San Diego holiday tournaments – Below the radar
Every year around this time, I try to hit as many of the tournaments going on in San Diego, because there is a lot of good basketball beyond the National Division at Torrey Pines. On Day 2 of the post-holiday…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEvery year around this time, I try to hit as many of the tournaments going on in San Diego, because there is a lot of good basketball beyond the National Division at Torrey Pines.
On Day 2 of the post-holiday tournament series, I headed to Mount Carmel to catch some afternoon action before heading to watch my son’s game in the Mayor’s Division at Torrey Pines.
Several players caught my eye in the process.
San Diego holiday tournaments – Below the radar
2022 Incline (NV) W TT Valosek plays on balance and has a nice midrange game.
TT Valosek, 6-3 2022 W, Incline (NV)
The big freshman wing came into the game as his team’s leading scorer, and lived up to his reputation. He assertively slashed to the basket and used jump stops to get on balance for mid-range finishes. He knocked down a couple of threes, and his stroke looked compact with little wasted motion. Valosek also looked to make passes off of baseline drives, but forced some passes at bad angles, leading to turnovers. His 19 points were a team high in a big win over Crawford.
Lachin Bekirov, 5-11 2020 G, Grossmont
I’ve watched Bekirov several times this winter, and each time I leave more impressed. He’s a fearless scorer who drives to the basket and embraces contact, finishing through it around the basket. Bekirov’s footwork and craftiness are underrated, as he uses both to create scoring opportunities off the bounce. While he doesn’t take a ton of threes, he showed he can hit them when his feet are set. And defensively, the kid competes on each possession. He won’t pass anyone’s “eye test,” but Bekirov’s a kid who is good enough to play some level of college ball.
Ethan Salyer, 6-6 2020 W, Chaparral
Perhaps the most intriguing prospect at the slate of Mt Carmel games I watched, Salyer has nice size, ball skills and athleticism on the wing. The lefty can handle and drive with both hands, but finishes predominantly with his dominant hand. There were times where he appeared headed for a turnover, but somehow maneuvered his way through traffic and scored with ease. He needs to speed up his and raise his release off the catch. Improving his right hand would also help, and defensively, he has a habit of taking bad angles. But Salyer has a lot of physical tools and upside you can’t teach.
Dre’Onta Raymond, 6-2 2021 G, Crawford
Raymond will score a lot for a down Crawford team. A player with a very unique game and build – he’s built like a running back – Raymond has the green light from head coach Jason Byrd, and isn;t bashful about putting up a lot of shots. He’s not super quick, but he’s got shiftiness off the dribble, and can score it around the basket and from midrange. His build allows him to absorb contact at the high point of his jump and still finish plays. While not a knockdown shooter (shot is sort of a knuckleball), Raymond his his first three of the contact, and shot a couple of step backs. Improved court vision and more efficient ball handling are the next steps for him.
Robert Ligayon, 6-0 2020 G, Mission Hills
Mission Hills put together one of the more impressive defensive efforts I’ve seen all winter in a dismantling of Rancho Bernardo. A number of players fit the “under the radar” billing on this squad, but for this piece, I’ll talk about their leading scorer, Ligayon. He’s a knockdown shooter with a quick release. Though his three wasn’t falling as accurately as usual, we’ve seen him in many viewings square his feet and hit shots from well beyond the high-school three. Ligayon also showed he’s not afraid to attack the basket, using shot fakes effectively to open up driving lanes. He’s putting up big numbers this year, and it’s easy to see why.
Noah Fields, 6-6 2020 F, Rancho Buena Vista
Fields is truly a versatile prospect whose game evolves as I type this sentence. At 6-5+ (let’s give him 6-6), he’s got excellent length, improving strength and athleticism and very intriguing ball skills. RBV Coach Aaron Abrams uses him as a “point forward” and allows him to advance the ball in transition and take bigger defenders off the dribble. His midrange game is potent, and he is getting better at finishing through contact. Additionally, he rebounds at a nice rate and gives good effort on box outs. We might be underrating him as a prospect.