College Basketball Showcase – Event Sleepers

<p>A few weeks earlier, Gamepoint Basketball hosted the College Basketball Showcase. Held at an undisclosed location, the event featured a number of the top prospects from San Diego County, as well as a few from neighboring cities.</p> <p>In the first of several reports, we look at the players who stood out among the group of 40 or so prospects.</p> <h2>EVENT SLEEPERS</h2> <h3>Christian Littlejohn, 6-6 2021 F, San Marcos</h3> <p>The showcase setting really gives Littlejohn a platform to highlight his positives as a prospect -- he is a long, athletic wing forward with improving ball skills and motor. He finished above the rim both in the halfcourt and transition, and attacked closeouts aggressively after knocking down corner threes to keep the defense honest. And he is an impressive weak side shot blocker with good timing. Littlejohn has more upside than a lot of unsigned prospects, I think he’s a project that is worth the long-term payoff. </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="971196" first="Donovan" last="Saunders"], 6-4 2022 W, Cathedral Catholic</h3> <p>Saunders broke out 18 months ago with a strong performance at the 2019 Creme of the County. Since then, he has emerged as a top football prospect, but he reinforced his value as a prospect at the event. His main attributes are his athleticism and his tenacity on both ends. Saunders is a ball hawk on defense, rebounds aggressively and attacks the basket seeking contact, finishing through it.  </p> <h3>Jordan Reed, 6-6 2021 W, Central (Imperial County)</h3> <p>The football standout showed he’s got game on the hardwood, too. He’s got great size, mobility and solid handle on the wing, and while streaky, he showed he has a playable jumpshot from deep. He plays a bit upright and doesn’t have a ton of wiggle, but there’s a lot to like from a basketball prospect perspective. </p> <h3>Adrian Thierry, 6-0 2021 PG, San Dieguito Academy</h3> <p>Thierry is making big strides in the area of his decision making, which was on display at the event. He’s got solid handle, shoots it consistently from midrange and the college three,  and has above average court vision, but in previous viewings, he tended to force the issue and turned it over at a high rate. He seems to be slowing down and playing with more patience, and the improvement is evident. </p> <h3>Brady Burman, 6-4 2022 W, Pacific Ridge</h3> <p>A small school sleeper with a nice blend of skill, rebounding and motor, Burman stands out as one of the more improved 2022 prospects. He does a good job getting to his spots (nice 15-foot pull-up jumper) and has a very efficient game. </p> <h3>Benjie Nudo, 5-10 2022 G, Del Norte </h3> <p>The first thing that jumps out is the dramatic change to Nudo’s body. At the 2019 Creme of the County, he was a wiry, undersized scoring guard. He has bulked up and has a strapping frame, to go along with his quick first step and scoring prowess. He can fill it up from three levels, and showed growth making plays in the pick and roll.  </p> <h3>Minab Mesghenna, 6-3 2022 G, St. Augustine</h3> <p>A long, wiry wing type with good ball skills and a nice dose of athleticism. Mesghenna gets overlooked because he played JV last year for a loaded Saints program, but he has a chance to be a breakout star over his final two years due to his measurables and upside. </p>