I know they got Sc bound kid guard name Story, also big post player who is a blue chipper, They squeaked by Mater Dei who has Taylor King who will start as frosh at Duke next year.
I would make Huntington -10, Artesia has talent but not smart team, they had a weird loss the other day to a mediocre team, had to be academics otherwise very shocking loss. You get to see the Future of Trojan basketball with SC's 2 biggest recuits.
I would make Huntington -10, Artesia has talent but not smart team, they had a weird loss the other day to a mediocre team, had to be academics otherwise very shocking loss. You get to see the Future of Trojan basketball with SC's 2 biggest recuits.
What pressure?
That's the prevailing attitude of the Artesia boys' basketball team this season despite having a bull's-eye on its back bigger than Terrell Owens' ego. Make no mistake: The spotlight will be shining bright on the Pioneers this season, especially after they went undefeated in California last year and captured Division III state and Southern Section crowns. The Pioneers began this season ranked No. 2 in the RISE National Basketball Top 25. Add in the fact that Artesia has three players rated among the nation's top 30 recruits in their respective classes -- senior James Harden, junior Malik Story and sophomore Renardo Sidney -- and you're talking about a spotlight that's brighter than the lights in Tinseltown.
Yet the atmosphere is anything but edgy at Artesia. The players credit that to the team's fun-loving mentality. Sure, they're focused and want to win when they step on the court, but their ability to stay loose and relaxed, especially during pressure situations, has helped make Artesia one of the best teams in the country.
"The atmosphere helps us a lot because you don't have to be so serious and you can have fun," says Story, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound shooting guard who's rated the nation's No. 22 recruit in the Class of 2008 by RISE. "We're serious, but we like to have fun. We have fun 24-7 here at Artesia."
The team's stress-free aura helped ease the transition for Sidney, who moved to Long Beach from Jackson, Miss., with his family this past summer. Sidney, who transferred to Artesia from Piney Woods (Miss.), had met Story and Harden while playing summer ball but was still admittedly uneasy before his first practice with his new team.
However, that uneasiness quickly subsided once he was introduced to the rest of the squad.
"It's been good," says Sidney, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound power forward who's rated the nation's No. 1 sophomore recruit by RISE. "I really like all of my teammates because they joke around and they've taken me under their wings like a brother. I was nervous, but I had already met James and Malik, so it was all right."
"[Sidney] gets along well with everybody," says Artesia first-year head coach Loren Grover. "He's blended in here like he's been here for four years. The one thing we've been blessed with here is guys who don't bring the big ego and they just love to play. He's one of them."
The Pioneers' ability to check their egos at the door is a big reason why Artesia is such a well-oiled machine on and off the court. This ego-free attitude was preached by former coach Scott Pera, who stepped down after last season to take over as director of basketball operations for the men's hoop team at Arizona State, where last year's Artesia leader, point guard Derek Glasser, now plays.
Grover, who was an assistant coach under Pera for five years, has continued to preach that philosophy, and the players have embraced it. There are no squabbles over how many points they each score or how much they play.
No Artesia player epitomizes this team-first attitude more than Harden, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard who's rated the nation's No. 28 recruit in the Class of 2007 by RISE.
"There's no doubt James is the most underrated player in the country," says Grover. "He can do anything he wants to do on the court, and he's a smart player who fills up the stat sheet. James isn't looking to be the top scorer. If you want him to rebound, he'll do that. If you want him to defend the other team's best player, he'll do that. The sky's the limit for him."
Harden, who committed to Arizona State over Washington, showed off all his skills last year by averaging 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game to help lead the Pioneers to a 33-1 record. A Los Angeles Times All-Star a year ago, Harden cemented his nickname of "Big Game James" when he scored a game-high 21 points in Artesia's 60-41 win over St. Mary's (Stockton) in the state final.
Story, who has committed to USC, is also a versatile player. With a strong build and a great stroke from long range, Story keeps defenses guessing. He had a terrific season as a sophomore last year, averaging 13 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Sidney, meanwhile, is a matchup nightmare for any defender. He has a tremendous handle for his size, he can push the ball on the break, and he can step out and drain 3-pointers. He also has the size, strength and footwork to do damage in the post. This marks Sidney's first season playing high school ball after he was ruled ineligible at Piney Woods last year because his residence at the time was outside the school's 20-mile radius. Even though he's already proved himself while playing the summer circuit, Sidney is ecstatic about finally stepping on a high school court this season.
"I'm happy because it's time for me to step my game up now," says Sidney, who as of press time was considering the likes of Florida, UConn, Kentucky, Ohio State, UCLA, USC and Texas.
Harden, Story and Sidney will receive help this season from a talented group of players, including seniors A.J. Gasporra, Camilo Valencia, Martin Whitmore and Tremayne Johnson as well as junior Lorenzo McCloud. The team is focused on winning another state title and going undefeated, something that eluded the Pioneers last year after a 59-58 loss to Hughes Center (Cincinnati) at an elite national tournament.
"That bugs me that we lost by one and that we should have won," says Story. "This year, we're trying to go undefeated and play close to perfect." Seems like a lot of pressure. But if any team can handle it, it's the fun-loving bunch at Artesia.
That's the prevailing attitude of the Artesia boys' basketball team this season despite having a bull's-eye on its back bigger than Terrell Owens' ego. Make no mistake: The spotlight will be shining bright on the Pioneers this season, especially after they went undefeated in California last year and captured Division III state and Southern Section crowns. The Pioneers began this season ranked No. 2 in the RISE National Basketball Top 25. Add in the fact that Artesia has three players rated among the nation's top 30 recruits in their respective classes -- senior James Harden, junior Malik Story and sophomore Renardo Sidney -- and you're talking about a spotlight that's brighter than the lights in Tinseltown.
Yet the atmosphere is anything but edgy at Artesia. The players credit that to the team's fun-loving mentality. Sure, they're focused and want to win when they step on the court, but their ability to stay loose and relaxed, especially during pressure situations, has helped make Artesia one of the best teams in the country.
"The atmosphere helps us a lot because you don't have to be so serious and you can have fun," says Story, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound shooting guard who's rated the nation's No. 22 recruit in the Class of 2008 by RISE. "We're serious, but we like to have fun. We have fun 24-7 here at Artesia."
The team's stress-free aura helped ease the transition for Sidney, who moved to Long Beach from Jackson, Miss., with his family this past summer. Sidney, who transferred to Artesia from Piney Woods (Miss.), had met Story and Harden while playing summer ball but was still admittedly uneasy before his first practice with his new team.
However, that uneasiness quickly subsided once he was introduced to the rest of the squad.
"It's been good," says Sidney, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound power forward who's rated the nation's No. 1 sophomore recruit by RISE. "I really like all of my teammates because they joke around and they've taken me under their wings like a brother. I was nervous, but I had already met James and Malik, so it was all right."
"[Sidney] gets along well with everybody," says Artesia first-year head coach Loren Grover. "He's blended in here like he's been here for four years. The one thing we've been blessed with here is guys who don't bring the big ego and they just love to play. He's one of them."
The Pioneers' ability to check their egos at the door is a big reason why Artesia is such a well-oiled machine on and off the court. This ego-free attitude was preached by former coach Scott Pera, who stepped down after last season to take over as director of basketball operations for the men's hoop team at Arizona State, where last year's Artesia leader, point guard Derek Glasser, now plays.
Grover, who was an assistant coach under Pera for five years, has continued to preach that philosophy, and the players have embraced it. There are no squabbles over how many points they each score or how much they play.
No Artesia player epitomizes this team-first attitude more than Harden, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound shooting guard who's rated the nation's No. 28 recruit in the Class of 2007 by RISE.
"There's no doubt James is the most underrated player in the country," says Grover. "He can do anything he wants to do on the court, and he's a smart player who fills up the stat sheet. James isn't looking to be the top scorer. If you want him to rebound, he'll do that. If you want him to defend the other team's best player, he'll do that. The sky's the limit for him."
Harden, who committed to Arizona State over Washington, showed off all his skills last year by averaging 18.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game to help lead the Pioneers to a 33-1 record. A Los Angeles Times All-Star a year ago, Harden cemented his nickname of "Big Game James" when he scored a game-high 21 points in Artesia's 60-41 win over St. Mary's (Stockton) in the state final.
Story, who has committed to USC, is also a versatile player. With a strong build and a great stroke from long range, Story keeps defenses guessing. He had a terrific season as a sophomore last year, averaging 13 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Sidney, meanwhile, is a matchup nightmare for any defender. He has a tremendous handle for his size, he can push the ball on the break, and he can step out and drain 3-pointers. He also has the size, strength and footwork to do damage in the post. This marks Sidney's first season playing high school ball after he was ruled ineligible at Piney Woods last year because his residence at the time was outside the school's 20-mile radius. Even though he's already proved himself while playing the summer circuit, Sidney is ecstatic about finally stepping on a high school court this season.
"I'm happy because it's time for me to step my game up now," says Sidney, who as of press time was considering the likes of Florida, UConn, Kentucky, Ohio State, UCLA, USC and Texas.
Harden, Story and Sidney will receive help this season from a talented group of players, including seniors A.J. Gasporra, Camilo Valencia, Martin Whitmore and Tremayne Johnson as well as junior Lorenzo McCloud. The team is focused on winning another state title and going undefeated, something that eluded the Pioneers last year after a 59-58 loss to Hughes Center (Cincinnati) at an elite national tournament.
"That bugs me that we lost by one and that we should have won," says Story. "This year, we're trying to go undefeated and play close to perfect." Seems like a lot of pressure. But if any team can handle it, it's the fun-loving bunch at Artesia.
Rail,
here's the link if you'd like to rethink that line you put out:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/preprally/2007/01/for_showdown_ho.html
here's the link if you'd like to rethink that line you put out:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/preprally/2007/01/for_showdown_ho.html
