Boys’ basketball: Maxwell Kupchak rises up for Brentwood
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Playing without its two leading scorers, center Leland King (SAT) and guard Tra Holder (ankle injury), Brentwood still found a way to win, beating Rolling Hills Prep, 51-50, in the Fairfax State Preview Classic on a three-pointer by Ountae Campbell with seven seconds left.
But the long-term story is about Maxwell Kupchak, a 6-foot-6 sophomore and the son of Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak. He started the year not expected to contribute. But he has improved so much from getting stronger that he had 11 points on Saturday, including a key three-pointer in the fourth quarter.
‘He’s night and day from when we started the season,’ Coach Ryan Bailey said. ‘He’s been in the weight room. He’s going to be an animal. They say he’s going to be between 6-11 and 7-1.’
Brentwood improved to 19-2 and faces Pacific Hills in an Alpha League home game on Monday night. Rolling Hills Prep received 15 points and four three-pointers from Grant Kitani, son of Fairfax Coach Harvey Kitani.
Max Shapiro had 16 points for Brentwood.
Price (20-3) defeated San Diego Parker, 56-32. Chance Murray had 14 points.
Gardena Serra (17-5) defeated Harvard-Westlake, 70-55. Ajon Efferson scored 19 points, Tavrion Dawson 16 and Ronnie Freeman 11. Alex Copeland had 14 points for the Wolverines, who lost guard Michael Sheng to a hamstring injury.
-- Eric Sondheimer