WCE Summer Finale: Friday Night Standouts

<p>Friday Night of the second evaluation period had me back in the sweltering sauna that is Momentous Sports Center for the West Coast Elite Summer Finale. I was only able to get a few games in, but here were the standouts from the evening that was.</p> <h3>Star of the Night: [player_tooltip player_id="994915" first="Derrius" last="Carter-Hollinger"], 6-5 2023 WF, St. Augustine/ West Coast Elite 16u National</h3> <p>Carter-Hollinger’s IQ, feel and motor allow him to the game on both ends. Offensively, he operated primarily out of the midpost, where he used a quick first step to get into the lane and either scored (or got fouled and hit free throws) or found open shooters on the wing or cutters moving to the basket. A very active rebounder, Carter-Hollinger pursues boards out of his area, which allows him to initiate transition offense.</p> <p>Defensively, Carter-Hollinger’s length and lateral quickness allow him to guard every position in a high school game. It also allows his team to effectively guard the pick-and-roll because he can switch and effectively guard the other team’s guards. </p> <p>He led the way for West Coast Elite with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists - an impressive effort - in a win over Whatcom Slam. </p> <p>Improved perimeter shooting will only make him a greater threat on offense. </p> <h3>Blue collar workhorses</h3> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9452-crop-1613x1059-1626900317.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1242079" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9452-crop-1613x1059-1626900317-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="971252" first="John" last="McFadden"], 6-6 2022 F, San Juan Hills/ West Coast Elite San Diego 17 National</h3> <p>McFadden only had 6 points, but controlled the paint in his team’s narrow win over West Coast Flight. He grabbed 12 rebounds, giving his team multiple second-chance opportunities on the offensive glass. He simply outworked the WCF bigs on the glass, boxing out aggressively and pursuing boards well out to the three point line. </p> <h3>Tyran Lane, 6-6 2022 F, Lummi Nation School (WA)/ Whatcom Slam</h3> <p>The lefty was engaged in a physical battle with [player_tooltip player_id="994915" first="Derrius" last="Carter-Hollinger"] in the game vs WCE 16u. The word to describe this undersized low-post threat is rugged. He bangs in the paint and backs down his defender to set up his jump hook over his right shoulder, finishing with regularity. He had a couple of baseline drives that weren’t very fluid, but he scored through contact. And he plays with a certain edge and toughness that is infectious. </p> <h3>Best Motor</h3> <h3>Logan Stewart, 6-3 2025 W, Santa Ana Mater Dei/ Big Red </h3> <p>The incoming freshman was everywhere in the game vs Gamepoint 17u Select. He crashed the glass on both ends, played the passing lanes for steals and filled the lanes and sprinted hard on the fast break to finish around the bucket. In my notes, I noted his activity level gave his opponents fits. </p> <h3>Most improved</h3> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="971233" first="Tate" last="Smith"] 6-3 2022 G, La Jolla Country Day/ West Coast Flight</h3> <p>As a freshman, Smith was primarily a catch-and-shoot threat. Now, he has become a crafty combo guard who can create for himself and others out of the pick-and-roll to go along with his sharpshooting ability from deep. He’s one of San Diego’s bigger sleepers.</p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="748774" first="Vinny" last="Signorelli"], 6-1 2022 G, Victory Christian/ West Coast Elite 17u National</h3> <p>Like Smith, Signorelli’s game has evolved a lot over the course of his career. He displayed some solid passing out of the pick-and-roll, an improved handle and solid change of pace, which allowed him to get by defenders despite not having elite burst. He had a stretch in the game where he was dominant, scoring and assisting on 13 points in the 2-point win over West Coast Flight. </p> <h3>Bully with game</h3> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9451-crop-1613x1059-1626900404.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1242083" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9451-crop-1613x1059-1626900404-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>Autrey Dawkins-Tawfiq, 6-4 2022 G, Balboa School/ West Coast Elite 17u National</h3> <p>Dawkins-Tawfiq has a physically imposing game for a guard and likes to get downhill and punish smaller guards, but he’s also got some wiggle on the perimeter and can knock down shots from midrange and three off the dribble. Defensively, he wears down guards with his size and physicality.  </p> <h3>Best shooters</h3> <h3>Mason Bowers, 6-2 2022 SG, Carlsbad/ West Coast Elite 17u National </h3> <p>Bowers hit four threes in the win over West Coast Flight, all off the catch. He remains shot ready on the perimeter, and has a super quick release. He can get to the midrange with a one-dribble pull-up, but needs to improve his handle attacking the basket. </p> <h3>Riley Hale, 5-10 2025 PG, Santa Ana Mater Dei/ Big Red</h3> <p>Hale came alive in the second half when Big Red went on a big run to defeat Gamepoint 17u Select. A very good spot-up shooter, Hale also does a good job playing on balance and getting into the paint and playing off of two feet, where he drops pinpoint passes to open shooters or can finish with a floater over the rim protection. </p> <h3>Troy Jenkins, 6-4 2024 SG, Santa Ana Mater Dei/ Big Red</h3> <p>The combo guard has a very smooth game, but the best part is his picturesque mechanics on jumpshot, which he can shoot off the catch or in midrange with pull-up jumpshots in rhythm. </p> <h3>Biggest Surprise</h3> <h3>Jaiden Schube, 5-11 G, Scripps Ranch/ West Coast Elite 16u National </h3> <p>With WCE down a couple of starters, it was Schube who came out very aggressive attacking the basket, knocking down a three and constantly playing with an assertive mindset. He plays extremely hard and doesn’t take plays off and uses his active hands to create live-ball turnovers.  He followed up Friday’s performances with another big scoring effort Saturday morning. </p> <h3>Best point guards</h3> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9469-crop-1613x1059-1626900489.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1242086" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/IMG_9469-crop-1613x1059-1626900489-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>Baron Bracey, 6-1 2022 PG, Balboa School/ Gamepoint Select</h3> <p>Bracey is a compact, explosive point guard who has an unorthodox handle, but manages to get into the paint and make plays off of two feet. A very vocal leader, he holds his teammates accountable and demands excellence from them, making him an extension of his coach on the floor. Bracey’s midrange attack and his on-ball defense are stellar. Improved decision making off the bounce (turnover prone) is the next step of his development. </p> <h3>Devari Davis, 5-11 2023 PG, Mt Vernon (WA)/ Whatcom Slam</h3> <p>A long, wiry lead guard with a quick first step and a crafty finishing package, Davis kept Whatcom in the game with his drive-and-kick plays or scoring off the bounce. He can also hit jumpers in rhythm off the catch, but needs to improve his midrange pull-up, which he shoots with a slight hitch in his release. </p>