Ryse Williams Pac Shores: First Five
The six-day Ryse Williams Pac Shores Tournament brought together many of the Southland’s top teams and players for an impressive season-opening field.
Fairfax took home the title with a 64-56 victory over a Bishop Montgomery team littered with injuries, while Washington Prep took home third with a win over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Santa Margarita finished fifth with a victory over host Redondo Union. Rolling Hills Prep beat Birmingham for the consolation championship.
Here are the First Five performers from the tournament:
Ethan Anderson, G, Fairfax
There was no one who could, nor really was willing, to get in Anderson’s way all week long. The 6-foot-1 UNLV-commit used his immense strength to bully his way to the basket as he pleased, scoring in the paint through guards and over big men at-will. Anderson took home the tournament MVP, capping his week with a 28-point effort in the title game Saturday night.
Ethan Anderson (right) earned MVP honors at the Pac Shores Tournament. His teammate, Robert McRae, joins him on the Prep Hoops SoCal “First Five” team.Josh Vazquez, G, Bishop Montgomery
Vazquez did a nice job of keeping his teammates focused and productive through adversity. The Knights lost two starters — Gianni Hunt and Nick Schrader — to injury, but still managed to give Fairfax a run in the title game. Vazquez, a Montana-signee, scored 15 points Saturday while trying to navigate that Lions’ pressure defense.
Ziaire Williams, F, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Williams was spectacular offensively all week. He opened with a 25-point, 11-rebound effort in a win over Rolling Hills Prep, then went off for 36 and 11 more boards in a comeback win over Santa Margarita in the quarterfinals before “cooling off” against Fairfax with 17. Williams closed out the tournament with 26 against Washington Prep.
Jake Kyman, F, Santa Margarita
Kyman put his offseason work on display quickly, dropping 30 points in the opener on 7-for-8 from 3-point range. The UCLA-bound swingman continued his offensive assault, but instead of settling for 3-point shots, he created scoring opportunities off the bounce, scoring on driving layups, mid-range pull-ups and fadeaways.
Robert McRae, F, Fairfax
McRae doesn’t get as much credit as he deserves because his contributions aren’t of the “flashy” variety, but the 6-foot-4 small forward impacts the game in so many ways it’s difficult to keep track. He’s one of the most versatile perimeter defenders in all of SoCal, seemingly always makes informed decisions and hits shots at big moments in the game.