Another day gets us closer to the 2018-19 campaign, where these young men will continue their playing careers elsewhere. Part I can be found here.  Coming up next will be the seniors I’m most anticipating on seeing for next season.

Devonaire Doutrive (Birmingham > Arizona)

Needing to regroup after the recruiting issues, Sean Miller did a wonderful job getting Doutrive to commit to the Old Pueblo. A high flying guard, Doutrive will provide the Wildcats with ample scoring while spotting time at the point guard slot as the cupboard remains bare in Tucson. Doutrive led his Patriots to a Los Angeles City Section title during his junior campaign, and a spot in the State Final Four before losing by four points to Shareef O’Neal’s (a former Wildcat commit) Crossroads school, who ended up winning state.

Niko Gooden (Hollywood)

Arguably the best kept secret in the Los Angeles City Section, Gooden scored over 16 points and netted over three steals a night, leading the Sheiks to a 19-11 mark, including 12-0 in league play, the schools best record in quite a while. A single point kept them from moving on to the LA City Section Division II championship game. Gooden does a wonderful job at picking his spots and knows how to get where he wants to go, when he wants to go. Don’t make lazy passes around him either, as he’ll pick it off and take it for an easy deuce.

Zellie Hudson (Westchester)

Watching the Comets play this past year was fun to see. In an era where teams are abandoning the paint and living by the three, Coach Ed Azzam had his side showing grit and grinding out game after game. Hudson played a big part in that, making the perfect cuts, getting to the rim and finishing through the contact. Hudson provided the Comets with a lot of Buzz, helping his side win the LA City Open Division over their rivals, before a tough loss against Etiwanda in State.

Alex Garcia (Rolling Hills Prep > Cal State Dominguez Hills)

Known namely for his ability to shoot, Garcia worked on expanding his repertoire under the tutelage of Harvey Kitani, one of the Southern California prep coaching legends. With virtually unlimited range, Garcia will hit a jumper after giving you a little shake, come off a screen to catch and shoot or just pull up and drain it with your hand in his face. Be weary though, if you jump on a fake, he’ll blow by you for a sweet mid range jumper.

Duane Washington Jr. (Sierra Canyon > Ohio State)

If there was anything that stood out about Derek Fisher’s lengthy NBA career, it was his prowess in the clutch. Apparently, that’s a hereditary gene, with his nephew (son of Duane Washington, a former NBA player) displaying the same abilities as he aided his Trail Blazers side to a California State Championship in the Open Division. Washington Jr. was especially vital, propelling his side to two epic victories over Bishop Montgomery, as the only side to defeat the Knights.