Diamond in the Rough: Backcourt, Part II
NORWALK – Part II, March 10 Fullcourt Press Diamond in the Rough Senior Showcase at Cerritos Community College: A compelling prospect on hand was the most versatile guard – at 6-foot-6 – at the event. Joshua Jones…
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Continue ReadingNORWALK – Part II, March 10 Fullcourt Press Diamond in the Rough Senior Showcase at Cerritos Community College:
A compelling prospect on hand was the most versatile guard – at 6-foot-6 – at the event.
Joshua Jones (pictured) was a three-year starter at L.A. City school Rancho Dominguez (which is actually located in Long Beach) who transferred to Lynwood for his senior year and turned in a very good senior season under Coach Jason Crowe.
During the two games he played (each athlete played at least twice) here, Jones showed off all of the things that has most intrigued me since first watching him early in his freshman season at the Corona Del Mar Tournament in Newport.
He handles and passes as well as most high-quality point guard-types at much more “traditional point-guard size (say, 5-9 to 6-1), is an improved jump shooter and has immense innate athletic tools to go along with his exceptional size.
Other “bigger” (at 6-3 or so) point guard-types on hand were Richard Kawakami of Valencia (which won the 2018 Classic at Damien Gold Bracket championship and lost to Rancho Cucamonga in both sectional and regional playoff games and Max Cheylov of Calabasas (the Marmonte League’s Player of the Year).
Among the other backcourt standouts were Isaiah Pope (Orange Lutheran), Javon Jones (Pasadena/no relation to Joshua) and Justin Hill (Lancaster Highland).
Pope was a two-year, all-Trinity League selection as well as a member of the Compton Magic club squad that was declared the “national champion” last summer after winning a couple of adidas national tournaments and knocking off EYBL/Peach Jam champion Team Takeover in a showdown last July at Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas.