BSN Sports Showcase – Sophomore standouts, part 1
The inaugural BSN Showcase at Carlsbad High provided scouts and hoops fans in San Diego a nice opportunity to see some of the very best San Diego teams square off against some of the best that Southern California has to…
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Continue ReadingThe inaugural BSN Showcase at Carlsbad High provided scouts and hoops fans in San Diego a nice opportunity to see some of the very best San Diego teams square off against some of the best that Southern California has to offer. Kudos to Carlsbad High coach Sam Eshelman for putting together such an excellent one-day affair.
While the focus is on the teams, there were individual standouts at every grade level throughout the day. In this report, we will discuss some of the sophomores who impressed us, including one that ranks high on Prep Hoops So-Cal’s 2021 watch rankings.
BSN Sports Showcase – Sophomore standouts, part 1
Malik Thomas, 6-3 G, Damien
Thomas, a big-bodied combo guard with a penchant for scoring, filled it up from every level in the win over La Jolla Country Day. The 6-3 combo guard scored 25 points, bruising his way into the paint seemingly at will. He continues to shoot it well from midrange, especially with his pull-up. And even though he was 1-4 from three, he possesses solid mechanics.
Keavie Love, 6-2 G, El Camino
Love continues to be one of the more improved prospects regionally. His improvement was on display early and often in a runaway win over Brea Olinda, in which he scored a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds. A noted on-ball defender, Love has made big strides shooting the ball as well as scoring off the bounce. His body is also noticeably trimmer.
Caleb Nelson, 6-5 F, Carlsbad
Nelson has one of sweetest shooting strokes of any four man in his class in SoCal, and showed it off in Carlsbad’s rout of Rancho Mirage, despite shooting a poor percentage. He’s deadly from the corner, where he gets his shoulders square and shoots a quick ball. Nelson helped pick apart Rancho Mirage’s zone defense with deft passing out of the high and low post, netting four assists in the process. He needs to continue to improve his ball handling and play lower on the drive, but is making steady progress in those areas.
JoJo Johnson, 6-1 G, Damien
The lefty combo guard is making up for lost time in his sophomore year. In the win over La Jolla Country Day, he was very efficient in scoring 15 points (on 10 shots), many in transition, where he fills lanes and finishes through contact. The speedy also triggered several fast breaks by shooting the gap for steals, and was tough on the ball defensively. And while he has a slower release than you’d like, Johnson is capable of knocking down open shots from the perimeter, hitting 2 of 3 on the day.