Teammates since the sixth grade, D'Erryl Williams and Dakarai Allen may well be teammates for a few more seasons beyond this one at Sheldon High School, too.
Williams, The Bee's 2011-12 Basketball Player of the Year, gave a verbal commitment to play scholarship hoops at San Diego State. That's the same verbal pledge that Sheldon teammate Allen gave in joining an Aztecs program that already includes guards Chase Tapley of Sacramento High and Xavier Thames of Pleasant Grove.
And more: A day after Williams committed to the Aztecs, new Sheldon teammate and old friend Darin Johnson committed to Washington. The 6-foot-4 guard/forward is a transfer from Franklin.
Sheldon has two other senior standouts with good grades being recruited in 6-6 shooter Ryan Manning and 6-2 combo guard Armani Hampton, who missed last season's playoff march to the CIF Division I championship game with a knee injury. His status this season remains in doubt. If healthy, Sheldon could well trot out a starting lineup of D-I recruits, a rarity in this region, certainly since the Jesuit glory run of the early 1990s.
The 6-3 Williams is a tough-minded, hard-bodied point guard known for his defense, floor leadership, poise and ability to muscle inside for buckets. The 6-6 Allen can run, jump, shoot, rebound and defend. Allen was the Delta River League Player of the Year last season.
Johnson is a load on the low block with the ability to hit jumpers and run the floor.
In short, the Huskies have the makings of a state championship team. Sheldon will play host to defending State Division II champion Mitty of San Jose on Dec. 8, either at the school or perhaps at Cosumnes River College.
Allen so respects his good friend Williams that when asked who was the best player in the Sac-Joaquin Section last season, he never hesitated in saying, "D'Erryl. Best player in Sacramento, hands down."
- Joe Davidson
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