Leon Powe, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Oakland, Calif., who is headed to the University of California, has been named the top college prospect in his class on the West Coast in the annual Best of the West voting conducted by the Long Beach (Calif.) Press Telegram.
Powe received 334 points from a 26-person panel, clipping Kansas University signee David Padgett of Reno, Nev., who tallied 301 points.
The first team also included Trevor Ariza (6-8, Los Angeles), Ekene Ibekwe (6-9, Carson, Calif.) and two players who tied for fifth — Aaron Brooks (5-11, Seattle) and Ayinde Ubaka (6-2, Oakland).
KU signee Omar Wilkes of Los Angeles made the second team.
Future Kansas University basketball player David Padgett put up some big numbers at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament in Dover, Del.
Padgett, a 6-foot-11, 235-pounder from Reno (Nev.) High, scored 25 points in Reno’s 51-46 victory over Hillcrest, Ala., on Tuesday.
Then he scored 29 points — 25 in the first half — of Saturday’s 71-54 victory over Landmark Christian High of Georgia.
