Ron Massey Fall Hoops Classic: Best of 2020 and 2021 classes
Lakewood, Ca. — The Ron Massey Memorial Fall Hoops Classic, put on by the one and only Dinos Trigonis, is a must-attend yearly event which provides an early glimpse into what many of the best Southern California high school basketball teams will look like come November.
The 2017 edition was held Saturday and Sunday at Artesia High and featured teams the likes of defending CIF State Open Division champion Bishop Montgomery, CIF State SoCal Regional runners up Mater Dei, along with potential Open Division playoff teams such as Alemany, Santa Margarita and Rancho Christian.
Two of the more fascinating aspects of a fall hoops event is seeing the progress made by many of the top sophomores and which freshmen will earn big varsity minutes.
2020 Alemany guard Brandon Whitney proved he belongs in the conversation among the best sophomore prospects.Alemany sophomore Brandon Whitney showed that he belongs among the big names in the sophomore class. The 5-foot-11 point guard has a game reminiscent of USC star and former Etiwanda point guard Jordan McLaughlin.
Whitney is smooth and crafty with the basketball, has a knack for getting into the painted area where he can finish with a floater or find a teammate for an open 3-pointer.
What Alemany coach Tray Meeks likes most about Whitney is that he plays the game with a great pace and keeps turnovers to a minimum. The next step that Meeks wants to see in Whitney’s game is more aggressiveness on the offensive end, especially when it comes to taking the open 3-pointer.
Another 2020 playmaker, who has more of a household name, was guard Dominick Harris of Pacifica Christian. The Tritons fell to a gritty and talented Los Altos team, but Harris showed progress in his blow-by speed in transition and half court settings. The 6-foot-3 sophomore did plenty of what he does best – score from all three levels.
Rancho Christian sophomore Evan Mobley continues to improve each time we watch him play. The long 6-foot-10 forward has a smooth inside-out skill set complete with shooting touch to the 3-point line. The most impressive stride in Mobley’s game is his passing ability. He has high level vision, timing and placement as a playmaker off the wing and out of the high post and low post.
Like Mobley, Rolling Hills Prep’s J.T. Tan is among the most skilled big men in the 2020 class. Tan has a throwback style post game with his impressive combination of post footwork, touch around the basket and a powerful frame.
Aidan Prukop of Mater Dei and Ryan Evans of Santa Margarita are still two of the best sophomore shooting guards in the 2020 class. Both were major contributors to Open Division playoff teams last season and are sure to be relied upon even more this season.
Mater Dei also has two freshmen who will contribute immediately in skilled 6-foot-8 big man Wilhelm Breidenbach and Devin Askew, a 6-foot-2 point guard with a high level feel for the game.
Sophomore point guard Jordan Montgomery of Rancho Christian continues to improve as the game keeps slowing down for him. Montgomery has always been a powerful finisher in transition, but he’s gotten better in half-court situations, especially coming off of high ball-screens and making the correct reads.