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The receiver position was a loaded one last fall, with St. John Bosco's Bryce Treggs (Cal), Inglewood's Derrick Woods (Oklahoma), Oaks Christian's Jordan Payton (UCLA) and Lakewood's Darius Powe (Cal) leading the way.

Another deep class appears to be taking shape as we head into the summer, with Rancho Verde's Demorea Stringfellow, Alemany's Steven Mitchell, Santa Monica's Sebastian Larue and Oaks Christian's Francis Owusu pacing the group.

Lakewood's X'avier Shepherd might be close to joining the region's elite. He has scholarship offers from five Pac-12 schools -- UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Oregon State and Colorado -- as well as Fresno State.

Shepherd averaged over 15 yards per catch and hauled in six touchdowns last season despite sharing the ball with two seniors: Powe and Malik Gilmore (Oregon State).

"Both of them have had a very big impact on my game," Shepherd said. "They've given me a lot of information on the recruiting process and have never steered me wrong before, so I'm sure that everything will work out smoothly."

Former Mayfair and UCLA star Alterraun Verner, a third-year defensive back with the Tennessee Titans, will host a free football and cheer camp at Mayfair High School in Lakewood on June 30.

Current college and NFL players will be on hand to provide instruction at the all-day event. There will be free T-shirts and food, and campers who submit a report card with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher will receive an award.

Registration is open at alterraunverner.com.

Westlake defensive back Dashon Hunt has another offer from a Pac-12 school.

Washington State is the latest school to seek the services of Hunt. Colorado and Oregon State have offered Hunt scholarships as well.

The junior verbally committed to UCLA, but is fielding offers from other schools.

He had six interceptions and five returns for touchdowns in his junior season at Westlake. He also rushed for 1,274 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Dorsey defensive back Daquawn Brown received a scholarship offer from childhood favorite UCLA this week, the latest indication that recruitment for the rising senior is heating up.

Oklahoma dropped by Dorsey on Tuesday. USC and Nebraska did the same on Wednesday. Brown has college coaches intrigued and looks to add to a list of offers that already includes Arizona State, Cal, San Jose State and Washington State.

"It's catching up to me," Brown said of his recruitment. "To be noticed by my favorite, ideal schools is an honor."

Brown said he will commit to the most "genuine" school, meaning the one that has his best interests, both athletically and academically, in mind. Brown has sought the advice of former Dorsey standouts Jeremiah Allison (Washington State) and Jaydon Mickens (Washington), as well as Oregon phenom De'Anthony Thomas, an inner-city legend who attended rival Crenshaw.

"We all grew up together, playing for the same teams in Pop Warner," Brown said. "They're all helping me."

Don't expect the 5-foot-11 Brown to make a college decision soon. He hopes to take all five official campus visits to get a feel for what each school has to offer, and he anticipates that a choice will likely come near signing day in February.

MONROVIA -- It was one of those family affairs.

Someone, however, had to end up the winner. Consoling the loser was a necessary evil, in fact.

Nevertheless, Tuesday evening's Southern California Regional playoff game was a gathering the Los Angeles-based Hamilton family won't soon forget.

With the score tied and the finals seconds ticking off the fourth quarter clock, Daniel Hamilton from Bellflower St. John Bosco hit what proved to be the winning shot for the Braves in a 53-51 victory over Pasadena in a Division III semifinal showdown at Monrovia High School.

The bank-shot in the lane with 1.7 seconds left was made over the outstretched arms of his cousin, the Bulldogs' senior Blake Hamilton.

In the meantime, Braves teammate and older brother, junior Isaac Hamilton, was on the court and watched things unfold as his sophomore sibling sealed the deal.

Blake Hamilton was left to think about what could have been.

“I have to give my little cousin credit, he hit a big shot,'' Blake Hamilton said. “You never like to lose, no matter what the situation is. If you have to lose, I'd rather it be to someone in my family. I'm happy for my cousins, I guess. I came out on the short of the stick.''

Blake Hamilton did his best to keep second-seeded Pasadena (29-7) close. The senior wing scored six points early on to give the Bulldogs a 16-14 lead at the end of one. He added eight points in the second quarter to maintain a two-point advantage at the break.

The intensity level picked up in the second half and UCLA coach Ben Howland was in attendance, presumably to catch the highly-touted Hamilton brothers in action. The tandem has some strong family bloodlines, after all. Older brother, Jordan Hamilton, plays for the Denver Nuggets.

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LOS ANGELES -- The football season ended for Su'a Cravens from Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta in early December. That, however, does not mean the gridiron goings on for the highly-touted 2013 prospect have come to a complete standstill.

The buzz is just getting started, in fact.

The recruiting process had not subsided for Cravens since the beginning of the new calendar year as Division I colleges from all over the country remain in constant contact with the 6-foot-1, 205-plus pound junior safety who has more than 25 offers.

“In some cases the hype can be bad, but overall, I think Su'a has a good problem on his hands with the whole recruiting process,'' Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele said. “There are times when he has to turn his phone off because of all the calls he receives on a weekly and daily basis. When it comes to talking to people, he's on a strict schedule now.''

Powerhouse programs such as Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Oklahoma are among those interested in his services. To somewhat of a lesser extent, Arkansas, Clemson, Nebraska and Wisconsin are in the hunt for a Cravens' pledge.

A bit closer to home, seemingly every Pac-12 Conference school around has put a scholarship offer on the table for him. Nearby UCLA and USC would like nothing more than for Cravens to offer up an all-important, yet elusive to this point commitment.

"I don't have any top teams right now, there is no team ahead of any other one,'' Cravens said. “Really, I'm not worried about making a decision soon.''

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LOS ANGELES -- Sophomore sensation is not a term to be used loosely.

In the case of Parker Jackson-Cartwright from Los Angeles Loyola, the moniker is indeed fitting. Come to think of it, the same thing can be said about Etiwanda's Jordan McLaughlin.

The talented underclassmen went toe-to-toe Saturday night. In the end, however, Jackson-Cartwright got the better of the exchange by virtue of his Cubs defeating the McLaughlin-led Eagles, 48-35, in a Division I second-round game of the Southern California Regional playoffs.

“I can't imagine that there are two better sophomores in the state,'' Loyola coach Jamal Adams said. “We're talking about a pair of kids who are going to be high-major college-type of recruits when they're seniors. Both of them are getting a ton of looks already. I had a bunch of coaches and scouts call me this week about the game. Everyone wanted to see Parker and Jordan go at it.''

With the victory, Loyola (26-5) advances to the semifinals on Tuesday night against Santa Ana Mater Dei, a 78-66 winner over Mission Viejo on Saturday. The Monarchs, mind you, did not have standout guard Katin Reinhardt in the lineup. He has a hand injury and will be reevaluated this week.

Jackson-Cartwright was largely -- although not solely -- responsible for the Cubs success. He kept Loyola's stat guru, Andrew Figueras, busy throughout the game. The 5-foot-7 point guard scored a team-high 13 points. Jackson-Cartwright added six rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists.

His counterpart did not have his best game of the season. McLaughlin attempted to keep things close and finished with 10 points, three blocks and two rebounds. Problem was, the 6-foot floor general did not have much help. No other player scored in double digits for Etiwanda (30-3).

“At this stage, in the state tournament, in Division I, it's unique from a fan standpoint to see two players like Jordan and Parker play at such a high level because they are so young,'' Etwiwanda coach Dave Kleckner said. “This game was a preview of things to come for both players.''

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LOS ANGELES -- Former Fairfax star Solomon Hill felt right at home Thursday afternoon, leading the Arizona Wildcats to a 66-58 victory against UCLA in the second round of the Pac-12 Basketball Tournament at Staples Center.

The junior forward had a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds, playing nearly all 40 minutes for an undersized Wildcats squad that needed every last bit of it.

"He was mad when we took him out for 15 seconds," Arizona coach Sean Miller said.

Hill was an uncontainable force, presenting difficulties to former Southern California prep rivals David and Travis Wear of Santa Ana Mater Dei. He made 12 of 14 free throws and three of six 3-pointers. The Wears couldn't stop him on drives to the basket and, if they gave him space, Hill gathered himself and launched from the outside.

"All day long we had difficulties matching up defensively," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

Hill played on the 2007 Fairfax squad that won state and City Section titles. He led the Lions to a 27-5 mark as a senior in 2009.

WOODLAND HILLS -- The similarities between Julian Richardson and his father, former UCLA star and NBA veteran Pooh Richardson, are many. Both on and off the court.

With his dad watching from the stands Wednesday, the younger Richardson gave spectators at El Camino Real High a glimpse of how the apple does not fall far from the tree in a Southern California Regional playoff game.

The up-and-coming sophomore guard scored 13 of his 23 points in the third quarter to help guide the Conquistadors to a 71-63 come-from-behind victory over visiting Ontario Colony in a Division II first-round game. Richardson also finished with five rebounds and two assists.

“I don't feel any added pressure, my dad has always taught me to be my own man,'' Richardson said. “He has been supportive and it's great having him around. I try to be a sponge and soak up some of his knowledge. He has helped me out with my game a lot over the years.''

That was apparent in the second half after Richardson got off to a particularly slow start for El Camino Real (24-7). Trailing by seven points at intermission, the 6-foot-3 underclassman heated up quick and scored 13 points over a six-minute stretch of the third quarter.

As a result, Colony (22-10) led 50-48 to start the fourth quarter.

Richardson got to work in the paint down the stretch. He was fouled multiple times and his handful of free throws helped the Conquistadors complete the comeback.

“My time is done on the basketball court, it's fun for me to sit back and watch my son play now,'' Pooh Richardson said. “You always want the best for your kids and I never told him that he had to follow in my footsteps. He does his own thing and I'm proud of him.''

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LOS ANGELES – In recruiting circles, Johnny Stanton from Rancho Santa Margarita Santa Margarita is well-known on the West Coast. As far as reputations go on the national level, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound quarterback from the 2013 class has some work to do.

Nevertheless, Stanton is one of the Southland's most promising prospects around. One need not look any further than his offers from Air Force and Washington for proof. He also recently received varied levels of interest from nearby schools such as UCLA and USC.

“I've been hearing from some teams, but I don't worry about that stuff, my goal is take care of business on the field and things will work out off the field,'' Stanton said.

He made a name for himself this past season with the Eagles. He completed more than 60 percent of his passes for 2,439 yards and 13 touchdowns in the air. Equally effective on the ground, Stanton gained 1,428 yards rushing and found the end zone another 21 times.

If he's able to duplicate that type of production during his senior year, chances are Stanton's name will mentioned in the same sentence as the country's elite signal callers.

“In my 40 years of coaching, I haven't seen many players like Johnny,'' Santa Margarita coach Harry Welch said. “We've had a plenty of scouts at our practices over the course of this season to see him and we're just now starting to hear from colleges from all over the country.

“What people might not know about him is that Johnny also has a very strong academic background, he's a Stanford-type of individual which always looks good in the eyes of college coaches and scouts. Remember, we're talking about a kid who is 6-2 and close to 220 pounds.''

Whether Stanton emerges as a national recruit in the near future still remains to be seen. One thing is certain: He is heading in the right direction. The fact Stanton possesses most of the measurables and stats colleges look for in a quarterback certainly helps his cause.

Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES -- Troy Williams was a relative unknown on the recruiting landscape around this time last year. The status of the 2013 prospect from Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne, however, has recently changed. Rightfully so, considering his body of work lately.

The 6-foot-2, 190-plus-pound quarterback had a breakout effort during his junior season and enters the spring as one of the West Coast's hotter commodities. Williams, in fact, has emerged as legitimate prospect on the national scene as well.

“The recruiting process has been crazy lately,'' Williams said. “I'm talking to coaches from all over the the country every week. It seems like there's a lot of interest in me and that means I have to work twice as hard to keep my reputation going strong.''

Williams has scholarship offers on the table from six programs, mostly from those within the Pac-12 Conference. Arizona State, UCLA and Washington were a few of the first to jump on the bandwagon. Bowling Green, Nevada and SMU are the others.

His days of flying under the radar came to an end after Williams completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,247 yards and 34 touchdowns a season ago for the Gauchos. Equally effective on the ground, he gained 587 yards and scored 11 times.

Plans are in the works for a visit to Washington's junior day later this month. An April trip to Arizona State's junior day is the next order of business.

Williams has been contacted programs such as Oregon and USC. Clemson, Florida and Wisconsin have also expressed varied level of interest.

“I have a target on by my back, I want to be No.1 quarterback in the nation next year, but that's up to everyone in the media,'' Williams said. “Right now, I don't have a leader, you know, a school that I like the best. Everyone is about even. At some point soon, I think I'll have to narrow down my list. I am going to try and keep my options open.''

Sean Ceglinsky covers preps for ESPNLosAngeles.com. Follow him on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES -- About an hour before the opening tip, Jacob Hazzard goes through his pregame routine. Sitting alone in the corner of the locker room and seemingly collecting his thoughts, the senior from Los Angeles Loyola pulls out a pen and writes No. 42 on his shoes.

The digits are significant to him, of course. They hold a spot close to his heart.

No. 42 adorned the jersey of his grandfather, the late Walt Hazzard, during his days in college at UCLA and the NBA thereafter. It's the younger Hazzard's way of not only paying homage to the patriarch of the family, but preparing himself mentally and physically for the task at hand.

“Not a day goes by without me thinking about my grandfather," Jacob Hazzard said. "We always called him Papa. He was a great man, a person worth remembering at all times.''

Walt Hazzard died Nov. 18 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. He was 69. He had suffered a stroke in 1996 and endured complications following heart surgery. The loss hit the family hard, to be sure, and was felt throughout the basketball community.

Grandfather's memory lives on, nonetheless. Grandson would not have it any other way.

“Papa was a big influence, a role model, to many people all over the world, not just me,'' Hazzard said. “Growing up, I was like a sponge and tried to soak up all of his knowledge, both on and off the court. He was always there for me, for everyone in our family. I think most knew about him as the great Walt Hazzard. But not many people got to see the grandfather side.

“It was really tough for me when he died. The gym, the basketball court, has been my sanctuary ever since that day. It's the place I have gone to escape and remember all of the good times we had together. It's the place that makes me feel like he's smiling down on me.''

With basketball obviously in his blood, Hazzard appears to be following a path eerily similar to that of his well-known namesake. The 5-foot-10 guard is a key contributor for the Cubs (23-4 overall), who are No. 4 in the ESPNLosAngeles.com top 20 rankings. Hazzard & Co. travel to Upland on Friday night for a Southern Section Division 1AA quarterfinal showdown.

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Eventually, St. John Bosco offensive lineman Nico Falah says he wants to become a nutritionist. For now he'll settle for a healthy dose of scholarship offers.

The 6-foot-5 rising senior currently has five offers -- Arizona, Oregon State, San Jose State, UCLA and Utah State -- and more figure to head his way. Falah already attended USC's "Junior Day" camp and plans to attend UCLA's version this week.

"I'm not favoring anyone right now," said Falah, who helped Bosco to more than 400 yards of offense per game last season. "I'm pretty much open to anything. ... I want a place with good academics and I want a chance to play."

Santa Monica athlete Sebastian Larue is quickly becoming one of the area's most sought-after rising seniors, and that became even more obvious Wednesday when he was offered by Michigan.

The 5-foot-11 receiver/cornerback/returner added to his long list of scholarship offers that includes Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Houston, Idaho, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, UCLA and Washington.

"It's very exciting," Larue said of the Michigan offer. "I'm just glad my talents are being seen that far across the nation."

Larue boasts a 4.42 time in the 40-yard dash, and was impressive in the prestigious U.S. All-American Underclassmen Combine in San Antonio last month. He had 17 total touchdowns as a junior, guiding Santa Monica to an 11-2 record.

"If I feel like a school is the best place for me and I want to go there, then I will commit early," Larue said. "I'm not afraid to do that. If not, I'll wait it out. I'm not going to commit to a school and have to go through de-committing. I want to take my time with the process and make the best decision for me."

Blair Angulo covers preps for ESPN Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter.

NORTHRIDGE -- When prep basketball fans from across the Southland take a look at the final score of Friday's game between Los Angeles Loyola and Harvard-Westlake, chances are that the masses will be under the impression the showdown was close from start to finish.

It wasn't. Far from it, in fact.

Loyola jumped out to a double-digit lead midway through the first half and maintained the advantage for a majority of the second half. Some sloppy play down the stretch, however, resulted in a somewhat close 77-74 Mission League victory at Cal State Northridge.

“We said before the game that we were 20 points better than them, we should have won by more,'' said Loyola's Parker Jackson-Cartwright. “We let them get back into it, but we were not worried. They did not have enough time on the clock to close things out.''

The Cubs (20-3, 18-3) took a nine-point lead with 1:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. The No. 3 team in the ESPNLosAngeles top 20 rankings took it easy from there on out and conceded some rather easy baskets to the desperate Wolverines (15-8, 6-4).

“We have a big rivalry with Harvard-Westlake and I think we put so much energy into building a big lead that we were spent towards the end,'' Loyola coach Jamal Adams said. “I wouldn't say we were overly concerned about coming up short.''

Julian Harrell got off to a quick start. The senior and Penn commit scored 10 points in the first quarter and had 15 in the first half to help Loyola take a 38-26 lead at the break. Harvard-Westlake had trouble stopping Harrell, who finished with 23 points.

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