IRVINE – The West Coast-based adidas-fronted boys’ grassroots programs made their 2019 debut on the athletic apparel company’s “Gauntlet” spring and summer circuit over the weekend at the Momentous Center.
And The Usual Suspects were outstanding, notably Evan Mobley (Rancho Christian), Jaylen Clark (Corona Centennial), Dalen Terry (Phoenix Hillcrest) from the Compton Magic 17s, Kyree Walker (Phoenix Hillcrest), Dominick Harris (Rancho Christian) and Makur Maker (the senior 7-footer from Orange Lutheran who just joined the program) from Dream Vision’s 17s.
The second session of the Gauntlet Series will be held in Dallas (April 18-20), where the Compton Magic, Dream Vision and San Diego-based Game Point programs will be joined by other western-based “adidas” squads such as Team Lillard (Bay Area), Exum Elite (Utah), Billups (Colorado), Team Lavine (Washington) and the new, Portland-based Maurice Lucas 20 Enforcer program.
But a player from a “non-shoe company” squad, 6-foot-3 Ian Martinez (JSerra in San Juan Capistrano) was a productive, spectacular and clutch for the SoCal All-Stars as anyone who was in the building over the weekend.
Martinez (pictured), who had a terrific junior season for the Lions after transferring from Cantwell-Sacred Heart in Montebello, averaged 25-plus points while leading SCA to a 6-0 effort in the “Open” division.
He closed things Sunday afternoon with a buzzer-beating, highly-contested 3-pointer to cap a 33-point effort during a 68-65, come-from-11 points-behind victory over the Compton Magic Seniors.
Martinez, who is from Costa Rica, is already being pursued by a multitude of college programs, including USC, Arizona and Utah from the Pacific 12 Conference as well as San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference.
That list – and his status in the various Internet-based high school players’ rankings – figures to expand after his scheduled appearances in the Pangos All-American Camp (May 31-June 2 at Cerritos College in Norwalk0 and NBPA Top 100 Camp (June 11-15 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville).
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