Stars shine in the 2nd Creme of the County
Aaron Burgin, a guru of the San Diego high school basketball scene, unveiled his Creme of the County showcase for the second year in a row and the result was a resounding success. Led by national 2018 recruit Taeshon Cherry and sharp shooting senior Reed Farley, the event had a smorgasbord of talent that stretched from the Class of 2021 all the way to 2017.
Francisco's Finest
Taeshon Cherry (San Diego, CA./ St. Augustine) 2018, PF, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
Joel's take: Cherry has the motor, athleticism, and shooting touch to be considered a Top 50-100 player. He needs to improve his post skills and fundamentals, but he's a winner.
Reed Farley (La Jolla, CA./La Jolla) 2017, SG, 6-foot-4, 185 pounds
Joel's take: Harvard or Princeton is going to get a future All-Conference performer. The
athletic 2-guard can dunk on you in transition or splash jump shots out to 21-feet.
Untapped potential
Warren Washington (Escondido, CA/Escondido) 2018, 6-foot-8, 210 pounds
Joel's take: The willowy Washington possesses a soft touch out to the 3-point stripe and he possesses budding athleticism. The next step in his development is developing a fiery streak at both ends.
Best Motor
Matthew Bradley (San Bernadino, CA./San Bernadino) 2018, WF, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
Joel's take: Bradley plays at a relentless pace as he fits that "glue-type" mold to a tee at the Division 1 level. However, at this event he needed to play more on balance and not force the issue.
Zach Reiter (Poway, CA./Poway) 2018, WF, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds
Joel's take: Reiter is another glue-type who utilizes his strength, savvy, and ball skills to impact the game in a variety of ways.
Most underrated
Michael Diaz (Escondido, CA/Orange Glen) 2017, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
Joel's take: Diaz is neither a true point guard nor a 2-guard, he is best described as a "guard." He is explosive off the dribble, can drop of the nifty assist, or take it strong to the basket.
J.J. Overton (San Diego, CA/Rancho Bernardo) 2017, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
Joel's take: Overton is a slick lefty who has terrific length, an explosive burst off the dribble, and underrated vision. If he can learn to change speeds and develop a consistent jump shot, he is definite Division 1 talent.
Biggest Surprise
Josh Clarke (San Diego, CA./Health Science School) 2017, SG, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
Joel's Take: Major sleeper here as Clarke has an innate ability to finish over the rim or slash his way to the rim with the greatest of ease.
Biggest sleepers
Adrian Lee (Chula Vista, CA/ Castle Park) 2018, PF/WF, 6-foot-6, 190 pounds
Joel's Take: Lee is a major sleeper due to his ability to affect the game at both ends and his ability to knock in the 3-point shot.
Future Point Guard
Dorian Blue (El Cajon, CA/Foothills Christian) 2019, PG, 6-foot-0, 155 pounds
Joel's Take: The more I watched Blue the more I realized that the point guard position is his future. He has an evolving pull-up game and his overall feel for the game was impressive.
Best of the 2019s
Ryan Langborg (La Jolla, CA/La Jolla Country Day)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
Joel's Take: Can really stroke the jump shot and his ball skills and savvy are quite good.
Graham Cook (Carlsbad, CA/La Costa Canyon) 2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds
Joel's Take: Exhibited a nice pull-up game and can knock in shots at all three levels.
Best of the 2020s
Jordan Montrose (Orange, CA/Orange Lutheran) 2020, PF, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds
Joel's Take: Long arms, broad shoulders, and a no nonsense attitude as well as consistent production at both ends describes this prospect.
Ryan Evans (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA/Santa Margarita) 2020, SG, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds
Joel's Take: Went on a mesmerizing shooting spree in the 1st half to go
along with a tenacious competitive spirit.
Philix Kilbourne (San Ysidro, CA/San Ysidro) 2020, PG, 5-foot-10, 145 pounds
Joel's Take: Intriguing point prospect that has the quickness and skill to be college player down the road.
Chibuzo Agbo (San Diego, CA/St. Augustine) 2020, PF, 6-foot-6, 185 pounds
Joel's Take: Agbo has a nice frame with ideal length, solid ball skills
, and a soft touch out to the stripe.
* Joel Francisco one of the top basketball scouts on the West Coast who served as ESPN's West Coast Basketball Recruiting Director from 2006 to 2016.
