Ron Massey Memorial Classic: Scorers-galore in Class of 2018
LAKEWOOD, Ca. – The fourth Ron Massey Memorial Hoops Classic (Sept. 9&10 at Artesia High) proved a very nice “primer”, of sorts, for some of the very best Southern California teams in the 2017-18 season.
And the projected two-best in SoCal – Santa Ana Mater Dei and Torrance Bishop Montgomery – meet in the championship final of the “Elite 8” bracket, with the Monarchs edging the Knights, 55-53, by way of a Spencer Freedman buzzer-beating shot.
Freedman, committed to Harvard, is one of the elite jump shooters in the Class of 2018.
But he was far from the only guy at the event falling into that category at the RMMHC, as there were plenty of “pure jump shooters” and a lot of “innate scorers” – and several of those who fell into both categories.
Here we go (listed alphabetically):
Darius Brown II (6-2/Pasadena)
Brown averaged 23.3 ppg in the “Elite 8” competition and showed his ability to score in a variety of fashions, notably in a 31-point effort in an overtime win over Santa Margarita Sunday morning.
Harrison Butler (6-4/Santa Ana Mater Dei)
His progress in terms of offensive efficiency has come at a consistent pace from since the team’s Southern Regional Open final loss to Bishop Montgomery last March. He averaged 11.3 points in games vs. Temecula Rancho Christian, Culver City and the Knights.
Spencer Freedman (6-1/Santa Ana Mater Dei)
His jumper was off a bit against Rancho Christian and Culver City but it was on target in the finale, when he hit four of seven shots from the floor – among those two threes and the 8-footer in the lane for the game winner.
Jordan Guest (6-8/RSM Santa Margarita)
Guest has just about everything you want in his offensive bag of tricks to go “inside-out” by way of an accurate jump shoot to the 18-foot range and a variety of back-to-the-bucket moves.
Bryce Hamilton (6-4/Pasadena)
The left hander (pictured) only played against Bishop Montgomery (he matched up vs. David Singleton most of the way) and didn’t have a particularly effective or efficient performance. But very few players – out west or anywhere, for that matter – has his combination of strength and ability to create a shot against quality defenders or in traffic.
Cyrus Johnson (6-4/Culver City)
No one in Southern California is the Class of 2018 is improving as rapidly as is the youngest son of all-timer Marques Johnson. He can finish over the top of defenders in traffic and has a jump shot that must be honored to the arc. He scored a event-best 32 points against Alemany.
Tevian Jones (6-6/Culver City)
The transfer from Arizona was streaky with his jump shot (he’s got a whole lot of range) and made some ill-advised decisions with the ball in his hands. But his combination of athletic (few get as much lift on jumps or finishes at the rim as he does) and basketball skill will help make he and Cyrus Johnson one of the best 1-2 scoring punches in Southern California this season.
D.J. McDonald (6-0/Mission Hills Alemany)
He may convert to “full-time point guard” once he gets to college (he’s committed to UC Riverside). But he plays off sophomore Brandon Whitney right now and there are few players in the region who jump shoot as well as he does, off the catch or dribble.
David Singleton (6-4/Torrance Bishop Montgomery)
OK, here’s the “purest” of scorers in the region’s Class of 2018. The two-time all-CIF Southern Section Open Division selection and UCLA commit overwhelmed defenders all weekend while averaging 23.3 points per game, including 23 (with four 3s) despite the tough D he faced against Harrison Butler.
Michael Wang (6-9/Santa Ana Mater Dei)
It’s too bad NCAA Division I coaches couldn’t be in attendance because Wang has never played better over a stretch of three games, which reflected in his being selected the event’s Most Outstanding Player. There isn’t a better jump shooter, at his size, in California: He hit 10 shots from behind the arc.