LaMelo Ball

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LaMelo Ball
No. 1 – Chino Hills Huskies
PositionPoint guard
LeagueCalifornia Interscholastic Federation
Personal information
Born (2001-08-22) August 22, 2001 (age 22)
Chino Hills, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight150 lb (68 kg)
Career information
High schoolChino Hills (Chino Hills, California)
CollegeUCLA (committed)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com

LaMelo Ball (born August 22, 2001) is an American basketball player who attends Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California. A sophomore point guard for his high school team, he has repeatedly drawn attention from national media. In his first season at Chino Hills, Ball won the California state championship with his brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo. He was considered one of the top freshmen in the country. Ball is committed to UCLA.

Early life

Ball was born to LaVar and Tina Ball, who are both former college basketball players. LaVar, who stands 6-foot-6 (1.98 m), competed with Washington State and then Cal State Los Angeles. Tina, who stands 6-feet (1.8 m), also played with the latter school.[1] Later on, LaVar played professional American football as a tight end for the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football after being loaned from the New York Jets.[2]

LaMelo began playing basketball at age four with his brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo. Growing up, the trio played on teams coached by their father, including Big Ballers VXT of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), where they would continue playing into high school.[3][4][1] During his childhood, LaMelo mainly played against opponents several years older than him. In one game, facing players of ages 16 and 17, he scored 29 points.[5][6] By age 13, he stood 5-foot-7 (1.7 m).[4]

High school career

As a freshman at Chino Hills, Ball played on a team spearheaded by his brother Lonzo (pictured).

In June 2015, Ball joined Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, where he would play basketball under head coach Steve Baik. Also on the team, nicknamed the Huskies, were brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo, as well as cousin Andre Ball.[7] In his debut on June 16, LaMelo scored 27 points with five three-pointers as a starter against John Muir High School.[8] On June 27, Ball recorded 20 points vs. Centennial High School.[9] In late summer of his freshman season, Ball verbally committed to play college basketball for UCLA.[10] He became the third of his brothers to do so.[11] On November 30, Ball scored 20 points in a 131–42 win over San Bernardino High School.[12] In March 2016, Chino Hills won the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section Open Division championship vs. Sierra Canyon School, with Ball scoring 26 points and shooting 11-for-17 from the field.[13] Later that month, the Huskies qualified for the state championship as the top ranked team in the nation.[14] On March 27, Ball had 14 points and five assists to propel Chino Hills to the title victory over De La Salle High School. The team closed the season with a perfect 35–0 record.[15] MaxPreps.com named Ball, along with teammate Onyeka Okongwu, Co-Freshman of the Year. Ball, who averaged 16.4 points and 3.8 assists, also made the MaxPreps Boys' Basketball Freshman All-American First Team.[16][17]

For LaMelo's sophomore season, Chino Hills lost top player Lonzo Ball and coach Steve Baik.[18] On November 30, 2016, LaMelo posted 31 points against Rancho Christian High School while LiAngelo scored 72.[19] By December, LaMelo was averaging more than 30 points per game for the Huskies.[20] In late December, Ball made a half-court shot only a few seconds into a game.[21] The shot received widespread media coverage, including from ESPN, CBS Sports, and Sports Illustrated.[22][23][24] Stephen Curry commented on the shot, saying, "That was some confidence right there. The fact that he made it, I wonder if he’s done it before and missed it. It's the highlight-driven generation, so that right there was pretty unbelievable, though. For him to call his shot like Babe Ruth and knock it down and act like nothing happened."[25] On January 10, 2017, Ball scored a team-high 35 points, leading Chino Hills to its 52nd straight win.[26] Ball lost his first high school game on February 5, when Oak Hill Academy ended the Huskies' 60-game winning streak.[27] In his next game, on February 7, he scored 92 points in a 146–123 victory over Los Osos High School, while LiAngelo was sidelined with an ankle injury.[28] LaMelo recorded 63 points in the second half alone, and he made 37 of 61 shots in the entire game.[29][30] It was the second best scoring performance in California high school basketball history.[31] Ball used the game to draw attention towards Chino Hills student Alexis Anderson, who was diagnosed with a rare heart condition.[32]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
LaMelo Ball
PG 		Chino Hills, CA Chino Hills (CA) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Jul 31, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "UCLA 2019 Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2017-02-08.

Player profile

Standing 6-foot-3 (1.91 m), Ball has been described as a relatively tall point guard with a long wingspan.[33] Earlier in his high school career, he was primarily considered a volume shooter.[34] Currently, however, he is known to be a proficient three-point shooter while also having the ability to make inside shots.[33] Ball frequently attempts long three-pointers, which has drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry.[35] He has been criticized for cherry picking, as he often waits near half court to get an open shot on his next possession instead of trying to prevent the opponent from scoring.[36] After Ball's 92-point game, Charles Barkley said, "The kid waited at the other end of the court and just every time the other team shot the ball. They just threw to him at half-court or three-quarters of the court. I have a serious problem with that, to be honest with you."[36]

References

  1. ^ a b Stephens, Mitch (March 26, 2016). "The Architect: Father of the Ball brothers speaks about growth of Chino Hills". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  2. ^ "Transactions". The New York Times. March 7, 1995. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  3. ^ "Ball brothers combine for 93 points in Las Vegas game". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Parrish, Gary (June 30, 2015). "The Ball family -- coming to a basketball court (and TV) near you". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  5. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (August 3, 2014). "Boys' basketball: Just wait until LaMelo Ball shows up at Chino Hills". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  6. ^ "PHENOMenology: LaMelo Ball might be as dominant a middle school prodigy as you know who". USA TODAY High School Sports. August 27, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  7. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (April 26, 2015). "It's Ball in the family at Chino Hills basketball". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  8. ^ "Boys' basketball: LaMelo Ball, 13, makes quite a debut for Chino Hill". Los Angeles Times. June 16, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  9. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (June 27, 2015). "Boys' basketball: Chino Hills runs past Corona Centennial, 102-76". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  10. ^ Harrington, Rob (July 31, 2015). "LaMelo Ball completes trifecta for Bruins". Scout.com. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  11. ^ Parrish, Gary (August 1, 2015). "UCLA accepts verbal commitment from 13-year-old star LaMelo Ball". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  12. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (November 30, 2015). "Chino Hills opens with 131-42 victory". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  13. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (March 5, 2016). "Chino Hills defeats Sierra Canyon, 105-83, for first section title". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  14. ^ "No. 1 Chino Hills runs away from Bishop Montgomery, punches ticket to California state championship game". MaxPreps.com. March 21, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  15. ^ Stephens, Mitch (March 27, 2017). "Top-ranked Chino Hills finishes perfect season with a flurry". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  16. ^ Borzello, Jeff (December 14, 2016). "Lonzo is just the beginning of the Ball-UCLA pipeline". ESPN. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  17. ^ Hickman, Jason (April 21, 2016). "2015-16 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Freshman All-American Team". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  18. ^ "High School Top 25 team preview: No. 15 Chino Hills". MaxPreps.com. November 9, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  19. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (November 30, 2016). "Boys' basketball: LiAngelo Ball scores 72 points in latest Chino Hills scoring outburst". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  20. ^ "Youngest of the Ball Brothers, 15-Year-Old LaMelo, Is Averaging 30 PPG". Slam. December 6, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  21. ^ "LaMelo Ball drains half-court shot two seconds after controlling opening tip". USA TODAY High School Sports. December 15, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  22. ^ "Lonzo Ball's little brother calling his halfcourt shot was as disrespectful as it gets". Sports Illustrated. December 27, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  23. ^ "LaMelo Ball, younger brother of UCLA star Lonzo Ball, drills a 3-pointer from half court". ESPN. December 27, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  24. ^ Boone, Kyle (December 27, 2016). "UCLA recruit LaMelo Ball calls halfcourt shot and drills it". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  25. ^ Lynch, Andrew (December 29, 2016). "Steph Curry praises high schooler's half-court 'Babe Ruth' 3-pointer". Fox Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  26. ^ "Chino Hills puts up 119 points in 52nd consecutive win". MaxPreps.com. January 10, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  27. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (February 5, 2017). "Chino Hills takes first loss of the season in stride". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  28. ^ Sondheimer, Eric (February 7, 2017). "With his high-scoring brother out hurt, Chino Hills sophomore LaMelo Ball shoots for 92 points". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  29. ^ Borzello, Jeff (February 7, 2017). "UCLA commit LaMelo Ball, brother of Lonzo, scores 92 in high school game". ESPN. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  30. ^ Boone, Kyle (February 7, 2017). "LaMelo Ball highlights: UCLA commit drops 92 points in high school game". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 8, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  31. ^ Gardner, Michelle (February 8, 2017). "Chino Hills' LaMelo Ball's 92-point game creates a national buzz and a bit of a stir". Orange County Register. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  32. ^ "LaMelo Ball dedicated his 92-point game to a classmate in need". Los Angeles Daily News. February 7, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  33. ^ a b "LaMelo Ball, Chino Hills High School". Scout.com. Retrieved February 9, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  34. ^ "LaMelo Ball". ESPN. Retrieved February 9, 2017. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |website= (help)
  35. ^ Chau, Danny (June 1, 2016). "Be Like Steph?". The Ringer. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  36. ^ a b Smith, Cam (February 8, 2017). "Charles Barkley on LaMelo Ball's defense in 92-point game: 'I have a serious problem with that'". USA TODAY High School Sports. Retrieved February 9, 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LaMelo_Ball&oldid=767879497"