A Scout’s Take: San Diego Showcase (Biggest Surprises)
A Scout’s Take: San Diego Showcase (Biggest Surprises)
SAN DIEGO, Ca.— Two of the most well-known basketball gurus in San Diego—Charlie Mercado (Gamepoint) and Anthony Boltan (Vista HS) put on a terrific event (San Diego HS Showcase) that left a plethora of fine memories. First and foremost, when you add a Southern Section powerhouse (Rancho Christian) as well LA City Section favorite Fairfax to the mix, chances are you’re going to attract a nice crowd—and it did in droves.
Kryztian Walton (Temecula Valley)
2019, PF, 6-foot-6, 205 pounds
Joel’s Take: Walton is an undersized 4-man who is yet another fundamentally sound player in the Temecula Valley program. He is a potent player in the elbow area utilizing his improved face-up skills. He shows a nice 1st step as well as a soft touch out to the elbow.
Thomas Notarainni (Cathedral Catholic)
2021, WF, 6-foot-3, 195 pounds
Joel’s Take: Notarainni is a physically mature wing-type who has a knack to score. His jump shot is solid out to the stripe and he is gettng more consistent scoring in traffic. He plays with a hot motor at both ends and has the strength to finish plays in traffic and rebound in traffic.
Jason Taylor (La Jolla Country Day)
2019, C, 6-foot-10, 215 pounds
Taylor is a much-improved “big” in San DiegoJoel’s Take: Like most bigs, it takes time—and Taylor is no exception. He has the length to be a solid player at some level of college. He has a nice touch around the basket and shows solid timing. He needs to improve his feet and playing against physicality. His leverage is better while playing on the block and in time should be a consistent scorer.
Mauricio Reyes (San Diego Mater Dei)
2021, WF, 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: From my limited views of Reyes, he appears to have “basketball player written all over him. He affects the game with his ability to push the pace as well as his savvy to find open teammates. He’ll rebound, lead the break, and can score in the paint as well as out to the stripe—although his jump shot needs to get more consistent.
Josh O’Campo (Temecula Valley)
2019, CG, 6-foot-1, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: O’Campo is a left-handed combo-guard who is more scorer than facilitator, but he does show a good feel for the game. He can knock in jump shots in the mid-range area and does a nice job utilizing the jump stop and up-fakes to keep defenders off balance. Improving his strength during his senior season will help his productivity while finishing in the paint.