More Spring Tip-Off Standouts
There were a lot of other standouts at this past weekend's live-period tune-up events. Here are the standouts by year:
*indicates players of high note.
Unsigned seniors/ preps
*Will Christmas- 6-4 180 G, H-Squad- Long, fairly athletic and crafty combo guard is an excellent passer and standout defender. Shooting has improved, but still needs more consistency.
Isaac Bell- 6-0 160 G, Supreme Court- Guard puts pressure on defense with his "downhill" penetration, streaky perimeter shooter. Engaged defender.
John Young- 6-0 170 G, Supreme Court- Underrated prospect has a college-ready body and is an excellent on ball defender. Needs polish on the offensive end.
Matt Murray- 6-3 165 G, Supreme Court- Long, athletic wing type is a solid slasher and gets after it on the defensive end.
*Armstrong Ojunkwu- 6-8 200 C, San Diego All Stars- Big-bodied post works hard on the boards on both ends, decent rim protector. Face-up shot has improved tremendously over the year.
*Jacob Tryon- 6-11 200 PF, Gamepoint- Long, willowy forward/center has a very advanced face-up game and is a consistent shooting threat out to the college three. Very good rim protector. Needs strength.
Devin Hilliard- 6-1 160 G, Supreme Court- Aggressive scoring guard was in attack mode off the dribble all weekend, and scored through contact. Lockdown perimeter defender. Sometimes plays too fast on offense and must improve off hand.
2017
*Jose Serrano- 6-6 200 W, Supreme Court- Skilled and hard nosed wing type is excellent attacking off the dribble with his right hand, can score from all three levels. Improved effort level on defense. Division 1 prospect.
*DJ Wilson- 5-11 150 PG, Gamepoint- Silky smooth lead guard has an athletic burst and can finish above the rim. Shooting is streaky (flat trajectory), effort on defense must match athletic gifts.
*Marcus Perry- 5-11 170 G, Gamepoint- Much improved combo guard is a smooth shooter and playmaker. Changes speeds well and uses stocky frame to keep defender on hip going to the basket. Plays hard all the time.
Reed Farley, 6-4 175 G, Earl Watson Elite- Very good spot-up shooter who is automatic when his feet are set. Capable ball handler, but needs to shore up that area of his game to become a better game manager in the half court. Works hard on defense, but needs to continue to work on his lateral quickness. Very good athlete who can make plays in transition on both ends of the floor.
Ryan Kelly- 6-7 200 PF, Gamepoint- Intriguing face-up four man is a jack of all trades on offense, and improving as a rebounder. Must improve effort level on both ends to maximize talent.
Richard Polanco- 6-8 200 PF, San Diego All-Stars- Strong "point forward" type has all the physical tools (strength, college-ready frame) and excellent court vision, but must improve decision making, motor and first step.
Anthony Anderson- 5-8 130 PG, Gamepoint- Diminutive guard does all of the little things- rebounds, runs a team, hits open shots, and defends. Size is a concern, but effort is all there.
Josh Clarke- 6-1 175 G, Supreme Court- Small-school guard (Health Sciences) is a very intriguing prospect. Great frame, solid athleticism, and high-motor. Must improve offensive skill set, and play the game at different speeds.
Stephen Sedlock- 6-6 180 PF, Gamepoint- Face-up four is a known spot-up shooter, but looked much improved attacking off the dribble, despite pedestrian foot speed and lateral quickness. Must improve rebounding and defense on the ball.
*Charles Neal- 6-2 170 G, Gamepoint- Crafty, spidery combo guard is an excellent shooter off the catch and can make plays off the dribble for himself and others. Intensity on the defensive end must pick up.
Cade Shackleford- 6-5 180 SG, Gamepoint- Jack of all trades shooting guard doesn't beat you with mistakes. He is a solid shooter, ball handler and good on-ball defender. Continued improvement in each category will only raise recruitment profile.
Nate Matthews- 6-2 175 G, Gamepoint- Transitioning to the point guard position, Matthews showed growth as a passer and playmaker off the dribble. Solid shooter off the catch. Elite on-ball defender.
2018
Alex Cho- 6-0 190 G, San Diego All-Stars- Stocky lead guard really changes speeds well and lulls defenders to sleep before pressing on the gas and attacking the basket. Excellent spot-up shooter. Much-improved on-ball defender.
Josh Tawhiao- 6-1 170 G, San Diego All-Stars- Crafty scoring guard is a very good shooter off the bounce and off the catch. Must improve lateral quickness and defense on the ball.
*Robert Young- 6-1 180 G, Gamepoint- A gifted athlete, Young is learning the nuances of the point guard position. Impressive on-ball defender, and an explosive scorer off the dribble. Very high upside.
*Jalen Flanagan- 6-2 180 G, Gamepoint- Athletic combo guard is a solid two-way player. Can score off the dribble from mid-range and at or above the rim, and thrives in transition, where his athleticism is on full display. Mechanics on jumpshot need work, as well as handle against pressure.
*Trey Anderson- 6-5 180 W, San Diego All-Stars- Long, wiry wing type shot it with confidence from three and from mid-range, and rebounded the ball well for a perimeter player. Doesn't look nearly done growing. Lots of upside.
Christian Wilson- 6-4 190 W/F, Supreme Court- Undersized power forward who really gets after it on the boards and on the low block. Throwback game, can finish with either hand and has a great motor.
Kyle Colvin- 6-6 180 F, Gamepoint- Very skilled face-up four shoots it and has excellent footwork in the high-post. Needs to improve his footspeed to unlock his potential.
Jaylen Hinson- 6-2 165 G, San Diego All-Stars- Long and wiry combo guard has decent quickness off the dribble and a quick release off the catch. Works hard on the defensive end. Needs to play with more control on the offensive end (plays too fast).
AJ Panetta, 6-0 170 G, Gamepoint- Solid point guard is a steady floor general and excellent decision maker in the halfcourt. His eyes are always up, surveying the floor, and he rarely makes bad decisions with the pass. Doesn't look to score, but showed ability to knock down shots. Strong on-ball defender.
Juan Carlos Canahuate, 6-0 165 G, San Diego All-Stars- Crafty and aggressive scorer off the dribble in the halfcourt and transition. Solid ball handler who can break his man down off the dribble and make the pass or the score for himself. Works really hard on defense. Must improve his shooting from mid-range and from three (streaky shooter).
2019
Graham Cook- 6-2 160 G, Earl Watson Elite- Good-sized combination guard has solid handle, can attack the rim and uses change of speed and pace well. Solid shooter from mid range and can hit the open three. Improving defender.
Matt Bender- 6-7 200 PF, Earl Watson Elite- Bigger bodied four man who is improving his face-up repertoire from mid-range. In the post, he is a willing passer out of double teams and does a good job surveying floor for cutters. Improving as a finisher through contact. Good rebounder, but can continue to grow in that area.
*Malcolm Little- 6-0 150 PG, Supreme Court- High level court vision and a crafty scorer off the dribble. Good spot-up shooter. Plays with excellent pace and is rarely sped up. Has a chance to become one of the top lead guard prospects in his class.
*Ryan Langborg- 6-3 180 SG, Gamepoint- Elite shooter and crafty ball handler who does a good job using change of speed to elude defender. Average first step and lateral quickness on defense. Solid passer off the bounce.
Taro Boyd, 5-10 170 PG, San Diego All Stars- Steady point guard with a high-IQ and solid offensive skillset. Gets to his spots on the court and is a smooth driver and finisher. Solid shooter off the catch although he shoots a set shot and his release is somewhat slow. Very solid build for a freshman.
Max Guinn, 6-5 185 SG, Gamepoint- Elite spot-up shooter and improved slasher. Does a good job crashing the boards from the wing.
Makana Moreno, 6-4 180 W, Gamepoint- Hard working left-handed wing scores off the drive and around the basket. Really fights for rebounds and gets after it on the defensive end. High-motor player who will continue to improve his handle and skill set on the perimeter.
Mojus Mojus- 6-2 165 G, Supreme Court- Long crafty guard snakes his way around defenders and finishes plays at the rim. Must improve his decision making and court vision, handle. Excellent defender.
Nazier Carter- 6-2 160 W, Supreme Court- Grossmont freshman possesses a long, wiry frame and is a good athlete. Can score and push the ball in transition with his left hand, and gets after it on the ball on defense. Gets lost in weakside defense and his overall offensive feel is still raw. Good upside.
Jay Norton- 5-11 150 G, San Diego All-Stars- Athletic and speedy combination guard has a gear in transition not matched by others on the floor. The next step is for him to harness that speed and use it to his advantage. Streaky perimeter shooter; must improve ball skills in the halfcourt.
