A Scout’s Take: Torrey Pines Holiday Classic Standouts (Part 1)
A Scout’s Take: Torrey Pines Holiday Classic Standouts (Part 1)
SAN DIEGO, CA—John Olive and his Torrey Pines Holiday Classic staff have been the architects of one of the best post-Christmas events since 1991—and their hospitality was spot on as well—other than sitting on bleachers for 12 hours (smiling Emoji). Each year they gather some of the best from Southern California as well outside of the region in Seattle O’Dea and Shadow Mountain in Phoenix. What we learned was 2020 stud Jalen Green is much-improved and Shadow Mountain has a dynamic back court in Arizona State signee Jaelen House and Grand Canyon signee Jovan Blackshear.
Jalen Green (San Joaquin Memorial)
2020, SG, 6-foot-5, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: During the summer Green struggled with ball-handlng and decision-making, but the couple of times we have caught his act during the holiday season—his improvement has been impressive. His shot has been much more consistent (great lift and on balance) as well as his ball-handling. The burst and explosiveness are evident, but the improved savvy and efficiency have been the game changers.
Rejean “Boogie” Ellis (Mission Bay)
2019, SG, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds
Joel’s Take: Ellis is one of the better scorers in the west. He has the length, quickness, ball skills, and bounce to be an effective scorer at the next level (Duke). If the lane is closed, his go-to move is the dribble pull-up and his range is deep. However, how that translates at Duke will be interesting to watch.
John Christofilis (Seattle/O’Dea)
2021, SG, 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: There is “lift” on a jump shot and then there is “LIFT”—and the latter belongs to Christofilis. His pull-up off the dribble is a thing of beauty and his release is impeccable. He has a good 1st step, can finish in the lane with either hand, and his passing acumen is high-level.
Paolo Banchero (Seattle/O’Dea)
2021, PG, 6-foot-8, 225 pounds
Joel’s Take: Banchero has that prototypical high-major frame with broad shoulders and long arms, but it’s his skill level for someone so young that catches our eye. Great hands and feet are part of the post package and his passing is high-level.
Jalen Graham (Mountain Pointe/AZ)
2019, PF, 6-foot-8, 200 pounds
Joel’s Take: Arizona State have themselves a good one in Mr. Graham. Extraordinarily long arms, soft hands, and broad shoulders are the physical attributes. His footwork in the paint is solid and he’s explosive as well. He’ll need to gain strength to battle the “bigs” in the Pac-12, but the talent is there.
Ryan Langborg (La Jolla Country Day)
2019, SG, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Joel’s Take: Langborg—a Princeton commit—continues to take his overall game to new levels. He is arguably the best jump shooter in California—though Julian Rishwain (SO Notre Dame)may have an argument. Langborg has gotten much better off the dribble as well as finishing in the paint area. Overall, he is one of the better players in the region.
Marcus Bagley (Sacramento/Sheldon)
2020, WF, 6-foot-6, 215 pounds
Joel’s Take: It was a tale of two halves for Bagley. In the first half he slashed his way to the rim for some tough finishes and showed off his soft shooting touch from deep. However, in the 2nd half he struggled finishing through contact despite his well put-together frame. The physical tools are there for Bagley and if his game continues to improve as it has since the summer, he is a no-brainer for the High Major D1 level.