10 Best & Player Notes: Gary Porter Showcase
The Gary Porter Showcase event at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto Ca. An annual gathering for some of the top teams and talent in Nor Cal basketball during the early season. Most of the teams here playing are expected…
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Continue ReadingThe Gary Porter Showcase event at Modesto Christian High School in Modesto Ca. An annual gathering for some of the top teams and talent in Nor Cal basketball during the early season. Most of the teams here playing are expected to do well in their respective league. There were four games played. Out of the 8 teams, 5 teams are ranked in the top 20 in Nor Cal and 2 more will eventually be ranked. My 10 best.
MVP: Tsotne Tsartsidze. 6’9 senior forward Modesto Christian HS
The big fella showed me why he is important to the success of this team. He scored 16 pts grabbed 14 rebounds and had 4 blks. He’s bulked up a little, has good foot work around the basket and he finished well in traffic. He can bounce outside and knock down a 3pt shot. He can be an exceptional defender, he’s long and can alter some shots, he doesn’t get pushed around, if he can put up numbers like this on a consistent basis I’m sure his coached would be happy.
Best Offense: Adam Mohammed. 6’2 senior combo guard. Monterey HS
Mohammed is a strong physical player who seems comfortable playing either guard position. He has good handles and can attack from different angles on the floor, his strength allows him to get to the basket and absorb contact. His 3 pt shooting was on fire, he nailed 6 three point shots in this game. He hit from the top, deep in the corners and on the wings to finish as the showcase top scorer with 27 pts.
Best All Around Player: Leonard Turner. 6’5 senior forward. Moreau Catholic HS
He looks like a focused player this year. His handles are improved. He had a couple of strong left handed drives from the wing to the basket. He continues to work on his range shooting, he knocked down a couple 3’s at the top. He can play inside or out on the perimeter. He’s an effective defender in the post and has the ability get out and defend on the perimeter. His rebounding has always been pretty solid. Scored 18pts and 7 rebounds.
Best Under-The-Radar Performers: Gabriel Hawkins. 6’5 senior wing. James Logan HS. And Tahjae Ordonio 6’2 combo guard Monterey HS.
Hawkins is a competitor. He often gets overlooked because of the guards on Logan, but he has been productive in this early season. He does some of everything for this team. In this game he scored 16pts and made all 6 of his shots, one was a 3pt shot in the 3rd qtr to help his team mount a brief comeback. Hawkins grabbed 7 rebounds and was surrounded by Modesto Christians big front line most of the game. He can rebound and push the break effectively. Tahjae Ordonio. Being a senior on this team he seems to have settled in. He has a good understanding of what’s going on in the game, and he’s playing to his strengths and letting the game come to him. He’s a solid ball player with good enough handles to run the point, he moves the ball and he has good shot selection from a mid-range to the long 3 point shot. he finished with 13pts.
Best Rebounder: Bryce Johnson 6’7 senior forward St Mary’s HS. Stockton Ca.
This prospect has a college body, he moves well and he’s athletic. He had 12 rebounds. He would often grab the rebound and lead the fast break, his ball handling and passing abilities makes him a versatile player at his size. He’s capable of contributing more points then he did in this game 4 points. I think he would be a dominant player in HS if spent more time in the post area.
Best Defender: Aaron Murphy 6’7 senior forward Modesto Christian HS.
Murphy. The UC Davis commit has a strong mature body and did a good jog of bumping and banging in the paint in this game. He showed he could get out and guard on the perimeter. He tries to block every shot, he’s a quick leaper, controls his body and doesn’t get a lot of fouls called against him. He will chase play from behind to get a block.
Best Intangibles: Gavin Wilburn 6’3 junior guard. Weston Ranch HS. Stockton Ca.
The 6’3 junior plays the post area for this team. He’s not your typical post player he’s a actually a guard. His strength and ability to finish around the hoop adds a little something extra to his game. The advantage for him is when he rebounds he instantly turns into a point guard with good handles, he has the ability make a decisive pass, pull up for a mid-range, or attack the rim like a natural guard would do. When Gavin attacks from the perimeter it’s very difficult to prevent him from getting to the rim. He’s hard to back down in the post because of his leverage and forces a lot of off balance shots by his opponents. He scored 13pts, grabbed 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Best Sophomore: Donjae Lindsey: 6’1 junior guard. Weston Ranch HS. Stockton Ca.
This prospect continues to impress with his play in the early season. He’s a confident and calm player that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He’s as quick as any guard I’ve seen this season, he’s got superb handles, he can effectively penetrate strong to the rim and finish from different angles. He creates shots for others on his attack and dish. He has a good mid-range shot and can knock down the 3. His quickness on defense allows him to stay close to the ball handler. He finished with 11pts.
Best Freshman: Darrion Williams 6’4 freshman f/w Capitol Christian HS. Sacramento Ca.
This young prospect seems to improve with each game. He starts and plays the post area for this young team. He defends the other teams big guy pretty good, he’s not afraid to mix it up in the paint, he does a good job of rebounding and finding the guard to start the break. On offense, he’s comfortable shooting from the free-throw area and he will step out and shoot the 3 from the top.
Best Bench Player: Baljot Sahi 6’0 junior guard Modesto Christian HS. Modesto Ca.
I think any body that has watched this team play knows that Baljot is a sharp shooter. He has good form, a smooth release, and very confident. Baljot doesn’t force shots and he doesn’t get a lot attempts rest assured if you leave him open he will make it. He’s a good passer and a good help defender off the ball. He made all three of his 3pt shots to finish with 9pts.