Marysville's Prince

Drawing double, sometimes triple, teams each time you step out on to the court is discouraging for most basketball players.

But Keenan Prince isn't most basketball players.

The Marysville High guard finished second in the state in scoring — 30 points per game — and garnished it by averaging nine rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. For his efforts, Prince was named the Appeal-Democrat's Most Valuable Player on the All-Area boys basketball team.

While he may be a high-flying, scoring machine, it's been his maturity, Prince feels, that has separated this season from others in the past.

"I think I've matured a lot. I'm more unselfish than I've been," Prince said. "I think I'm able to see things a lot quicker and I can read defenses quicker."

While many young men sit glued to the TV, playing X Box, or hang around the mall to avoid the summer heat — Prince is working out, playing AAU basketball and fine-tuning his gift.

"Not a lot of people put in the extra time needed to make you the best that you can be," Prince said. "I'm constantly working on my game."

But he wasn't always like that.

There was a lesson learned early on that pushed Prince to new heights.

"I remember playing as a freshman on the junior varsity team and actually being behind the other guys," Prince said. "I felt like I had to start all over. So I started lifting weights and running, and just continued doing that."

He gives credit to his family for keeping him focused.

"My stepmom, my mom and dad, they've been great, and also my little brother, he just gives me an extra incentive to stay on the right track," he added.

While his Marysville Indians struggled, going 9-16 overall, he is a genuine believer in his former teammates.

"They didn't get as much credit as they should have," Prince said. "We made a lot of progress from beginning to end."

While Prince believes it's his teammates not getting the credit, those in the know and from around the area believe it's actually Prince himself not getting the attention he deserves from college recruiters.

But it may have nothing to do with the young sharp-shooter.

"I've been dealing with this for the past 14 years, the kids in and around the Sacramento area aren't highly recruited, and I don't know why that is," said Yuba coach Doug Cornelius. "It is an under-recruited area, the kids here just get overlooked for some reason. And I usually have to tell them 'it's not your fault, you're just in an area that's under-recruited.'"

Being a cousin of Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince should provide some luster on Prince's bio, but apparently, that too is being overlooked.

At 6-foot-1, Prince must develop point guard skills, and he'll be the first to tell you he needs to improve his defensive game.

But the idea that he played on a below-average, small-school team in a weaker league cannot be overlooked.

"Keenan is a big fish in a small pond, and most of the time, these coaches, who spend 30 to 40 thousand to bring a kid in, they must make sure they're right. They can't miss," Cornelius said. "For him (Keenan) now, it's about being seen at the right place at the right time."

Taking a chance on a kid from a smaller school is considered more risky than recruiting players from larger schools.

University of San Francisco and UC Davis seem to be two solid options for Prince right now, but he's not done looking.

In a last attempt to land a scholarship from a larger Division-I school, Prince is headed to Houston, Texas, this week to play in a AAU tournament.

Prince's fall back plan: Yuba College.

"We would love to have him," Cornelius said.

And Prince would love to play in front of friends and family night in and night out.

"I definitely don't overlook (Yuba). It's an option," Prince said. "It would be great to be able to play in front of my hometown, and they're doing some great things out there."

Prince said he would make his final decision later this month.

FIRST TEAM ALL-AREA

Tyler Fry, junior, Yuba City: The wing was a vital part of the Honkers' success this season. He was voted co-MVP of the TCC and led his team in scoring with 15 points a game.

Arnie Vargas, senior, Lindhurst: The forward scored 19 points and pulled down nearly 10 rebounds a game.

David Wilson, junior, Wheatland: Wilson averaged more than 20 points and 11 rebounds a game this year for the Pirates.

Isaiah Bohmann, sophomore, Sutter: The center scored 12.6 points and pulled down 10 rebounds a game for the Huskies and was voted co-MVP of the BVL.

Cody Martin, senior, Faith Christian: Martin averaged nearly 20 points, nine rebounds and four steals a game.

APPEAL-DEMOCRAT ALL-AREA BOYS BASKETBALL
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Keenan Prince, senior, Marysville
COACH OF THE YEAR: Brad McIntire, Yuba City
FIRST TEAM: Tyler Fry, junior, Yuba City; Arnie Vargas, senior, Lindhurst; David Wilson, junior, Wheatland; Isiah Bowman, sophomore, Sutter; Cody Martin, senior, Faith Christian
SECOND TEAM: Kevin Noall, junior, Yuba City; Kareem Bath, senior, River Valley; Mundeep Purewal, junior, Yuba City; Brian Johnson, junior, East Nicolaus; Michael Barber, senior, Pierce
THIRD TEAM: Matt Vedo, senior, Colusa; Darian Crosby, senior, River Valley; Anthony Barrera, senior, Lindhurst; Carson Risenhoover, senior, Faith Christian; Bo Kanada, senior, Live Oak
HONORABLE MENTION: David Topete, Biggs; Joey Mahorney, Colusa; Jesse Gardner, East Nicolaus; Joe Kukuruda, East Nicolaus; Jacob McFarlane, Gridley; Juan Robles, Live Oak; Loren Chaussee, Marysville; John Davis, Maxwell; Cody Parker, Maxwell; Brent Triplett, New Life Christian; Anthony Tapia, Pierce; Ben Geyer, Pierce; Jagvir Sarai, River Valley; Brian Southers, Sutter; Dariusz Ratajczak; Michael Canalin, Wheatland; Jonathan Crawley, Wheatland; Benji Gray, Wheatland; Danny Padilla, Williams; Romy Bains, Yuba City; Hayden Keely, Yuba City

Contact sports reporter Bryan DeMain at 749-4796 or at bdemain@appeal-democrat.com