So-Cal Hoop Review San Diego standouts - Report 2
Here are some more of the top players and prospects we saw at the So-Cal Hoop Review last week in Garden Grove:
Most Improved
Steve Stinson- 2020 5-9 160 G, San Diego Sabers 15u - Stinson is a potent scoring guard who gets his buckets from all over - he can hit threes off the catch, drive and pull-up from mid range, and use his strong frame to absorb contact and finish drives. While his shot selection has improved, he still hunts shots at times, but he is evolving into a point guard prospect to monitor.
Tyler Elsom- 2020 6-2 160 G, Team Water- A growth spurt and a jump in athleticism over the past two years has boosted the upside of the heady combo guard, who can shoot it and slash to the basket with equal effectiveness. Defensively, he really prides himself on lockdown on-ball defense and does a good job shooting passing lanes for steals. Decision making in shoot/pass situations needs to improve, but Elsom is a prospect whose trajectory is pointed upward.
Makiah Morris- 2019 6-1 150 PG, Gamepoint 16u Select- After leaving him for a couple of years, Morris' perimeter shooting has returned with a vengeance. The younger brother of Isaiah Morris has a different build (long, lanky frame), but is a solid floor general in his own right who can snake his way to the basket and score and create off the dribble for others, but it is his rediscovered confidence in his jump shot that has opened up more of his game.
Jacob Collins- 2020 6-3 170 F, And 1 Academy 15u- Collins continues to make big strides with his game off the dribble, scoring at will in his game vs UBC 15u Elite. He is a solid mid-range shooter, but his quickness makes him a mismatch against slower bigs. If he can continue to grow, he projects to be a solid face-up four with his ball skills. Court vision and shot selection are areas where he needs to improve.
Unknown...until now
Alejandro Dennis- 2020 6-5 180 F, College Bound 17u - Dennis, a forward from Mexico, is a strapping physical specimen who can score in the paint off of offensive rebounds and passes from teammates. He also can score off of straight line drives from the mid-post and short corner. Dennis is a solid athlete who runs the floor and plays hard on both ends. He should carve out a role on the Saints varsity level in short order.
Grant Norberg- 2020 6-6 190 F, M-State- The Scripps Ranch forward is largely an unknown, but impressed with his touch around the basket, especially over his right shoulder (he's a lefty). He's got good size, but conditioning and basketball IQ (very raw on both ends) will need to improve as he develops.
Cade Rely- 2020 6-0 150 G, San Diego Sabers 15u- The East County guard (West Hills), is a heady combo guard with a nice first step and a solid stroke from the perimeter. He has a solid IQ. This was the first time seeing him play, and we'll be following his progress this week.
Best shooters
Jack Bailey- 2020 6-1 170 SG, Coastal Elite 15u- Stocky catch-and-shoot threat doesn't need a lot of space to get his shot off due to his super quick release. Broke a game vs Gamepoint Elite open with three straight threes.
Tyson McWilliams - 2020 5-11 150 G, Gamepoint 15u Elite- Smooth combo guard knocked down shots off the pull-up and off the catch with regularity. Needs to physically beef up, but the markings are there of a nice combo guard down the road.
Knox Winkler- 2018 6-3 180 SG, Coastal Elite 17u- Beefy shooter can also get to the basket with his strong hand and finish through contact, but if his feet are set, he's as good a shooter as we have in San Diego.
Kody Clouet- 2018 6-3 180 SG, Coastal Elite 17u - Clouet has beefed up his lanky frame and showed some growth driving and finishing through contact, but his strength is still his effortless spot-up shooting.
Bryce Pope- 2019 6-2 175 SG, California Bearcats 17u - One of the top shooters in San Diego, regardless of class, Pope's combination of IQ and great movement without the ball allows him to get his shot off over bigger defenders.
Alex Cho- 2018 6-2 190 SG, Gamepoint 17u Select- Physical combo guard hunts shots off the dribble with streaky results, but as a catch and shoot threat he is very good.
Gage Sanders- 2018 6-0 150 PG, Gamepoint 17u Select- Lanky point guard scored off the dribble despite his wafer-thin build, and knocked down shots off the catch all weekend. Pure shooter.
AJ Burgin- 2021 5-10 150 G, Gamepoint 14u Elite - Consistent shot mechanics and a quick release make him a threat from anywhere behind the arc, but it was his ability to use the shot fake to create drives for scores or kick-outs to open shooters that impressed.
Undersized, but not underestimated
Brady Williams- 2020 5-8 150 PG, And1 Academy 15u- Compactly built point guard prospect is quick enough to get into the teeth of the defense and kick to open shooters. He has to get better at finishing through contact, and seeing the weak side of the floor, but his moxie and grit on both ends makes him a tough customer.
Adam Sevier- 2020 5-8 140 PG, California Bearcats 15u- Slick ball handling point guard plays with an edge, and is one of the top shooters in his class. Very good at reading the defense and transition and hitting transition threes before the defense is set.
Trent Bell- 2021 5-8 130 PG, Gamepoint 14u Elite- Tough, albeit undersized, scoring guard had a big weekend playing against 15u competition, scoring from three and midrange and handling pressure. Quick hands and feet on the defensive end.
Antonio Hale- 2018 5-11 150 G, Elite Dynasty 17u- The primary scoring threat for the North County club team, Hale knocked down shots from all three levels and has nice quickness off the dribble and in transition. Has bought in on the defensive end and is a solid on-ball defender.
Team and player notes
Coastal Elite 16u Elite - Brogan Pietrocini (6-5 180 F) and Ricardo Hopping (6-4 180 W) had strong weekends for the improving squad.
Coastal Elite 17u Premier - Kobe Gatti (6-0 180 G) is developing into a nice D3 guard prospect. Caedon Palmer is an intriguing face-up four/ wing prospect.
Gamepoint 15u Elite - An uneven weekend for the shorthanded group, but Logan Cremonesi (6-6 190 F, El Camino) is looking like a solid D1 forward prospect, and Patrick Roberts (6-6 180 F, Christian) has the length and athleticism to get there as well.
San Diego Soldiers 16u - This looks like the best team of the newly formed Soldiers program, with Jailen Nelson (2020 5-9 140 PG), Dakarai Allen (2020 6-0 150 PG) and Seth Hayes (2019 6-4 175 W) having strong weekends.
San Diego Soldiers 15u - The 15u scored an upset over Earl Watson Elite Silver with Julius Jackson (2020 5-9 130 G), Justin Razooky (2020 5-8 130 G) and 2019 F Davon Lampkin (6-3 190 F) having good outings.
CJ McMillan (6-3 160 F), Diego Czarnowski (6-2 166 F), Keavie Love (6-0 170 G) and Dillon Wilhite (6-6 180 PF/C) were among the top 2021 prospects playing this weekend at Next Level. McMillan has a nice frame and good ball skills for a power forward, Czarnowski keeps improving and has impressive length and post IQ, Love is a power guard who can score from all three levels, and Wilhite has solid post moves and can score with either hand, and showed improved assertiveness.
Jakob Travis (2017 6-2 180 G, Canyon Crest) should garner late Division 3 interest after his performance with Team Water. He scored from all three levels and handled the ball well in traffic. He needs to improve his shot selection, but his combination of strength and scoring savvy would be a nice get as a late D3 commit.
Ed Fenzi (2017 6-0 180 PG) put on a nice performance with his future college coach, MiraCosta's Pat Conahan, sitting front and center. Fenzi doesn't possess ideal burst, but is strong and puts his defender on his hip and can score through contact, and shot the ball with a lot of confidence this weekend.
