University’s David Nwaba puts recruiters on notice

For nearly four minutes, David Nwaba of Los Angeles University didn’t even attempt a shot at the start of his team’s basketball game against defending City Section champion Westchester, making fans wonder what all the fuss was about.

People who know basketball insist Nwaba is one of the best players in the City Section at 6 feet 4, and I’m sitting there waiting to be impressed. And then, with the blink of an eye, everything changed. Suddenly, he was stunningly good.

He blocked a shot, grabbed the ball and drove the length of the court for a layup. Then came two dunks and another driving layup. Over the final four minutes of the quarter, he scored 10 points and finished with 24 in a defeat last week.

Afterward, Westchester Coach Ed Azzam said, “In a transition game, he’s almost unstoppable.”

Added University Coach Steve Ackerman: “He’s impossible to guard one on one without help.”

College basketball coaches, however, have been unable to make a final judgment whether Nwaba can be successful at the next level. There are lots of recruiters watching, evaluating and trying to determine where he might fit it.

He’s in a category that leaves lots of coaches searching for answers. He doesn’t shoot well enough to be a shooting guard, but he gets up and down the court as if he could play guard. He’s not tall enough to be a forward, but he jumps and rebounds well enough to be an effective inside player. He’s averaging 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds.

He’s clearly one of the best players in the City Section and will probably lead University to a City Division II championship, which will give college coaches more time to figure out where he belongs.

“His game is still evolving,” Ackerman said. “I think he’s come as far with me as he can go, and it’s time for a college coach to take him to the next level.”

Scoring machines

It has been a great year offensively for two players, Reese Morgan of Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula and Dathon Spencer of Irvine Segerstrom.

Morgan, a 6-3 senior, scored 54 points last week in an 88-84 overtime win over Lawndale Leuzinger. He’s averaging 28 points for his 23-1 team.

Spencer, a 6-0 senior guard, is averaging 25 points. He’s had games of 37 points against Fullerton Troy and 35 against Anaheim Western.

Getting a chance

Double wing quarterbacks rarely get college football scholarships because no one runs the double wing, which is a running offense.

That makes the accomplishment of Christopher Brown from Compton Dominguez even more remarkable.

Brown arrived two years ago from Harbor City Narbonne and thought he could convince colleges he could play quarterback.

And he pulled it off. He passed for 2,166 yards as a junior at Dominguez and 1,169 yards as a senior. Last week, Brown, who has a 4.1 grade-point average, signed with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Earning a quarterback scholarship from a running school might be one of the greatest accomplishments of the high school football season.

Following big brothers

Spring training is about to begin, which means baseball players who live in Southern California are headed for Florida and Arizona. That means the younger brothers of former Westlake Village Westlake standouts Christian Yelich (first-round pick Florida Marlins) and Cutter Dykstra (second-round pick Milwaukee Brewers) will be on their own.

No sweat. Luke Dykstra, a freshman shortstop for Westlake, will be one of the best first-year players in high school baseball. Collin Yelich, a junior catcher, is already one of the best defensively. The little brothers are going to make the big brothers proud.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

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