SoCal Recruiting Roundup (Part I)

Devin Ugland October 16, 2019 @ 07:30 PM

With the 2019-2020 high school basketball season fast-approaching, senior prospects are quickly cutting their lists of potential college fits and many have taken it a step further by shutting down their recruitments with a commitment. In this piece we analyze some of the latest pledges among Southern California seniors. Here are the first five. Brandon Angel to Stanford Angel is one of the premier stretch four prospects in the San Diego Section and had a breakout campaign on the spring and summer club circuit with his Gamepoint Elite program. The 6-foot-8 forward out of Torrey Pines high school has fluid shooting mechanics with deep range and a high release point which limits the opponents ability to effectively close out on his shot. Angel has some work to do with his ball skills and on the defensive end to successfully guard Pac 12 four men, but his shooting ability at his size should help him some early action. Kyle Braun to Navy Braun is one of the top shooting guards in the Valley area with his ability to hit 3-point shots off the catch or knock down the mid-range jumper off of one or two dribbles. The El Camino Real senior is an underrated athlete who can finish above the rim in transition and can initiate offense when needed. Braun is another prospect who has a wiry frame and will benefit from a college weight program when it comes to the defensive side of the ball. Lamont Butler to San Diego State Butler has long been one of the elite playmaking and decision-making point guards in the state. The 6-foot-1 senior plays with great pace and vision in both transition and half-court settings and rarely gets sped up. Butler has taken a big step with his athleticism over the last year, which has made him a better on-ball defender and transition finisher. Fast break opportunities he used to complete with finesse layups are now finished with dunks. The part of Butler’s game that still needs some fine-tuning is his perimeter jumper, especially off the catch from behind-the-arc. DJ Davis to UAB When anyone asks the question: Who is the most lethal shooter in the state of California, Davis’ name is near the top of the list. The 6-foot shooting guard turned down a handful of offers to stay close to home and opted to take his defense-devastating scoring ability to the South. Davis, who recently transferred back to Riverside Poly from Corona Centennial, is a knock down 3-point shooter both off the catch and off the dribble with the ability to shoot his team back into a game at a moment’s notice. Being on the smaller side for the two guard position, Davis will have to polish his playmaking skills and develop a go-to secondary scoring option if his deep ball isn’t falling. Keith Dinwiddie to San Diego State The conversation for best all-around scorer in Southern California centers around the 6-foot-2 Fairfax high school standout. Dinwiddie is an offensive threat the moment he steps in the gym as he can pull from deep out of rhythm dribbles or come of screens for catch-and-shoot opportunities. Dinwiddie has a good combination of strength and explosiveness, which allows him to absorb and finish through contact at the rim. Dinwiddie, like most high school players, will have some work to do on the defensive end to be an effective two-way player at the next level.

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