Francisco’s Finest: WCE HS Invitational (Most Impactful)
Francisco’s Finest: WCE HS Invitational (Most Impactful)
GARDEN GROVE, CA—Ryan Silver, director of the West Coast Elite AAU program, gathered a plethora of elite high school teams to do battle at The Map complex. When you have Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, Damien, and Bishop Montgomery and a host of other talented squads coming together to improve their skill, fundamentals, and team chemistry—those are the ingredients for a must-see event. In this installment will be covering the “Most Impactful” players.
AJ Perry (Anaheim/Canyon)
2019, PG, 5-foot-8, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: Against Mission Bay and their outstanding guard “Boogie” Ellis, Perry was a handful. The strongly built point guard has a tremendous burst off the dribble and gets in the lane at will. He snaps passes to open shooters with aplomb while on the defensive end he did a nice job getting into Ellis and forcing him into tough shots.
Lamont Butler (Riverside Poly)
2020, PG, 6-foot-1, 160 pounds
Joel’s Take: Butler is the catalyst for his team due to his ability to manage the offense in the half court set. His initial burst has improved and he is quite the crafty finisher. In terms of his in-between skills, he has a nice floater and he is even catching lobs. His jump shot is capable, but it needs to get more consistent out to the 3-point stripe.
Josh Vaszquez (Bishop Montgomery)
2019, PG, 6-foot-2, 165 pounds
Joel’s Take: You may be asking what is Montana getting with Vasquez’ commitment. In a nutshell, the Grizzlies will be acquiring a gifted combo-guard that can run the offense, knock in deep jump shots, and he plays with a hot motor each and every game.
Mook Harris (St. Bernard)
2019, CG, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: I’m nor sure there was any player displaying a higher motor than Harris. His frame has filled out and he has become quicker, faster, and more explosive finishing over the rim. He is terrific in transition and he knows how to get buckets within 10-feet of the basket. However, if his stock continues to rise it will be attributed to an improved jump shot and decision-making (plays fast).
Jarred Hyder (Damien)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: One of the bigger sleepers in So-Cal has to be Hyder. He was the master of the mid-range pull-up during the winter season, but now his range has extended to the 3-point line and his facilitating skills are improving as well.
Johnathan Salazar (St. John Bosco)
2019, PF, 6-foot-6, 225 pounds
Joel’s Take: Salazar is one of the more disruptive forces in high school basketball. He is a tenacious rebounder at both ends, can lead the break, or sprint the lane in transition. His physically imposing frame allows him to carve out space and he exhibits outstanding timing. He has a tendency to force the issue, but overall he’s tough to deal with at both ends of the floor.