Battle at the Bay: Best Shooters
Battle at the Bay: Best Shooters
SAN DIEGO, CA—The 1st Annual Battle of the Bay, organized by Mission Bay Head Coach Marshawn Cherry, provided parents, fans, and scouts a taste of the best talent that resides in the San Diego County. Essentially it was a league battle between the Western and Coastal conferences and there were a number of standout performances—Led by Arizona State-bound Taeshon Cherry as well as highly regarded juniors Ryan Langborg and Rejean “Boogie” Ellis. In the last installment of Francisco’s Finest we’ll look at the sharp shooters—those that can stroke it from deep.
Francisco’s Finest: Best Shooters
Conrad Tempel (Bishop’s School)
2018, SG, 6-foot, 180 pounds
Joel’s Take: Tempel is a sturdy scoring guard who has an impeccable looking jump shot. He excels hitting jump shots off the catch. He can step into his shot in transition or come off a pin-down screen to get his shot off. He needs to improve his burst off the dribble and lateral quickness, but his jump shot was quite efficient at this event.
Dorian Blue (Foothills Christian)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 165 pounds
Joel’s Take: He has been struggling with his shot this season, so it must have been a major relief when he saw his first jump shot go through the net—not too mention on a big stage. He converted all his 3-pointers off the catch and he showed confidence with each dagger that kept Mission Bay from winning this overtime tilt. Just when Mission Bay would cut into the lead, there was Blue putting out the fire with one his 3-point strikes. Hopefully this will get him going as his team finishes out league play and heads into the playoffs.
Raymond Spriggs (Lincoln)
2021, CG, 6-foot, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: One of the bigger surprises of the event was the emergence of Spriggs. He has long arms and an ideal frame that should fill out nicely as his career evolves. He didn’t force the issue as he snapped passes around the perimeter, picking his spot to unload his deep jump shot. He gets great lift on his shot and his release looks smooth. He also delivered a nice dime in transition where he hit a teammate in stride for the conversion.
Connor Williams (Cathedral Catholic)
2019, SG, 6-foot, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: His team didn’t have a particularly good game as La Jolla Country Day took it to them form start to finish. However, one of the lone bright spots was the smooth shooting of Williams. He gets his shot off quick and his shooting mechanics look tight. He needs to add a middle game to take his game to another level, but he can certainly shoot the jump shot with range.
Daryl Sledge (Francis Parker)
2021, CG, 6-foot, 145 pounds
Joel’s Take: The freshman didn’t have his usual consistent shooting night, but he did hit a couple of shots from deep that showed his potential. The lanky combo-guard gets nice lift on his shot and the arc on his shot is ideal. As he continues to add to his game utilizing a quick 1st step and ball fake, his game will go to another level.