RHP Fall Classic: Under-the-Radar Guards

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">LOS ANGELES — The Rolling Hills Prep Fall Classic afforded SoCal basketball fans who made the trip to Cal State Los Angeles the opportunity to see some of the area’s best high school teams, including a handful of potential Open Division contenders along with teams that should play deep into the playoffs in their respective divisions. Here are five under-the-radar guards with next-level potential.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Kyle Brown</strong>, La Cañada</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Brown has long been a capable perimeter scorer on a solid high school squad, but doesn’t get a whole lot of pub. The 6-foot-2 senior is a knock-down 3-point shooter off the catch and can also pull-up and hit a rhythm mid-range jumper. Brown has the ball skills and IQ to initiate offense and knows how to play off of when setting up and coming off of screens to get open looks. Brown scored 25 points in a loss to Loyola.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Josh Camper</strong>, St. John Bosco</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Camper isn’t the flashy or high-flying type of player, but he does a little bit of everything to help his team win games. The 5-foot-11 senior only scored five points in a win over Long Beach Poly, but his impact comes more on the defense, leadership and decision-making side of things. Camper communicates well on the defensive end, has quick and active hands, and forces turnovers with his defensive IQ. We’ve seen Camper get hot in a hurry from 3-point range and he has improved the consistency on his floater.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Ryan Grande</strong>, La Cañada</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Grande has an old-school feel to his game, especially when it comes to his mid-range leaner shot that catches defenders off guard. The 6-foot junior moves well without the ball, understands how to use screens to free himself for open looks and knows when to curl and when to flare based on the position of his defender. Grande scored 18 points in his team’s loss to Loyola.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Spencer Hubbard</strong>, Harvard-Westlake</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Like Camper above, Hubbard might not jump off the hardwood with size and explosive vertical leaping ability, but his impact goes far beyond the box score. The 5-foot-9 senior has been the floor general for a high-level program and his basketball IQ has helped Harvard-Westlake win 20-plus games in each of the last two seasons. Hubbard plays with good pace and knows how to set up the Wolverines’ talented big men.</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Malachi Jones</strong>, Santa Monica</span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Jones produced a couple of eye-catching moments in a loss to a much stronger Mater Dei team. The 6-foot-3 senior has speed in transition and quickness in the half-court which allow him to get to the rim where he can use his athleticism to finish over rim protectors. Jones is best in transition where he can use his athleticism in the open floor to finish off highlight-reel dunks.</span></p>