Who is SLO County boys basketball player of the year? All-stars list revealed
Mission Prep basketball player Jamar “J.J.” Howard knows how to get fans on their feet.
The Royals’ 6-foot-4 junior guard routinely skies for spectacular dunks, sometimes in pivotal moments of games, to rally his team and excite a crowd.
His ability to play above the rim complements his solid ball-handling, rebounding and 54.3% shooting from the floor.
Howard averaged 25.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game this season — recording a career-high 39 points before a raucous crowd at home in a 74-65 win over Atascadero High School in January, throwing down a one-handed slam through traffic in the third quarter.
Leading the group of first and second team All-Tribune selections across San Luis Obispo County, Howard is the 2021 Tribune SLO County Player of the Year.
The selection was made based on coach input, statistics, Hudl highlight reels and Tribune game observations.
“J.J. is a dynamic athlete,” Mission Prep coach Terrance Harris said. “But beyond his athleticism, his understanding of the game, his strengths and knowing how the game works, and how to use his skills to his advantage, is great. He also understands the concept of team very well.”
Howard alternated between point and shooting guard, the focal point of the offense for the Royals (15-14, 7-5 Mountain League), who won seven of their past nine games after starting 1-6.
The Royals reached the semifinals of California Interscholastic Federation-Central Division 2, falling 55-47 to Mt. Whitney of Visalia.
The fleet-footed Howard, who stars at receiver in football and in long jump in track, said he looks to run after grabbing rebounds or steals, and to open up his teammates for shots.
“I love just starting up the fast break,” Howard said. “I love when people miss and then somebody gets the rebound and we’ll look up the court because that’s the easiest place to get points when everybody’s scrambling back. The sets are good at all, but when you have a fast break that’s when you’re most likely to score.”
Howard said his first dunk came after the eighth grade going into his freshman year. He was playing on a summer club team, West Coast Elite in Amateur Athletic Union basketball.
“It was a game in the Mamba Sports Academy” launched by Kobe Bryant in Newbury Park, Howard said. “That motivated me to get more dunks and just get bouncier and it kind of took off freshman year. I think I had like maybe like five or six dunks at the varsity level as a freshman.”
He added: “Sophomore year I didn’t really play basketball because of COVID(-19). But over the summer I was starting to do 360s and now this year, I’ve just elevated my dunks way more.”
SLO County Player of the Year is ‘great kid’
Harris complimented his junior standout not only for his feats on the court, but for also for being “a great kid.”
“When you see J.J., you will see him smiling more often than not,” Harris said. “Even when he’s on the court, he’s smiling. When he’s off the court, he’s smiling. He has a great spirit. He’s a young man who likes to enjoy life, he plays multiple sports, and he’s a good friend to his buddies and teammates.”
“His spirit is what’s really special about J and his disposition is positive and happy,” Harris said. “I’ve enjoyed working with him and pushing him and I know he’s a willing kid in terms of being coached hard. That’s why I think he’ll be successful at the next level.”
After spending his first two years of high school in Pacific Grove, Howard moved with his family back to SLO County, where they’d lived previously. He enrolled at Mission Prep at the end of his sophomore year.
Harris said he saw Howard progress throughout the season, adjusting well as a new member of the team.
“He continues to develop in terms of playing with a group of guys who he had not played with prior to November of this last season,” Harris said. “Even his familiarity with his team and understanding where he can be most helpful and impact, and where he can defer to others, that’s a process. Building a team is a process and J.J. did a great job throughout the year to continue to grow.”
Harris added that he “has a competitive spirit that’s incredible.”
“A lot of times, that’s a difference maker for individuals to really excel,” Mission Prep’s coach said. “It’s not just having the talent and the knowledge. When you have the talent and knowledge and a competitive spirit together, it turns you into a special individual and he has the three of those components.”
Mission Prep guard seeks to improve
Howard has worked hard to fine-tune his Eurostep, studying how NBA stars James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo pull off their changes of direction to open themselves up for layups.
Although he’s a multi-sport athlete, Howard said he’s focusing on basketball in terms of trying to land a college scholarship.
“I want to play in a solid Division 1 program with a chance to make it to the NCAA tournament,” Howard said. “That has been my goal since I was a kid. ”
Howard said he has enjoyed playing on a Mission Prep team that has a lot of promise for next year.
“I thought our team performed well for especially how young we are and how much we have to develop because next year, I’m expecting a lot more,” Howard said. “And I have a feeling that it’s going to come but this year was a great year for us, especially because we were younger.”
Mountain League MVP went to St. Joseph star Tounde Yessoufou, whose school is in Santa Barbara County.
Howard said he looks forward to playing against the Knights next year and facing Yessoufou, who was only a freshman this year.
“I enjoy playing against him.” Howard said. “I’m getting used to somebody more athletic than me and somebody that likes jumped out of the gym, so I’m hoping I can develop my game to be able to hopefully get a shot beating St. Joe’s next year.”
Howard said that, despite shooting over 50% from the floor, he’s striving to get better as a long-range shooter, hitting 27.8% from behind the arc last season, and continuing to improve his passing.
Howard currently is playing on an AAU club team that travels, recently playing in a tournament in Indianapolis that had 7-foot centers and 6-foot-6 athletic wings.
“(Indianapolis) was super fun because it just kind of showed like how athletic people are and just how good people are and how I can stick in with them,” he said.
Harris said that from a “skill perspective has the ability to play at the next level” and the rest will come down to continued work, opportunity and the right college fit.
Harris said every great player comes back over the off-season with growth and Howard has been working on a few things to “add something to the game that will make him more dynamic as a player and teammate.”
“I think he will position himself to find opportunities at the Division 1 level,” Harris said.
Here are the All-Tribune selections.
Tribune SLO County Player of Year
Jamar “J.J.” Howard — Mission Prep
All-Tribune SLO County First team
Brody Naber — Arroyo Grande
Louis DiModica — Nipomo
Stevie Waiters — Atascadero
Lucas Juarez — Arroyo Grande
Josh McCune — Arroyo Grande
All-Tribune SLO County Second team
Grant Callahan — Mission Prep
Lucca Hart — Nipomo
Logan Reyes — Atascadero
Dylan Schmidt — Arroyo Grande
Christian Merrill — Morro Bay
Honorable mention
Nickie Frangie — Templeton
Camden Steeb — Morro Bay
Elliot Hawe — Paso Robles
CY Isaacs — SLO
C.J. Bell — Atascadero
This story was originally published April 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
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