Trevor Ariza Tip-Off Classic: Wednesday’s Ten Best
Los Angeles, Ca. — The annual Trevor Ariza Tip-Off Classic tournament tipped off Monday at Westchester High.
The 16-team, bracket-style tournament featured some of the top programs in SoCal, including the host Comets, Long Beach Poly, Riverside Notre Dame and Bishop Montgomery, as well as some up-and-coming programs like Washington Prep, Leuzinger and West Torrance.
Here are the Ten Best performers from Wednesday action in L.A.
Best Overall Performance: Will Crawford, Bishop Montgomery
The 6-foot-6 forward scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Knights’ 77-68 win over Leuzinger. The senior’s efforts were magnified because of the fact Bishop is missing two starters, Gianni Hunt and Nick Schrader, due to injury.
Best Scoring Performance: Amound Anderson, Leuzinger
Anderson scored a game-high 27 points in the Olympians nine-point loss to Bishop Montgomery, including three 3-pointers. The 6-foot-3 junior lefty got to the free throw line fifteen times, making 11 of those attempts and was the key cog in keeping Leuzinger close throughout.
Best Play of the Game: Pierce Sterling, Riverside Notre Dame
Sterling’s driving layup with a handful of ticks left tied the game at 43 and sent it to overtime where the Titans pulled out a two-point victory.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Alex Mishaw, West Torrance
The 6-foot-3 senior wing has a handful of Division II programs in hot pursuit, and his game Wednesday showed why. Mishaw dropped 30 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the Warriors’ 90-79 win over Hart, scoring in a variety of ways, but mainly on close-range looks after West broke the Indians’ pressure defense.
Best Supporting Performance: Brandon Kircher, West Torrance
The 6-foot-4 junior, came up big for West when Hart began face-guarding the above-mentioned Mishaw. Kircher, a senior forward, scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half, including nine points in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors pull away.
Best Passer: Josh Vazquez, Bishop Montgomery
The 6-foot-3 Montana-bound senior dished out six assists in the Knights’ win over Leuzinger. Vazquez has made his name on the SoCal recruiting scene with his ability to dissect defenses in both transition and half-court settings, and this season is proving no different.
Best Shooter: Isaac Deedon, Hart
Deedon, just a sophomore, thrives in the Indians’ uptempo, free-flowing offense. Most all of the Hart perimeter players have the green light to let fly from deep and Deedon hit three 3-pointers, from multiple spots and distances, en route to his team-high 16 points.
Best On-Ball Defender: Malik Salahuddin, Long Beach Poly
The 6-foot-1 senior guard always checks the opponents best guard and that’s because of his toughness and high IQ defensive abilities. Salahuddin picks up 94-feet and never runs out of gas or focus.
Best Defensive Anticipator: John Clausell, Leuzinger
Clausell is one of the fastest and quickest players you’ll find in the state. The 5-foot-6 senior point guard uses his quick burst to shoot passing lanes for steals and burns past opponents for easy transition buckets on the other end.
Best Team Balance: Riverside Notre Dame
The Titans had four players score in double figures in its 51-49 overtime win over Long Beach Poly. Dondre Bausley led the way with 15 points, while fellow seniors Anthony Holland, Pierce Sterling and Anton Mozga pitched in 12 apiece.