Yesterday was the first day of high school basketball in the Southern California area.
The 62nd Annual Pac Shores Tournament held at Redondo Union HS featured several top teams in the region, including 6 of LA Times’ Top 25. Several college scouts were in attendance, and even USC’s Head Coach Andy Enfield made an appearance. There was good energy in both gyms, and below are a few games i got to catch:
Campbell Hall Vs. Lawndale
Aaron Holiday of Campbell Hall is a player I have been looking forward to watch. He is the younger brother of Jrue Holiday who played at UCLA and is currently the starting point guard for the New Orleans Pelicans. I wasn’t 100% sold with Aaron. He’s great at slashing to the rim, and running the fast break, but I didn’t see any playmaking abilities. He needs work on his handles, and I need to see if he’s a natural point guard. All his points came from the paint and the free throw line (25 points). Aaron is good, but he needs more work if he plans to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Aaron needs to improve as a team player by taking advantage of the attention the defense gives him and finding his teammates. Aaron will face his first real challenge tonight as Campbell Hall plays Redondo Union HS, last year’s Division II State Champions.
Campbell Hall narrowly beat Lawndale with a final score of 63-60. Lawndale was without their star player Junior Chimezie Metu (6’8″). Lawndale is a tough team that has some great chess pieces. The absence of Metu was felt, and I think with a complete roster, Lawndale will not be a cake walk for any team.
#13 Redondo Union Vs. Morningside
This game started off very intense. The tempo of the game was fast, and both teams showed no fear of the other. Morningside Senior Dakari King was great early on as he found his way to the basket. But it quickly became clear why Redondo Union won the state championships last year.
Redondo Union Coach Reggie Morris, Jr. is the best high school basketball coach I have seen yet. He is confident, poised, and knows how to play call. He seems knowledgeable of the game and most importantly understands how to manage his players and coach them to perform at their potential. I was very impressed with Reggie Morris, Jr, and think that there will be many collegiate programs knocking at his door in the future.
Redondo Union also has one of the more deeper teams that I have come across. What stands out to me about them is that the players all know how to play the game. They aren’t limited by their position or any particular skill. If I said that they were a good outside shooting team, I would be discounting the fact that they are also very good inside the paint. Instead, they all know how to play basketball and are able to adjust accordingly to what the game throws at them. Redondo Union is a great, team-oriented program.
Redondo Union ended up winning 74-39, and will face Campbell Hall tonight.
Long Beach Millikan Vs. #21 Calabasas
This was the best game of the night. Both teams were evenly matched and this game went all the way down to the wire. Millikan Senior Malik Marquetti had an impressive game as he showed us his ability to hit the long ball, attack the rim, and make the two, game-winning free throws with 1.8 seconds remaining. Malik is currently unsigned and can quickly change that with a big game against #3 St. John Bosco tonight.
Calabasas Senior Austin Smith (6’7″) is a confident player who can play both ends of the court. He has great leaping ability and is able to shoot the long ball as well. I couldn’t find much recruiting news about Austin on the internet, but I think he can change that if he plays exceptionally this year. He’s tough, and exhibits a next-play mentality. I will continue to monitor him, and report my findings here.
Millikan was also missing Junior Will English (6’2″) who impressed me during the pre-season Paul Pierce Fall League. Will is a great rebounder, who can also hit the long ball. He reminds me of a DaJuan Blair. I am also fond of Millikan Senior Mark Thomas. He plays the point guard position well, and can hit the long ball. He had a clutch assist to Freshman Joshua Clarke in the final minute of the game. If Millikan can upset St. John Bosco tonight, I think they will be able to ride this momentum throughout the season and prove to be one of the better teams in the Southern California area. The trio of Marquetti, English, and Thomas, flanked with great outside shooters, and tough-nosed defender make Millikan an exciting team with upset-potential.
#3 St. John Bosco Vs. Palos Verdes
St. John Bosco is arguably the best team in this tournament. Senior Daniel Hamilton (6’7″), Junior Tyler Dorsey (6’4″), and Sophomore Vance Jackson (6’5″) remind me of the 06-07 Artesia team that had Senior James Harden, Junior Malik Story, and Sophomore Renardo Sidney. St. John Bosco is bigger, faster, and better than most high school teams. I only caught the 1st quarter of this game, but it was clear that Palos Verdes was no match for SJB. SJB ended up winning 84-35.
St. John Bosco plays Long Beach Millikan tonight.
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