Francisco’s Finest: North Orange County Championships (Surprises)

<p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="color: #ff0000;font-size: 14pt"><b>Francisco's Finest: North Orange County Championships (Surprises)</b></span></p> <p>LA HABRA, CA—I had the privilege of witnessing the epic battle between Mayfair and JSerra in last year's championship tilt where DJ Rodman nailed a 3-pointer to win it for JSerra. Well, round two came into fruition thankfully as a <b>Josh Christopher</b>-led Mayfair squad took on an <b>Ian Martinez</b>-led JSerra squad for the second year in a row and the result was yet another spectacular game. Despite Christopher pouring in 42-points, his counterpart and Utah-bound Martinez countered with 35-points in leading his team to a 85-75 win.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>Dior Johnson (Mayfair)</i></b></span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>2022, PG, 6-foot-1, 165 pounds</i></b></span></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: Johnson is a well-known commodity nationwide, thus the surprise tag may come as a surprise. The surprise label wasn't attached to his skill level, but rather that he played. We heard reports that he wasn't going to play because of a hip injury, but he played despite being hobbled. He didn't have his usual burst and he didn't have his normal lift on his jump shot, but he did dazzle the crowd with his clever passing and playmaking skills.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>Spencer Egbert (Capistrano Valley)</i></b></span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>2020, PF, 6-foot-7, 200 pounds</i></b></span></p> [caption id="attachment_891703" align="alignleft" width="300"] <span style="color: #0000ff"><em><strong>Egbert is a solid 4-man with a nice stroke and has a nice feel for the game.</strong></em></span>[/caption] <p><b>Joel's Take:</b> Egbert is a rangy 4-man who put his stamp immediately in his tilt against Sonora. He has a nice jump shot to about 17-feet and his passing demonstrates his IQ for the game. In the half court set he knows how to play inside-out and his cross-court passes were impressive. He has a great demeanor and despite being a face-up power forward, he can operate on the block and drop in a few mini hooks or drop step moves.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>Garrett Bell (La Habra/Sonora HS)</i></b></span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>2020, WF/PF, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds</i></b></span></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: Bell is the owner of one of the more impeccable looking jump shots. He is probably a 4 at the next level for the DII, NAIA, or DIII level. He isn't overly quick or fast, but he does have a strong frame with solid length. His head is always up navigating the defense and he is an astute passer. In the 3rd place game he hit some tough pull-up jump shots from deep, demonstrating his ability to square up quickly while showing good lift on his shot.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>Max Bowman (JSerra)</i></b></span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff"><b><i>2021, CG, 5-foot-11, 160 pounds</i></b></span></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: The unsung hero for JSerra was definitely Bowman. While Martinez (Ian) was putting on a show Bowman was the catalyst for the Lions as he hit a number of “big” shots when Mayfair would make a run. He hit most of his shots off the catch where he showed good balance and a smooth release.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>