California Top 250: High Academic Standouts
There are many talented players. Sometimes it takes more than just basketball skills to gain a competitive edge. Being a quality student athlete means competing on and off the court. It’s simple self preservation. The higher the GPA and test…
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Continue ReadingThere are many talented players. Sometimes it takes more than just basketball skills to gain a competitive edge. Being a quality student athlete means competing on and off the court. It’s simple self preservation. The higher the GPA and test scores, the more college scholarship opportunities available. In this article PH takes a look at some of the top Academic performers from the Top 250 Expo in California.
Royce Samaniego 6’5 SF Vistamar 2020 – From the opening tip of the Expo, Samaniego impressed me. He consistently found ways to get buckets. Based on his high on court IQ, It came as no surprise to me that he’s a 3.6 student that scored 29 on his ACT. The playmaking wing, currently has received interest from Chapman University in California, and Willamette and Linfield college in Oregon.
Keavie Love 6’2 SG El Camino 2021 – Perhaps the most dynamic player at the Expo. Love was Un-guardable. Explosive athlete that continuously put his head down and attacked the rim. I was impressed with his athletic ability and conditioning. I was even more impressed after I had a chance to speak with him. A 3.6 student, Love is currently receiving interest from Yale, Army and the Air Force Academy.
Hayden Gray 6’2 PG Santa Fe Christian 2021 – Be nice to Hayden Gray. For one, the dynamic playmaker is likely to help you get easy buckets. He is an unselfish passer, that sees the floor at an elite level. He has a great feel for time score and situation, and does an excellent job of controlling tempo. If that wasn’t enough, he also rocks a 3.7 and has a who’s who of Ivy League schools interested in him.
Jed Miller 5’11 PG Agoura 2021 – Miller can flat out shoot it. 20 years from now, I expect him to still be giving guys buckets in local men’s leagues. It seemed like he was on fire every game. In the summer time he runs with the vaunted Cali Select grassroots organization. He’s just now, getting on the radar of college coaches however, his 3.8 GPA is definitely going to attract some interest.
Jake Hlywiak 6’3 SG Valencia 2020 – I could watch Hlywiak play all day. He just looks like a basketball player. Textbook form on his jumper, he seems to make the correct decisions even when playing at high speeds. I suppose the decision making comes naturally for the 3.7 student. Currently he’s receiving interest from D1’s such as Idaho st.
Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa 6’3 SG Brookside Christian 2021 – De La Rosa is one of the most intriguing players in the country. The 6’3 wing did it all for Brookside Christian last season, putting up one of the most ridiculous stat lines, I’ve ever seen. At the Expo he was all over the floor, creating turnovers, transition buckets and knocking down open shots. He is one of the fastest players end to end that I’ve seen this year. He’d be playing somewhere even if he only had his GED. When you realize that the bilingual student athlete also rocks a 3.9 GPA, you start understanding why he has a chance to be a special player for some program.