Bejarano repeats as state champion with Phoenix North
by Javier Morales on Mar. 04, 2010, under Sports
UA recruit Daniel Bejarano, in the middle of celerating North fans, yells toward the roof at Wells Fargo Arena (Photo by Michael Chow, Arizona Repulic)
Phoenix North guard Daniel Bejarano played his last high school basketball game Wednesday night and can now prepare for his Arizona career.
The workouts might have to wait a day or two while Bejarano celebrates a repeat state title with the Mustangs. North defeated Laveen Cesar Chavez 71-66 for the Class 5A Division I boys basketball title at ASU’s Wells Fargo Arena, a place where he hopes to win more games as a Wildcat.
The Arizona Republic reports that Bejarano looked up into the rafters and pointed his finger as gesture to his father, who was shot and killed last year.
“I look up at the sky every chance I have because I know my dad is there for me,” Bejarano told the Republic. He finished with 19 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. He did not score in the game until 18 seconds were left before halftime. At that point, he hit a three-pointer to give North a 34-33 lead.
With four starters returning — Bejarano has told me that he grew up in the same neighborhood with his teammates — North wanted to prove it could repeat as state champion. This time, however it was a Class 5A Division I title. Last year it was a Division II championship.
“It feels great to come back and repeat,” Bejarano told the Republic. “It’s history.”
Bejarano, a 6-5 shooting guard, is rated a Four-Star recruit and the No. 57 prospect overall by Rivals.com. He averaged 21.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game this season.
He is the fifth high-profile Phoenix-area recruit to sign with Arizona since Lute Olson coached the Wildcats. Here’s how the others fared in their senior seasons:
- Mike Bibby — Averaged 34.3 points, 8 assists and four steals for in 1996 for Shadow Mountain, which won the Class 5A state championship that season.
- Richard Jefferson — Led Moon Valley to a Class 4A state title as a senior in 1998, averaging 24 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.4 blocked shots a game.
- Channing Frye — Led St. Mary’s to a Class 5A state title in 2001, its first state title in 22 years. He averaged 22 points and 15 rebounds as an overlooked senior by other programs.
- Jerryd Bayless — Lost in the 2007 Class 5A state championship game with St. Mary’s, which was beaten by Mesa Mountain View and current UA sophomore guard Brendon Lavender. He averaged 37.9 points, 8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
Bibby, Jefferson, Frye and Bayless became NBA lottery picks after their UA careers.
