The Creme Rises - a San Diego Spring AAU primer
After years of parity at the top of the 2019 recruiting class, Mission Bay PG Boogie Ellis began to separate himself - in a big way.
Ellis' Mission Bay team won the CIF Open Division championship, and the 6-2 point guard was named CIF Player of the Year.
Now, Ellis is looking to make a move up the ranks of the nation's best - but on a new grassroots team, the Oakland Soldiers.
Ellis and Foothills Christian WF Derrick Carter-Hollinger made the move to the EYBL team for their final AAU seasons.
Where are the top 2019 players suiting up this season? Where will the major programs be? We'll try to answer those questions in the 2018 Spring AAU primer.
How high can Boogie go?
This is the first summer since 2015 when San Diego does not have a prospect ranked in the Top 40 of the top ranking services. In fact, only one player is ranked in any of the Top 100 rankings - Ellis, who comes in at No. 75 on the 24/7 Top 100 rankings.
While it will take a Herculean effort for Ellis to move into contention for, say, a McDonald's All-American berth, it isn't far-fetched to see him move into the Top 50 of prospects if he has a strong season on the Nike EYBL Circuit.
He will have his chances, as the Soldiers program is coming off of its second Peach Jam championship and have reportedly reloaded with a strong cast of players.
How many D1 prospects will 2019 yield?
After years of looking weaker than preceding classes, the 2019 group suddenly appears deeper than the 2018 class, which only yielded 5 Division 1 prospects (Taeshon Cherry, Miles Norris, Warren Washington, Taurus Samuels and Finn Sullivan). The current junior class boasts at least five players with one scholarship offer headed into the spring: Ellis, Langborg, Hilstock, Carter-Hollinger and Guinn. Another 5-7 prospects are receiving Division 1 interest. Whether offers materialize from that interest will be entirely up to their play over the next five months and beyond.
Mergers in San Diego
Meanwhile in San Diego, a number of programs have joined forces to improve their chances for exposure and bolster their talent pools.
Coastal Elite joined forces with Keenan Allen's San Diego Slayers program, which had one of the region's top 14u teams last year, The elite teams are now known as the Coastal Elite Slayers.
The California Bearcats teamed up with Supreme Court to form California Select. The merger made sense, as two of the Bearcats top prospects - 2020 Deshaun Cooper and Sam Dudley - attend Balboa School in Escondido.
Gamepoint also merged with Lockup Select, the elite teams of the San Diego Sabers.
Where they'll be
Here is a look at where the region's top programs will be during the NCAA evaluation periods, April 20-22 and April 27-29.
Gamepoint
Elite: April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet Los Angeles; April 27-29, Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
Select: April 20-22 Adidas Silver Open Los Angeles, April 27-29 Double Pump Spring Hoopfest
San Diego All Stars
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet Los Angeles; April 27-29, Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
Coastal Elite Slayers
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet; April 27-29, Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
San Diego Seals
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Los Angeles; April 27-29, Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
California Select
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Los Angeles; April 27-29, Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
NP4 Elite
17u: April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet,Los Angeles; April 27-29 Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
16u: April 20-22 SoCal Hoop Review, Las Vegas; April 27-29, 2018 Pangos Spring Live, Cerritos
And 1 Academy
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Los Angeles; April 27-29 Double Pump Spring Hoopfest
West Coast Elite San Diego
April 20-22 SoCal Hoop Review; April 27-29 WCE NorCal Spring Showcase
West Coast Flight
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Los Angeles; April 27-29, Adidas Silver Gauntlet, Atlanta
Dream Athletix
April 20-22 Adidas Silver Open Division, Los Angeles; April 27-29 Double Pump Spring Hoopfest
Lark's Elite
April 20-22 SoCal Hoop Review; April 27-29 TBA
San Diego Elite
April 20-22 SoCal Hoop Review; April 27-29
San Diego Soldiers 15u
April 20-22 TBA; April 27-29 TBA
San Diego's Top 15 2019 prospects*
1. Boogie Ellis, 6-2 PG, Mission Bay/ Oakland Soldiers -
2. Ryan Langborg, 6-4 SG, La Jolla Country Day/ Gamepoint -
3. Jordan Hilstock, 6-3 CG, Vista/ Gamepoint -
4. Derrick Carter-Hollinger - 6-6 WF, Foothills Christian/ Oakland Soldiers
5. Max Guinn, 6-5 WF, Francis Parker/ WCE UAA
6. Graham Cook, 6-4 CG, La Costa Canyon/ Cali Stars Elite -
7. Bryce Pope, 6-3 SG, Torrey Pines/ Gamepoint
8. Ronnie Latting, 6-7 C, Mission Bay/ San Diego All-Stars
9. Jackson Larson, 6-7 PF, Christian/ San Diego All-Stars
10. Christian Rose, 6-6 PF, Bishop's/ Gamepoint
11. Jayson Taylor, 6-10 C, La Jolla Country Day/ Gamepoint
12. Matt Bender, 6-8 PF/C, Francis Parker, WCE LA Silver
13. Jay Norton, 6-1 G, Mission Bay/ San Diego All Stars
14. Carter Plousha, 6-5 WF, Carlsbad/ Gamepoint
14. Marquise Edwards, 6-5 WF, Mt. Miguel/ San DIego All-Stars
15. Noah Tumblin, 6-2 PG, Mira Mesa/ Gamepoint Select
*list does not include prep school prospects or reclassified juniors
Top players playing on non-San Diego Teams:
WCE LA: Max Guinn, Trey Anderson (17 UAA); Matt Bender (17u Silver)
Compton Magic: Yassine Gharram (16u Elite)
Cali Stars: Graham Cook (17u Elite)
Las Vegas Prospects: Obinna Anyanwu, Thomas Notarainni, Alex Wade (16u EYBL)
The Truth: Jalai O'Keith (16u EYBL)
Vegas Elite: Chibuzo Agbo (16u EYBL)
Oakland Soldiers: Boogie Ellis, Derrick Carter-Hollinger (pictured) (17u EYBL)
