outplaying Arizona State's Jason Braxton. Jaqay Carlyle (LA City/UC Davis) started at PF, and Aaron Lesane (Riverside CC) came off the bench and contributed 9 pts, 3 rebs and 2 asts. Team Say No came out on the short end of the score, but Doug Thomas (Southeastern Iowa) had a powerful game with 19 pts and 10 rebs. Steve Moore (Santa Ana CC/E. Okla/Arizona State) had 5 pts and 3 rebs.
In earlier action, Dennis Coutee (Riverside CC/Southern Indiana) recored 14 pts and 8 rebs to help West Coast Sports top CABC, 80-69. Danny Lambert (Irvine Valley) started for CABC, scoring 8 pts and grabbing 6 boards.
In the day's most exciting game, Entertainment Tonight dropped an 83-79 decision despite having several top recent JC players on board. Jonathan Oliver (Ventura/USC) had 4 pts and a rebound, while Tyrone Riley (LA City/USF) contributed 6 pts plus 4 rebs from off the bench. Jason Chivers (LA Trade Tech/Seattle Pacific) led all rebounders with 10 and tossed in 6 pts. Tezzaray Banks (Cerritos) saw limited action as well.
A trio of JC guys helped Hank's Team top Salvatori's 49ers in the 3:30 pm game. M'Jumbe Williams (West LA) handed out 4 asts, Brian Pruitt (El Camino) contributed 6 pts and 3 boards, and John Clemmons (El Camino) saw some limited action for the winners. But the top JC alumni performer was Ryan Abraham (Glendale/LA Valley/Hawaii-Hilo), who had a game-best 24 pts plus 6 rebs and 3 asts for the 49ers. Ken Wright played most of the second half at PG for the 49ers and finished with 6 pts and 6 asts. Quenton Harvey (Compton CC/Utah State) added 6 pts, 6 rebs and 2 asts as the starting PG.
In the 6:30 game, Diamond Johnson (LA Trade Tech) started at PG for OC and contributed 2 pts, 7 rebs and 2 asts in their 73-48 win. Ernest Jenkins, who played briefly at LA Southwest this season, saw some limited action for Salvatori's Matadors, registering 2 pts and 3 asts.
Also: Magic Johnson's All-Star Benefit, July 27th. An unofficial box score is available.
July 29-30-31: Southern California JUCO Showcase @ Azusa Pacific University:
Full coverage on the link below.
Links to Showcase Reports & Summer League sites
2003 Southern California JUCO Showcase
Say No Classic
San Francisco Pro-Am aka SF Pro City
LA Summer Pro League (at Long Beach)
2003 Magic Johnson All-Star Game unofficial box score
2002 Southern California JUCO Showcase
2002 Diablo Valley Shootout
2002 Summer Highlight Section
