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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – A battle between two of the better guards in the national Class of 2023 was the hook to the Hoophall Classic game between programs from New Jersey (Camden) and Georgia (Milton) Monday afternoon in Blake Arena on the campus of Springfield College.

And that narrative held up, as D.J. Wagner and Kanaan Carlyle both had substantial shares of spectacular plays as Wagner’s Camden team came away with 63-55 victory in front of a near-full gymnasium and national television audience.

But even as the 6-foot-2 Wagner (21 point, including three 3s, five rebounds and two steals) and the 6-3 Carlyle (25 points, with six 3s, and five rebounds/he’s already committed to Stanford) were showing why they’re consensus “top 10 in the class” prospects, it was another junior guard who proved the difference in the decisive fourth quarter to help Camden snap a two-game losing streak.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – Getting a handle on national high school basketball player ratings is always a dicey proposition, at best – especially when it comes to trying to put the “best” prospects in order nearly two years removed from their schedule high school graduation.

But 6-foot-6 Ian Jackson introduced a whole lot of on-court evidence Sunday afternoon as to why there many not be many – if any – better players in the Class of 2024 than he is right now.

In an event stockpiled with future college All-Americans – and NBA draft choices – no one this weekend turned in a better performance than he did while leading his Bronx Cardinal Hayes High team past Chicago De La Salle, 81-40, in one of the eight Hoophall Classic games played in Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – He was his Little Rock Christian High team’s top player and leader scorer as a freshman and sophomore.

But, even after sparkling efforts at the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas last June and with the Bradley Beal Elite 16s on the Nike/EYBL circuit in July, the 6-foot-2 Layden Blocker had no illusions about his “role” would be upon enrolling at “national” prep school Bel Aire (KS) Sunrise Christian School for his junior year season and academic year.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get to shoot and score as much (as he did at LR Christian),” he said, after he and his Sunrise teammates had edged Lincolnton (NC) Combine Academy, 72-68, Saturday in one of the three contests decided in overtime during the eight-game, Hoophall Classic schedule played in Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – Not quite 48 hours and 3,000 miles removed from a superb effort in a Trinity League victory, the Mater Dei High basketball team wasn’t quite as sharp Friday night during its Spalding Hoophall Classic game Friday night at Springfield College.

The Monarchs, who knocked off previously unbeaten Santa Margarita Wednesday night, didn’t play with nearly the same level of execution at both ends of the floor while handling Manchester (CT) East Catholic, 73-58.

Junior Zack Davidson (17 points and nine rebounds) and freshman Tre Bartlett (10 points, 14 rebounds and three assists) continued to play as well as should be expected from a couple of guys who are rapidly developing into one of the upper-tier pair of posts on any team in California.

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RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Ca. – The Mater Dei High boys’ basketball team – some 10 hours before it was set to board a Boston-bound flight at LAX for its next game – looked every bit like the solid favorite to win another Trinity League championship Wednesday night.

Coach Gary McKnight’s team trailed just once – at 2-zip, after a Kyle Evans layup on the first possession of the contest – while cruising past the host Santa Margarita Eagles, 64-46.

The victory improved the Monarchs to 2-0 in league (they won at Orange Lutheran to open Trinity play Friday night) and 16-2 overall.

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