Impact Players and Performances of the Week
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League play has been heating up in San Diego county as slowly teams and players are starting to gain some space ahead of the pack in the quest for a league title. This week I was able to watch the…
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Continue ReadingLeague play has been heating up in San Diego county as slowly teams and players are starting to gain some space ahead of the pack in the quest for a league title. This week I was able to watch the Mustangs of SDA (San Dieguito Academy) get a stranglehold on the Avocado League with a pair of big wins, as well as the Torrey Pines Falcons holding onto a win in a classic rivalry game over the Mavericks of LCC (La Costa Canyon) to gain control of their own destiny and undisputed first place in the Coastal League. Here are some of the players that stepped up big time for their squads this week
Logan Huston (2022) | 6-3 PG | Torrey Pines
Huston was consistent all night for the Falcons as a scorer from all three levels. Huston started off the game with a pair of threes and never looked back. His height and length as a point guard make scoring seem easy for him as smaller guards fell victim to his pull-up jumpers or would get put into the post for easy buckets. Huston is extremely quick with the ball and it seems like he gets down the court in an instant which led to him and his teammates getting lots of transition buckets. Huston’s quickness and length also make him a dangerous defender as he showed off his knack to jump passing lanes for steals, one of which he took to the other end for a big dunk to all but seal the game. Huston is one of the best point guards in San Diego and is starting to get on colleges radars like he should, a major part of this Falcons team Huston looks to continue his stellar senior year and add another league title under his belt as Torrey Pines now controls their destiny as the only team undefeated in Costal league play
JJ Bartelloni JJ Bartelloni 6'4" | SG Torrey Pines | 2023 State CA-S (2023) | 6-4 SF | Torrey Pines
Bartelloni was huge for Torrey Pines in their win over LCC and helped sparked a big run in the third for the Flacons. Bartelloni hit some big-time threes for the Falcons with the shot clock running down and another to cap off the third quarter to take a commanding lead going into the fourth. Bartelloni has a very quick and smooth release and plays the role of shooter well for Torrey Pines but Bartelloni has the potential to be much more as he showed the ability to create for his teammates and himself on offense as he was able to attack the defense to open passing lanes and hit some tough one-legged turnaround jumpers. Torrey Pines has been one of the most successful basketball programs in California developing some great players, expect Bartelloni to make another jump next season and be the next great Falcon
Brayden Hendricks (2022) | 6-2 G | LCC
Hendricks was the driving force of the Mavericks in the first half of their game against the Falcons. Hendricks was a problem for Torrey Pines as he was beating defenders off the dribble and getting to the foul line or finishing some tough layups. Hendricks has a very good feel for the game and seemed unfazed by the big environment keeping calm under pressure and at times being the lead guard for LCC this feel for the game was shown on offense as Hendricks was adept at using his body to create space and shield off defenders while making the right decisions with the ball in his hands. Hendricks sparked the LCC offense during the times when it went stagnant going on a run to end the second quarter allowing the Mavericks to stay in the game by hitting some timely jumpers and floaters showing off his abilities as a shot creator. Hendricks has been a bright spot for the Mavericks all year and can play the role of scorer or floor general for them. Hendricks and the Mavericks look to bounce back with a pair of league games next week
Christian Brown Christian Brown 6'5" | SF La Costa Canyon | 2023 State CA-S (2023) | 6-5 G/F | LCC
Brown has made leaps and bounds of improvement as a player this season. Brown has stepped up and become the guy for LCC this year and helped the Mavericks almost complete an incredible 17 point comeback in the 4th quarter over Torrey Pines. Brown had a mostly quiet start to the game but exploded in the last frame of play. Brown was scoring at will in the paint through contact and showed off his ability to take and make jumpers from anywhere on the court. Brown was also cleaning up the boards and created lots of second chance points for LCC. As a defender Brown’s height along with his improved athleticism make him able to match up with almost anyone at the high school levels he was matched up with both Falcon guards and forwards throughout the game. Brown energized the Mavericks with his play and led a huge fourth quarter run that he capped off with a break away slam to cut the Falcons lead to 4 with 43 seconds left. While LCC may have lost this one Brown and the Mavericks have the potential to run the table in league and turn their rematch against the Falcons on the final day of league play into a game for a league title share
Troy Whatnall (2023) | 5-10 G | SDA
Whatnall has been a gem in wins for a SDA team surprising a lot of people this year. Whatnall showed off some steady shooting in some convincing wins in the Avocado league this week knocking down threes and mid-range pull ups at a high clip. Whatnall also showed he is more than just a shooter and he doesn’t let his smaller frame defer him from attacking the defense as he was able to score with some crafty layups and runners in the lane. Whatnall is one of the two lead guards for the Mustangs and a great compliment to his running mate in the back court Isachsen as Whatnall splits the role of point guard with him giving the Mustangs two ball handlers with the ability to initiate the offense. Whatnall is definitely a player to keep eyes on and looks to be the future of SDA. Whatnall and the Mustangs have finished the first stetch of Avacado league play undefeated beating each team they’ve played handily and look to close out their regular season with a league title
Owen Isachsen (2022) | 6-1 G | SDA
Isachsen has been a pivotal player for SDA for the past few seasons but this year he has taken the next step for them becoming their veteran leader. Isachsen showed his improvements in big performances this week by being a jack of all trades and doing a little bit of everything for the Mustangs. Isachsen is a great shooter and can’t be left open but has also become a extremely reliable go-to guy for SDA who can attack off the dribble as he was finishing around the basket with a variety of moves or with pull-up jumpers off the dribble. Isachsen’s playmaking ability is one of the reasons the Mustangs have been having such success, he has a knack for setting up his teammates for great shots and controlling the game keeping it to the pace he wants it to be played. Isachsen and SDA have gotten hot at the right time and have been on a roll with their eyes not only on just a league title, but a CIF one as well as the Mustangs look to be shaping into one of the favorites to come out of Divison 3.