LONG BEACH — Key players from a couple of CIF Southern Section Open Division squads, as well as the CIF SS Division 1 champion, were among the many standouts Saturday during the Pangos Best of SoCal Spring Showcase at the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church gymnasium.
James Evans Jr. and Darrell Morris, standouts as junior for the Jeff Bryant-coached West Ranch team that was 29-3 last season, scored 34 and 23 points, respectively, in the Class of 2024 Top 20 game that wrapped up the action.
The 6-foot-6 Evans has had a strong spring (he plays for the Paul George Elite squad 17U on the EYBL circuit, where his teammates include Carter Bryant and Jamari Phillips who are already committed to signing with the University of Arizona in November) and is in much better condition than he was most of his junior season.
Evans got 12 of his points via four 3s (off the catch and the dribble).
And the 5-10 Morris, who has been a standout for the West Coast Elite 17U Elite squad on the Under Armour Circuit, continued to look like the fastest point guard in the Western class with the ball in his hands as well as the most disruptive on-ball defensive force in the region.
But the squad led by the West Rancho duo dropped a 117-86 decision to the teams wearing black jerseys.
That team got a 23-point effort from 6-7 Kendyl Sanders (a starter for Coach Tony Bland’s St. Bernard club that was 22-9 and was part of the eight-team CIF SS Open field after sharing the Del Rey League title with another Open team, Bishop Montgomery.)
Sanders finished so many tough shots left-handed Saturday that one would believe he was a southpaw if not for seeing him shoot jumpers with his right hand.
And he and the rest of the black jerseys got plenty of offensive support from one of Sanders’ Belmont Shore club teammates, 6-4 Jacob Bayla.
Bayla, who attends Valley Christian (where his new head coach is former UCLA standout Dijon Thompson), has also demonstrated considerable improvement of his skills set this spring. And that was no better illustrated than Saturday when he scored a game-high 34 points via a nice combination of nifty drive and jump shots.
Other Saturday standouts included:
*Six-foot-seven Brannon Martinsen, a first team, BurlisonOnBasketball all-SoCal freshman selection, scored 15 points for the winning team in one of the two sophomore games played (he couldn’t get to the gym in time for the freshman game).
Martinsen’s combination of perimeter and post offensive skill is on a tier occupied by few at his size in the national Class of 2026.
Another starter for the Mater Dei team that won the CIF SS D-1 title (before losing to Notre Dame in the State Southern Regional semifinals), 6-5 junior guard Scottie Belnap, was a teammate of Evans’ and Morris in the final game Saturday.
*Juniors Bryce Bedgood (Valencia) and Bishop Brooks (Taft), who led their teams to respective Southern and L.A. City Section championships last season, scored 15 and 18 points, respectively, as teammates of Kendyl Sanders Saturday.
*Two Class of 2025 players from L.A. Windward were on hand Saturday and provided some on-court evidence why Windward could challenge for a spot in the CIF SS Open Division next season.
Six-four Jeremiah Hampton had his left-handed jump shot clicking Saturday, scoring a game-high 23 points (with five 3s) in the second of the two Sophomore games played.
In the first of those Sophomore clashes, Hampton’s 6-6 Windward teammate, Jayden (J.J.) Harris, muscled his way in and around the lane for 15 points.
*There were plenty of “pure jump shooters” on hand Saturday but few had the easy of release and range than was showcased by 6-6 Marco Varani, a sophomore at Bellevue High in Washington.
Varani, a member of Italy’s 16U FIBA program, attended O’Dea in Seattle before transferring to Bellevue where he said he will play next season. He also said he’s part of the Washington Supreme program (which competes on the new Pro 16 circuit).
He scored 17 points in the first sophomore game (at times, pitted against Martinsen) and hit five deep 3s, off the dribble and catch, as well.
*A couple of terrific Orange County-based shooters doing their thing Saturday were Foothill sophomore Rocco Gaffoglio (a game-high 20 points) and Crean Lutheran’s Kaiden Bailey, who scored a day-high 37 points in the Top 20 Freshman clash.
Another jumper-shooter deluxe in the Freshman game was Izaiah Fiallos, one of the multitude of quality 2026 guards at Corona Centennial.
He scored 31 points as his team dropped a 111-107 decision to the Bailey-led squad in the most compelling of the day’s games.
*Two players with terrific hoops “bloodlines” also looked sharp Saturday.
Point guard Noa Edwards (pictured), the son of former Millikan High and Long Beach State forward Frankie Edwards, helped lead Arcadia High to a 19-10 record as a freshman.
And 6-5 Luke Zuffelato — who had a terrific sophomore season at Santa Barbara High — is the grandson of Bob Zuffelato, a legendary college coach and NBA scout.
*The standout player in the eighth grade (Class of 2027) game that started the action was 6-2 Wyatt Richmond, who scored 23 points and earned a slot in the Freshman game that followed.
Richmond, who is from Lake Forest, is expected to enroll at Crean Lutheran.
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