WALNUT CREEK, Ca. — The squad wearing white jerseys prevailed, 88-66, over its black-wearing counterpart Sunday afternoon in the Top 20 All-Star game, putting a nifty bow on things while wrapping a successful first-ever Pro-West Exposures Camp at Tice Valley Community College.
The camp, organized and hosted by the Hoops Executive group, provided a showcase for approximately 110 boys’ high school players across the four classes (with one eighth grader).
It has a chance to join Gerry Freitas’ NorCal Tip-Off (the 16th version is set for Nov. 25 at Dublin High) as one of the two “must-watch” events for the best take on high school basketball in the northern half of California.
Junior Jalen Stokes (Dublin) and sophomore Caeden Hutcherson (San Jose Archbishop Mitty) scored 20 points apiece for the Top 20 clash winners while junior Chi-Emeka VIxon (Brentwood Liberty) and sophomore Rashod Cotton (Modesto Christian) scored 15 and 13 points, respectively, for the black jerseys.
Senior Brandon Gibson (Elk Grove Monterey Trail) converted a drive, while being fouled, and his free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining helped his team win the Top 40 All-Star game, 105-102.
Gibson scored a game-high 27 points (while grabbing nine rebounds) and his effort bumped him into the Top 20 game, as well, where he scored nine points for the black jerseys.
Nathan Gray Jr. (Ross Branson), one of 10 quality players in the Class of 2027 in attendance, scored 17 points, while junior Dominic Walker (Hayward Moreau Catholic) was the leading scorer for the white jerseys in the Top 40 game with 19.
Another of those freshmen, Garry Hill-Thomas Jr. (Oakland Bishop O’Dowd), added 15 points for the white jerseys.
The first of the all-star games, the Top 60 confrontation, was won by the black jerseys, 74-72, with junior Elijah Hayeems (San Francisco Stuart Hall; he transferred from International in the same city) scoring a game-high 26 points — including four 3s — and grabbing seven rebounds.
Sophomore Des Sicat (Castro Valley) and yet another freshman guard, Jaiden Miller (Brentwood Liberty), scored 19 and 16 points, respectively, for the white jerseys.
The only player from the Class of 2027 in the Top 20 game was 6-foot-2 Sincere Hudson.
Look for Hudson to be an immediate high-impact performer for Coach Fred Wilson’s Sacramento Inderkum squad.
My choices as the co-Most Outstanding Players at the camp are junior Elijah Perryman (pictured/Concord Clayton Valley Charter) and sophomore Emmanuel Jamgbadi (Napa Prolific Prep).
Perryman missed most of the late spring and summer with a broken bone in his left wrist. His recruiting profile should get a nice bump after his performance as a playmaker and scorer at the camp.
Most of the better players in the Classes of 2027 and ’26 at the camp are expected to showcase their skills down south in Long Beach during the Sept. 23&24 during the Pangos All-West Frosh/Soph Camp at McBride High.
Camp Awards
(note: these are my selections)
Top 10 Performers
(regardless of class or “college potential”/alpha listing)
Caeden Hutcherson (6-4/So./San Jose Archbishop Mitty).
Emmanuel Jamgbadi (6-7 ½ /So./Napa Prolific Prep).
Antonio Kellogg Jr. (6-3/Jr./Concord Ignacio Valley).
Alvin Loving Jr. (6-4/Jr./Richmond Salesian).
Evan McKnight (6-10/Sr./Concord Ignacio Valley).
Elijah Perryman (6-1/Jr./Concord Clayton Valley Charter).
Jasir Rencher (6-6/Jr./San Francisco Riordan).
Leo Ricketts (5-10/Sr./Concord De La Salle).
Jalen Stokes (6-5/Jr./Dublin).
Maximus VanLaningham (6-8/So./Roseville Woodcreek).
Note: Rashod Cotton (6-1/So./Modesto Christian) and Rodney Westmoreland (6-0/So./San Ramon Dougherty Valley) played at “Top 10 level”. But I kept them off this list because they only played on Sunday while the others played both days.
Most Outstanding Post: Emmanuel Jamgbadi.
Most Outstanding Guard: Elijah Perryman.
Top 60 All-Star Game Most Outstanding Player: Elijah Hayeems (6-5/Jr./San Francisco Stuart Hall).
Top 40 All-Star Game Most Outstanding Player: Brandon Gibson Jr. (6-4/Elk Grove Monterey Trail).
Top 20 All-Star Game Most Outstanding Player: Jalen Stokes.
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