Trey Dickerson – On the rise

To say Trey Dickerson’s Senior season at Price High School (Los Angeles) started on the wrong foot is a bit of an understatement. “TD” wasn’t ruled eligible to play until his Price teammates had already logged (8) games. Undeterred, Dickerson is poised to salvage the remainder of the schedule and push his recruit stock back up the charts. Teamed with one of SoCal’s best big men in Skylar Spencer, Dickerson is looking to guide his team to a California State title and leave the memory of his time away from the game far behind.

There’s no lack of confidence to Trey’s game. Ask him about it and he’ll let you know he dropped (18) on future NBA #1 overall pick Kyrie Irving. It’s not the brash cockiness which plagues many young athletes, simply a profound belief in his ability on the court.  Trey is the new brand of “scoring” Point Guard, but can certainly do his part in running a set and involving teammates. His game is based on speed and quickness and remains a work in progress. Trey admits there is room to improve on the defensive end and given his athleticism and court awareness it wouldn’t shock me to see him develop that “shutdown” mentality. Although his goal was to hit the collegiate scene in ’12, a re-class to ’13 allows more time to tighten up all aspects of his game.

On the recruiting side Dickerson was first hampered by a move from New York to Los Angeles and more recently by the eligibility challenges. There was early interest from Kentucky (including a conversation with Coach Calipari), West Virginia, Seton Hall, Washington, Oregon, and St. Joseph’s.  Dickerson currently holds offers from Niagara, Montana State, Detroit, and Loyola. My guess is a strong finish to his Sr. season will trigger increased interest and significant offers.

  On the college level Dickerson projects as an agile Point Guard capable of contributing double-digit points. Assuming he shores up his technique/consistency on the defensive side it’s no stretch to project Trey as a solid contributor on the mid to high major level. As a Junior for Montclair (program has since dissolved athletics) Dickerson averaged an impressive (17.6) Points and (6.2) Assists per game.  Similar numbers for LA’s Price High School this season will place the team, and Trey, in position for continued success. Although the last 12-18 months may not have unfolded according to plan, it is clear “TD” carries perseverance uncommon for his age. Given the support of family, friends, and teammates, I expect we’ve not yet seen the best, nor the last, of Trey “TD” Dickerson.  This is a young man on he rise.

Cali’s Best of the Class of 2012 (Basketball)

The California Class of 2012 may prove more volume than thru the roof based. There’s plenty of scoring and athleticism, and a sprinkling of elite D and rebounding. One of these guy’s puts it all together and we may have a next level household name.

1	Gabe York		6’2	170lbs	SG
	Orange Lutheran High		Talented scorer at the HS level with long distance range and ability to take over game. How does slight frame react to physical play of next level? Also some concerns on the D side, effort not always there.
2	Grant Jerrett		6’10	230lbs	PF
	La Verne Lutheran		Decent argument for top 2 in opposite order, by year’s end Jerrett may end debate. Has somewhat of Euro feel to his game. Comfortable from outside and can shy away from contact. Currently averaging 23 and 11
3	Katin Reinhardt		6’5	190lbs	SG
	Mater Dei		Similar to York and Jerrett in that Katin can score, and often at will. Somewhat one-dimensional at this point (19ppg 1rpg 1apg). Flair for the spectacular can lead to high TO rate. If Katin refines his game and plays under control his production will climb
4	Robert Upshaw		6’11	260lbs	C
	San Joaquin Memorial		Current production (15.8pts and 8.6reb) feels a bit light given the physical attributes. Seems like he is still growing accustomed to his frame. If he gets comfortable he may develop into the best of the group
5	Grant Verhoeven		6’8	220lbs	PF
	Central Valley Christ.		Verhoeven currently leads the State in Scoring (35.7) and Rebounding (17.3), so the production is clear. What’s unclear is whether has the high end athleticism to produce at the next level. Solid jumper helps extend floor
6	Xavier Johnson		6’6	180lbs	SF
	Mater Dei		Top athleticism and a strong work ethic should prove a potent combo for the smooth Small Forward. Falls in love with good, but not great, 3pt shot. More consistent to the hole and Xavier will ramp up production and stock
7	Zena Edosomwan		6’8	230lbs	C
	Harvard-Westlake		Similar to Johnson, Edosomwan brings a strong work ethic and the upside appears significant. Offensive game is a work in progress, but great hands and quick “bounce” lead to (15.3pts and 14.0rebs) solid production
8	Arik Armstead		6’8	270lbs	PF
	Pleasant Grove		Elite athlete as evident by his 2-sport status (top OL prospect on West). Needs to work on his jumper, but is a force around the basketball and has strong footwork. If he were to focus solely on basketball, watch out.
9	Matt Shrigley		6’5	190lbs	SG
	La Costa Canyon		With Shrigley’s confidence and aggressiveness on the rise it appears there may be another level to his game. Once known more as an outside threat, Matt is now showing signs of a consistent finisher and a to the basket force
10	Skylar Spencer		6’9	220lbs	C
	Price		Spencer’s defensive game alone lands him on the list. True force on that side of the court. Offensive game is very raw and limited to put-backs and fills. High energy and strong work ethic lead me to believe the O will come. Currently #1 in Ca. and #2 in Nation w/7.1 blks/gm