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According to Scout.com, talented Sherman Oaks Notre Dame WR Jeff Dickmann has been accepted as a walk-on at UCLA.
Many colleges have overlooked the 5-foot-9 receiver because of his size, but Dickmann played a vital role in the Dayne Crist-led offense. He caught 57 passes for 795 yards and eight TDs as a senior.
Dickmann's cousin, Hart linebacker Patrick Larimore, committed to UCLA last year.
-- Austin Knoblauch
Valencia's 6-foot-7 middle blocker Skyler Seymour has committed to BYU. The senior played a valuable role in pushing the Vikings to their eighth consecutive Foothill League championship and is one of the reasons top-seeded Valencia is considered a favorite for the Southern Section-Toyota Division II title.
The Vikings still have a ways to go before they can claim their fourth divisional title since 2003. Villa Park might not offer the biggest challenge on Tuesday, but Valencia is expecting to face some serious resistance from the semifinals onward.
"Laguna Beach and Dos Pueblos are very good teams," said Valencia Coach Mark Knudsen in regard to the other top teams on the Vikings' side of the bracket. "Either one can push us."
Despite Knudsen's somewhat cautious outlook, I think the Vikings are the best in the division and I'm rooting for a Valencia-Santa Barbara rematch in the final on May 24.
-- Austin Knoblauch
Three weeks ago, 6-foot-8 junior forward Tyler Honeycutt of Sylmar had no scholarship offers. Now he has schools clamoring to sign him, with Arizona, Arizona State, California, Washington, USC, San Diego, San Diego State and Gonzaga in hot pursuit.
"Nothing has changed," Sylmar Coach Bort Escoto said. "People just don't do their job."
Escoto said Honeycutt always had good potential, but when he started playing for the Pump 'N Run travel team last month, college recruiters took notice.
Honeycutt is also playing for Sylmar's volleyball team.
-- Eric Sondheimer
Michael Avery, the eighth-grade basketball player who gained national attention on May 1 by announcing he had committed to Kentucky before selecting a high school, has decided to enroll at Encino Crespi. Avery was also considering attending a boarding school in Indiana.
Avery, who is officially registered at Crespi, is a 6-foot-4 guard who lives in Thousand Oaks and has strengths as a shooter, dribbler and hard worker. But his decision to make such an early commitment has raised expectations and created a whole new dynamic for everyone involved.
"I hope the hoopla will disappear after he's at Crespi and with his teammates," Crespi Coach Russell White said Saturday. "I realize this is a new situation for me and my staff. I've got to focus on getting him acclimated and accepted to our program for who he is."
-- Eric Sondheimer
-- Image by Eric Sondheimer/Los Angeles Times
Morro Bay standout Dylan Royer has committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, choosing the Mustangs over offers from UC San Diego, Westmont and Concordia. Royer has been accepted as invited walk-on for the 2008-09 season by Mustangs Coach Kevin Bromley.
"Dylan brings a tremendous amount of competitive spirit to the court and I love the way he shoots the ball," Bromley said in a release. "His unselfish play will bring a lot to the team."
Royer averaged 22.5 ppg and 6.8 rpg for the Pirates as a senior. The 6-foot-2 guard led Morro Bay to 20-8 record and a second-round appearance in the Southern Section-Toyota Division III-AA playoffs.
-- Austin Knoblauch
Remember, about a week and a half ago, there was a blog about Richard Brehaut and how he was emerging as a legitimate prospect? If not, it's OK. Don't worry about it because it appears as if there will be plenty more opportunities to familiarize yourself with the standout quarterback from Los Osos.
Brehaut picked up two scholarship offers recently, from Oregon State and Utah, making that six NCAA Division I programs currently waiting for a commitment from the 6-foot-3 junior. Moreover, scouts from Notre Dame and Ohio State were on the Los Osos campus earlier this week to watch him work out.
Plans are in the works for visits to Boise State, Colorado, Washington State and UCLA in June. And trips to Louisville and Nebraska loom as possibilities thereafter for Brehaut, who appears determined to make a decision at some point in July, according to these quotes. Stay tuned for more updates.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
With the way basketball recruiting is nowdays, it's never too early to start keeping tabs on kids from the Southland. Everyone else is, namely NCAA Division I scouts. And Tyler Lamb is a great example, considering the sophomore from Colony is one of the nation's hottest prospects among the 2010 class.
USC has offered a scholarship, according to this report. Another major player is UCLA. Seemingly every other PAC-10 school has expressed some level of interest. Can't forget to mention that Georgetown, Louisville, Memphis and Tennessee are keeping a watchful eye on Lamb too.
With all the attention from schools across the country, it's hard to believe he's only a 10th-grader. We're talking about a youngster who has two more years of high school ball. If the gifted underclassman continues to improve, Lamb could end up at the college of his choosing by the time he's a senior.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
California football Coach Jeff Tedford has won the recruiting battle for Mission Viejo quarterback Allan Bridgford, according to Rivals.com.
Bridgford, 6 feet 4, 215 pounds, passed for 2,508 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior. Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State were among the offers he received.
-- Eric Sondheimer
Nicolette Casale, a four-time all-league player at Fullerton, has reportedly committed to UCLA to play women's basketball.
-- Martin Henderson
Nick Baker, a 6-foot guard at Huntington Beach who averaged 20 points for the Oilers, has reportedly signed with San Francisco State. Huntington Beach was 23-5 and lost in the second round of the playoffs to Rancho Cucamonga, 89-86.
-- Martin Henderson
Last time Joe Burton found his name in the news, the junior from Hemet West Valley was putting on a pretty good show during the Southern Section basketball playoffs, back in early March. Interestingly enough, there haven't been too many updates on him since, so I figured it was about time to check in and see how things were going.
Burton is still impressing, and doing so without much attention from the media. He's been playing well throughout the spring on the travel ball circuit. So well, in fact, San Diego St. and Central Florida have offered scholarships. UConn and Florida have expressed interest and Texas and UCLA are among the other programs in constant contact.
Read more »
Don't look now, but Josh Nunes isn't the only highly-touted football prospect from Upland. Teammate Osahon Irabor has emerged as legitimate West Coast recruit, too. In fact, the 5-foot-11 junior wideout/defensive back picked up a pair of scholarship offers over the past couple of days.
Northwestern extended an invitation Tuesday and Wyoming stepped up to the plate over the weekend, making that six offers from Division I programs since Irabor's first, from Arizona toward the end of March. Arizona St., Cal and Oregon are among the others waiting for a commitment.
"It's great to see that colleges across the country are taking notice of my talents," Irabor said. "It's been a goal of mine to work hard in everything I do... It's great to see my hard work paying off. I want to make it clear to the colleges who are interested in me that I'm wide open."
-- Sean Ceglinsky
Bishop Amat's Jordan Fox has accepted a scholarship offer from UC Irvine, Amat coach Andy Nieto confirmed today/Tuesday.
The senior first baseman had his 16th multi-hit game of the season earlier on the day as Amat remained unbeaten in the Del Rey League by beating St. Monica, 8-7. He comes into the week carrying a batting average of .541.
Fox is the second Lancer to commit to UCI this season, shortstop Tommy Reyes accepted an offer from the Anteaters last month.
- Jaime Cardenas
 USC-bound Matt Barkley from Mater Dei is the consensus No. 1 quarterback in the Southland, but several other quarterbacks are picking up college offers and figure to make a run at Barkley for No. 1 this fall.
Upland's Josh Nunes, pictured, has picked up 16 scholarship offers, the latest being one from Oklahoma. Mission Viejo's Allan Bridgford has offers from California, Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State. Richard Brehaut from Los Osos has offers from San Diego State, Colorado, Boise State and Arizona.
But if you want to know who's No. 2 behind Barkley, wait to see who UCLA offers from the list of seniors in the Southland.
That will reveal the feelings of offensive coordinator Norm Chow. The question is whether these players are going to wait until UCLA finishes its evaluations.
-- Eric Sondheimer
-- Image by Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times
Michael Snaer, a 6-4 junior from Rancho Verde, led the Inland Empire team to an impressive victory over Renardo Sidney and the L.A. Dream team Saturday at the GBOA Hoops tournament at USC.
Snaer, who is being recruited by most of the Pac-10, had 29 points.
Another player who I liked was freshman point guard Cezar Guerrero from St. John Bosco. He plays for Belmont Shore and really knows how to guide a team. And he can score.
The tournament concludes Sunday with a championship game at 3 p.m. There's a lot of talent on display.
-- Eric Sondheimer
 Crespi senior pitcher E.C. McSweeney has committed to UC Irvine.
McSweeney has posted a 5-2 record and a 3.75 ERA for the Celts this season and has proved his status as one of the Valley's top pitchers.
He is the 12th Crespi player who has signed or committed to play college baseball.
-- Austin Knoblauch
-- Photo by Lori Shepler/Los Angeles Times
 When it comes to recruiting, no one gets as much attention as Renardo Sidney, one of the most sought-after Division I prospects in the nation. However, the big man from Fairfax isn't the only underclassman from the City Section powerhouse that scouts have been noticing recently.
Interest in Solomon Hill, the defender with his arm raised in the picture, grows weekly. Make that daily.
The 6-foot-6 junior has emerged as a legitimate talent and it appears as if Texas is one of the early front-runners to win his services, according to these quotes. The Longhorns have been in contact with Hill for a majority of the last five months or so, and spoke to him as recently as last weekend.
There are reports on the Internet leading most to believe that Nevada Las Vegas has offered him a scholarship, his first, to date. Colorado, Oregon, Utah and USC are in the mix as well for Hill, who's stock figures to rise over the summer, with or without Renardo Sidney around.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
-- Image by Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times
Richard Brehaut has flown underneath the radar of football scouts for a while now. But the lack of attention from the powers that be could very well end up becoming a thing of the past, considering all the recognition the junior from Los Osos has been receiving lately.
The 6-foot-2 quarterback picked up his first offer, from San Diego St., in March. Soon after, Boise St. and Colorado followed suit. Not surprisingly, Arizona and Washington St. joined in on the Brehaut sweepstakes last week. All of a sudden, there are plenty of programs waiting for a commitment.
An offer from Arizona St. looms as a possibility, and Purdue and Notre Dame are rumored to have been in contact with him. UCLA
is interested, too, so don't be surprised to see the Bruins step up
their efforts to land Brehaut, who can no longer be considered an
afterthought on the recruiting landscape.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
Michael Phillip and Gavin Pascarella have called the Inland Empire home for quite some time, a majority of their respective lives, in fact. This time next year, however, both juniors figure to be on the verge of moving on, leaving their I.E. nest for a new adventure in college.
Phillip is one of the most sought-after guards on the West Coast. Nearly every PAC-10 school, with the exception of USC, is recruiting the 6-foot-4, 300-plus pounder from Arroyo Valley. If the big-time buzz surrounding Phillip continues, his status as a sleeper on the national scene could be a temporary thing.
Pascarella, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound tackle from Corona Centennial, picked up his first two offers recently, from Air Force and Army. Other schools expressing interest include: Arizona State, Stanford and UCLA. Recruiters from Colorado, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech have been in contact with him as well.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
Laron Armstead, a 6-foot-5 senior All-City basketball player at Fremont, has accepted a scholarship to Loyola Marymount.
First-year Coach Bill Bayno recruited Armstead, who averaged nearly 20 points for the City Section semifinalists.
Armstead was rewarded for his outstanding academics, dedication and character. He refused to abandon Fremont when the school was banned from the playoffs for two years for rule violations.
-- Eric Sondheimer
-- Image by Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times
 Here's a listing of senior baseball players from the SF Valley/North region who've either signed or committed to colleges. I'm pretty sure this is nearly all of them, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were some commitments I didn't know about since guys are making decisions on a daily basis.
(Shawn Smith of Saugus, pictured, is heading to Cal State Northridge.)
Click on the thread to view the list.
Read more »
Oak Park middle blocker Stephen Thompson, a former All Tri-Valley League selection, has committed to Loyola University-Chicago. The 6-foot-5, four-year varsity starter decided to go with the Ramblers (cool nickname) after making what must have been a frighteningly-cold recruiting trip to the Division I school back in February.
However, no one has had any luck cooling down Thompson once he hits the court. He's played a key role in pushing Oak Park to a top ranking in the Southern Section Division IV coaches' poll, and I'm sure he's eager to lead the Eagles to the divisional title after they fell one game short of a championship in 2006.
-- Austin Knoblauch
 Thousand Oaks outfielder Alex Birgel has committed to UC Santa Barbara. The 6-foot, 190-pound senior is batting .438 with 23 RBIs and six home runs, and is one of the reasons the Lancers are considered a favorite for the Division I title.
Now that he knows he's going to be a big-time college ballplayer, maybe Birgel will have a breakout game against Royal on Wednesday. And I'm sure no one on the Lancers' squad would mind, especially since the game will be knee-deep in playoff and Marmonte League title implications.
Oh, and special thanks to track and field guru Mike Kennedy for doing the legwork on this one.
-- Austin Knoblauch
-- Image from www.tohsbaseball.com
Saugus QB Desi Rodriguez has received an offer from Army, according to Scout.com. The Northern Division Offensive Team selection passed for 1,256 yards and 12 TDs last year for the Centurions, which advanced all the way to the divisional semifinals.
Saugus Coach Jason Bornn said Rodriguez is considering Army, but has not started the progress toward becoming a cadet.
Rodriguez and 2,000-yard menace Ryan Zirbel will be the Foothill League's most-formidable offensive duo next fall. It'll be interesting to see how they cope being paired with a fresh-faced defensive contingent that's lost all of its starters.
"There's a lot of question marks right now," Bornn said. "Hopefully, we'll plug in all the holes over the summer."
And speaking of Foothill League standouts, I'm really glad to hear Canyon WR Stephen Wirthlin is doing OK after breaking his neck in a car accident. The only really big bummer (besides having a broken neck) is his doctor told him he shouldn't play sports for the next two years. That hurts.
-- Austin Knoblauch
 Hart junior RHP Trevor Bauer could graduate early next year, foregoing his senior baseball season. Gerry Gittelson of the Daily News explains Bauer's options heading into his senior year.
In case you didn't already know, Bauer is one of the Southland's brightest and most-talented pitching prospects.
Also, e-mail agent Mike Gaber has informed me three Hart players have committed to colleges:
Read more »
 Byron Moore had NCAA Division I scholarship offers on the table from several programs, six, to be exact. And there were quite a few other schools interested in the junior from Narbonne, a couple of which were on the verge of extending him an invitation for the next four years.
Apparently, there was something special about UCLA. So special, in fact, Moore felt compelled to verbally commit this weekend, choosing the Bruins over the likes of Arizona, Cal, Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico. Click here to see quotes about the decision-making process.
-- Sean Ceglinsky
-- Image from www.sportslogos.net
 Sheldon Price, a defensive back from Bishop Amat, has committed to UCLA. His father, Dennis, played for the Bruins.
Price is the second defensive player from Bishop Amat to make an early commitment to UCLA. Linebacker Isaiah Bowens earlier announced for the Bruins.
-- Eric Sondheimer
 Die-hard fans of USC football had to be ecstatic when Chris Metcalf of Compton committed to the program in early February. He is, after all, an Army All-American and a 6-foot-3 junior who figures to be a welcome addition on the defensive side of the ball in the future.
That is, of course, if Metcalf decides to keep his word. According to these quotes, it appears as if he'll explore his options and make visits to Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia and Oregon at some point down the road in an effort to make sure the Trojans are really the right fit.
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 Seemingly every PAC-1O program has expressed interest in Jayson Allmond. And it appears as if it will simply be a matter of time before the fast-rising junior prospect from Bloomington receives his first scholarship offer.
Allmond has already made visits to Arizona St. and UCLA. Click here to see what the 6-foot-plus, 240 pound linebacker had to say about his two trips. Oregon St. and USC could be possible destinations in the near future. Cal and Oregon are at the top of his list, too.
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Calabasas junior shortstop Adam Landecker has committed to USC. The 6-foot, 175-pound lead-off batter has a .321 batting average, 10 RBI and 14 runs for the Coyotes.
And speaking of the Coyotes, they've been somewhat of an enigma this season. They've definitely illustrated they can play with big boys Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Westlake, but they're just not pulling it off. Two of their last three losses have come in either the seventh or eighth innings.
A playoff spot is looking pretty dim at this point, but if Calabasas can post an upset against Thousand Oaks this afternoon and beat Newbury Park on Wednesday, anything is possible.
-- Austin Knoblauch
-- Image from www.calabasasbaseball.com
The Crespi college commitment list keeps growing...
According to the team's website, second baseman Alex Gutman, pictured, has committed to Colorado, pitcher Harry Grace has committed to Cal Lutheran and outfielder Alex Diaz has committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
By the way, E.C. McSweeney tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout in the Celts' 6-0 victory over St. Francis this afternoon. I really thought St. Francis would put up more of a fight this week, but it looks as if Crespi is really playing to its strengths heading into its final cluster of contests with Alemany and first-place Notre Dame.
It should be fun watching this team down the stretch.
-- Austin Knoblauch
-- Image from www.crespibaseball.com
 Darius Morris is a basketball player recruiting services such as Rivals.com and Scout.com are enamored with, ranking the junior from Windward among the top 100 prospects in the country and one of the top 15 point guards in the nation. The recognition is warranted too.
Michigan knows this all too well, having kept in constant contact with Morris for quite sometime now, even offering him a scholarship along the way. Not surprisingly, the Wolverines are considered the early front-runner to win his services, according to these quotes.
Read more »
 I know the basketball season is over -- way over, in fact.
But I wanted to check in on the college status of next year's Lord of Local Hoops... Dominguez's Jordan Hamilton, who led the Dons to the Division I state title game back in March.
Oodles of schools have offers to Hamiliton. Here's the updated short list: Connecticut, Kansas, Syracuse, Texas and USC. Man, I hope this kid stays local and ends up with the Trojans. I'd love to watch him for another few years.
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 With each passing week, it seems as if I receive an e-mail from the football coaching staff over at Upland notifying me that Josh Nunes has picked up another scholarship offer from an NCAA Division I program. And, true to form, there was a new message in my inbox yesterday.
SMU is the most recent school to join in on the Nunes sweepstakes, making things official on Monday. All of a sudden, 13 colleges are patiently waiting for a commitment from the the 6-foot-4 junior and six of those offers have been presented to him over the past month, or so.
"The whole recruiting process has been crazy lately, surreal at times,'' Nunes said. "It's been a fun ride. I'm just trying to learn as much as I can about all these schools, so when the time comes, I can make the right decision.''
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 Sheldon Price of Bishop Amat has been in impressive during several spring camps thus far, and based on his eye-opening performances, could be on the verge of landing his first official offer from an NCAA Division I program. The only question remaining is: Who's going to break the ice and extend the initial invitation?
Perhaps UCLA will step forward. And the Bruins should, considering Price lists them as one of his favorites, according to these quotes. Expressing interest in the 6-foot-plus junior now could end up being beneficial down the road, especially if he continues to emerge as one of the hottest defensive back prospects on the West Coast.
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 Was bored sitting around the office this afternoon, so I figured I'd pass the time by doing a little research on Roberto Nelson. The goal was to find out if there was any new recruiting information about the basketball standout from Santa Barbara on the Internet.
And surprisingly enough, updates were hard to come bye.
Scout.com and Rivals.com hadn't written much about Nelson recently, which was odd considering both have him ranked among the top 100 players in the Class of 2009. In fact, one of the services hadn't spoken to the 6-foot-3 junior in weeks, the other, in months. Go figure...
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 Valencia leading scorer Chelsey Hastigan has committed to Western State College of Colorado, according to The Signal.
The All-Foothill League first-team selection averaged 13.8 points and knocked down a school-record 171 three-pointers during her prep career.
-- Austin Knoblauch
  Area ballplayers keep unveiling their college commitments...
According to Crespi's team web site, third baseman Travis Forbes, pictured left, and outfielder Jake Dahlstrum, right, have committed to San Diego. Check here for updated team statistics.
The Celts begin an important two-game series with St. Francis on Tuesday and it'll be interesting to see if they can stay within striking distance of Notre Dame heading into next week's showdown with the Knights.
-- Austin Knoblauch
-- Images from www.crespibaseball.com
Highly-touted Santa Clara RB Cierre Wood has committed to Notre Dame, according to a report by Rivals.com. Wood is considered one of the top RBs in the nation and his decision comes just days after narrowing his collegiate choices to UCLA or the Fighting Irish.
Wood made the commitment after meeting with Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis on Saturday morning. Wood is in South Bend this weekend on an unofficial visit to watch the Irish play their annual Blue-Gold game.
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It looks like Ribet Academy big man Krys Faber is heading to the Windy City instead of the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
According to Scout.com, Faber has committed to DePaul, choosing the Blue Demons over Minnesota. The Palmdale resident apparently made the decision after visiting the Chicago school on April 10.
The 6-foot-11, 260-pound post player averaged 15.8 points, 17.5 rebounds and 6.5 blocks this past season.
This begs the question -- what's the better mascot name? The Fighting Frogs or the Blue Devils Demons?
-- Austin Knoblauch
It looks as if one of the region's most talented players will be joining one of the nation's most respected collegiate baseball programs.
Simi Valley junior shortstop Jonathan Meyer committed to Cal State Fullerton on Thursday night. Meyer, who has played a key role in pushing the Pioneers to first place in the Marmonte League, said picking the Titans was a no-brainer.
"I've always wanted to go with them," said Meyer, who was also considering Oregon. "I really like their program and I'm excited about playing for one of the top teams in the nation."
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 Simi Valley point guard Lorne Jackson signed with Pepperdine on Thursday afternoon after committing to the Waves last Friday.
"I know they had a bad year and I want to be a part of the rebuilding process," Jackson said. "I'm really excited to be playing for them."
Jackson, who averaged 23.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Marmonte League champion Pioneers, had also been considering George Mason. He said the potential for being a four-year starter played a role in his picking Pepperdine. The 6-foot-2, 185 pounder also said staying close to home "was nice," but it didn't necessarily influence his decision.
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