FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Coach Ryan Moore thought the basketball was headed out of bounds. It was early in Moorpark High School's playoff game against Portola in Irvine, California, and some of his players were nervous.
This was an example. He thought. Out of Moore's eyeline, Drake London caught the ball, slammed it through the basket and settled down his entire team. Moorpark, with London's 35 points, advanced to the sectional quarterfinals.
So much of what London brought to basketball -- athleticism, spatial awareness, instincts and timing -- encapsulated in one play, traits that made London a high-level recruit with offers from schools like Virginia.