SoCal’s Sleepers in 2021 (Pt. 4)

<p>It seems like class of 2021 players across the country are pulling the trigger on commitments early than they would in a normal year. As we all know this certainly isn’t a normal year as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the number of events and participants across the country.</p> <p>In the Southern California recruiting landscape, many of the top 2021 prospects have pledged to Division I programs as the CIF Southern Section has decided to delay its season until March 12th at the earliest. With the altered season, rising seniors have even less time to be evaluated live by college coaches and we wanted to highlight some of the sleeper prospects within the region who should be on the radar of college coaches.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="956457" first="Francky" last="Naguidebe"]</strong>, University City - The 6-foot-7 power forward is still a raw overall prospect, but his energy, knack for rebounding and good hands are things that can’t be taught to young big men. Naguidebe changes ends of the floor well in transition, rebounds the defensive glass and outlets quickly to his guards and does a nice job of creating second chance opportunities for his team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="951399" first="Tiago" last="Soares"]</strong>, Santa Clarita Christian - Soares is the ultimate glue guy due to his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard hits corner three-pointers with regularity and has some off-the-bounce game that allows him to attack poor closeouts and get to the basket.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="951264" first="Aldo" last="Ruiz-Ortiz"]</strong>, Santa Margarita - Ruiz-Ortiz is best known for his defensive prowess and ability to guard multiple positions. The 6-foot-3 wing has active and quick hands, fights through screens and communicates well on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, Ruiz-Ortiz is best as a slasher and finisher in transition and half-court settings.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="951314" first="Mason" last="Bates"]</strong>, Riverside Poly - Bates has that modern forward skill set that should transition nicely to the Division III or NAIA levels. At 6-feet-5, Bates is great as a pick-and-pop shooter. He moves well without the ball and sets a fundamental screen which helps his guards turn the corner and get into the paint. Bates is a consistent set shooter from multiple spots and ranges of the floor.</p>