The Holiday Classic: Top Performers Day 3
The Holiday Classic was hosted by Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California. There were a lot of very talented teams in attendance. Here are the top performers from the tournament:
Jalen Green 6’6 G (San Joaquin Memorial 2020):
This was my first time ever seeing Green play live and boy he did not disappoint. He scored an easy 31 points and led his team to a victory against a very good team (Torrey Pines HS). Green shot the ball with incredible range and accuracy. While I did not keep official stats, I would guess he was about 6-7 from deep. He was shooting with so much confidence from way past the NBA line. He also displayed his elite athleticism with a couple monster dunks. He showed why he is the #3 overall player in the country for the Class of 2020 (ESPN Rankings).
Boogie Ellis 6’2 G (Mission Bay 2019/Duke Commit):
Speaking of highly ranked players, look no further than Boogie Ellis, currently ranked #41 in the country in the Class of 2019 (ESPN Rankings). Ellis is a Duke Blue Devils commit and it showed. He finished the game with an amazing 43 points. He really impressed me with how well and how confidently he shot the ball. He is also quite the athlete, kind of taking me by surprise. He has insane leaping ability, which allowed him to throw down some huge dunks over much bigger defenders, despite his 6’2 height.
John Christofilis 6’4 G (O’Dea 2021):
This kid could legitimately be on my Top Performers list for all four days of the tournament, he is playing that well. His shooting ability is something to behold. Not only is he a great three point shooter, he is super crafty and creative with his shots. He often draws in fouls by twisting and contorting his body into awkward positions in order to land the foul call. I am impressed by this because it shows how high his IQ is, especially at such a young age, and the fact that he often knocks down those unorthodox shots. John finished with 31 points against Mission Bay.
Bryce Pope 6’4 G (Torrey Pines 2019/UC San Diego Commit):
Torrey Pines HS is in great hands thanks to the Pope twins. I will admit, it was quite difficult keeping stats for these two due to their identical looks, height, weight, play, and shooting form. Luckily for Torrey Pines, they are both high quality players. Michael Pope had a great game in Day 1, scoring 30 points. However, tonight was Bryce’s turn to take over. He was simply unguardable. He is super crafty at creating space and if he gets a shot off, there is a good chance that it is going in. He has a great shot and finished very well over much taller and athletic defenders, he has a very high IQ. Bryce finished with 24 points against San Joaquin.