Hustle Region Finals Rewind: Sunday Recap
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The final day of the Prep Hoops Hustle Region Final gave us some of our most compelling games of the weekend. It really was a battle of attrition, as athletes fought off fatigue from two-and-a-half grueling days of competition to…
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Continue ReadingThe final day of the Prep Hoops Hustle Region Final gave us some of our most compelling games of the weekend. It really was a battle of attrition, as athletes fought off fatigue from two-and-a-half grueling days of competition to emerge at the top of the 17u, 16u and 15u Divisions.
In the end, Roots Academy of Washington state repeated as champions, clinching the 17u title a year after winning it all in 16s. Rancho Elite, which played the weekend with six players due to COVID-19, won the 16u title over Team Revenge and Swoosh Elite of Fresno upended IE Fire – which had only lost once on the Prep Hoops Circuit this year – in a 63-55 win.
Here are some of my observations from Sunday’s action.
Parker (Gerrits) Can’t Lose
A year after dominating the 16u field at the same event, 6-2 Olympia (WA) PG Parker Gerrits Parker Gerrits 6'1" | PG Olympia | 2023 State WA did it again, leading Roots Academy to a 55-49 win over a game Colorado Titans team in the final.
This year, however, Roots road to the finals was a bit tougher, as it trailed in the second half of each of its three games on Sunday, only to put together one or two key runs to gain control of the game.
At the center of each run was Gerrits, a steely competitor and easily the best passer in the event. He has the ball on the string and has mastered playing at different speeds. Gerrits makes all of the correct reads and delivers crips passes with either hand. But when he determined his team needed his offense, he scored effectively from every level and hit clutch shots to put teams away.
Holding several Division 1 offers, Gerrits proved again that he might be one of the most underrated prospects on the West Coast.
Etiwanda trio comes up clutch for Rancho Elite
Those of us in Southern California know that Etiwanda High School’s junior varsity program could beat many varsity basketball teams.
The championship game of the 16u Division gave us a glimpse as to why, as three guards who have yet to play a varsity game for the Inland Empire powerhouse dominated the second half of the game to help Rancho Elite race away with a 54-42 championship game over a bigger and deeper Team Revenge of Colorado.
Christian Harris, a lanky 6-4 rising junior guard, scored it from three (feathery release) and got to the basket attacking off of dribble-hand-off action and finishing with his dominant hand. Throughout the weekend, he was the team’s most consistent guard and was my colleague’s choice for 16u MVP.
Ilyes Lear, another 6-4+ rising junior, shook off a rusty shooting first half to spark the team’s big second half run, hitting back-to-back threes from NBA range to give the team a 6-point lead it wouldn’t relinquish. He’s got the length, underrated ball skills and shooting stroke that really translates to the next level.
And then there was Maliq Thomas, a 6-1 lefty point guard whose driving ability and passing ability with either hand was the spoon that stirred the Rancho Elite offense, and his defense in the second half against Revenge’s back court was also key in the win.
Stickman, Espinoza stifle IE Fire
Coming into the 15u championship game, I didn’t think any team in the field was capable of closing out the IE Fire Elite squad, especially after outlasting the biggest and most physically talented team in the field, New Mexico D1.
But it was the Swoosh Elite team, another undersized yet dynamic group from Fresno that used defense to contain the explosive IE Fire group.
Michael Espinozo, a 6-0 rising sophomore from Clovis West, was the offensive catalyst. A beefy combo guard capable of scoring from multiple levels, Espinoza’s physicality on defense allowed him to impose himself on the slighter built IE squad.
And then there’s Stickman, a 5-11 rising sophomore who is an absolute pogo stick on the court. His vertical athleticism and length allow him to play much bigger than his listed height, and his second (and third) jump allowed him to command the boards, especially on the offensive glass. The crazy thing is, I don’t know if he realizes how athletic he is, as he’d soar well above the rim – for layups.
Another name to track off this team is 5-10 rising freshman guard Jace Kellogg, a pretty savvy scorer and shooter.
Team Revenge Springs Semifinals upset
D1 Arizona, led by 6-11 2024 Center Brady Henige, was the top seed and the odds-on favorite to win the Prep Hoops 16u Division.
Team Revenge of Colorado had other plans.
Led by its very talented, albeit undersized back court of Damarius Taylor Damarius Taylor 5'10" | CG Regis | 2024 State CO (5-10 2024 PG, Regis Jesuit) and LaDavian King LaDavian King 6'1" | CG Eaglecrest | 2025 State CO (6-0 2025 G, Eaglecrest), the team used a swarming 2-3 zone to limit Henige’s second-half touches after he exploded for 18 points in the first half. Defensively, the group limited second chance opportunities and hit timely shots.
I really like Taylor’s ability to get into the paint seemingly at will, where he is a high-percentage finisher. There are times he can get tunnel visioned, and he is a streaky shooter from the perimeter, but he scored it with relative ease in this game.
King is more of a balanced scoring combo guard who can hit shots in the paint and from the perimeter.
Other standouts included 6-6 2024 forward Ryan Dixon Ryan Dixon 6'5" | PF Valor Christian | 2024 State CO , who would throw down the dunk of the weekend in the championship game, and 5-11 2024 guard Anthony Medina Anthony Medina 5'10" | SG Regis Jesuit | 2024 CO , who one onlooker told me will likely be the state’s top running back for Regis Jesuit.
D1 Nation got a big first half from Henige and I’ve definitely become a fan of 6-5 2024 W Nate Wonjohl, who is an excellent rebounder and defender and improving as a slasher and shooter. He’s got some physical tools that will carry him far.