LAS VEGAS – The “Big Three” of Eastvale Roosevelt High boys’ basketball team came through in its usual fashion Saturday during the championship game of the 12th Tarkanian Classic Platinum Division at Bishop Gorman.
But it was the efforts of the players accompanying Brayden Burries, Myles Walker and Issac Williamson that also were also huge reasons why the Mustangs knocked off Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 76-58.
The “SoCal Showdown” pitted the No.’s 2 (11-1 Roosevelt) and 3 (12-1 Notre Dame) teams in last week’s BurlisonOnBasketball Southern California ratings.
Barring a glitch in the software used in the computer rating system the CIF Southern Section has adopted to shape its playoff fields and seedings, the Mustangs and Knights could have matchups in either the Southern Section Open Division Playoffs in February or during the State Southern Open Regional playoffs in March.
Or both.
After falling behind Roosevelt, 9-4, two minutes in, the Knights started clicking on all cylinders, with junior Zachary White and sophomore NaVorro Bowman, Jr. combining for 17 points, and sprinted to a 27-12 advantage after one quarter.
And that was even with Rutgers-bound guard Lino Mark on the bench for good after three minutes because of a hamstring strained, apparently, in Notre Dame’s semifinal win over Layton Christian Academy in the Orleans Hotel Arena Friday night.
But few high school hoops trios have been as emotionally and physically vested in winning as a team than have Burries, Walker and Williamson. They’ve played that way, together, since they were fourth graders.
And, despite what many assumed, there is a lot more to this Roosevelt squad than the just the hoops firm of BW&W.
Fellow starters Dominic Copenhagen and Jackson Haggins, as well as top subs Cameron Anderson and Christian Benjamin, were every bit as responsible for turning things around in a hurry in the second quarter and taking charge after intermission while leading the Mustangs to their second major tournament in a year.
The ample offensive skill of Burries (13 of his game-high 26 points in the second quarter) and Williamson (19 points, including five 3s, for the future New Mexico Lobo) kicked into overdrive in that second quarter, and carried into second half in which Notre Dame was out-scored by 17 points.
But the overall contributions of Copenhagen (10 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals) and Anderson (continuing to play like he’s one of the top frosh in the west, with four points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks) – who shared most of the defensive reasonability against mega-junior forward Tyran Stokes – and Haggins (five points, including a 3 in the second-quarter rally, and four rebounds) and Benjamin (nine points, including a couple of dunks off lob passes) were immeasurable.
The full- and half-court pressure of Roosevelt – propelled by ball-hawking Williamson and Walker and their nine steals – forced 21 turnovers, eight of those from Stokes (20 points, 10 rebounds and three assist), who lost the ball 15 time over the final two games.
Despite missing seven of eight shots from the field (and not attempting a free throw), the left-handed Walker – the son and nephew of terrific college players – wrapped up a terrific week in which he demonstrated why he’s among the best of the “still-available” (to colleges) point guards in the west with 10 assists, four steals and only two turnovers.
In four games he averaged 6.3 assists and 4.0 steals and just 1.5 turnovers.
The Mustangs resume play in defense of their 2023 Classic at Damien title Thursday (against San Ramon Valley) while the Knights play a “showcase” game against Las Vegas Sierra Vista Friday night at Rancho Mirage High.
In Saturday’s Platinum third-place game, Redondo Union (10-1) fell behind by 13 points early in the second quarter before pulling away, 79-66, against Layton Christian Academy
Senior Hudson Mayes (game-high 24 points with five rebounds and three steals), juniors S.J. Madison (18 points and six steals) and Chace Holley (14 points and six assists) and sophomore Chris Sanders (11 points, five assists and three steals) wrapped up strong weeks for the Sea Hawks, who open Classic at Damien play Thursday morning at 10 o’clock against Destiny Christian of Sacramento.
LCA, which joins Redondo and Roosevelt in the Platinum Division of the Classic at Damien, got a combined 36 points from senior forwards Tyrin Jones (UNLV) and Alan Gballou (Eastern Washington).
In some of the other division finals Saturday:
*Montgomery (10-0) looked every bit the part of a strong contender for the San Diego Section’s Open Division championship, cruising past Anthem (AZ) Boulder Creek, 62-51, behind Nike Division Most Outstanding Player J.J. Sanchez’s 22 points, four rebounds, four assist and two steals.
His twin, Alek Sanchez, added 10 points and six assists.
Six-foot-eight forward Andrew Bhesania led Boulder Creek with 18 points and 15 rebounds.
*Denver South’s Damien Dirden picked up a loose ball along the left baseline and threw in a 3-pointer to send the Baller TV Division title game with Leuzinger into overtime.
But Coach Arturo Jones’ Olympians recovered nicely, to win the title, 75-66, and head home to Lawndale with a 10-3 record and nine-game win streak.
Division Most Outstanding Player Malachi Knight scored 17 points and averaged 23.5 in the four wins for the Olympians.
Fellow senior Joshua Garland led the way with 23 points (21 in the second half) and made several key defensive plays while freshman guard Jace Jones scored 13 points and hit a 3 that gave them a six-point lead in the OT.
The Olympians open play in the Classic at Damien on Thursday evening with a 5 o’clock Silver Division game against Auburn (WA) at Mt. San Antonio College.
Dirden led the Ravens (5-2) with 26 points including six 3s.
*One of Utah’s top guards from the Class of 2026, Luke West, scored 29 points while hitting six 3s as Bingham knocked of Eaglecrest of Colorado, 73-66, for the Spalding title.
Top Performances from Week V (Dec. 16-21)
Tarkanian Classic/High School Division
(Based strictly on the games I watched in person)
Most Outstanding Player
*Brayden Burries/Eastvale (CA) Roosevelt/Platinum MOP
25 more who impressed me
Seniors
*Mason Abittan/Henderson, NV, Coronado/ Platinum
*Andrew Bhesania/Anthem, AZ, Boulder Creek/Nike
*Tyrin Jones/Layton Christian Academy/ Platinum
*Alan Gballou/Layton Christian Academy/ Platinum
*Devin Hamilton/San Diego Montgomery/Nike
*Nick Jefferson/Bishop Gorman/Platinum
*Isaiah Johnson/North Hollywood Campbell Hall/Platinum
*Malachi Knight/Lawndale Leuzinger/Baller TV (MOP)
*Douglas Langford/Downey, St. Pius X/St. Matthias/ Platinum
*Lino Mark/Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/Platinum
*Hudson Mayes/Redondo Union/ Platinum
*Jaylen Petty/Seattle Rainier Beach/ Platinum
*Bryce Quinet/Scottsdale, AZ, Notre Dame Prep/Spalding
*J.J. Sanchez/San Diego Montgomery/Nike (MOP)
Myles Walker/Eastvale Roosevelt/ Platinum
*Issac Williamson/Eastvale Roosevelt/ Platinum
Juniors
*Tajh Ariza/L.A. Westchester/ Platinum
*Toni Bryant/North Tampa, FL, Christian/Spalding
*S.J. Madison/Redondo Union/ Platinum
*Dean Rueckert/Provo, UT, Timpview/ Platinum
*Tyran Stokes/Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/ Platinum
*Luke West/South Jordan, UT, Bingham/Spalding (MOP)
Sophomores
*NaVorro Bowman, Jr./Sherman Oaks Notre Dame/ Platinum
*Kristopher Coleman/Centennial, CO, Eaglecrest/Spalding
*Jeremy Jenkins/Miami Riviera Prep/ Platinum
Leave a Reply