More talking points: Takeaways from the Battle at the Bay
With temperatures in San Diego cooler than usual this past weekend, the basketball action heated up inside of Mission Bay High School, site of the inaugural Battle At the Bay.
The brainchild of Mission Bay Head Coach and longtime San Diego All-Stars director Marshawn Cherry, the event pitted teams from two of San Diego’s strongest basketball leagues – the Western and the Coastal – for a five-game showcase.
After four relatively noncompetitive games, fans received a treat when the event’s marquee matchup, Mission Bay (Cal-Hi Sports No. 1 team in San Diego) vs Foothills Christian (Cal-Hi Sports No. 2 team in San Diego), lived up to the billing. After a physical, extremely competitive four quarters were not enough to decide the outcome, the Knights prevailed 61-58 in overtime, after game-sealing free throws by sophomore guard Yassine Gharram.
Still, there were a lot of takeaways from the five-game showcase, both from individual and team performances. Prep Hoops gives you some of the key ones.
The Coastal League dominates the showcase
San Diego’s two best leagues in recent years have been the Coastal and Western leagues, which have combined for 3 of the first 4 Open Division titles.
On Saturday, the Coastal League proved dominant, winning four of the five showcase games. Foothills Christian, La Jolla Country Day, Bishop’s and Army Navy Academy collected wins over Mission Bay, Cathedral Catholic, Lincoln and Kearny, respectively. La Jolla notched the lone win for the Western League, a 20-point win over a shorthanded Francis Parker team.
None of this matters come playoff time, but for now, the Coastal League can claim bragging rights over regional rival.
Stars burned bright in the big finale…
Boogie Ellis and Taeshon Cherry, arguably the two top prospects in San Diego, faced off in the big rematch between Mission Bay and Foothills Christian, and they did not disappoint.
Cherry, who recently committed to Arizona State after decommitting from USC, scored a game-high 24 points, including a big three and a pair of free throws in the overtime. Ellis scored 22 points, and hit a 30-footer to cut the lead to 1 point in the final seconds of overtime, giving the Buccaneers a chance to tie the game on the final possession.
…but the supporting casts (namely Dorian Blue) made the difference
When Foothills Christian lost to Mission Bay by 16 back in December at the Torrey Pines tournament, the Bucs did a great job of neutralizing the Knights’ complimentary players, including Dorian Blue, who finished with six points in that game. Flash forward to Saturday, and Blue scored 16 points – hitting 6-11 from three point range – which accounts for the difference. The 6-1 combo guard has had an inconsistent junior year, but when Blue is knocking down shots from the perimeter, it improves the Knights’ spacing. Also key in the game was 5-7 point guard Jaren Nafarette‘s defense against Ellis, cutting off the scoring guard’s straight line drives and forcing him into difficult, contested shots.
For Mission Bay, Ronnie Latting continued his dominance in the interior, grabbing 16 rebounds (an event high), and showing some nice perimeter defense on Taeshon Cherry during one exchange. And 6-1 combo guard Jay Norton continues to be a reliable complement to Ellis on the perimeter, whether it’s knocking down open jump shots, hitting his improved pull-up jumper or by smothering opponents on the defensive end. 6-3 Michael Barcia also made several heady plays to save Mission Bay possessions during the fourth quarter and overtime, and knocked down a key baseline three.
Ryan Langborg is underrated – even by us
Ryan Langborg checks in at No. 17 in Prep Hoops So-Cal’s 2019 rankings, and after Saturday, my colleagues and I might want to revisit that. Langborg was fantastic and efficient in his 29-point effort in the 30-point rout of Cathedral, which came on 17 shots. Langborg, who stands at 6-4, is more than a spot-up shooter. He repeatedly attacked the Dons defense and scored at the rim over 6-7 Obinna Anyanwu on several possessions. Moreover, Langborg has improved his effort on the defensive end, where his lateral quickness is notably improved. Langborg is definitely in the conversation for best shooting guard in Southern California, and his name should considered in beyond the regional conversation.
Unsigned seniors take advantage of the spotlight
Two unsigned seniors, in particular, took advantage of the many eyes on them and made statements with their game. 6-6 senior forward Charlie Gal had a strong 23-point, 13-rebound outing against 6-8 junior center Matt Bender and Francis Parker. Gal, who has pedestrian foot speed and a very methodical game, knocked down three pointers, finished around the basket off of drives and post-ups and beat his Parker counterparts down the floor in transition. Gal’s length is very underrated – at 6-6, he has a 6-11 wingspan, which allows him to corral rebounds over bigger defenders.
Juan Carlos “JC” Canahuate was the other senior who moved the needle with his 34-point outburst against Kearny. Canahuate, a 6-1 scoring point guard, dissected the Komets defense from every level. Especially impressive was his scoring in the post, where he took advantage of his height against his senior counterpart Brenton Bell. Averaging 34.7 points per game this year, Canahuate should garner interest at the D2 or NAIA levels before it’s all said and done.
Bishop’s is a team to monitor
The “other” Knights team in the event, the Bishop’s School, proved why they have hovered around the top-10 conversation in San Diego, by soundly defeating Lincoln 61-41. Bishop’s has a potent front court, spearheaded by 6-6 junior forward Christian Rose and 6-7 sophomore forward Nakial Cross.
Rose was especially productive against the Hornets, notching a 14-point, 10-rebound double double along with two blocks. He’s not as smooth of an athlete as cross, but checks almost all of the other boxes you’d like to see from an undersized four – he rebounds, sets solid screens, can hit on-midrange shots and runs the floor hard. Defensively, his freakish length caused Lincoln trouble at the top of Bishop’s zone trap, and altered shots around the rim.
Cross, who added 13 points, is a graceful athlete who runs the floor like a deer, is a strong rim protector. He shows some traits of a wing, including the ability to knock down the pull-up jumper off of one dribble.
Senior Conrad Tempel also had a strong game, knocking down four threes in the first quarter en route to 14 points.
If the Knights can get more consistent play from its two point guard – junior Marek Thomson and sophomore Zach White – Bishop’s will be a tough out in Division 2.