Modesto Christian pair tops Bee’s Player of the Year watch list

The Sac-Joaquin Section postseason is just around the corner, which means award season is on the horizon.

While the best teams in the Stanislaus District will vie for league and section titles over the next few weeks, another battle will be waged on the whiteboard of The Modesto Bee sports hub.

Player of the Year, and every game counts.

The jostling, case building and side-by-side comparisons have begun. With about a week left in the regular season, we’ve compiled a watch list of the boys and girls basketball players who have pieced together MVP-caliber seasons.

The watch list is just that – a watch list. It’s not absolute or final. How these players, and those outside the bubble, perform over the next few weeks will determine who will join the pantheon of Bee Player of Year award winners. Yes, the postseason counts.

For now, here’s a look at those playing above the rim and where you can see them in action this week:

Robinson Idehen, Modesto Christian: You won’t find a more physically imposing player in the Stanislaus District. At 6-foot-10 with through-the-roof vertical and long reach, Idehen is a game changer at both ends of the floor. He’s tops on the district’s best team in points (16.9) and rebounds (9.1), but remember this about all of Modesto Christian’s starters: They’ve sacrificed individual statistics for team success. The Crusaders (23-1) are winning by an average of nearly 30 points per game, meaning the starters are sitting for long stretches, especially in the second halves. Still, Idehen ranks among the section’s leaders in blocked shots at 2.9. On a team that likes to push the pace, lumbering big men can be a liability. That’s not Idehen, whose rebounding and shot blocking often spark the Crusaders’ attack. He can run, too, as witnessed by the numerous off-the-backboard dunks that crowd the program’s Vine account. Next: vs. Downey, Wednesday; at Beyer, Friday.

Christian Ellis, Modesto Christian: When the ball goes up, Ellis, the Crusaders’ third-year point guard, has one thought: Time to go. In an 89-60 win over Capital Christian, Ellis solidified his Player of the Year candidacy with four seconds of fury. He snatched a loose ball near his baseline, pivoted and shot up the floor like Usain Bolt out of the starting block. Ellis went right at the taller defender under the basket, spinning around him for the layup. If you blinked, you missed it – and that’s what makes Ellis so dangerous. He’s willing to do anything for the Crusaders, who have won 23 consecutive games. He can score (11.2 points), rebound (6.1) and create turnovers (2.3 steals). Ellis can handle any press (Long Beach Poly who?). And, he’s a facilitator (4.3 assists). While he has struggled from beyond the three-point line (14 percent), Ellis’ speed, vision and ballhandling create points elsewhere. Next: vs. Downey, Wednesday; at Beyer, Friday.

Georgie Dancer, Beyer: Though his senior season was cut short by a knee injury, Dancer was on pace to surpass his output in 2014-15, when he was named to The Bee’s All-District second team. The Sacramento State-bound guard averaged 20 points and eight rebounds in 20 games. On a team full of long-range snipers ( Brian Perry, Ryan Frakes, DeAngelo Dancer and Tanner Gentry, to name a few), Georgie Dancer was the balance: a player who could drive the lane at will, putting defenses in a bind. Do they defend against the layup? Or guard against the kick-out? Few were better at making that split-second decision than Georgie, believed to be the school’s first player to earn a basketball scholarship to a Division I university. Unfortunately, his season ended on an early drive against Downey on Jan. 22. Still, we believe his body of work warrants a place on this list. Next: at Johansen, Wednesday; vs. Modesto Christian, Friday.

Kenny Wooten Jr., Manteca: He has lived up to the hype. After sitting out his junior season and then building a buzz on the summer recruiting trail as a freakish athlete, Wooten hasn’t disappointed. The 6-9 leaper began his senior season by signing a letter of intent to play at Nevada under former NBA coach Eric Musselman. Since then, Wooten has helped steer the Buffaloes to the top of the title talk in Division III. He’s half of the tallest frontcourt in school history; fellow forward Anand Hundal is 6-10 and averaging a team-high 17.0 points. However, Wooten gets a slight nod over his post partner on The Bee’s watch list because, like Idehen, he’s a game-changing big. Wooten averages 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds, and his 4.2 blocks rank third in the section. He can guard every spot of the floor, and his athleticism and 7-foot wingspan mean he’s lurking around every shot. Next: at Oakdale, Wednesday; vs. East Union, Friday.

Jaelen Ragsdale, Weston Ranch: Get to know Ragsdale, because the best player on the best team in the Valley Oak League soon will be a household name at Stanislaus State. True, Ragsdale and teammate Fred Lavender have committed to the Warriors, but that doesn’t give either special consideration when it comes to The Bee’s top individual award. Like Marshawn Lynch, Ragsdale is just about that action, boss. The wiry point guard is averaging 20.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the Cougars, who, barring a major collapse, should unseat four-time defending champion Sierra atop the VOL. Ragsdale is a classically trained point guard – his coach, Chris Teevan, used to be the floor general at Beyer, Modesto Junior College and Stanislaus State – but there are few better at finishing games. Ragsdale stamped his name in the POY race with a scintillating second-half performance in the first meeting with Manteca, a game in which Weston Ranch eked out a 72-68 win. Ragsdale scored 28 of his 34 points over the final 16 minutes, including 21 in the fourth quarter and the final 10 of the game. Next: at Lathrop, Wednesday; at Sierra, Friday.

Others to watch: Hundal, Manteca; Peter Hamilton, Central Catholic; Lavender, Weston Ranch, D’Angelo Finley, Weston Ranch.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 4:39 PM with the headline "Modesto Christian pair tops Bee’s Player of the Year watch list."