Francisco Awards: All Southern California (Class of 2020)

<p><strong><span style="font-size: 14pt">Francisco Awards: All Southern California (Class of 2020)</span></strong></p> <p>LONG BEACH, CA—What do you do when you're taken out of the classroom and in the midst of a virus quarantine? You bust out “the best of the best” from the 2019-20 high school basketball season—So Cal Style. Beginning with the immensely talented Sierra Canyon squad, who exhibited the type of fanfare demonstrated by the Lonzo Ball-led Chino Hills squad of years past. <b>Brandon Boston Jr </b>was the MVP for the Trailblazers, but surprisingly the Kentucky signee was not the best player on his team as that label belonged to the multi-skilled <b>[player_tooltip player_id="931141" first="Ziaire" last="Williams"].<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></p> <p>USC-bound <b>[player_tooltip player_id="536607" first="Evan" last="Mobley"]</b> is still considered the “best prospect”, but he needs to assert himself more going forward to reach his vast potential. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="536609" first="Josh" last="Christopher"]</b> (Mayfair) put up huge numbers and Utah-bound <b>[player_tooltip player_id="536617" first="Ian" last="Martinez"]</b> rattled many rims with his bounce, but also showed off a much-improved jump shot. In the following blogs, we will break down the season and also project what the Class of 2020 has to offer going forward as they put their finger prints on the college basketball scene. However, that is only going to happen if this Corona Virus disappears into the thin air.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><b>MVP</b></span></p> <p><b><i>[player_tooltip player_id="931142" first="Brandon" last="BostonJr."] (Sierra Canyon)</i></b></p> <p><b><i>WF, 6-foot-6, 180 pounds</i></b></p> [caption id="attachment_951508" align="alignleft" width="150"] <em><strong>Boston has a versatile skill set.</strong></em>[/caption] <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: From the opening tip of the season, Boston exhibited why he would be in the discussion for POY honors in Southern California. The high-flying wing-type affected the game at both ends with his active hands and length on the defensive end and his slashing scoring skills on the offensive end.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><b>Best Player</b></span></p> <p><b><i>[player_tooltip player_id="931141" first="Ziaire" last="Williams"] (Sierra Canyon)</i></b></p> <p><b><i>WF, 6-foot-8, 185 pounds</i></b></p> <p><b>Joel's Take: </b>Williams demonstrated that he was the best all around player in Southern California and for the entire West for that matter. He can score from all three levels, deliver passes at a high-level, and disrupt opposing offenses due to his aggressive motor, active hands, and high IQ.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><b>Best Prospect<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span></p> <p><b><i>[player_tooltip player_id="536607" first="Evan" last="Mobley"] (Rancho Christian)</i></b></p> <p><b><i>PF, 6-foot-11, 215 pounds</i></b></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: When it comes to size, athleticism, savvy, and skill, it comes as no surprise who the best prospect in the country is—that being Mobley. He has ball skills, innate passing traits, and is a extraordinarily quick leaper. Defensively, he impacts the game as a rim protector and rebounder. Offensively, he gets most of his points off of putbacks and jump hooks. His upside is immense, but having a more aggressive mindset (killer instinct) and improving his touch inside and out will take his game to another level.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><b>Competitive by nature</b></span></p> <p><b><i>[player_tooltip player_id="680196" first="Devin" last="Askew"] (Mater Dei)</i></b></p> <p><b><i>PG, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds</i></b></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: If there is one trait that Askew brings to every game, it's his competitive nature. The Kentucky-bound Askew is a big guard who is equally effective as a scorer and faciltator. He can knock in jump shots from deep or bully-ball his way to the rim. However, his lack of a quick 1st step will need to be addressed going forward.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><b>Feathery Touch<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></span></span></p> <p><b><i>[player_tooltip player_id="745923" first="Chibuzo" last="Agbo"] (St. Augustine)</i></b></p> <p><b><i>PF, 6-foot-7, 210 pounds</i></b></p> [caption id="attachment_884910" align="alignleft" width="150"] <em><strong>Agbo's skill are a perfect fit for Texas Tech</strong></em>[/caption] <p><b>Joel's Take:</b> When it came to making an ideal college choice that matches his particular mindset and skill set—I cannot think of a better choice for Agbo than Texas Tech. He is a no nonsense versatile 4-man that has a sweet shooting touch, rebounds in traffic, and always makes the right basketball play.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;font-size: 14pt"><b>Jack of all trades</b></span></p> <p><b><i>[player_tooltip player_id="745392" first="Jaylen" last="Clark"] (Etiwanda)</i></b></p> <p><b><i>WF, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds</i></b></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: If Clark can become a more consistent shooter and learn to change speeds when attacking opposing defenses, he should be a good fit for UCLA. He has all the physical tools and versatility to play multiple positions at the next level, but he needs to tighten up his decision making, jump shot, and grittiness on the defensive end to take his game to a new level.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>