A Scout’s Take: Maranatha Block Party (Biggest Surprises)
A Scout’s Take: Maranatha Block Party (Biggest Surprises)
PASADENA, CA— The month of June is always one of the more exciting times of the basketball evaluation process as players leap from one team to another and new freshman arise out of the horizon. Some of those 2022s include Benny Gealer (Rolling Hills Prep), Cameron Thrower (Harvard Westlake) and Christian Moore (Brentwood). In this installment we’ll look at some of the better prospects.
Justin Hill (Highland)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
Joel’s Take: Hill is yet another sleeper out in the Inland Empire. He has a solid looking frame with long arms and he’s a terrific athlete. He has good ball skills, plays hard at both ends, and he can score at all three levels.
Cedric Luba (Fremont)
2021, PF, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
Joel’s Take: Luba is a broad-shouldered 5-man who attacks the glass with power and assertiveness. He has very long arms, good instincts in the paint, and his motor runs hot. His overall offensive game is raw and his hands are just ok, but he is productive as a rebounder and rim-runner.
Josh Assif (Valencia)
2019, WF, 6-foot-6, 185 pounds
Assif has intriguing skill for his size. (Photo credit: Justin Powell (KHTS Sports Director)Joel’s Take: Assif brings length, athleticism, and budding skills to the table. He excels in transition as well as in the paint area. He can score in a variety of ways in the paint off of face-up drives and he uses the rim well to finish. In transition he makes the right play with the pass and the game overall appears to come easy to him.
Gilbert Camacho (Maranatha)
2020, CG, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
Joel’s Take: It only took a half to realize this kid has a terrific feel for the game. He has good size, moxie, and he delivers passes on the money in the half court set. He needs to get stronger finishing in the lane and his shot needs to get more consistent, but he has good size and he’s a natural leader.
Marcel Stevens (Beverly Hills)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
Joel’s Take: The explosive scoring guard was a menace to deal with on the offensive end. He used his strength, burst, and skill to score from all 3 levels. His jump shot looked solid in terms of mechanics and he gets good lift on his shot. He has the frame and quickness to guard multiple positions as well. A definite sleeper in the class.