SoCal’s Best Available in 2021 (Pt. 9)
It seems like class of 2021 players across the country are pulling the trigger on commitments early than they would in a normal year. As we all know this certainly isn’t a normal year as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited…
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Continue ReadingIt seems like class of 2021 players across the country are pulling the trigger on commitments early than they would in a normal year. As we all know this certainly isn’t a normal year as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the number of events and participants across the country.
In the Southern California recruiting landscape, many of the top 2021 prospects have pledged to Division I programs as the CIF Southern Section has decided to delay its season until March 12th at the earliest. With the altered season, rising seniors have even less time to be evaluated live by college coaches and we wanted to highlight some of the best available prospects in SoCal.
Dillon Wilhite Dillon Wilhite 6'8" | C Cathedral Catholic | 2021 State CA-S , Cathedral Catholic – Wilhite is a throwback big of sorts as he does the majority of his offensive work with his back to the basket. The 6-foot-8 center has a strong frame with wide shoulders and uses that strength to back down defenders for paint buckets and as a good positional defender and rebounder. Wilhite, our No. 50-ranked rising senior, has interest from Low Division 1 schools and we can see him excelling at that level.
Thomas Notarainni Thomas Notarainni 6'3" | SF Cathedral Catholic | 2021 State CA-S , Cathedral Catholic – Notarainni is one of the better scorers left on the board in SoCal. Our 51st ranked prospect is a consistent catch-and-shoot threat from three-point range and is especially effective from the short corners. Notarainni has a mature frame at 6-feet-3 and good vertical athleticism, which allow him to absorb and finish through contact on dribble drives and when slashing off the ball to the basket.
Hayden Gray Hayden Gray 6'2" | PG Santa Fe Christian | 2021 State CA-S , Santa Fe Christian – Gray is a crafty, smooth and high IQ point guard who uses his savvy to get to his scoring spots and create offensive opportunities for his teammates. The 6-foot-2 rising senior is great in transition where he uses changes of speed and great court vision to get into the paint and score with a crafty finish or hit an open teammate for a three-point shot. Our 52nd-ranked prospect is a better athlete than he looks at first glance, but needs to improve as a catch and shooter from the perimeter.
Marcus Green Marcus Green 6'4" | PF Etiwanda | 2021 State CA-S , Etiwanda – Green, our 53rd-ranked rising senior, is kind of a positionless guy who came off the bench and provided Etiwanda with whatever the team needed at that time to secure a victory. The 6-foot-4 forward is an explosive vertical athlete with a burly frame and some intriguing ball skills to go along with it. Green is best as a defender who can guard multiple spots and clean the defensive glass at a high rate. It will be interesting to see how his offensive arsenal improved this summer.