A Scout’s Take: Torrey Pines Holiday Classic (Revelations/Part 2)
A Scout’s Take: Torrey Pines Holiday Classic (Revelations/Part 2) 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…
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Continue ReadingA Scout’s Take: Torrey Pines Holiday Classic (Revelations/Part 2)
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 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.
Braxton Meah (San Joaquin Memorial)
2020, C, 6-foot-11, 210 pounds
Joel’s Take: One of the more intriguing prospects we witnessed at this event. The willowy 5-man runs well in transition, has good hands, and excellent timing. He can drop-step, pivot and finish over the top of the defense. At typical sequence includes either blocking a shot or grabbing a rebound, sprinting the floor, and finishing with a bang out. This kid is oozing with upside.
Josh Morgan (Sacramento Sheldon)
2019, C, 6-foot-9, 200 pounds
Joel’s Take: Long Beach State got a steal in the ever-improving Morgan. This up-and-coming “Big” has long arms, solid hands, and is just scratching the surface of his potential. Rim-rattling finisheds and a high-level of rim protection describe this up-and-coming big man.
Mason Hooks (Harvard-Westlake)
2020, C, 6-foot-10, 250 pounds
Joel’s Take: The burly Hooks battled the ultra-talented Makur Maker (Orange Lutheran) quite well at both ends of the floor. He uses his tremendous upper-body strength to finish with either hand and he showed off his soft touch from the elbow. Defensively, used his body to keep Maker off the block at times and did a nice job out-running Maker in transition for the score.
DeAndre Henry (Mountain Pointe/AZ)
2020, PF/C, 6-foot-8, 215 pounds
Joel’s Take: “Blue-Collar” is the first term that comes to mind when describing Henry. This no nonsense 4-man is a solid athlete with long arms and soft hands. He uses his frame well to carve out space and he has a knack for rebounding in and out of his area. A definite sleeper that will a Division 1 target sooner rather than later.
Ronnie Latting (Mission Bay)
2019, C, 6-foot-7, 225 pounds
Joel’s Take: The quiet and humble Latting was a warrior on the court against Seattle O’Dea. Once Paolo Banchero left the game due to injury, O’Dea (Seattle) struggled to contain Latting on the block. He uses his burly upper body strength to carve out space, rebound in his area, and finish through contact.
Milos Uzan (Desert Pines/NV)
2022, PG, 6-foot-1, 150 pounds
Joel’s Take: Smooth and clever describes the young Uzan. He has good length, quick hands, and exceptional ball-handling skills. He slips double teams with aplomb and has uncanny vision. He shows dexterity in the paint with his finishes, but the consistency of his jump shot needs to increase to elevate his stock.