North/South OC Challenge: What We Learned
The North/South OC Challenge hosted by Tesoro High Saturday showcased many of Orange County’s best prep squads.
One of the better aspects of watching basketball in Orange County is the high level coaching and execution that follows with those players and teams.
Another intriguing part of OC hoops is getting an up-close look at some guys that don’t get as much publicity as others at bigger schools.
Here’s some things we learned from our two days at Tesoro High.
Capo Valley Point Guard Nick Draper is a solid all-around player
The 6-foot-2 Draper is the unsung hero of his Capo Valley high school squad, but the Cougars couldn’t be as efficient offensively as they are without him. Draper is a very good rebounder in and out of space for his size, pushes the break with purpose and always has his head up looking for the open man.
Tesoro’s Matt Jones is the floor general Tesoro needs
Jones is all of about 5-10, but sports a stocky and strong 175-pound frame. The junior does well against bigger guards or speed as he can play through physicality and has the IQ and ability to change speeds to get by quicker guards. Tesoro is
Tesoro PG Matt Jones does a great job of getting the basketball to his skilled big men.littered with talented big men that need touches and Jones understands angles and how to throw a proper post entry pass to his big men.
Cypress guard Jared Brown has a lot of feel
The junior is a crafty left hander that uses a combination of slick dribble moves and changes of speed and direction to get himself into his scoring spots. Brown can score from all three levels, but is most effective at the mid-range area where he has a smooth step-back jumper.
Anthony Tello is a sleeper in 2020
Cypress has another good young guard in Tello, a 5-foot-10 combo guard with impressive speed and quickness. Tello is a blur with the ball in his hands and especially shifty in both the half-court and transition settings. Tello makes his mark on the defensive side of the ball, picking up full court and sitting down in a defensive stance.