Wednesday Valley Tournament Standouts

<p>Thanksgiving week is always a great week for basketball tournaments and the Los Angeles area has quite a few of them underway. I stopped by a couple of them on Wednesday; Thanksgiving eve and saw some solid talent.</p> <p>Van Nuys High School is playing host to their 1st Annual Thanksgiving Classic and Chaminade is playing host to the West Valley Tip-Off Classic. I was able to swing by both tournaments and here’s a look at some of the top talent that I saw.</p> <p><strong>1. David Cheatom – University 2020</strong></p> <p>Cheatom holds a few Division 2 offers and has been in contact with some Division 1 schools as well. He’s a very crafty scorer with an array of offensive moves. He can get to the rim with ease and he finishes well with contact. He’s got a strong off the dribble game and can use the defensive pressure he draws to create looks for his teammates. A solid outside shooter. Should have a big senior year.</p> <p><strong>2. Keith Higgins – Chaminade 2021</strong></p> <p>Higgins is one half of the Eagles standout wing duo along with K.J. Simpson. He’s a lights out shooter from the three-point line. His range extends beyond that though and he is a threat to score from anywhere on the court. He has a good pull-up game and he can make plays off the dribble too. Creates his own shot well on the perimeter.</p> <p><strong>3. K.J. Simpson – Chaminade 2021</strong></p> <p>Simpson is the second half of Chaminade’s star wings. He, like Higgins, has picked up a few Division 1 offers over the summer. Although he might not look like it, he’s a very strong guard who can crash the boards well. He is a strong player in transition; he can either stop, and pull-up for a jumper, or he can take the ball all the way to the rim. Decent playmaker.</p> <p><strong>4. Joshua Lee – Price 2020</strong></p> <p>Lee is a very good scoring guard. He is adept at creating his own shot on the perimeter or around the rim. He has a good slashing game and he has a nice little floater when he gets into the lane. He moves the ball well in the half-court and keeps the offense from stagnating. Good in transition. Solid outside shooter. He fights hard for rebounds.</p> <p><strong>5. Morgan Brewer – Price 2020</strong></p> <p>Brewer is a solid forward who plays well around the rim. He has good hands when catching passes from teammates and he finishes strong at the rim. He’s an athletic player that has good length when it comes to crashing the glass and playing defense. He reads the passing lanes well and creates turnovers. He has a nice little hook shot when in the paint.</p>