Five Takeaways: Crush in the Valley Showcase
The Crush in the Valley Showcase was presented by NetMax Inc. and Salesian High School (Richmond, CA) in partnership with Tanager Sports and Prolific Prep. The event featured games from some of the top high schools in the local area like Salesian, San Joaquin Memorial and more, and a few of the top prep schools such as Prolific, Balboa, and Hillcrest. The event took place at American Canyon High School which is located in the Napa Valley. This event featured a lot of top-level talent from every class. Here are the five takeaways from the event.
- James Akinjo is as good as advertised! Akinjo put up 22 points and nine assists in their win over San Joaquin Memorial. His killer instinct mentality will allow him to do well at the next level.
- Jaden & Jovon McClanahan are the two best on-ball defenders on the west-coast! The McClanahan twins will harass you, get physical with you, and run with you all game long. Their defensive intensity alone can get them to a division 1 school. Jaden’s defense on sophomore phenom Jalen Green was excellent.
- Jalen Green showed a lot of toughness despite the tough night. Green didn’t perform as well as he would have like to but he showed a lot of heart taking on a tough Salesian team. Green was able to get to the line and tried to affect the game in other ways.
- Kyree Walker was happy to return to the Bay Area. Walker played for the Oakland Soldiers and attending Moreau Catholic before transferring to Hillcrest Prep. His 24 point, 5 rebound, and 5 assist performance was just part of his great play. Walker threw down two amazing dunks to electrify the crowd.
- Nimari Burnett is a star. Prolific Prep dominated Aspire Academy as Jeenathan Williams led the team in scoring with 22 points, but the overall play of Burnett was sensational. Burnett put up 17 points 4 rebounds and 6 assists. We will hear more about this sophomore guard in the future.