Long Beach Poly's Jasmine Jones named 2016 Press-Telegram Dream Team Player of the Year

<URL destination="SECOND TEAM SANKIA BRAXTON, Lynwood, Senior, Forward DESTINEE CRAYON, Lynwood, Senior, G/F KAYLIN ELLIS, Millikan, Senior, G/F TYLER FRIERSON, Millikan, Junior, Forward SACHA GRIFFIN, CAMS, Senior, Forward SARAH HERMANN, Los Alamitos DA’JAH JACKSON, Long Beach Poly, Senior, Guard TARYN MINUTO, Avalon, Junior, Guard IFEOMA OKOLI, Cerritos, Junior, Guard BRION TURNER, Lakewood, Junior, Forward HONORABLE MENTION BRIANNA FLYNN, Los Alamitos, Senior, Guard CIERRA BELVIN, Long Beach Poly, Senior, Guard ESTHER FRANKS, Millikan, Senior, Guard SARAH HERMANN, Los Alamitos, Senior, Center DAHLIA MAKHLOUF, Downey, Senior, Forward CHEYENNE MCKINNIE, Valley Christian, Junior, Guard SEMAJ SMITH, St. Anthony, Sophomore, Forward KAYLA STA ANA, St. Joseph, Senior, G/F ARIANA THOMPSON, CAMS, Junior, Forward JANAE TURNER, Lynwood, Senior, G/F LEAGUE CHAMPS Coastal League: CAMS Express League: Avalon Moore League: Long Beach Poly Sunset League: Los Alamitos Suburban League: Mayfair San Gabriel Valley League: Lynwood ">PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JASMINE JONES, Long Beach Poly, Junior, Forward

Usually the selection for the Press-Telegram’s Dream Team Player of the Year is a senior All-American, a youth national team member or a developed player on the brink of heading off to conquer the NCAAs. This year there wasn’t such a player. That didn’t make the debate any longer with the award going to Jasmine Jones of Long Beach Poly High School, the best all-around player in the area and from the area’s best team.

“She’s one of those players who can do everything for you,” Poly coach Carl Buggs said of his junior leader. “If you need a rebound, she gets it. She can lead the break, she can drive it, she can make the right pass, she can score. She’s very versatile.”

That versatility helped lead Poly to yet another Moore League title as well as appearances in the CIF Southe Section Open Division championship game and the CIF State Open Division Southe Califoia Regional championship, both of which Poly lost to eventual state champion Chaminade. The Jackrabbits were the city’s only Open Division squad this year.

Jones transferred into Poly this year after starring at West in Torrance. Because of her outgoing personality she didn’t have any trouble fitting in.

“This team is like my family,” she said just a few weeks into the season.

She served in the role of breadwier for the Jackrabbits as a consistent post presence, averaging 13.6 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, 3.9 steals per game and two assists per game. True to Buggs’ word, whatever the Jackrabbits needed, Jones did.

“She makes all of our lives a lot easier,” fellow Dream Teamer Danae Miller said.

Ironically Jones almost missed out on her basketball career before it even began,. She was a cheerleader from the age of 2 until 7, when her parents forced her to start playing basketball.

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“Oh, I hated it then,” she said. “My mom and dad forced me to, I didn’t want to do it at all. Then I ended up loving it.”

And her future coaches ended up loving her. Jones credits a good sense of foresight for the reason she’s such a well-rounded player.

“At my height, I’m too small to be a pure post in college,” she said. “So I figured I’d just work on everything.”

The 6-foot-1 junior does not currently have any scholarship offers, but those are likely to come in waves this summer as she shows off the added elements to her game, especially in the post, during the open evaluation periods. Jones also will spend her offseason playing with an elite club program, Team Taurasi.

When she puts the green and gold jersey back on, opponents had better watch out. The Jackrabbits will retu Jones, as well as first-teamers Danae Miller and USC commit Ayaa Clark and a host of other talented players. In other words, the area’s best team is only going to get better.

<URL destination="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiI6oqcuIzMAhUO9mMKHRKrA68QFgg2MAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.presstelegram.com%2Fsports%2F20160208%2Flos-alamitos-girls-basketball-continues-unbeaten-streak&usg=AFQjCNGY4urK0nO1blfVM1cBg4jp56K7zw&bvm=bv.119408272,d.cGc">COACH OF THE YEAR: RICH ALVAREZ, Los Alamitos

It was a baer year for Los Alamitos, which very easily could have been an Open Division squad. Coach Rich Alvarez led the Griffins to a 22-6 record and another Sunset League title, his second in two years. This year’s title came via an unblemished league record, the first time the Griffins have achieved that feat in at least 15 years. Some of that improvement was because of the arrival of freshman standout Cailyn Crocker. To Alvarez’s credit, the frosh had no problem fitting in on a team where more than half the roster was seniors.

FIRST TEAM

ASHLEY AUSTIN, Lynwood, Sophomore, Guard

Sophomore guard Ashley Austin helped lead Lynwood to yet another undefeated San Gabriel Valley League championship and a 20-8 overall record. The Knights reached the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 1AA playoffs. Austin was an all-CIF selection. She led her team with 12.7 points per game.

MIA BELVIN, Millikan, Senior, Guard

The Moore League’s leading scorer was also a first team Dream Teamer last year as a junior and she followed a promising junior campaign with an excellent senior season for the Rams, who went 19-10. Belvin led the way with 16.1 points per game, 5.1 rebounds per game and 4.1 steals per game. She has signed a scholarship to continue her career with UC Merced.

<URL destination="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjcvI6ruIzMAhVO0GMKHeUTBMsQFggvMAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.presstelegram.com%2Fsports%2F20160303%2Fst-anthony-girls-basketball-led-by-tayler-beetts-brain-power&usg=AFQjCNHF1jZhqFZZ0Kdm7mh9a_sHIlajkQ">TAYLER BENNETT, St. Anthony, Senior, Guard

</URL>The ruer-up for Dream Team Player of the Year had a phenomenal all-around senior season, leading St. Anthony to a CIF-SS Division 4A championship and eaing CIF-SS Player of the Year honors in that division. Beett, who has signed a scholarship with Rice University, is a complete guard, who can score, dribble and pass; she was also a first team Dream Teamer last year as a junior.

STEFANIE BERBERABE, St. Joseph, Sophomore, Guard

It wasn’t a great year for the Jesters, who went 17-11 overall and 3-5 in the Camino Real League, but sophomore guard Stefanie Berberabe certainly gave St. Joseph fans reason to be optimistic about the future. The talented youngster averaged 15.9 points per game, 6.1 steals per game, 3.5 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game to lead her team.

AYANNA CLARK, Long Beach Poly, Junior, Center

The most physically gifted player in the area was undoubtedly Poly junior Ayaa Clark, who has been committed to USC for more than a year. Clark, a 6-foot-3 force to be reckoned with, had 13.4 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game. The only thing stopping Clark this year was time missed because of grades. If she’s on the court and dialed in next year she will be among the very best in the nation.

CAILYN CROCKER, Los Alamitos, Freshman, Guard

Los Alamitos had a fantastic season with an undefeated Sunset League championship and a trip to the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1AA playoffs, where they lost a narrow decision to Lynwood. Keying the Griffins’ growth this year was freshman point guard Cailyn Crocker. She is an athletic young player who can shoot, pass and drive. The future is wide open for Crocker, who will be one of the top players in the nation in her class.

DANI IWAMI, Los Alamitos, Senior, Guard

A repeat first team Dream Teamer, senior guard Dani Iwami was the experienced balance to Crocker’s youth. The Sunset League’s Player of the Year averaged 14 points per game this season in leading the way for the Griffins, with one of the area’s best jumpshots on full display. Iwami may be departing Los Alamitos, but her playing days aren’t over. She will be play in college on scholarship at Hawaii Pacific.

DANAE MILLER, Long Beach Poly, Junior, Guard

The Jackrabbits’ junior guard was a first team Dream Teamer last year as a sophomore and only got better this season. She averaged 10.1 points per game and showed off an improving jumpshot, leading the team in 3-point shooting percentage for all Jackrabbits with more than 10 attempts. Miller is a ways from having to make a final college decision, but is drawing Pac-12 interest already.

<URL destination="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwidx5W2uIzMAhVG4mMKHTjuAnYQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.presstelegram.com%2Fsports%2F20160305%2Fvideo-st-anthony-vs-cshs-cif-basketball-championship&usg=AFQjCNHDZxeowXSwt1Ji28fKKFj5wwB4Jg">TIARA SCOTT, St. Anthony, Senior, Guard

</URL>Tayler Beett’s partner in crime was Tiara Scott, another super-talented guard who will be playing college ball on scholarship next year at Sacramento State. The combination of Scott and Beett gave the Saints a backcourt that couldn’t be stopped in the CIF-SS playoffs, where they won games by 41, 64, 39, 37, and 16 points, leading many to wonder if they actually belonged in the Open Division.

MONET WARD, Mayfair, Senior, Guard/Forward

Mayfair breezed through the Suburban League this year with an undefeated 12-0 record, 19-6 overall. They also picked it up in the CIF-SS playoffs where they made the quarterfinals in Division 2A. They fell to eventual champion and top overall seed Norco. That run was keyed by several big performances from Monet Ward, who was first team all-CIF.

SECOND TEAM

SANKIA BRAXTON, Lynwood, Senior, Forward

DESTINEE CRAYON, Lynwood, Senior, G/F

KAYLIN ELLIS, Millikan, Senior, G/F

TYLER FRIERSON, Millikan, Junior, Forward

SACHA GRIFFIN, CAMS, Senior, Forward

SARAH HERMANN, Los Alamitos

DA’JAH JACKSON, Long Beach Poly, Senior, Guard

TARYN MINUTO, Avalon, Junior, Guard

IFEOMA OKOLI, Cerritos, Junior, Guard

BRION TURNER, Lakewood, Junior, Forward

HONORABLE MENTION

BRIANNA FLYNN, Los Alamitos, Senior, Guard

CIERRA BELVIN, Long Beach Poly, Senior, Guard

ESTHER FRANKS, Millikan, Senior, Guard

SARAH HERMANN, Los Alamitos, Senior, Center

DAHLIA MAKHLOUF, Downey, Senior, Forward

CHEYENNE MCKINNIE, Valley Christian, Junior, Guard

SEMAJ SMITH, St. Anthony, Sophomore, Forward

KAYLA STA ANA, St. Joseph, Senior, G/F

ARIANA THOMPSON, CAMS, Junior, Forward

JANAE TURNER, Lynwood, Senior, G/F

LEAGUE CHAMPS

Coastal League: CAMS

Express League: Avalon

Moore League: Long Beach Poly

Sunset League: Los Alamitos

Suburban League: Mayfair

San Gabriel Valley League: Lynwood