Bruins and Trojans Land Guards as Early Signing Period Closes

The letter-of-intent signing period for high school basketball players ended Wednesday, with Darrick Martin of Long Beach St. Anthony, one of the top guards in the country, picking UCLA, and Rodney Chatman, a third-team all-state guard from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., choosing USC.

The Bruins also got guard Darrin Dafney of L.A. Fremont during early signing week.

The Southland’s highest-rated prospect, Chris Mills of Fairfax, signed to attend the University of Kentucky, helping the Wildcats record their second straight big recruiting year. Coach Eddie Sutton, who got LeRon Ellis of Santa Ana Mater Dei, among others, last season, added two Indiana standouts to the most recent haul--Shawn Kemp of Elkhart and Sean Woods of Indianapolis.

Crenshaw figures to open the season next month as the No. 1 team in the City, and two of its three major college prospects signed early. Doug Meekins decided on Washington, and Cornelius Holden picked Louisville. John Staggers will decide in April.

Other key signings: Adam Keefe of Irvine Woodbridge with Stanford, James Moses of Gardena Serra with Iowa, Scott Haskin of Beaumont with Oregon State, Brian Hendrick of Diamond Bar with California, Evric Gray of Bloomington with Nevada Las Vegas and Wayne Womack of Pasadena Muir with Arizona.

Alonzo Mourning of Chesapeake, Va., the top-rated prospect in the nation, picked Georgetown.

In women’s basketball, Cal State Long Beach signed Trise Jackson of Lynwood, a two-time All-Southern Section guard. Sharon Hargrove of Compton also picked the 49ers.