Manteca forwards Hundal, Wooten anchor all-VOL basketball first team

The success of the Manteca High School boys basketball team was anchored in the post.

With twin 6-foot-9 forwards in Anand Hundal and Kenny Wooten, the Buffaloes reached new heights this season, winning the program’s first CIF State championship.

With Wooten nearly posting a triple double with 26 points, 18 rebounds and nine blocked shots, Manteca (29-6) pulled away from Ayala of Chino Hills in the Division III state final, 60-51.

“Both those guys are Division I players and have an opportunity to play the game for a long time in my opinion,” Manteca coach Brett Lewis said. “We don’t have near the season without them.”

The Valley Oak League’s coaches recognized that talent by naming Hundal and Wooten to the all-league first team. Hundal averaged 15.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 2.0 assists. The Nevada-bound Wooten averaged 13.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 4.0 blocks for the Buffaloes, secondto Weston Ranch in the VOL at 11-3.

Wooten also anchored the VOL’s all-defensive team.

“They’re both big boys and great at protecting the rim, which made defense a lot easier on the whole team,” Lewis said. “Both can score and can score in many different ways, which was important. They’re a load inside, and they draw a lot of attention.”

Manteca and Weston Ranch (27-5, 14-0) were the only schools with multiple first-team selections.

The Cougars ripped through the Valley Oak League and Sac-Joaquin Section Division III tournament, earning a No. 1 seed in the Northern California Division III tournament.

Newcomer D’Angelo Finley (14.4 points, 5.0 rebounds) received the VOL’s MVP award, while point guard Jaelen Ragsdale earned a first-team honor for the third consecutive season after leading the Cougars’ in scoring at 20.0 points per game.

Ragsdale is headed to Stanislaus State in the fall with teammate and second-team selection Fred Lavender (15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds).

Central Catholic junior Jared Rice could join Ragsdale as a three-time honoree. Rice led the Raiders in scoring at 16.2 points en route to his second first-team selection.

With speed and surprising strength, Rice attacked the rim at both ends of the floor, establishing himself as one of the better rebounding guards in the Stanislaus District.

“With him, it’s always his effort level,” Central Catholic coach Mike Wilson said. “He’s never one you have to say, ‘Jared, can you put out more effort?’ That’s what stood out to the other coaches. He’s always playing hard, and he’s always a threat.”

Teammates Josh Hamilton (12.7 points, 5.2 assists) and Cooper Wilson (11.3 points) were named to the second team. Senior Peter Hamilton (9.9 points, 8.6 rebounds) was an honorable mention, and sophomore center Malcolm Clayton (7.2 points) was named to the all-defensive team.

“It’s a great compliment from the other coaches,” Wilson said.

That balance led the Raiders (27-6, 10-4) to the section’s Division IV championship – the program’s first in 28 years – after they finished third in the VOL. Central Catholic earned a No. 2 seed in the NorCal Division IV tournament and reached the regional semifinal before losing at home to eventual state runner-up Palma.

“Coming out of league, you look at the ‘should haves’ and ‘could haves’; where you might have finished if something had gone right, or whether a coach or player could have changed things,” Wilson said. “The power of the league, once it all played out, it was something we could be proud of. We were able to compete at such a high level with the two teams that finished above us.”

Sierra senior Jess Spivey (21.1 points, 9.5 rebounds) and Lathrop sophomore Junior Ballard (24.3 points, 10.0 rebounds) rounded out the first team. Spivey also made the all-defensive team.

Manteca’s Dwight Young ( 13.0 points, 84 three-pointers) was named to the second team, while junior Tydus Verhoeven ( 9.0 points) was an honorable mention.

Sierra point guard Daniel Wyatt (18.2 points, 3.3 assists) was a second-team pick, along with East Union junior Gyse Hulsebosch (20.8 points, 74 three-pointers).

Weston Ranch’s Chris Teevan, former Beyer High, Modesto Junior College and Stanislaus State point guard, was named Coach of the Year after guiding the Cougars to a 14-0 campaign.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Manteca forwards Hundal, Wooten anchor all-VOL basketball first team."