Recap: UC Irvine Elite Camp
IRVINE, Ca. — Over the last seven seasons, UC Irvine head coach Russell Turner has turned the Anteaters men’s basketball program into one of the premier destinations in the Big West Conference.
UC Irvine is in the running for a conference regular season and tournament championship year-in and year-out and that has a lot to do with the way Turner and his staff recruit.
The Anteaters are well-known for having depth at the forward and center positions who fit their inside-out offensive scheme and are elite rim protectors and rebounders, while surrounding those big men with solid guards who get the job done at both ends of the floor.
Irvine consistently has one of the best Elite Camp settings for prospects to get an inside look at how the program is run and the scenery of one of the nicest campuses on the west coast and Saturday at the Bren Events Center was no different.
The Anteaters coaching staff pulled together a good mix of prospects with plenty of “sleeper” types and a couple of more well-known players in Southern California.
Rejean “Boogie” Ellis, one of the best guards in Southern California regardless of class, was in attendance and didn’t disappoint with his electric scoring ability and improved playmaking skills.
The 6-foot-2, class of 2019 combo guard was making it a point to probe the lane and find teammates for good scoring opportunities, but still made sure to let the staff see his innate knack for scoring.
Ellis had a spectacular all-around performance on the day, prompting coach Turner to extend Boogie his fourth Division I offer.
Six-foot-7 forward Chibuzo Agbo was another San Diego-area prospect who earned an offer Saturday.
Agbo, who we coined as the most versatile prospect in the 2020 class, had all of that and then some on display.
The rising sophomore snatched every rebound in his vicinity and finished them off with coast-to-coast layups or powerful dunks. His ability to guard multiple positions was one of his most impressive traits.
One of the more under-the-radar players in the camp was 2018 wing Dexter Akanno of Valencia high school.
Akanno is a powerful slasher and finisher who is explosive out of the triple threat and off the ground. The 6-foot-4 senior-to-be also has the ball skills, vision and passing ability to serve successfully in a point-forward type of role.
2018 wing Ofure Ujadughele was one of the top two-way players Saturday at the UC Irvine Elite Camp.Chino Hills defensive specialist Ofure Ujadughele was easily one of the better two-way players in the camp.
It was clear that his time spent playing on the Nike EYBL circuit with Nike Phamily benefitted him on the offensive end as his jump shot continues to get more fluid and consistent.
We’ll have a more in-depth update on Ujadughele’s recruitment in the next couple of days.
Among the absolute sleepers in attendance, 2019 Loyola high school point guard Neil Owens was one of the best.
The 5-foot-11 rising junior plays with great pace, has good feel and vision off of high ball-screen action, knocks down the catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and has a clever finishing package around the basket.
Dean Keeler, a 6-foot-8 center from Marina high school, has seen his recruitment pick up throughout the month of July and into the UCI camp.
The 2019 prospect is a traditional center who plays with his back to the basket and has a number of fundamentally sound post moves in his repertoire.
One of Keeler’s better attributes is his ability to draw double teams and pass out of them to cutters or open 3-point shooters.
Dorian Harris is another prospect who has seen an uptick in media coverage for his play throughout July.
The 6-foot-5, class of 2018 forward who hails from Cerritos high school had a good day on Saturday as his versatility and athleticism was ideal for a camp setting.
Harris was knocking down some rhythm 3-pointers and getting to the basket and finishing at-will. Harris was locked-in on the defensive end, as well.
J.W. North senior-to-be Mason Westlake was one of the better 3-point shooters in the gym. The 5-foot-11 shooting guard has a quick trigger and impeccable balance which allows him to get his shot off under duress.