A Scout’s Take: Sierra Canyon vs Bishop Montgomery
A Scout’s Take: Sierra Canyon vs Bishop Montgomery
RIVERSIDE, CA—Duane Washington, who is headed to Ohio State in the Fall, nailed a 3-point shot that will go down as one of the most memorable shots in CIF history as he sent the game into a overtime against the NO. 1 seed Bishop Montgomery. He would eventually carry his team to the CIFSS Open Division Championship where they’ll be squaring off against Mater Dei.
In the second semi-final Mater Dei would methodically put away a physical Etiwanda team behind a stellar all-around performance by Michael Wang and some clutch free throw shooting by Spencer Freedman. Here are the observations from all the action at Cal Baptist University.
MVP
Duane Washington (Sierra Canyon)
2018, PG, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Joel’s Take: Washington, who is the nephew of former Laker and clutch shooter Derek Fisher, struggled with his scoring in the 1st half—but impacted the game in the areas of rebounding and assists. Although he wasn’t efficient from the field, he hit one clutch shot after another, including a game clinching lay-up to seal the victory over Bishop Montgomery. Due to his ability to impact the game in many areas of the game and his willingness to take over a game when the opportunity arises, Washington is in the running for So-Cal POY in 2018.
All-Around Performance
Gianni Hunt (Bishop Montgomery)
2019, PG, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds
Joel’s Take: Hunt, who missed much of the season with a broken ankle, looked to be rounding into shape versus Sierra Canyon. He has excellent speed and he is always in attack mode while putting pressure on the defense. The sinewy lefty can finish through contact or drop in the 3-point shot. While Singleton and Vasquez struggled a bit with their shot, Hunt kept the Knights in the game and was one miraculous shot (see above) from returning to the Open Championship.
Rebounding Machine
KJ Martin (Sierra Canyon)
2019, PF, 6-foot-6, 185 pounds
Joel’s Take: Martin is one of the more debatable prospects in So-Cal. The under-sized 4-man doesn’t have a perimeter skill set, but his motor is high-level as is his bouncy nature. However, the one area that has grown on me in terms of his game, is his relentless nature at both ends of the floor. Finishing well-above the rim, gobbling up rebounds, and swatting shots are part of the package.
Most Explosive Play
Cassius Stanley (Sierra Canyon)
2019, SG, 6-foot-5, 185 pounds
Joel’s Take: Stanley is always good for one of those “you gotta be frick’n kidding me type of plays.” His alley-oop hammer time finish off the pass from Duane Washington was spectacular to say the least. The physical tools are evident, but he is streaky in the areas of decision making (quick shots) and playing hard (needs to rebound and defend consistently). If he tightens up these areas his game goes to a whole new level.
Mr. Glue Guy
Nick Schrader (Bishop Montgomery)
2019, WF, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds
Joel’s Take: The shots were not falling at a high clip for the Knights, but Schrader was there to pick up the pieces. The high-energy 4/3 has nice length, good instincts, and is a quality athlete. He is always around the ball and finishes plays inside and out with regularity. He’ll be one of the more intriguing players to monitor during the club basketball scene.
Struggled with length
Oscar Lopez (Bishop Montgomery)
2019, PF, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds
Joel’s Take: Lopez will be one of the more highly debated players this coming spring and fall. He is undersized and doesn’t possess much bounce, but this kid has great instincts, uses his frame well to carve out space, and plays with a hot motor. However, against Sierra Canyon, he struggled finishing over the length and athleticism and it will be interesting to see his production when he plays against that type of size during the club basketball season.