LAGUNA NIGUEL, Ca. – The first week of the NCAA July “evaluation” period wrapped up Sunday at 5 o’clock, with three major events wrapping up in as many locations in Southern California.
“Travel team” tournaments concluded at Cerritos College in Norwalk and at the Anaheim Sports Center for the Double Pump Summer Tip-Off.
The Belmont Shore team knocked Wisconsin United, 62-61, via two David Singleton free throws with three seconds to go for the Invitational Division championship at Cerritos College.
Singleton (Torrance, CA, Bishop Montgomery), one of the best 2018 shooting guard prospects in the country, and 6-foot-7 Isaiah White (La Verne, CA, Damien), one of the better remaining unsigned players in the class of 2016, shared Most Outstanding Players in the division. White had 20 points and 11 rebounds in the final.
Belmont Shore also got strong player but another very good unsigned player from 2016 (6-8 Cartrell Thompson) as well as two other top prospects from 2018, Michael Wang (6-9/Santa Ana Mater Dei) and Bryce Hamilton (6-4/Pasadena).
Six-five George Dixon (Milwaukee Riverside) and 6-8 Ben Vander Plas (Ripon), both from the class of 2017, scored 20 and 19 points, respectively, for Wisconsin United.
The Under Armour-fronted Splash City team (made up of players from the northern and central portions of California) left Anaheim with the Open Division championship hardware after knocking off SoCal-based Prodigy Elite.
Both squads are stacked with outstanding guards in the Class of 2017, including Jade Smith (Alameda St. Joseph-Notre) and Joey Calcaterra (Marin Catholic) of Splash City and Joe Quintana (La Verne Bonita) and LeVontay Ott (Hesperia).
Splash City also has a couple of quality 2017 forwards in Darrin Person (Reedley Immanuel) and Jordan Roberts (Bakersfield Ridgeview).
Splash City also got a strong effort throughout the event from another quality 2016 un-signed prospect in 6-7 Chris Seeley (Fresno Central).
The second annual West Coast Elite 100 Camp concluded Sunday afternoon at Pomona Pitzer College (in Claremont, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, proper) with its Top 20 All-Star Game that attracted coaches from approximately 100 college programs across the country.
Among the standouts, in the Top 20 tilt and over the event’s three days, were Earl Watson Elite 17U squad members Spencer Freedman (Santa Ana Mater Dei), Ira Lee (Napa Prolific Prep), Juhwan Harris-Dyson (Northridge Heritage Christian), Adrease Jackson (Rancho Santa Margarita/Santa Margarita), Zafir Williams (Long Beach Poly), Brandon Davis (Mission Hills Alemany) and Reed Farley (La Jolla in San Diego County).
Freedman is one of the best 2018 point guards in the country and the best at the position during the camp.
Lee is a strong candidate for Player of the Year in California next season and will be in strong contention for McDonald’s All-American honors.
The 6-4 Harris-Dyson committed to Cal Coach Quonzo Martin Monday while Williams, Farley and Jackson are among the many players who helped themselves, relative to their recruiting options, during the week.
The only non- senior or non-junior to-be in the Top 20 game was one of the best point guards from the Class in 2020 in Nico Mannion (who will attend Pinnacle High in Phoenix).
Others in the Top 20 game included: 6-1 Calvin Fugett Jr. (Denver George Washington); 6-3 Braxton Bertolette (Ft. Collins, CO, Fossil Ridge) and 6-6 Marvin Bragg (Cerritos, CA, Gahr) from the Class of 2017 and 6-9 Miles Norris (San Diego Helix), 6-8 Riley Battin (Oak Park, CA), 6-5 Tony Goodwin II (Bethesda, MD, Walter Johnson), 6-6 Collin Kelley (Yakima, WA, Davis), 6-0 Jamal Hartwell II (Los Angeles Fairfax), 6-5 Ryan Turell (Van Nuys, CA, Valley Torah), 6-2 Cameron Shelton (La Verne, CA, Damien), 6-8 Kamaka Hepa (Portland Jefferson), 6-6 Jaxon Baker (Phoenix Brophy Prep) and 6-4 Wesley Slajchert (Oak Park, CA).
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