Battlezone LA: Top 2023 Prospects

<p>Who were some of the top rising juniors at the Adidas Battlezone?</p> <p>Here are some of my selections:</p> <h2>Battlezone LA: Top 2023 prospects </h2> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="970270" first="Marqui" last="Worthy"], 6-2 2023 G, Veritas Prep/ Veritas Titans 17u</h3> <p>Worthy, who reclassified to the 2023 class after transferring this year from Sonora HS, was arguably the most impactful 2023 player at the 17u level this weekend. A strong, physical combo guard, Worthy can finish through contact with the best of him, and is a knockdown jump shooter. Defensively, his physicality makes it difficult for opposing guards to initiate offense by fighting over screens and disrupting pick and rolls. </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994955" first="Kollen" last="Murphy"], 6-3 2023 PG, Ontario Colony/ Los Angeles Elite 17u</h3> <p>It might be the toughest time for true juniors to compete playing "up" on 17s as a result of the glut of unsigned prep players and seniors on rosters, but Murphy and a couple others managed to stand out throughout the weekend.</p> <p>Murphy has elite burst and a quick first step in the half court. He gets into the paint and does a solid job playing off two feet, whether to score or set up teammates with the pass. Defensively, his length, lateral quickness and tenacity make him one of the top on-ball defenders in his class.  </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994931" first="Martin" last="Gumwel"], 6-11 2023 C, Calvin Christian/ Gamepoint 17u Elite</h3> <p>It often takes Gumwel a few weeks to get up to the speed of this level of hoops after playing small-school ball during the HS season, but his upside and skill set are undeniable. He runs the floor hard, finishes above the rim, blocks shots and gives max effort on the boards. And he’s shown flashes of a developing face-up game from 15 feet. </p> <h3>Jason Fontenet, 6-4 2023 SG, Saint Mary’s (AZ)/ Firestorm 16u</h3> <p>Fontenet is one of the purest jump shooters in the gym, regardless of class. He gets his shoulders and body square to the basket and gets great lift on his shot, and his release is picturesque. The combo guard is an efficient scorer off the bounce, and is strong enough to finish through contact. </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994909" first="JJ" last="Bartelloni"], 6-5 2023 SG, Torrey Pines/ California Select</h3> <p>It’s always nice to see players who play to their strengths in these settings. Bartelloni is an elite jump shooter, and he knocked down shots off the catch at a ridiculous clip all weekend. But what you didn’t see him do was overhandle or do too much off the bounce, which isn’t his strength. Rather, he delivered crisp, point passes to cutting teammates and filled lanes and finished layups off of sharp cuts himself. </p> <h3>Luis Marin, 6-4 2023 G, St. Joseph (CA)/ BTI Select 16u</h3> <p>An explosive athlete with great upside, Marin scored from three levels and fearlessly attacked the basket looking to finish above the rim. The guard has great size and rebounds it well, which allows him to push the ball in transition and finish or make nice passes to teammates. He also buys in to the team defensive concept, playing solid on-ball and off-ball defense. </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994949" first="Jaden" last="Matingou"], 6-2 2023 G, St. Augustine/ Gamepoint 16u </h3> <p>A wiry, long combo guard that plays with an edge, Matingou proved to be Gamepoint’s top player on the 16s all weekend. He attacked the basket with regularity and got to the free throw line pretty much at will. He also dropped some nifty passes in the half court and the fast break. He is an excellent on-ball defender who sits in a stance and gives max effort in man defense. </p> [caption id="attachment_1236850" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9225.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1236850 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9225-e1626284197800-300x267.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="267" /></a> 2023 Salesian G Eric Watson has skill, length and upside[/caption] <h3>Eric Watson, 6-3 2023 G, Salesian College Prep/ The Magic Sacramento</h3> <p>One of three very good guards on the Sacramento-based team, Watson has the most upside. He has very good size, length, and craftiness with the ball, scoring from three levels and is a solid position defender. </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994962" first="Rockwell" last="Reynolds"], 6-9 2023 PF, Santa Margarita/ Cali Rebels 16u</h3> <p>Reynolds continues to ascend the list of 2023 bigs in California due to his improved skill, footwork, scoring and rebounding. He can finish around the basket with either hand, step out and attack closeouts for scoring drives and does a solid job protecting the rim. </p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994926" first="Angelo" last="Gil"], 6-1 2023 PG, Mission Bay/ San Diego All-Stars 17u</h3> <p>Beyond his playmaking out of the pick-and-roll, on-ball defense and much improved perimeter shooting (his midrange pull-up out of the pick-and-roll is deadly), Gil’s best attributes are his intangibles. He is a vocal leader who has a commanding presence at the point, always encourages his teammates and holds them accountable. He raised his stock among coaches this weekend. </p> <h3>BJ Taylor, 5-11 2023 PG, Corona Centennial/ Hoop Nation 16u </h3> <p>One of the toughest competitors in the gym all weekend, Taylor took pride in locking up opposing point guards while making plays all over the court on the other end. Taylor has a smooth shooting stroke and hits shots from midrange and three, and he is an unselfish playmaker (one of the better post-entry passers on hand this weekend). You might not see his impact for two years, when Taylor is a senior, because of the crowded back court at Centennial, but he's a D1 prospect. </p>