CdM Summer Shootout: Top Performers
Corona del Mar, Ca. — The three-day Sea Kings’ Summer Shootout featured many of the top programs in Orange County from private schools’ the likes of Mater Dei, Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran down to strong public school programs in Anaheim Canyon, Newport Harbor, Capistrano Valley, Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach Edison.
Here are six top performers we saw while taking in the solid summer league slate:
Max Agbonkpolo, Santa Margarita
The 6-foot-8 rising senior has blown up on the recruiting scene over the last couple of months with offers and interest pouring in from all over the country. Agbonkpolo showed why that is this weekend, knocking in open catch-and-shoot 3-pointers while also finishing above the rim in transition.
Newport Harbor point guard Sam Barela is one of the biggest sleeper prospects in So-Cal.Sam Barela, Newport Harbor
The 6-foot-3 grid-hooper is one of the more under-appreciated players in all of Southern California. He runs the point for the Sailors with poise and confidence, engineering their offense to perfection while also picking teams apart with his passing in transition. Barela shot it well from 3-point range on Sunday, drawing interest from multiple Division II assistant coaches in attendance.
Wilhelm Breidenbach, Mater Dei
If Mater Dei is going to continue its Trinity League and Open Division playoff success, Breidenbach is going to have to be “the guy” and he’s looking every bit the part this summer. The skilled 6-foot-8, inside-out scoring threat is a ball of energy and toughness on both ends of the floor. The Monarchs will go as Breidenbach does.
Josh Griffin, Orange Lutheran
Griffin makes his impact as a jump shooter and he had his 3-point shot rolling on the weekend. The 6-foot-2 senior to be has one of the most sound mechanical forms in Orange County, gets impressive lift both off the catch and off the bounce, and with the other half of Orange Lutheran’s team down in Australia, took it upon himself to get to the basket and finish through contact.
Jake Kyman, Santa Margarita
Kyman was coming off of a solid performance at the NBA Players Association Top 100 camp last week and continued his hot shooting at CdM. The 6-foot-7 wing, who is committed to UCLA, has always been known as a catch-and-shooter, but he has made it a point this summer to get more work at the mid-range level, using the glass and fadeaways to score over shorter defenders.
Reece Taylor, St. Mary’s (AZ)
Taylor, isn’t the most skilled guy from a perimeter standpoint, but his motor and knack for the basketball make up for that. The 6-foot-5 rising senior is an animal on the offensive and defensive glass, snatching offensive rebounds for second chance opportunities at a high rate. Taylor also showed the ability to stretch the floor from 3-point range.