Ten Best: Day Two at Pac Shores
Redondo Beach, Ca. — The 68th annual Ryse Williams Pac Shores Tournament tipped off Monday with a solid collection of team teams from across the Southland. The pool play format is different than past years, but was the ideal setting…
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Continue ReadingRedondo Beach, Ca. — The 68th annual Ryse Williams Pac Shores Tournament tipped off Monday with a solid collection of team teams from across the Southland. The pool play format is different than past years, but was the ideal setting for the current make-up of the event. We were court-side on Tuesday to check out the three-game action.
Tuesday Results:
Lynwood 70, L.A. University 63
Saugus 78, South East 55
Long Beach St. Anthony 58, Peninsula 26
Here are the Ten Best performers from the event:
Best Overall Performance: (tie) Jaren Johnson, Lynwood and Adrian McIntyre, Saugus
Johnson led a fourth quarter comeback win over University, finishing with 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. The 6-foot-4 wing scored eight of his 14 points in that final period, brining the Knights back from a double-digit deficit.
The stat-line surrounding McIntyre is up for debate. The table credited him with 12 steals in the first quarter. I had six. The table credited him for a quadruple double. I did not have that. Nevertheless, the Saugus High senior had an impressive all-around effort in a big win over South East. My final tally had McIntyre with 13 points, nine rebounds, seven steals, and six assists.
Best Shooter: Nate Perez, Saugus
The 6-foot-2 sophomore went a stretch of three possessions in the first half where he cast and drained a 3-point shot. Perez is especially efficient from the short corners and connected on four triples in limited minutes and scored 20 points overall.
Best Passer: Jaayden Bush, St. Anthony
Bush has the ability to impact the game without scoring because he’s such a high IQ decision-maker and pinpoint passer. The 5-foot-8 sophomore didn’t score a single point, but didn’t need to as he dished out a game-high seven assists.
Best Team Defensive Effort: St. Anthony
The Saints are well-known for their pressure defense under coach Allen Caveness and this year is no different. St. Anthony allowed just nine points to Peninsula in the first half and 26 for the game. The Saints have an impressive combination of size, length, speed and athleticism that will make any team work for its points.
Best Supporting Effort: Jordan Brown, Lynwood
Brown, a transfer from St. John Bosco, came up with a number of big time rebounds and hit big shots down the stretch. The 6-foot-4 power forward scored 17 points overall, including six in the Knights’ impressive fourth quarter comeback.
Best Big Man: Camron Nale, Saugus
South East didn’t have a whole lot of size, so it wasn’t surprising to see the 6-foot-9 Nale have his way in the paint. The senior finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and a good amount of shot blocks and contests in the paint on drivers.
Best Upside Prospect: Elijah Price, St. Anthony
Price definitely has a long way to go, but there’s no denying his long-term potential. The 6-foot-7 sophomore forward is long and wiry, but also a smooth and fluid athlete. Price makes his living as a shot blocker and contester in the paint right now, but if he’s able to add some weight and work on his low-post skill-set, he could be Division I level recruit.
Best Backcourt Duo: Adrian McIntyre and Nate Perez, Saugus
As mentioned above, McIntyre and Perez combined for 33 points, but that’s not what made them the best backcourt duo of the event. The senior and sophomore have a comfortable rapport with each other, know each other’s tendencies, and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Joe Hernandez, South East
I didn’t know what to expect from South East, and while the result wasn’t what the Jaguars wanted, Hernandez turned in a solid performance, scoring 21 of the team’s 55 points. The 5-foot-11 point guard played with good pace, hit open shots and fed teammates for open shots.
Best Under-the-Radar Prospect: David Cheatom, L.A. University
Cheatom is getting recruited heavily at the Division II level, but his 25-point, 13-rebound effort against Lynwood showed he has Division I potential. The 6-foot-3 wing is a strong, athletic slasher who finishes well through contact in the paint. The senior is an impressive positional rebounder who can lead the break and make high IQ decisions.