UC Irvine Team Camp: On The Rise
The UC Irvine team camp featured 41 teams from San Diego to Orange County, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and even up to Bakersfield. The games were split between the Bren Events Center and the Anteater Rec Center with the tournament beginning with pool play on Friday and entering bracket play Saturday and Sunday. Huntington Beach Marina took home the camp championship.
Here are the best big men from the event.
Ethan Barnella, Marina
There’s always a need for knockdown shooter on any team and Barnella is that guy for Marina. The 5-foot-11 rising junior is slight of build and quite unassuming from a body standpoint, but he’s a lights’ out shooter from 3-point range off the catch. Barnella drained a handful of clutch 3-pointers to help Marina take home the team camp title.
Spencer Egbert, Capistrano Valley
Egbert was a standout as a sophomore at San Clemente, but made the move up the five to Capistrano Valley this spring and brought his throwback game with him. The 6-foot-4 lefty likes to work 17-feet and in, knocking down face-up and fall-away jumpers with consistency, while exposing mismatches on the block against smaller defenders.
Jack Jamele, Palos Verdes
Jamele has an intriguing, but wiry frame with solid downhill speed and athleticism in transition. The 6-foot-4 senior-to-be has a smooth shooting stroke from both the 3-point and mid-range levels and doesn’t need much time or space to get his shot off.
Alex Mishaw, West Torrance
Mishaw is another guy with an alluring combination of size, length and fluidity in transition. The 6-foot-3 rising senior is shifty and balanced in space, allowing him to maneuver through traffic and finish around the basket. In transition, Mishaw uses his long strides to his advantage as he doesn’t need many dribbles to get from the 3-point line to the cup on his drives.
Elijah Randall, San Marcos
Randall was consistent as a catch-and-shoot 3-point threat Friday night, capitalizing on trail triples in transition or when spotting up in the half-court setting. Randall is a high motor and intangible player who does all of the little things to help a team win, and if he continues to knock down the 3-point shot at a consistent clip, his rise won’t stop here.
Matt Rivera, Vista
Rivera was connecting on pick-and-pop mid-range and 3-point shots with regularity Friday night, but his impact goes well-beyond that. Rivera is a good rebounder for his size and position, chooses his spots well when attacking the basket and doesn’t force shots outside the Panthers’ offense.