Soaring to Heights

Whether gliding through the air on the way to a dunk or pulling up to sink a shot from three-point range, Gilbert Arenas of Grant High finds a way to seize everyone’s attention.

At any moment during a game, he’ll do something so startling for a 17-year-old that onlookers will think they’re watching a college or NBA player.

“I think Gilbert is pretty much defining the modern high school basketball player,” Coach Howard Levine of Grant said. “The open court, the slam, the ability to put the ball up from long, long range. He has shown not only can you be smooth and sound fundamentally and be an outside shooter but also be a slasher. Those didn’t go hand in hand [years ago].”

Arenas scored 2,124 points in his three-year varsity career. He improved every season, averaging 22.5 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and 32.8 points this season.

For emerging as an offensive weapon like few others in region history, Arenas has been selected The Times’ Valley player of the year.

“We’ve never had a guy who could score this amount of points,” Levine said.

The 6-foot-4 Arenas did not simply step onto the court and become an instant standout.

“It was hard work and good coaching,” Arenas said. “It was getting up early in the morning, practicing every day while your opponents are sleeping.”

Arenas’ performance helped Grant finish with a 19-7 record and made him perhaps the most marked player in the region. He faced double teams, triple teams and box-and-one defenses.

It forced him to improvise, show patience and improve his skills.

“He drove harder to the hoop, he had better defensive anticipation and his overall demeanor on the court was far better,” Levine said.

There was one singular moment Levine won’t forget.

During a tournament game against Dos Pueblos, Arenas grabbed a rebound and fired an outlet pass to teammate Daniel Tarr at midcourt while still in the air. Arenas raced down court and rebounded Tarr’s missed shot before dunking.

“That was the most athletic play I’ve seen,” Levine said. “To make the rebound, to make the outlet pass and get down court in that length of time. . . . It was a shocker, an absolute shocker.”

Asked what he’ll remember most about his high school career, Arenas said, “The way I started and the way I ended. The first year on JVs, I barely made the team and as a senior, I was player of the year.”

Arenas signed a letter of intent with Arizona last November.

“I never knew I had a chance to go to college on a scholarship,” he said.

The future offers more challenges for Arenas.

“If I put my mind to it, I can become better as a person and a basketball player,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

ALL-VALLEY BOYS’ BASKETBALL / Second Team

*--*

Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. F/C Zareh Avedian Hoover Sr. 6-5 G Cayce Cook Chaminade Sr. 5-9 F Marcin Jagoda Crespi Sr. 6-3 G Glenn Jones Paraclete Sr. 5-10 G Abe Morrabi Van Nuys Sr. 6-2 G Gene Myvett Littlerock Jr. 6-3 G/F Cody Pearson Notre Dame So. 6-3 F/C Brian Smith Cleveland Sr. 6-5 G Jason Tomlin Quartz Hill Sr. 6-1 G/F James Word Poly Sr. 6-3

*--*

ALL-VENTURA COUNTY BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM / First Team

*--*

Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. C Rafael Berumen Simi Valley Sr. 6-9 G Brian Bobik Newbury Park Sr. 6-4 G Branduinn Fullove Simi Valley Jr. 6-5 G/F Nick Jones Santa Clara Sr. 6-4 G/F Garrett Lepisto Agoura Sr. 6-2 F Brett Michel Simi Valley Jr. 6-6 G Dwight Sattiewhite Channel Islands Sr. 6-2 G Jeff Staniland Ventura Sr. 6-2 G Damian Tafoya Oxnard Sr. 5-8 G B.J. Ward Santa Clara Sr. 6-1

*--*

Second Team

*--*

Pos. Name School Yr. Ht. F/C Peter Brown Buena Sr. 6-6 G Jake DeGennaro Westlake Sr. 5-9 F Andy Flores Nordhoff Sr. 6-3 G Jacob Galloway Oxnard Sr. 5-10 F/C Mike Kolbeck Santa Paula Sr. 6-3 F Robert Luna Hueneme Sr. 6-0 G Shaun Michel Simi Valley So. 6-2 F Brian Polen Newbury Park Sr. 6-4 F Zach Smith Oak Park Jr. 6-6 G Todd Tomlinson Moorpark Jr. 6-0

*--*