Fullcourt Press Southern California Pre-Summer Class of 2009 Rankings: Part I – Centers/Power Forwards (June 29, 2008) This is the 1st of a five part series of 2009 rankings that will be released over the next week.  Unlike some other media sources that don’t fully understand that the college and pro game positions are inherently different for many reasons too detailed to discuss here, the Fullcourt Press has always broken down its rankings into 5 different position areas: (a) Centers/Post-Forwards, (b) Combo-Forwards, (c) Wing Forwards/Off-Guards, (d) Combo-Guards and (e) Point Guards.  These position categories reflect how multidimensional the college game has become and how much the concept of “versatility” is valued by college coaches.  These rankings reflect both current player talent level/skills as well as their “upside” or potential.  We have ranked the best of the bunch from 1-10 with others deserving consideration listed further below.  For purposes of these rankings: “Southern California” is the area bordering the Fresno area to the north and the Mexican Border to the south. We will update these 2009 rankings in late August/early September – after we get a chance to digest how much all of these players either improve or digress over the July recruiting period. Listed below are the top Centers/Power-Forwards in Southern California’s Class of 2009.  While there is not a lot of depth at this position, there are several excellent post prospects here including three bona-fide 2009 McDonald’s All-American candidates.

2009 Centers/Power Forwards   1.    Renardo Sidney              6’10”  Fairfax (Los Angeles CA) Talented big man has the “whole package” but doesn’t always utilize all the tremendous skills at his disposal.  Great face-up offensive ability with the strength to get to the basket and the soft touch to finish inside.  While his attitude and passion for the game are long-term question marks, his pure talent is too immense to ignore.  Scheduled to attend the Rbk All-American Camp (July 7-10 @ Philadelphia PA) and lead his LA Dream Team squad at the Rbk Summer Championships (July 22-26 @ Las Vegas NV).

2.         David Wear                    6’10”  Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA) Strong and intense versatile forward has excellent footwork and a wide array of offensive skills.  David has really improved his strength the past 6 months.  Both David and his twin Travis committed to North Carolina during their junior seasons. Scheduled to attend the USA Basketball 18 & under national trials (July 1-3 @ Washington DC) and (if he and his brother Travis are not selected to represent the US in Argentina on July 14-18) the LeBron James US Skills Academy (July 6-9 @ Akron OH). 3.         Travis Wear                6’10”  Mater Dei (Santa Ana CA)

Very agile PF is an excellent slashing scorer with the athleticism to finish above the rim.  Like brother Dave, “Trav” has really increased his strength level and this future UNC Tar Heel runs the floor better than most “bigs” in the nation.  Travis was a key factor in Mater Dei’s California State Division II state title run this past season.

4.         Joe Burton                           6’8”     West Valley (Hemet CA) Wide-body is a load inside the paint and extremely skilled as well as surprisingly agile.  Perhaps the finest passing post on the West Coast, “Big Joe” was sensational at the Pangos All-American Camp (earning Top 20 Cream of the Crop honors while passing for a game high 9 assists).  Scheduled to attend the Fulllcourt Press All-West Camp (July 11-13 @ Hawthorne CA) as well as anchor Compton Magic at the Fullcourt Press Cream of the Crop Challenge (July 14-15 @ The Hangar/Hawthorne CA), adidas Super 64 (July 22-26 @ Las Vegas NV) and Fullcourt Press End of the Trail Classic (July 28-30 @ Cabrillo HS/Long Beach CA).

5.         Anthony Stover                  6’10”  Renaissance Academy (La Canada CA) Stover is a very good student (3.6 GPA) that has developed at a remarkable pace.  Long reach (7’5” wing span) allows him to be a terrific shotblocker and a real defensive presence.  Oregon State, Gonzaga, SMU, Stanford, UConn, Arizona, UCLA, Boston College, Cal, Washington and Georgia Tech are among the many schools trying to stay in involved.   6.         Bak Bak                                6’9”     Village Christian (Sun Valley CA) Very improved but somewhat still raw foreign import, Bak has a huge “growth” plate.

Underrated scorer is active on the boards and competes every time out.  Oregon State, Gonzaga, SMU, UNLV, Nevada, Louisville and Colorado are among the schools showing interest.   7.         Chris Cunningham               6’8”     Diamond Ranch (Diamond Bar CA) Improving PF works hard to get good position for buckets and boards and has an impressive work ethic.   Cal, Stanford, Santa Clara, Vanderbilt, Gonzaga and UC-Riverside are among the schools taking a hard look.   Good student will be counted on to anchor California Supreme’s inside attack at the Nike Peach Jam (July 12-15 @ North Augusta SC), Main Event (July 22-26 @ Las Vegas NV) and Fullcourt Press End of the Trail Classic (July 28-30 @ Cabrillo HS/Long Beach CA).

8.         Alex Osborne                      6’8”     Pacific Hills (Los Angeles CA) Long-armed post runs floor well and can finish while driving to the basket.  Very good rebounder and defender is a summer sleeper.   9.         Kyle Richardson                6’7”     Mayfair (Lakewood CA) Rapidly developing “back-to-the-basket” post has made great strides in his offensive game the last few months.  Wide-base allows him to establish and hold his position down low and his soft touch makes him an emerging scorer.   10.       Jessee Hazely                     6’7”     Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita CA) Physical power forward attacks the basket with passion and is a force on the boards.   Other 2009 Centers/Post-Forwards To Watch   *           Perris Blackwell                  6’7”     Etiwanda (Etiwanda CA) Thick-bodied post has good hands and rebounds well. *           Ben Claes                             6’8”     Fullerton (Fullerton CA) Late-developing big man needs to add weight/strength.   *           Vincent Finley                     6’8”     Citrus Hills (Perris CA) Raw post has the size to get a few looks this July. *           Steven Gallion                     6’7”     Corona Del Mar (Corona Del Mar CA)  Physical banger can score on the block. *           Thaire Heath                        6’8”     Dominguez (Compton CA) Athletic rebounder will be out all summer with an ACL injury.  Will return to action this fall. *           Sean Hinkley                       6’6”     West (Torrance CA) Skilled PF moves well and is an underrated rebounder.   *           Joseph Henson                  6’8”     Pasadena (Pasadena CA) Strong power-forward has a big body and is a improved rebounder and interior scorer.   *           Carl Hofman                                    6’8”     Loyola (Los Angeles CA) Although Hofman does not pass the “look test”, Carl is really productive on both ends of the court. *           Vander Joaquim                 6’9”     Christian (El Cajon CA)  Foreign import is a rugged rebounder that is committed to San Diego. *           Conrad Liebowitz               6’7”     Crossroads (Santa Monica CA) Interior scorer also has face-up ability.   *           Chris Manressa                  6’8”     Tesoro (Las Flores CA) Underrated post player is aggressive on the block and has good hands in traffic.  Committed to San Diego.   *           Deandre Medlock               6’8”     Clovis West (Fresno CA)   Agile forward runs floor well but needs to get stronger and add bulk.   *           Colin Porter                         6’7”     Torrey Pines (San Diego CA) Quality interior scorer and rebounder is a very good student (3.5 GPA).   *           DJ Shelton                           6’7”     East (Bakersfield CA) Hard-working forward passes from the post well. Photos of Renardo Sidney, Travis Wear, Joe Burton, Bak Bak and Chris Cunningham by Nick Koza (www.SportsAmp.com).

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