Two of this week’s SoCal/NorCal players of the week are Malcolm Bell of Diamond Bar (left) and Geriah Bradley of San Leandro. Photos: @BrahmaHoops / Twitter.com & SanLeandroAthletics.com.
Other than reminiscing, this wasn’t technically a week for tracking potential entries into the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book which is one of the things we use this feature for, but it certainly was a week to uncover some talent and reward it with statewide recognition to go along with local props. Our Southern California stops this week are in Diamond Bar and Temecula. In Northern California, we visit Carmichael and San Leandro.
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Notes: For these honors, we consider CIF Central Section players for Northern California. To nominate anyone, email markjtennis@gmail.com.
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Boys Basketball Player of the Week
Malcolm Bell (Diamond Bar) Sr.
The far eastern reaches of Los Angeles County in an area that used to be ranch country is our destination for this week’s honoree and we land at a school named after a city that got its name from a branding iron.
At Diamond Bar, we find a 6-foot-5 senior wing who’s been hot enough this season to figuratively brand some cattle with his bare hands. Last week was a perfect example of an exemplary season that snags Bell the Southern California Boys Basketball Player of the Week.
In two Hacienda League victories that pushed the Brahmas to 16-3 overall and 2-0 to start league, Bell answered the bell in both games. He had 22 points, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in a 68-59 home victory over Walnut. Bell rang out even louder on the road in a 67-54 victory over Los Altos of Hacienda Heights when he went for 31 points, nine rebounds, three blocks, and an assist and s steal.
Complete stats were not available but according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune Bell became the eighth player in school history to reach the 1,000 point milestone when he went for a double-double 27 points and 10 rebounds in an early December 69-48 victory over Hesperia in the Glendora tournament. For his efforts, he was named the MVP of the Glendora tourney as well as the MVP of the San Dimas tourney that Diamond Bar also captured in December.
Aaliyah Stanton from Rancho Christian (Temecula) is averaging more than 30 ppg. Photo: Rancho Christian girls hoops (MaxPreps.com).
Cal-Hi Sports Southern California
Girls Basketball Player of the Week
Aaliyah Stanton
(Rancho Christian, Temecula) Sr.
The far southwestern reaches of the Inland Empire is our destination in search of the Southern California Girls Basketball Player of the Week and we land in Temecula at Rancho Christian to find our award winner.
It seems like wherever Marlon Wells is the head coach he has a scoring machine. He started with Charde Houston at San Diego from 2001-2004 when she passed legendary Cheryl Miller (3,446 career points at Riverside Poly 1979-1982) to become the all-time leading scorer according in the Cal-Hi Sports Online Record Book after finishing with 3,837 career points. After moving to La Jolla Bishop’s, he coached Ms. Basketball State Player of the Year (2017) Destiny Littleton and from 2014-2017 she recorded an even 4,000 points to break the record of Houston.
Wells’ latest scoring protégée is Stanton, a 5-foot-6 point guard who transferred from La Mesa Helix. She can light up the scoreboard, and last week was a perfect example.
The Eagles started the week with a 75-65 loss to perennially-tough Mission Hills of San Marcos, but the Grizzlies couldn’t contain Stanton after she went for 36 points (three three-pointers), six rebounds, four steals and an assist. Stanton had 36 points with four treys, five rebounds, three assists and three steals the next night in an 86-53 victory over Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista.
So far this season, Aaliyah is averaging 30.5 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 steals and 3.6 rebounds per game. Her scoring clip is good enough to be the top reported mark in the CIF San Diego Section and No. 4 in the state.
As far as getting her name etched into the record book along with Littleton and Houston, Rancho Christian will need to win some playoff games for her to get past the current threshold of 880 points to get a spot on the Most Points (Season) list if she continues at around 30.5 points per game.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Girls Basketball Player of the Week
Geriah Bradley (San Leandro) Sr.
Alameda County and just south of Oakland is where we head to look for our Northern California Girls Basketball Player of the Week, and it’s at San Leandro where we find our honoree, but it’s not the first time Bradley has caught our eye as she got some props last August in a Girls of Summer Caravan feature.
Last week, in a 62-59 victory that got San Leandro to 12-2 and 1-0 in league, Bradley, a 5-foot-5 combo guard, went for a double-double 34 points and 10 rebounds with five assists, four steals and three blocks.
Already this week Bradley had a near triple-double after finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, plus seven steals in a 58-32 win over Pittsburg.
So far this season, Bradley is averaging 17.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 5.1 steals per game. Despite being only 5-5, Geriah has seven double-doubles this season and one triple-double when she went for 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists with six steals in a 72-47 win over Clayton Valley of Concord.
Kevin Haupt Jr. scored 31 points last week for Jesuit in a win against Sheldon of Sacramento, a school known for winning multiple NorCal Open Division championships. Photo: jesuithighschool.org.
Cal-Hi Sports Northern California
Boys Basketball Player of the Week
Kevin Haupt (Jesuit, Carmichael) Jr.
We head to the Sacramento metro area a little less than 10 miles from the state capitol and not far from the banks of the American River to find our Northern California Boys Basketball Player of the Week.
It’s at Jesuit that we find Haupt, who’s been almost as hot this year as a Marauder as he was previously at Roseville Oakmont.
Last week, with leading scorer and Stanford-bound Andrej Stojakovic out, Haupt got red hot just at the right time after going for 31 points in an impressive 78-58 victory over perennial CIF Sac-Joaquin Section power Sheldon of Sacramento.
Season stats were not available nor were stats from a 74-57 victory later in the week over Sacramento Christian Brothers but Haupt likely had a hand in that win as well that got Jesuit to 12-3 on the season
Last year at Oakmont as a sophomore, the 5-foot-10 Haupt averaged 28.1 points per game.
Harold Abend is the associate editor of CalHiSports.com and the vice president of the California Prep Sportswriters Association. He can be reached at marketingharoldabend@gmail.com. Don’t forget to follow him on Twitter: @HaroldAbend
