Top Performers: Rolling Hills Prep State Preview Classic
WILMINGTON — Saturday’s Rolling Hills Prep State Preview Classic was yet another installment of one of Southern California’s premier showcase events of the season. Huskies’ coach and longtime SoCal high school hoops figurehead Harvey Kitani, as he always does, put…
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Continue ReadingWILMINGTON — Saturday’s Rolling Hills Prep State Preview Classic was yet another installment of one of Southern California’s premier showcase events of the season. Huskies’ coach and longtime SoCal high school hoops figurehead Harvey Kitani, as he always does, put together a strong field and exciting match-ups throughout the eight-game schedule. Here are some of the top individual performers from the event.
Peyton Watson, Long Beach Poly
The 6-foot-7 wing lived up to his five-star status, as he has been doing for the last year, or so, by dropping 33 points with five blocked shots in just over three quarters of action. Had Poly coach Shelton Diggs left Watson in the entire fourth, 45-50 points were not out of the question. Watson scored in every way imaginable – he drained six 3-pointers, took defenders off the dribble and got to the rim and showed that his mid-range game is alive and well.
Corey Cofield II, Birmingham
The 6-foot-5 forward wasted no time putting his stamp on the game against Mayfair, scoring eight of his team-high 27 points in the first quarter, including a couple of high-flying dunks. Cofield, a junior, plays with energy and toughness on both ends of the floor and spent time guarding five-star shooting guard Josh Christopher and did so as well as one possibly can against a talent of Christopher’s level. Cofield made some big free throws and grabbed some big defensive boards in the fourth to help Birmingham to an 83-80 victory.
David Elliot IV, Birmingham
We’re not used to seeing Elliot get out to a slow start offensively, but his two points in the first half against Mayfair was just that as he seemed to want to get his teammates going first. The 6-foot-2 combo guard heated up in the second half, dropping 20 of his 22 points, including the game-sealing 3-point shot with three seconds left, which you can watch below.
This triple from David Elliot gives BHam an 83-80 lead over Mayfair with 3 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/NxxI2Cey17
— Devin Ugland (@Devin_Ugland) January 26, 2020
Josh Christopher, Mayfair
There’s rarely an event that Christopher plays in where he isn’t one of its top performers. The 6-foot-4 five-star senior dropped a game-high 39 points to go along with 10 rebounds while also being efficient from the field and the free throw line. There were plenty of eye-popping dunks and vicious blocked shots, which are all things to expect when Christopher takes the floor.
Paris Dawson, Corona Centennial
It’s become a norm this season for Dawson to come out of the gates firing from deep and Saturday was no different. The 6-foot-1 senior guard headed to Portland State connected on four triples in the first quarter to set the tone in Centennial’s win over Windward. Dawson went on to finish with a game-high 22 points and made countless defensive plays as the quarterback of the Huskies’ suffocating pressure defense.