SAN DIEGO – Some of the very best high school hoopsters in San Diego – as well as west and north – were on display Sunday afternoon during the Pangos San Diego Super Showcase in the Canyon Crest Academy gymnasium.
Among the 85 or so players who completed in during the four sets of two games was 6-foot-10 Deandre Ayton.
Is there a better prospect in the Class of 2017 – anywhere – than Ayton?
If there is . . . wow.
Ayton is a remarkably gifted athlete with skills well beyond those usually found in a player his size — much less age.
He dominated both of the games he played – at both ends of the floor – with teammates that included three others classmates and teammates at the Balboa City School (6-8 Brandon McCoy and 5-8 guards Dupree Allen and Robert Young).
Those four, along with teammates that included another terrific player who just completed eighth grade (6-1 guard Christian Popoola Jr., a soon-to-be at freshman at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas), hooked up in the most competitive game of the camp to close the camp play early Sunday evening.
The team they did battle with was made up some of the better Los Angeles-are members of the Class of 2015, guards Jeffery McClendon (Pasadena), Kahlil Simplis (Campbell Hall) and Chris White (Lawndale), as well as forwards Roman Davis (Windward Academy), Nuwr’Ilyl Williams (Santa Monica) and Ounate Campbell (Brentwood).
The “old guys” ultimately prevailed, 63-59, in a game that was much more hotly contested than the usual run-to-the-mill camp fare during which guys are trying to launching as many shots as they can to impress whatever coaches or “scouting-types” happening to be sitting courtside or in the bleachers.
The Class of 2014 is going to be a particularly strong one for San Diego County.
And one of its more high profile members – based upon his play during his junior season, the spring and the Pangos All-American Camp of May 31-June 2 in Long Beach – is 6-foot Devin Watson of Army-Navy.
He was in the building Sunday and during his two games, he showed off a fairly slick handle, a knack for hitting deep- or mid-range jumpers and the ability to snake his way into traffic to convert high degree-of-difficulty layups.
What he needs to continue to hone, however, is his grasp of “good shot, bad shot” concepts as well as his knack of delivering passes when they needed to be delivered (and not too late or too early, as was sometimes the case on Sunday).
That being said, it’s understandable why he is coveted by a lot of college programs in the hunt of a 2014 point guard prospect.
Three “sleeper-types” from the San Diego County Class of 2014 could very well evolve into prospects with multiple D-I options coming their way next November.
One of those, 6-3 Austin Morgan (Coronado), is already receiving showing a lot of interest from the Ivy League institutions.
Having a 4.5 grade point average (yeah, his schedule has been chock full of Advance Placement fare) doesn’t hurt at all.
Neither does having that nifty jump shot –with range – that was quite evident on Sunday.
And 6-4 Israel Seales (Chula Vista Mater Dei) and 6-8 Daniel Melifonua (Lincoln) gave notice Sunday that they could be on the verge of breakout senior seasons in 2013-14.
Three players from Carlsbad La Costa Canyon’s Class of 2015 did their things – and well – Sunday
Patrick Fisher (a hard-nosed, hard-driving and even harder-defending sort) and Tommy McCarthy (my, oh, my he’s got an impressive jump shot) show why they should make up one of the better backcourts in San Diego – and beyond – next season.
Unfortunately, McCarthy’s Sunday of hooping came to an abrupt conclusion – apparently via an abrupt and (obviously) untended to elbow to his lower lip and chin by way of another La Costa Canyon teammate, 6-5 forward Brady Twombly.
McCarthy suffered a nasty – and quite bloody – abrasion and it was off to the ER where he reportedly needed some sutures to patch the damage.
My guess is that McCarthy won’t be slowed down in the least and he’ll be putting up a whole lot of jumpers at some point Monday morning.
As for Twombly, I doubt seriously he’s ever encountered an opponent he didn’t think he could out-rebound or dunk on.
Another gem from the Class of 2015 who mostly dazzled on Sunday was point guard Torin Webb, the “kind of” Darren Collison look-alike and definite Collison play-alike.
Webb, who attended Linfield Christian his first two years, said he will be transferring to Great Oak High (which, like Linfield Christian, is also located in Temecula).
Among those that repped the Class of 2016 proudly was point guard Justin Moore (San Diego Mission Bay, swingman Omajae Smith (San Diego Serra) and wing Justin Davis (San Diego Morse).
You want to read about just one more eye-popping jump shooter who was ripping ‘em through the nets on Sunday>
OK, I nominate 6-3 sophomore-to-be Mikey Babik (Rolling Hills Estates Peninsula).
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