Francisco Awards: Diamonds in the rough (Class of 2020)

<p><span style="font-size: 14pt"><b>Francisco Awards: Diamonds in the rough (Class of 2020)</b></span></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>Ziaire Williams.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></p> <p>USC-bound <b>Evan Mobley</b> is still considered the “best prospect”, but he needs to assert himself more going forward to reach his vast potential. <b>Josh Christopher</b> (Mayfair) put up huge numbers and Utah-bound <b>Ian 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.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><b>Diamonds in the rough</b></span></span></p> <p>Tyree Campbell (Etiwanda)</p> <p>WF, 6-foot-5, 170 pounds</p> <p><b>Joel's Take:</b> Head Coach Dave Kleckner was blessed with a plethora of multi-positonal defenders and Campbell was one of those players. The long-armed wind defender put together some clutch performances in “big” games throughout the year and his upside is quite good. He is at his best attacking in transition, but the improvement of his jump shot has been noted. Definite D1 prospect with continued improvement—that's if he heads down the JUCO route.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><strong>Judah Brown (Pacifica Christian)</strong></p> <p><strong>PF/WF, 6-foot-6, 175 pounds</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_561768" align="alignleft" width="150"] <strong>Brown used his elite size, length and athleticism to overwhelm defenders during the high school season.</strong>[/caption] <p><b>Joel's Take:</b> Brown has been a familiar name on the recruiting circuit since his freshman campaign due to his prototypical frame and explosiveness in transition. He is a high-flying athlete who plays above the rim in transition and possesses a high motor at both ends of the floor. The St. Mary's signee has improved his ball skills and shooting touch, but to be an efficient player for the Gaels, he'll have to improve his jumps shot out to the stripe.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><strong>Devin Tillis (Windward)</strong></p> <p><strong>WF/PF, 6-foot-6, 195 pounds</strong></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: Tillis has slowly transitioned back from a devestating knee injury prior to his junior season. He still needs to add strength and tighten up his frame, but the skills are evident. He is one of the better 3-point shooters in So-Cal and his passing prowess is impressive. One area to keep an eye on will be what position he'll be defending at the next level.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><strong>Dominic Woods (Gardena/Serra)</strong></p> <p><strong>SG, 6-foot-3, 160 pounds</strong></p> <p><b>Joel's Take</b>: I first noticed Woods a season ago as he was consistently knocking in jump shots in the Pac Shores Tournament. He's a good athlete who fills the lane well and he can get his shot off quick. If he improves his mid-range scoring skills, he should be a productive college player.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><strong>Boubacar Coulibaly (San Gabriel Academy)</strong></p> <p><strong>C, 6-foot-10, 200 pounds</strong></p> [caption id="attachment_893021" align="alignleft" width="150"] <strong>Coulibaly is a rim-running 5-man who can block shots.</strong>[/caption] <p><b>Joel's Take:</b> The recent USC commit is one of the most prolific rim protectors and rebounders in So-Cal. He is quick leaper with very good length and he's an effortless rim runner. As he continues to add to his face-up skills and improve his footwork/fundamentals while operating on the block, his offensive production will improve.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>