Showing continued improvement throughout the spring, Branch West Elite won 7 straight games over the Memorial Day Weekend Trny to win the BCA Co Championship with well regarded Cal Supreme.

This was Branch West's 3rd consecutive BCA Championship on Memorial Day, having won it outright the past two years.  Last year included a big win over Cal Supreme.  It was their second team but also included their two supers from the first team, Dwayne Polee 6'7" LA City Player of the Year who recently signed at St. Johns from the Big East and 6'7" Jamar Franklin who signed with San Diego State.

Cal Supreme has become arguably the premier AAU Travel Team program top to bottom in Southern California the last 3 years, with outstanding teams from 8th grade thru high school.  Its always a great challenge to play them as they really bring it at all levels. 

The Pump N Run teams are certainly in the conversation as well, and you can never count out Dino Trigonis and his Belmont Shores group.  Obviously there are other high quality groups, too many to mention.

Two years ago Branch West also beat Cal Supreme to win the Grassroots Regional Tournament at USC, also played in May. They were absolutely awesome with Jeremy Tyler 6'9" (played professionally in Israel last year in lieu of his senior year in high school), Garry Franklin 6'1" (Mater Dei and Cal), Solomon Hill 6'6" (Faifax and Arizona)and Justin Cobbs 6'3" (Bishop Montgomery and Minnesota and now Cal).  That win was a tribute to Branch West stars Eric Wise (CIF player of the Year from MLK and now UCI) and Alex Tucker 5'9" from Redondo Beach H.S. and now Florida Atlantic.

Though we would have love another shot at them, both Gary Franklin (Cal Supreme Head Coach)  and myself agreed that 4 games in one day was just too much.  Both teams were tired and beaten up and there was too much chance of injury and the decision to declare Co Champions was probably in the best interest of everyone.

For Branch West. it's time to recognize the outstanding play of  Reese Morgan 6'2 wing guard form Peninsula H.S.  He is in the conversation for being the best shooter we have ever coached at Branch West.  That conversation  includes Maverick Ahanmisi (6'2" Golden Valley H.S and Minnesota",  Davidas Dulkys (6'4" Findlay Prep and Florida State), Reuben Douglas (led NCAA D1 in scoring at New Mexico now in Italy playing professionally) and Miles Simon (Mater Dei and Arizona and NCAA D1 Player of the Year).

Reese will be a 4 year starter for Peninsula H.S. Class of 2011.  Unbelievably, he averaged 20 ppg on the varsity as a freshman 2 years ago.  This past year, he had 28 vs. Leuzinger and 27 vs. Westchester H.S tow of the top programs in California.

Reese is more than a shooter.  he is one tough hombre, one of the toughest competitors to ever play for Branch West. His dad played for Cal State Fullerton and averaged 15 ppg both his junior and senior years and was nicknamed by the LA Times "The Baby Faced Assassin".

Reese  also a first class defender and terrific rebounder for a guard.  He has played consistently well throughout the entire spring leading Branch West Elite to an outstanding spring.  UNLV is showing great interest as has a number of teams in the Big West and West Coast Athletic Conference.
Our other wing Askia Booker is the explosive and talented 6'2" combo gd from Price H.S's State Championship team.  Had an incredible Las Vegas Easter Tournament which opened up a lot of eyes from a recruiting standpoint.  He will be a well recruited D1 player.  He can shoot with range, is an excellent slasher, solid ballhandler and a monster dunker.  He plays equally well with and without the ball.

However, the most improved player on Branch West and possibly in all of SoCal is 6'8" Skylar Spencer also from Price H.S..  At the beginning of his soph year last December, he was coming off the bench at Price and playing 10 minutes/g.  Never started until the last two games of their State Championship run. 

At Branch West, we pride our self in specializing in the individual development and improvement of talented big kids.  For Example, 6'9"  Deon Thompson from Torrance H.S.(North Carolina) and Tyrese Bresheres 6'8" also of Price H.S. (University of Washington) in the last few years.  Prior to that, Cherokee Parks 6'10"  (Duke and the NBA) and Adam Keefe 6'9" (Stanford and the NBA), 6'10" Chris Burgess Woodbridge H.S. and Duke) and 7'0" ERic Chenowith (Villa park H.S. and Kansas).
Skylar is probably the best shot blocker in SoCal and a very good defensive rebounder.  That's the given when we got him.  Since then , he has become a very proficient passer, who never turns it over, improved his foul shooting immeasurably and is starting to become a go to scorer in the low post, who shapes up and seals nicely so you can get him the ball in a position to score.

He has become as good as anyone I have ever seen at handling alley oops with either one or two hands and dunking with authority.  He probably averaged  a half dozen dunks in each of the 7 games we played at BCA.  He also has heart and significant toughness and in my opinion, he will be a high major recruit in two years.  Best of all, he is only 15 years , may grow and has very good grades academically as well.

Czeikh Ndjaire 7'0" from Army Navy, another high major recruit Class of 2013, was unable to play due to Finals.  He had played the previous Double Pump May Tournament with Branch West and is also a top flight prospect.

We were also blessed with the addition of two very good players from Victor Vallay H.S., both of whom stepped in as starters and were both invaluable.  Head Coach Matt Denny has a powerhouse team coming back this year led by his stepson Zeke Debase 6'0" pg..  Zeke is a tough, hard nosed true point guard, who plays balls out defensively and is a solid all-around point guard, who runs a team unselfishly, can shoot, playmake, defend and compete.  We were thrilled to have him and he should be a strong scholarship level athlete if he has a good summer.
 
His teammate 6'7" 240lbs Troyon Butler, is a man physically.  He was a solid addition and started and showed excellent upside.  he is football strong and physical, with good hands and an excellent defensive rebounder. 

With the chance to work with him on Wed. nites at practice at the American Sports Center throughout June, he is just beginning to tap into his enormous potential.  He has solid grades and should certainly get a D2 scholarship, and we are hoping he can improve and possibly move up to D1.  Again, it will all come down to how he plays in the summer in front of all the college coaches.
Shelton Black 6'8" 2010 from Compton H.S. gave us highly valuable minutes at the posts.  He is an excellent defensive post who rebounds well, will block some shots and is also improving significantly on the offensive end.  He is a terrific young man who has been with us all spring and will either go to Cerritos JC if he does not go to prep school.  He has only played basketball for two years.

Brett Hoisington 6'5" tough hardnosed wing from Impact basketball in Las Vegas also played but he suffered a concussion the first game making a spectacular block and hitting his head hard when he landed, and he was unable to play after the first game.

A major reason for our success was the continued improvement defensively as a team.  The kids played consistently hard, both on and off the ball,  We fronted the post, hedged or trapped on the ball pick and roll situations.  In some games we turned to a trapping, stunting man to man which enable us to use our defense to score, when our offense was struggling.  We even went to a Diamond and One game to shut down a super penetrator whom we could not contain otherwise.
BCA is run by Rodney Robinson, who truly does a great job.  It was a good tournament and I think he will take seriously organizing the playoff brackets next year, so that it does not take 8 games to win the tournament.  Its just too many games.  The players are just playing on fumes by then and there is too much of a chance of injury.

Branch West Red and Branch West Orange also had solid weekends, both going 2-2.  Red played in the 17 and under and was ably coached by Donnell Meekins, coming off a terrific year with Morningside H.S. in Inglewood.

Branch West Orange played in the 16 and under.  They were coached by Tristen Gadberry, who played for Branch West years ago, and is an Assistant Coach at La Habra H.S.

I am not going to single out players to mention for these two teams as we do not want to mention some and have the others felt left out.  Suffice to say, we have some very fine players on both these teams, and we hope a number of them will be strong candidates for Branch West Elite next spring.

Branch West Elite is a full scholarship level team.  We expect to be one of the top AAU travel teams in the Western USA this summer.  We are looking to add a quality point guard and a quality wing to Branch West Elite. 

We have had 6 travel team each of the last two summers and have significant room on all our other teams at this point, for July.   Please call or E Mail if you are interested in being considered.  Athletes that are interested should call BG at 714-997-0380 or cell 714-719-3080.  You may text us to our cell as well.  Email is brwest2@aol.com.  
 
 
Branch West Elite
14-3
Spring 2010
 
Las Vegas Easter Classic                          3-1
Pangos Sweet 16                                         1-2
Double Pump May Tournament               3-1
BCA Memorial Day Classic                       7-0