Monthly Archives

March 2025

Efe Gucoglu

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

(Decided to return to Santiago Canyon CC for his second year)

Efe Gucoglu is a 6’4″ shooting guard, originally from Turkey, who played for one year at Campbell University with limited minutes. He played this past season at Santiago Canyon (California) Junior College where he had a solid year against good competition. Santiago Canyon finished the season as conference co-champions. Efe averaged 8.5 points per game with shooting splits of 47.0% FG, 41.4% on three-pointers (on 4.4 attempts per game) and 81.3% from the foul line. He had a season high of 22 points, connecting on 5-of-6 three-pointers, in 20 minutes of action in a win over Orange Coast. In conference play he finished the season as the No. 1 three-point shooter at 50% (31-of-62) while averaging 11.1 points per game. He got more time and played better during the conference season.

Efe’s strongest point is his shooting which should help any low-mid level D1 program with that need. He has good size at 6’4″ and 187 pounds. He’s a dead-eye shooter with quick release from long range off movement/catch/dribble with improved and developing playmaking ability. Efe is a gym rat and has added ten pounds and gotten stronger over the past year..

2024-25 Highlights (shorter version – 7 minutes)

2024-25 Video Highlights (16 minute version)

Projection: Low Major

High School and International Background

During his two years at Capistrano Valley High School Efe averaged a team high 20.1 points per game. His 48% 3-point field goal percentage was a school record and the highest in the ClIF Conference.

Efe was selected CIF 2nd team all-Conference and named to the All-California South All-Star Team. PrepHoops Selected Efe as the Nation’s Player of the Week in January following 40 point and 36-point performances against conference rivals.

Prior to arriving to the United States as a 16-year-old, Efe starred on the Fenerbahce U19 Team where he played a key role in their 2021 Championship. Efe also starred for the team at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament. He scored 22 points including six 3-pointers against UCLA player Aday Mara and Spanish powerhouse, Zaragoza and was the game MVP. He also had strong performances vs. Nebraska player Berke Buyuktuncel ,12 points, as well strong games vs. Real Madrid and Lithuanian powerhouse, Zalgiris. Efe was regarded as the top shooter of the 2004 born class. From the age of 13, he served as a Member of the Turkish National team at his age group.

Efe graduated from Capo Valley with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

For more information and additional full game video, please contact Carl Berman at carl@netscoutsbasketball.com or at 541.359.9653. You can also contact Simeon Marinov at simeon@netscoutsbasketball.com or at +359 88 359 0707.

Maryland, Arizona Advance to Sweet Sixteen from Seattle

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Seattle, WA –The second round of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle featured matchups betweenNo. 4-seed Maryland vs. No. 12-seed Colorado State followed by No. 5-seed Oregon vs. No. 4-seed Arizona.

In the first game Derik Queen scored on a bank shot from the side of the basket to give Maryland a thrilling 72-71 win over Colorado State. His shot came right after Jalen Lake had given the Rams a one-point lead with four seconds remaining. In the nightcap, Arizona came back from a 15-point first half deficit to beat Oregon 87-83. Caleb Love was outstanding for the Wildcats, finishing with 29 points (5-of-7 3’s) and added nine rebounds and four assists. Jackson Shelstad led the Ducks with 25 points.

Colorado State got off to a good start in the opening game, going on a 16-2 run to pull out to a 22-10 lead. The Rams’ Lake hit his first three shots, including two three-pointers. Queen kept the Terrapins in it, scoring 10 of their first 14 points, including two 3’s. Colorado State maintained the lead through the half led by Nique Clifford’s 12 points, four rebounds and three assists. They went into halftime with a 37-30 lead. Queen had 12 points for Maryland but didn’t see the ball much after he scored his 10 early points. Julian Reese grabbed seven rebounds for the Terrapins.

Maryland came back quickly in the second half and took a 57-54 lead on five quick points from Selton Miquel, a long three-pointer and a basket after a steal. The Rams came right back with six straight points, with a Bowen Born basket on a drive giving them a 60-57 lead. The Terrapins tied the game at 64 after a Rodney Rice lay-in after a nice Queen block at the rim. They then took the lead on two Resse free throws. Maryland extended the run to 9-0 after a short Resse jumper. Clifford ended that run with two free throws, cutting the margin to 68-66 with 1:36 left.  Lake then tied the game at 68 on a jumper. Reese was then fouled after pulling down an offensive rebound, making both free throws to give Maryland a 70-68 lead with 22 seconds remaining. That set the stage for Lake’s three-pointer and then Queen‘s winning shot.

Queen led the Terrapins with 17 points while Reese added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Clifford led the way for Colorado State with 21 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Lake added 13 points, making 3-of-6 3’s.  Maryland advances to face Florida in the Sweet Sixten on Thursday evening.

In the second game Oregon got off to a hot start, running out to a 19-4 lead and led 24-10, helped by 10 points by Shelstad before Arizona came roaring back.  They were helped by strong offensive rebounding from Tobe Awaka, who had a double-double at halftime. The Wildcats went on a 32-14 run to end the half to take a 42-38 lead into the break.

Arizona extended their lead to 11 points (56-45) before Oregon battled back. A Shelstad jumper cut the lead to 72-70. The Ducks had a chance to tie the game late, but TJ Bamba missed on a shot after penetration. Oregon got within 81-80 on a lay-up by Shelstad but Arizona was perfect at the free throw line, making six in a row to end the game.

The Ducks came into the game with their best free throw shooting team in the past 11 years but that wasn’t the case tonight. They shot only 12-of-22, leaving ten points at the line. That, combined with their poor first half rebounding, was the difference in the game.  Awake finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds for Arizona. Arizona moves on to face Duke on Thursday in the East Regional in New Jersey.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner ofr NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Oregon and Arizona Head to Showdown on Sunday in Seattle

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Seattle, WA – The second session of the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle featured matchups between No. 4-seed Arizona vs. No. 13-seed Akron followed by No. 5-seed Oregon vs. No. 12-seed Liberty. Neither game was competitive. Arizona romped over Akron 93-65.  Oregon followed that with an easy 81-52 win over Liberty.  The two teams will face off on Sunday in an anticipated game to determine who gets to the Sweet Sixteen at the East Regional in New Jersey.

In the opening game Arizona scored the first nine points of the game and led 41-31 at halftime. They gradually pulled away in the second half, outscoring the Zips by 52-34 to get the 28-point win. Jalen Bradley led the Wildcats with 19 points, connecting on 3-of-5 3’s, and added six rebounds and three assists. Trey Townsend added 16 points on 7-of-8 from the field with eight rebounds.

Arizona enjoyed a large size disparity of took advantage of it throughout the game. They used Townsend on pick and rolls as Akron didn’t have the size to defend him at his position. Arizona out rebounded Akron 53-22, including 15-4 on the offensive glass. They dominated the paint to a tune of a 48-20 point advantage The Wildcats had 21 assists compared to only six for the Zips. They also shot 12-of-25 on 3’s.  The game would have been even worse for Akron if it weren’t for Arizona’s 17 turnovers.

The second game was similar.  Oregon has had rough starts in quite a few games this season but that wasn’t the case today. The Ducks came out focused and raced out to an 18-2 lead over the Flames.  Jackson Shelstad connected on his first four shots, scoring ten early points. This game was similar in height disparity as well, with Liberty’s tallest starter being 6’8.  That gave Nate Bittle a big advantage in the post. The 7’0 Bittle scored nine points and eight rebounds at the break, as the Ducks took a 44-20 lead into the locker room. Shelstad led Oregon with 15 points, making 3-of-4 3’s, one on the final shot of the half.  The Ducks had a 22-13 rebounding edge at the half.

Liberty came out with a little fire at the start if the second half, scoring the first four points but Oregon came right back, scoring the next six points and the rout was on. The only question was the margin of victory, with the lead being around 30 points for much of the rest of the game. Oregon was able to use their bench more than usual as they were able to get their starters some rest leading into the Arizona game on Sunday.

Shelstad led the Ducks with 17 points, making 3-of-4 3’s, and added four rebounds and three assists. The Ducks enjoyed a 43-27 rebounding edge and shot 10-of-21 on three-pointers.

Oregon has been a very good team in defending the three-point shot this year. They are holding their opponents to 31.7% and are ranked 61st in the country. Liberty came in as the 5th best three-point shooting team in the nation at 39.1%. The Ducks’ defense dominated, holding Liberty to 8-of-37 (21.6%) from deep.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner ofr NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Colorado State, Maryland Advance at NCAA Tournament in Seattle

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Seattle, WA –The first round of the NCAA Tournament in Seattle tipped off this afternoon with matchups betweenNo. 5-seed Memphis vs. No. 12-seed Colorado State followed by No.4-seed Maryland vs. No. 13-seed Grand Canyon.  Colorado State and Maryland advanced and will face each other on Saturday afternoon.

In the opening game Colorado State pulled off the upset, outscoring Memphis by 13 points in the second half to get the 78-71 victory.  The Rams won with solid three -point shooting from Kyan Evans, who hit 6-of-9 from deep, while leading the winners with 23 points. Jalen Lake connected on 3-of-7 3’s and added 12 points. Dain Dainja dominated inside for Memphis and finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

The two highest rated players of the game, Nique Clifford of Colorado State and PJ Haggerty of Memphis were not at their best. Clifford scored 14 points on 3-of-13 shooting, missing all six three 3-point attempts. He played a solid floor game though with eight rebounds, six assists and no turnovers. Haggerty shot only 7-of 23 (18 points) and missed his first seven three-point attempts before making one in the last minute.  Colby Rogers took up the slack for Memphis scoring 18 points and hitting 4-of-7 three-pointers. Colorado State rebounded better in the second half, cutting Memphis’s edge on the boards to 41-34.

Memphis got off to a good start and led the Rams at halftime 36-31. Dainja dominated inside, scoring 15 first half points and grabbing five rebounds. Colorado State stayed close with solid outside shooting from Evans (12 points on 3-of-4 3’s) and Lake (2-of-3 3’s).  Memphis outrebounded Colorado State 24-13 including 8-4 on the offensive glass. They also dominated the paint with a 20-8 margin. The Rams’ Clifford of only had three points on 1-of-5 shooting, missing his three 3-point attempts. Haggerty shot only 3-of 10 (7 points) but did pull down six rebounds. Rogers helped Memphis out with 12 first half points, hitting 2-of-3 three-pointers.

In the second game Maryland dominated and coasted to an 81-49 win over Grand Canyon. The Terrapins used their size advantage to dominate the boards. They had a 43-33 rebounding advantage with Derik Queen pulling down 15 rebounds and Julian Reese grabbing nine. Maryland dominated the paint to the tune of a 40-14 scoring advantage. Resse led Maryland in scoring with 18 points while Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 and Queen contributed 12 points. Tyon Grant-Foster had one of his best games of the year, leading Grand Canyon with 23 points, making 3-of7 3’s. Maryland connected on 7-of-16 3’s compared to 5-of-23 for the Lopes.

After a slow start Maryland came out strong and took a 20-point first half lead. Grant-Foster (16 first half points) hit a last-second three-pointer to cut the Terrapins lead to 42-28 at the break. Reese was tough inside for Maryland, ending the half with 12 points and six rebounds. Gillespie connected on two 3’s and had 11 points at the break. Maryland had a first half 24-6 edge in points in the paint and a +6 rebounding advantage.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner ofr NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Westchester Tops College Park in G-League Action

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

College Park, GA – The Westchester Knicks defeated the College Park Skyhawks in a high scoring affair by the score of 138-123. The Knicks never trailed. They dictated tempo for the majority of the game. The Knicks had seven players reach double figure scoring led by Kevin McCullar Jr. with 20 points, achieving his first professional triple double with 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

In the first quarter, Westchester came out red hot from 3. They made six of their first seven attempts from three, including Johnny Davis making a tough contested three in the right corner late in the shot clock. The Westchester Knicks shot 9-of-14 from three in the first quarter. On the other side, College Park went only 3-of-11 from three. The Skyhawks started Joey Hauser at center to help spread the floor and take Moses Brown away from the paint. Unfortunately for the Skyhawks, Hauser struggled by missing all four of his three-point attempts.

In the second quarter, the red-hot shooting continued for the Knicks. The team went 4-of-5 from three to start off the second quarter. The efficiency was great because McCullar did well with dribble penetration, collapsing the defense and kicking out to three-point shooters. McCullar had eight of his 10 assists in the first half. The Knicks extended their lead as high as 21 points by the middle of the second quarter. The Skyhawks made a run towards the end of the half led by Daequon Plowden who had a career high of 27 points. The Skyhawks cut the deficit down to 12 heading into halftime.

The Skyhawks continued their momentum in the start of the third quarter. Now they began to make their threes while Westchester was going through a cold stretch from 3. With Moses Brown at center, College Park made it a point of emphasis to push the ball every time down the court off of a missed shot because Brown is slow getting back on defense. College Park had a season high 30 fast break points. They cut the lead down to two points but were never able to take the lead.

The Westchester Knicks were able to maintain their lead in the fourth quarter because they dominated College Park on the offensive glass. They had 21 offensive rebounds which led to 22 second chance points. The downfall of starting small in which the Skyhawks did by starting  Hauser at center is that you are vulnerable to offensive rebounds by the opposing team. The Knicks also won the free throw battle by 11. The Skyhawks players and coaches were frustrated throughout the game because they felt like the whistle was one-sided. The lack of calls seemed to affect their play, especially on the defensive side of the floor.

With the win, the Knicks improved their record to 18-12 as they prepare for a playoff run. With the loss, the Skyhawks dropped to 15-14 looking outside of the playoff race with six games left. These two teams play again at the Gateway Center Arena in College Park this Friday.

This article was written by Daeshaun Brathwaite, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Gonzaga’s Defense Helps Them Win WCC Tournament Title

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Las Vegas, NV – The finals of the West Coast Conference tournament took on a familiar ring with top-seed St. Mary’s taking on No. 2-seed Gonzaga.  The teams faced off for the WCC tournament title for the fourth straight year, and the sixth time in the last seven years. Both teams played good defense but also shot very poorly. Gonzaga maintained a small lead through most of the game and came away with the 58-51 win. Braden Huff led the winners with 18 points. Mitchell Saxen led the Gaels with 20 points and added seven rebounds.

St. Mary’s used the height and superior rebounding to win both previous games against Gonzaga his season, 62-58 at St. Mary’s and 74-67 at Gonzaga. Coach Mark Few tried to counter the Gaels’ advantage by starting the Huff along with 6-9 Grahan Ike.  That move proved to be a good one as Huff scored seven early points to help the Bulldogs take a quick 20-7 lead. St. Mary’s countered as center Saxen scored nine points as they cut the deficit to 24-17. Harry Wessells made a nice block on an Ike layup attempt with led to a Saxen basket that cut the Gonzaga lead to 31-25. The Gaels extended their run to eight points on two Saxen free throws to reduce the margin to 31-29.  Ike broke the run with a lay-in but then Ryan Nembhard was called for a technical foul (his third foul). Augustas Marciulionis (12 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists) made both free throws and the half ended with the Zags up 33-31.

Saxen scored 14 first half points for the Gaels while Luke Barrett was active again on the boards with eight rebounds. Huff led Gonzaga with nine points at the half. The Gaels continued their rebounding efficiency with a 23-14 first half advantage, including 8-4 off the offensive glass. Gonzaga had a 6-0 edge on fast break points. The Zags only committed one first half turnover compared to St. Mary’s seven and enjoyed an 11-3 edge in points off turnovers.

Gonzaga maintained a small lead for most of the first part of the second half and expanded their lead to 48-42 at the under 8-minute time out. They were helped by a lay-in by Khalif Battle. (14 points, 5 steals) after a St. Mary’s turnover. They maintained their lead at 52-47 with three minutes remaining and St. Mary’s couldn’t get closer than four points the rest of the game.

The teams shot horribly with Gonzaga making 1-of-15 on 3’s and with St. Mary’s missing all 16 of their three-point attempts. The Gaels maintained their rebounding advantage by a 43-28 margin. Gonzaga won the game with solid defense and creating turnovers. They forced 18 turnovers while committing only four and had a 20-3 edge in points off turnovers.

Graham Ike of Gonzaga was named tournament MVP. Moe Odum (Pepperdine), Saxen (St. Mary’s), Marciulionis (St. Mary’s) and Battle (Gonzaga) joined Ike on the All-Tournament team.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

St. Mary’s and Gonzaga to Meet Again for WCC Tournament Title

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Las Vegas, NV – The semifinals of the West Coast Conference tournament took place tonight with Pepperdine trying for their fourth win in four days as they faced top-seed St. Mary’s. In the second game San Francisco took on No. 2-seed Gonzaga.  Both favored teams won and St. Mary’s and Gonzaga will face for the WCC tournament title for the fourth straight year, and the sixth time in the last seven years.

In the opener St. Mary’s showed why they are one of the top defensive and rebounding teams in the nation, shutting down a hot Pepperdine team and ran way with an 74-59 win. They held the Waves to 39% shooting overall and only 20% (5-of-18) on three-pointers. Paulius Murauskas scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the winners. Point guard Augustas Marciulionis also scored 15 points and added seven rebounds and five assists with no turnovers. Luke Barrett added 13 + 8. Moe Odum led the Waves with 19 points.

Pepperdine’s (13-22) Odum continued his hot shooting early, scoring ten points as the Waves took a 18-13 lead. The Gaels came right back, going on a 10-point run to take a 5-point lead. Four straight points from 6-8 Lithuanian forward Murauskas extended St. Mary’s lead to 30-21. They maintained that lead the rest of the half, going into the break with a 39-29 lead. Barrett was all over the court for the Gaels scoring nine points and adding seven rebounds.  Marciulionis also scored nine points. Odum led the Waves with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.

St. Mary’s came into the game rated No. 11 in defensive efficiency according to Kenpom and they made it tough for Stefan Todorovic to get off an uncontested shot. Todorovic, averaging 24 points over the first three games, scored eight points in the half on only 2-of-9 shooting. He finished the game with ten points on 3-of-14 from the field.

In the second half, a lay-in after an offensive rebound by Murauskas extended the Gaels’ lead to 48-33.  The lead was 21 points (59-38) at the under 12-minute time out and St. Mary’s didn’t look back. They led by as many as 28 points (68-40) and coasted to the win, resting their starters for tomorrow’s title game. Pepperdine closed the game on a 14-2 run, making the final score closer than it could have been.

The Gaels came in as one of the top rebounding teams in the country, rated No. 2 with a 40.2 offensive rebounding percentage. They also limit their opponents to a 25.1 offensive rebounding percentage (ranked No. 15).  That advantage was evident tonight as in the first half the Gaels had a 25-12 rebounding edge with an 8-4 edge on the offensive glass. For the game St. Mary’s outrebounded the Waves 45-22, including 15-7 on the offensive boards.

In the second game, Gonzaga faced a San Francisco squad that was missing their starting point guard, Marcus Williams, who was out of action due to a possible NCAA rules violation. Ryan Beasley, starting in place of Williams, got the Dons off to a decent start by scoring their first seven points. Michael Ayayi came off the bench to give a boost to the Zags with two strong dunks. Back-to-back three-pointers from Junjie “Barry” Wong gave the Dons a 29-24 lead. A three-pointer from Beasley (10 first half points) gave USF a 37-35 halftime lead. Grahan Ike led the Dons with 10 points and seven rebounds. Ayayi played well and provided energy, ending the half with nine points and seven boards.

Ike scored eight straight points for the Zags starting the second half as the Zags took a 43-39 lead. Khalif Battle then got hot, hitting a three-pointer midway through the half to give the Zags a 59-53 lead. A dunk by the Dons’ Tyrone Riley cut the lead to 60-59 with under eight minutes left. Five quick points by Ike extended the Zags lead to 67-61. Gonzaga (24-8) was solid the rest of the game and closed out with an 85-76 win over San Francisco (24-9).

Graham Ike led the Zags with 27 points and ten rebounds. Battle added 21 points (3-of-6 3’s) and Ryan Nembhard added eight assists against only one turnover. Malik Thomas led the Dons with 27 points (5-of-8 3’s), eight rebounds and four assists.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Pepperdine and San Francisco Advance to WCC Semifinals

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Las Vegas, NV – The West Coast Conference tournament played their quarterfinals tonight as Pepperdine tried for a third straight win facing No. 4-seed Santa Clara. In the nightcap Washington State faced No. 3-seed San Francisco. 

Pepperdine (13-21, 7-14) did it, holding on for their third straight win in three days, upsetting Santa Clara 78-76. The Waves continued to get excellent play from Stefan Todorovic and Moe Odum. Both scored 19 points and made three 3’s. Odum Jr. added 13 assists and five rebounds. Tyeree Bryan led the Broncos (20-12, 12-7) with 18 points, connecting on 4-of-6 from deep. In the nightcap Ryan Beasley scored 29 points (4-of-8 3’s) to lead San Francisco to an 86-75 win over Washington State. Ethan Price led the Cougars with 26 points, connecting on 3-of-6 three-pointers and added six rebounds.

Pepperdine stayed close with the Broncos throughout the first half with Santa Clara taking a 40-36 lead into the break. The Broncos shot 8-of-20 on 3’s with Bryan, Brenton Knapper and Johnny O’Neil each connecting on two. Pepperdine only shot 3-of-13 from deep. Knapper led the Broncos with ten points while Odum, Todorovic and Boubacar Coulibaly each scoring nine points for the Waves. Santa Clara enjoyed a 21-13 edge on the boards including 6-2 on the offensive glass.

The Waves tied the game at 56 on a three-pointer from Todorovic and then took a 58-56 lead on a short jumper from center Danilo Dozic (7 points) midway through the second half. The Waves extended their lead to eight points as they went on an 8-0 run and held the Broncos without a field goal for six minutes. Santa Clara stayed withing striking distance and cut their deficit to 71-68 on a three-pointer by Knapper (17 points). A Dozic three-pointer extended the lead back to six points after the under 4-minute time out. Todorovic then hit a tough jumper in the lane with 1:23 left to extend the lead to five points. A Christopf Tully steal and dunk got the Broncos to within three points. Santa Clara had the ball with 10.3 seconds remaining with the chance to tie the game with a three-pointer. An Adama Bal three-pointer wasn’t close and Pepperdine closed the game at the free throw line.

Odum has been outstanding at the tournament.  In the three games he has been in double-figures in points and assists in each game. He started with 31 points and 11 assists. Last night he had 17 points and ten assists and then 19 points and 13 assists tonight. He’s shot a combined 12-of-24 on three-pointers in the three games. Todorovic is averaging 24 points over the three games with his career-high of 34 points in last night’s win over Oregon State.

In the second game, Washington State and San Francisco battled evenly through the first half with USF taking a 34-32 lead into the break. The Dons destroyed the Cougars on the boards by a 31-14 margin, including a 15-1 edge on the offensive boards, but did not shoot well. They shot only 33% overall and 2-of-15 on 3’s. Ryan Beasley made their only two three-pointers, the rest of the team was 0-of-10. Malik Thomas led San Francisco in scoring with 12 points. Ethan Proce continued his strong tournament play, leading Washington State with 11 points.

USF got off to a quick start in the second half with an 8-0 run and extended their lead to 46-36 after a steal and three-point play from Beasley. The Cougars stormed right back on a 9-0 run helped by another Price three-pointer to cut USF’s lead to 52-50. USF came back with a 7-0 run, taking a 63-54 lead. Beasley then hit another three-pointer to extend the Dons’ lead to 66-56. USF kept a safe lead from there to finish with the ten-point victory. USF had a 49-25 rebounding edge, including 21-5 on the offensive glass.

Pepperdine advances to the semifinals tomorrow evening against top-seeded St. Mary’s. In the nightcap San Francisco (24-8, 14-5) will face No. 2 seed Gonzaga.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Pepperdine and Washington State Advance at WCC Tournament

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Las Vegas, NV – The third round of the West Coast Conference tournament took place tonight with Pepperdine (11-21, 5-14) facing No. 5-seed Oregon State in the opener and LMU (17-14, 9-10) playing against No. 4-seeded Washington Statein the nightcap.  Pepperdine (12-21, 6-14) held on for the upset over Oregon State (20-12, 10-9) 77-73 as Stefan Todorovic led the way with a career-high 34 points on 5-of-9 from deep. Moe Odum added 17 points, ten assists and only one turnover. Damarco Minor led the Beavers with 22 points. In the second game Washington State got off to a strong start, kept up a double-digit lead much of the game and topped Loyola Marymount 94-77 as Ethan Price and Nate Calmese scored 22 points.

Oregon State and Pepperdine battled fairly evenly through the first half. Both the Beavers’ Nate Kingz (18 points) and the Waves’ Todorovic were both hot throughout the half. Each connected on 4-of-5 three-pointers with Kingz ending the half with 14 points and Todorovic with 19 points. Both starting point guards played very well with Odum of Pepperdine continuing his hot shooting. He scored ten points on 4-of-5 shooting (2-of-3 3’s) and added six assists. The Beavers’ Minor scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Oregon State took a 41-38 lead into the break after Liutauris Lelevicius connected on a jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining.

Todorovic continued his hot shooting in the second half, making another three-pointer that helped the Waves’ take a 57-51 lead. Todorovic kept up his scoring and the Waves went out to a 70-59 lead. The Beavers then ran off eight straight points with a Lelevicius (15 points) three-pointer cutting the deficit to three points. Oregon State then got cold at the wrong time, missing five late-three pointers but did get within two points twice in the last 30 seconds. Pepperdine held on for the win, helped by four late free throws. Michael Rataj, Oregon State’s leading scorer at 17.4 ppg, never got it going and only had one point, missing all four of his field goal attempts over 36 minutes of action.

In the second game, Washington State took an early double-digit lead helped by ten early points from Price, a 6-10 senior from England. At halftime the Cougars held a 47-39 lead, as Price scored 20 points, making 2-of-3 3’s and 8-of-9 shots overall. LeJuan Watts grabbed ten rebounds and added nine points and Washington State connected on 5-of-14 shots from deep. LMU shot only 6-of-20 on 3’s and were led by MJ Amey Jr’s 11 points (3-of-3 3’s).

The Cougars dominated the second half with the game never in question. Calmese and Rihards Vavers each scored 13 points in the half. Vavers, a 6-7 sophomore forward from Latvia, connected on all three of his three-point attempts in the half and finished the game with 16 points, on 4-of-5 from deep. LeJuan Watts finished with a double-double of 12 points and 13 rebounds and added five assists. Amey Jr. led LMU with 16 points, hitting 3-of-5 3’s, and added  a team-high eight rebounds.

Pepperdine advances to the quarterfinal against the No. 4 seed Santa Clara tomorrow at 5:30pm local time. In the nightcap Washington State (19-13, 9-10) with face No. 3 seed San Francisco.

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Pepperdine, LMU Advance to Third Round of WCC Tournament

by Carl Berman
written by Carl Berman

Las Vegas, NV – The second round of the West Coast Conference tournament took place tonight with Portland facing Pepperdine and San Diego going against Loyola Marymount. In the opener Pepperdine stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the last 12 minutes to top Portland 86-73. Moe Odum led the way with 31 points (6-of-10 3’s) and 11 assists. In the nightcap Loyola Marymount ran away from San Diego 100-74 as Australian Will Johnston scored 27 points, making 7-of-8 three-pointers and added eight assists.

Portland came out hot, making five of their first eight three-pointers, three by Vukasin Masic and two by Austin Rapp to take a 23-11 lead. Pepperdine stayed fairly close for much of the half, but five late points from Rapp gave the Pilots a 38-29 halftime lead. The half was dominated by international players. Stefan Todorovic, a 6-8 forward from Belgrade, led Pepperdine with ten points. Masic, also from Belgrade, connected on 4-of-7 3’s and scored 13 points to lead the Pilots. Portland’s two Australian players, the 6-10 freshman Rapp added 11 points (3-of-7 3’s) while 6-6 junior forward Max Mackinnen added six points.  

Back-to-back three-pointers from Odum brought Pepperdine back to within 54-48 midway through the second half. Another three-pointer from Odum cut the deficit to 56-55 and he followed with yet another three-pointer to give the Waves a 58-56 lead. Masic followed with his fifth three-pointer of the game to put the Pilots back in front. Masic and Todorovic traded 3’s as Pepperdine took a 64-63 lead. The Waves extended their lead to 73-66 on a two three-pointers from 6-10 freshman Danilo Dozic (another player from Belgrade). The Waves finished the game on a 46-19 run, erasing a 14-point deficit over the last 11:58.

Todorovic added 19 points for the Waves but shot only 1-of-8 from deep. Boubacar Coulibaly (from Mali) added 12 points and 11 rebounds. Masic led Portland (12-20, 7-12) with 26 points, connecting on 6-of-10 3’s. Rapp and Mackinnon both added 16 points. Pepperdine enjoyed a 41-28 edge on the boards.

In the second game, Loyola Marymount had no problem taking care of San Diego. They went out to a 28-15 lead midway through the first half, but San Diego came right back with a 12-point run to get within 28-27. LMU then took back control with back-to-back 3’s from Johnston and MJ Amey Jr. LMU closed the half on a 14-3 run, taking a 42-30 lead into the break, led by Johnston’s 16 points on 4-of-5 three-pointers.

LMU ran away with a 58-point second half to get the 26-point win. The Lions shot 12-of-21 on 3’s and had 26 assists on their 36 made field goals. Johnson’s 27 points led five LMU players in double-figures. Tony Duckett led San Diego (6-27) with 17 points on 3-of-5 shooting on 3’s.

Pepperdine (11-21, 5-14) will move on to face No. 5-seed Oregon State in tomorrow evening’s first third round game. In the nightcap LMU (17-14, 9-10) will face No. 6-seeded Washington State

This article was written by Carl Berman, Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

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