Classic at Damien: On the Radar (Pt. 1)
LA VERNE — The 5th annual Classic at Damien post-Christmas tournament is one of the best venues to watch many of the top teams and players in the state. This year’s event was no different, and despite some late and…
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Continue ReadingLA VERNE — The 5th annual Classic at Damien post-Christmas tournament is one of the best venues to watch many of the top teams and players in the state. This year’s event was no different, and despite some late and in-tournament drops, we were still able to get a good look at a ton of prospects from SoCal and beyond. In this piece we take a look at the players who jumped onto our radar with their performance throughout the event.
Aaron Glass, Rancho Cucamonga – If we had to sum up Glass’ game in one word, we would use “confident.” The 6-foot-2 freshman is a poised and polished scoring guard who is always in attack mode and unafraid to go at any defender in his way. Glass can knock down open three-point shots, but he’s at his best when driving into the teeth of the defense and finishing over length or finding an open teammate to kick to. Glass is definitely a prospect to track in the class of 2025.
Donald Bluitt, Colony – Bluitt isn’t the flashiest or most athletic of players in the region, but what he brings to the Colony starting lineup is exactly what the team needs: a steady presence at the point guard position with toughness and timely shot-making ability. The 6-foot-1 junior is as steady as they come while handling the ball and is an unselfish playmaker for the big time pieces he has alongside of him. Bluitt doesn’t look for his shot as often as he could, but he steps up and scores baskets in crunch time.
Ethan McCloskey, San Gabriel Academy – McCloskey plays with a ton of savvy and confidence and showed the ability to play both on or off the ball depending on matchups and game situations. The 6-foot-2 guard has a strong frame with broad shoulders and looks to hit driving lanes in transition where he can use his strength to get into the body of a defender and finish through contact. Scoring around the basket wasn’t McCloskey’s only go-to attribute as he hit three’s off the catch and when defenders went under ball screens.
Griffin Haugh, Dana Hills – Haugh is a long, wiry and smooth shooting guard hiding down in deep Orange County. The 6-foot-2 senior doesn’t need a whole lot of dribbles or time with the ball in his hands to be effective as his off-ball movement and consistent spot-up shooting make him an efficient perimeter scoring threat. Haugh plays mostly off the ball, but showed some feel and IQ when playing out of ball screen action late in the shot clock.
JV Brown, Rolling Hills Prep – Brown had one of the more impressive three-point shooting performances of the event in a loss to Crean Lutheran. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard hit six three-pointers en route to a team-high 24 points in that semifinal game. Brown is a lefty with an awkward-looking release, but when he gets his feet set behind-the-arc there’s a better chance it’s a make than a miss.