Ten Best: Jim Harris Classic Opening Day
Huntington Beach, Ca. — Ocean View high school, as it has for as long as I can remember, tipped off the high school basketball season with its annual Jim Harris Classic. Monday’s action included five games and featured some very…
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Continue ReadingHuntington Beach, Ca. — Ocean View high school, as it has for as long as I can remember, tipped off the high school basketball season with its annual Jim Harris Classic. Monday’s action included five games and featured some very strong local teams and some lopsided scores.
Monday Tournament Results:
Capistrano Valley 78, Long Beach Wilson 33
Murrieta Valley 83, Diamond Ranch 72
Long Beach Millikan 67, Fountain Valley 58
Villa Park 108, University Prep 19
Trabuco Hills 63, Huntington Beach 37
Here are the Ten Best performances from the event:
Best Backcourt Duo: Jordan Montgomery and Damian Ruiz, Murrieta Valley
I was intrigued to see how Montgomery, a transfer from Rancho Christian, fit in to a Nighthawks’ team that was filled with returners from last year. If their first game was any indication, the senior point guard made a seamless transition. Montgomery finished with 20 points and 10 assists, while his sophomore running mate Damian Ruiz added a game-high 22 points.
Capo Valley junior point guard Langston Redfield turned in the best all-around performance in our Ten Best from the Jim Harris Classic.Best All-Around Performance: Langston Redfield, Capistrano Valley
The junior did a little bit of everything in the Cougars’ rout of an undermanned Long Beach Wilson squad. The 6-foot-2 point guard scored when he needed to, finishing with 21 points, rebounded at a high clip with 12 boards, and set the table as he prefers to do dishing out eight assists. Redfield showed vast improvements on his offensive aggressiveness from last season.
Best Shooter: Rob Diaz III, Long Beach Millikan
If you give Diaz any space behind the arc, he’s going to pull the trigger on his smooth left-handed shot. The 6-foot-1 sophomore scored 19 of his 22 points in the first half and hit four of his five 3-point shots in the opening 16 minutes of action.
Best Slasher: Myles Carmon, Long Beach Millikan
Carmon is wired to score and can do so in a variety of ways. On Monday, the senior shooting guard had his way in the paint as he used his strong frame to overpower defenders and finish through contact. Carmon scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half of a win over Fountain Valley.
Best Team Defensive Effort: Fountain Valley
Despite the loss to Millikan, the Barons did a nice job of making halftime adjustments in order to slow down Rams’ shooting guard Rob Diaz III. Diaz scored 19 first half points, but managed just three in the second half as Fountain Valley shaded his left hand heavily and forced him off the 3-point line. The Barons climbed back into the game after trailing by double figures at half and cut Millikan’s lead to three before Diaz hit his only triple of the second half to give the Rams some cushion.
Best Finisher: Jeremiah Davis, Fountain Valley
The junior combo guard has a shiftiness about his game that makes him a difficult cover in transition. Davis scored a game-high 23 points in defeat and got to the free throw line 14 times where he connected on 12 free ones. Davis showed an improved sense of urgency and focus on both ends of the floor in his first game of the season.
Best Surprise Performance: Noel Teclemariam, Diamond Ranch
I wasn’t too sure what to expect from the Panthers as I hadn’t seen them in any fall league action, but was pleasantly surprised with combo guard Noel Teclemariam. The 6-foot-1 senior kept Diamond Ranch within striking distance of Murrieta Valley, scoring 19 points and coming up with timely buckets and scoring spurts to counter the Nighthawks’ talented roster.
Best Opening Statement: Joey Longo, Trabuco Hills
The Mustangs needed a go-to scorer this season after graduating a majority of their key contributors from last year and Longo looks like he could be that guy. The 6-foot-3 junior scored a game-high 23 points in a win over Huntington Beach, most of them coming in transition as he slithered his way through the paint and to the basket for easy buckets.
Most Intriguing Prospect: Roddie Anderson, Fountain Valley
Anderson is a high motor point guard who stays in attack mode, and seeing that he’s just a sophomore, those attributes, to go along with his explosive speed and athleticism, are what give him the nod in this category. The 6-foot-1 Anderson has great burst in transition and is able to get to the basket at-will in transition. He needs to learn how to harness some of that energy and use it when necessary as he has a tendency to play out of control at times. Anderson is looking more confident with his catch-and-shoot 3-point shot, but it’s still a work in progress.