Francisco’s Finest: Cali BattleZone (Best Scorers)
Francisco’s Finest: Cali BattleZone (Best Scorers) CORONA, CA.—It’s quite the trek out to Centennial High School, the BattleZone is worth every ounce of petroleum. Etop Udo-Ema and his BattleZone staff do a marvelous job of acquiring the best talent as…
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Continue ReadingFrancisco’s Finest: Cali BattleZone (Best Scorers)
CORONA, CA.—It’s quite the trek out to Centennial High School, the BattleZone is worth every ounce of petroleum. Etop Udo-Ema and his BattleZone staff do a marvelous job of acquiring the best talent as well as the best “grub” for the starving taste-buds. At the end of the knight it would be USC signee Isaiah Mobley that would nail two clutch freethrows with 1.5 seconds to go to capture the BattleZone over a talented and well-coached Centennial squad.
Jarod Lucas (Los Altos)
2019, CG, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
Joel’s Take: Was looking forward for a possible Lucas and Boogie Ellis match up, but Ellis was injured (rib). Nonetheless, it didn’t matter for Lucas who doesn’t care who he is playing against. He brings a ton of moxie along with a scoring mentality that is few far between. He can score from all three levels and he gets to the free throw line a number of times due to his aggressiveness.
Tory San Antonio (Rancho Verde)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 170 pounds
Joel’s Take: San Antonio has scorer written all over him. He isn’t a pure shooter nor an ultra-explosive athlete, but he knows how to get buckets. His motor never runs cold, he plays with grit at both ends of the floor, and his overall skill set is getting better with each game. He slashes to the rim with a vengeance and he can finish through contact.
Jaxen Turner (Rancho Verde)
2019, CG, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: Fresh off the gridiron didn’t seem to bother Turner. The chiseled combo-guard who is on his way to Arizona for football, has some basketball skill as well. His forte is rising up and nailing deep jump shots, but he has speed in the open court as well to put defenders on their heels.
Brantley Stevenson (Etiwanda)
2020, SG, 6-foot-3, 160 pounds
Joel’s Take: Stevenson is a willowy wing-type that has the physical tools (length/quickness) to be a Division 1 player someday. He can knock in deep jump shots, has an evolving an pull-up game and he’s a willing passer. Defensively, he does a nice job utilizing his length and active hands to get steals and rebounds.
DJ Davis (Centennial/Corona)
2020, SG, 5-foot-11, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: The first description that comes to mind when describing Davis is “streaky.” When he is hot, there is not much you can do. He has range out to 26-feet and his release is quick. He can slash his way to the rim and his “runner game” is tight. However, length can bother him and he must complete his game and find ways to impact the game other than scoring.