SoCal’s 2023 Breakout Candidates (Pt. 5)

<p>With many states, including California, still struggling to figure out how to play the high school basketball season amid increasing COVID-19 case numbers, we wanted to take a closer look at each class in our region.</p> <p>In this piece, we break down the players in the class of 2023 who would have broken out at this point in the season for their high school teams if it had gone as normally scheduled.</p> <p><strong>AJ Robinson</strong>, St. Anthony - Robinson is a small and crafty true point guard who brought stability and sound decision-making to the Saints bench as a freshman. While playing spot minutes last season, it was clear that Robinson had a future in the backcourt alongside [player_tooltip player_id="748743" first="Jaayden" last="Bush"] due to his poise, confidence and passing ability at the lead guard spot.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="994933" first="Ashton" last="Hardaway"]</strong>, Bishop Montgomery - Hardaway made steady strides last season, and by the end of the year, he had a spot in the rotation in which he showed his flashes of upside. The 6-foot-7 wing has a smooth perimeter shooting stroke, sound ball skills with the ability to get into the paint off the bounce and really understands floor spacing and how to play without the ball. Hardaway has an intriguing frame that bodes well for his long-term potential.</p> <p><strong>Cole Murray</strong>, Carlsbad - Murray is one of the better pure shooters in SoCal’s 2023 class. He moves well without the ball, properly spaces the floor and utilizes screens well to create space for open shots. Murray has a quick release and deep range from multiple spots behind the arc. His ball skills and finishing around the basket are still a work in progress, but he does have the ability to attack driving lanes, draw the extra defender, and hit an open teammate.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="994909" first="JJ" last="Bartelloni"]</strong>, Torrey Pines - Like most Torrey Pines freshmen, Bartelloni played on the junior varsity squad, and would have seen some solid court time on varsity as a sophomore. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard has great size for the position, a high basketball IQ and a pure shooting stroke both off the catch and off the bounce. In addition to his shooting ability, Bartelloni has the ball skills, strength and athletic ability to get to the basket off the bounce and finish through contact.</p>