Chula Vista Spartan Classic – Frosh/Soph standouts
The Spartan Classic gave us a brief glimpse into the future of several teams, as underclassmen had a big impact on several of the proceedings.
In our second report from the Spartan Classic, we highlight some of the talented underclassmen.
2020 standouts
Jamie Odom, 6-2 200 WF, Grossmont– The Foothillers were one of the surprises of the tournament, defeating champion Lincoln in pool play and actually making it to the finals before withdrawing from the tournament. Odom, a chiseled “basketball player,” was a big reason. Undersized for a forward but not quite a guard, Odom embodies the position-less basketball that has become popular in recent years. He scores on assertive drives to the rim and has impressive post-footwork, and can step out and shoot consistently out to 15 feet. He needs to improve his handle and tighten up his mechanics on his three-point shot, but his scoring repertoire is impressive for such a young player.
Gio Martinez, 5-6 140 PG, Olympian – A diminutive floor general, Martinez has the burst to blow by defenders in the halfcourt and open court. He is strong enough to absorb contact and score around the rim, and has the vision to find open scorers, both with the pocket pass and drive-and-kick set ups for open shooters. Martinez, if anything, needs to be more aggressive with his own offense, as he sometimes passes up good scoring opportunities. As he develops, he’ll need to continue to hone his left and and become more consistent of a shooting threat to keep the driving lanes open.
Kobe Sanders, 6-2 150 SG, Steele Canyon – The long, lanky is a knockdown perimeter shooter. Sanders doesn’t have the fastest release, so he needs space to get his shot off, but when he has the space, he’s usually very accurate. Sanders needs to add a consistent off-the-dribble element to his game, as well as improved quickness on both ends. He has an immature frame that suggests he’s not done growing. The pieces are there to be a very potent true two-guard prospect.
2021 standouts
DJ Sanders, 5-10 140 PG, Bonita Vista – Sanders is an extremely long and athletic combo guard who possesses a great motor. His quick feet and excellent anticipation on the ball make him a formidable defender. Despite giving up several inches, Sanders crashed the boards and grabbed critical offensive and defensive rebounds in his team’s OT win over San Diego. His handle and perimeter shooting need polish, but he has physical gifts you can’t teach. One of the class’ younger prospects, he has a chance to be one of its best by his senior year.
Steven Deutsch, 5-10 140 G, Olympian – Deutsch provides a stark contrast to his back court mate, Martinez. Exclusively a spot-up shooter, Deutsch is one of the more accurate shooters you will see when his feet are set, and his release is very quick, needing little space to get his shot off. He struggles when defenders crowd his space, as he doesn’t have the strength yet or assertiveness to consistently put the ball on the deck. This will be the next step in his development.
Syris Turks, 5-11 160 PG, Palos Verdes – The stocky point guard came off the bench for the Sea Kings and immediately changed the game with his energy and playmaking off the dribble. Turks has very long arms and active hands on the defensive side of the ball, and more than held his own against Otay Ranch’s back court. Turks’ shooting can be streaky at times, but his mechanics are solid and his pull-up game is playable.
AJ Burgin, 6-1 160 G, San Diego – A long and crafty combo-guard prospect, Burgin knocked down six threes in his game-high 20 points effort against Olympian. He displayed high-level court vision making several nice assists off the dribble. He needs to improve finishing at the rim through contact and be more consistent with his effort level in order to take his game to the next level, but given his physical metrics and age, his upside is quite high.