Magic Memorial Day Festival: 16u Stock Raisers
Orange, Ca. — The four-day Compton Magic Memorial Day Festival featured more than 100 teams which competed among 11 divisions across the 17u, 16u and 15u levels.
The majority of our time was spent at Orange Lutheran high school where all four courts turned out game after game over the course of each day.
The host Compton Magic program dominated its way to the 17u BattleZONE championship over Team Bradley, while Dream Vision took home the 16u title over Compton Magic and Team Lillard earned the 15u championship with a win over Coastal Elite.
Here are the 16u players who raised their stock with their performance over the weekend.
Boubacar Coulibaly, Dream Vision
Coulibaly has made huge strides since we saw him in the CIF Southern Section playoffs with San Gabriel Academy against Crean Lutheran. Back then, he was super active on both ends of the floor and rebounded at a high clip, but his offensive skill set had a long way to go. The 6-foot-10 center showed improved hands and finishing abilities in the paint this weekend, dunking just about every paint touch he got. Coulibaly didn’t just put on a dunking show, either, as he stepped out behind the 3-point line and knocked in a couple 3-pointers.
Kimo Ferrari, Gamepoint
Ferrari’s weekend ended early when he suffered from concussion symptoms after a great effort in a loss to Dream Vision. The speedy 5-foot-10 point guard wreaked havoc defensively, picking up the DV guards 94 feet from the basket, making them turn multiple times before half-court, and irritating them with active hands and on-ball pressure which resulted in numerous turnovers.
Lakeshow 16u guard Marcus Greene (left) provided energy and toughness on both ends of the floor.Marcus Greene, Lakeshow
Greene comes off the bench for Lakeshow’s talented 16u squad and gives the team a different look and change of pace. Greene, a 6-foot sophomore out of Archbishop Mitty, plays with nice pace, feel and toughness at the point guard position. He uses his length well on the defensive end, getting his hands on entry passes and swiping lazy ball handlers clean. Offensively, Greene uses changes of speed and direction to get into the paint as he pleases.
Teiano Hardee, Team Lillard
Hardee is one of the more physically imposing 16u forwards you’ll find and he uses all of that strength to his advantage. The 6-foot-4 Vanden High sophomore finished everything around the basket with power, beat opposing bigs down the floor in transition, and rewarded his point guard who found him on rim-runs by scoring on those plays.
DJ Jackson, Compton Magic
Jackson, a 6-foot-1 combo guard out of Cajon High in San Bernardino, was the offensive catalyst for Compton Magic after it lost big man Wilhelm Breidenbach to injury. Jackson was knocking in catch-and-shoot 3-pointers at a consistent clip, providing energy and toughness on the defensive end, and his decision-making and playmaking down the stretch helped CM advance to the BattleZONE Platinum Division championship.
Isaiah Johnson, Dream Vision
Johnson really is one of the more interesting cases in all of Southern California prep basketball. He doesn’t have a defined skill set and doesn’t make himself known with his on-court antics, which may concern the average evaluator. But if you watch The 6-foot-5 forward closely, you’ll see that he has an impact in every facet of the game. Johnson rebounds well on both ends of the floor, he’s one of the highest motor guys around, he’s an underrated defender and passer, and he has turned the corner when it comes to aggressiveness on the offensive end. Johnson’s late-game performances throughout the weekend were the biggest reasons Dream Vision won both the Battle Cup and BattleZONE championships
Josh Williams, Lakeshow
Williams is one of those guys who just gets things done. The 6-foot-2 Sheldon wing is a versatile and active defender who rebounds well for his size on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Williams spread the floor well from 3-point range, but he doesn’t settle for contested jumpers, choosing to diversify his game with strong drives and finishes.