Brotherhood Fall League Final Day: Ten Best
Had a chance this weekend to head up to Del Lago Academy in Escondido for the final day of the Brotherhood Fall League. First off, if you’ve never seen their facility, head up there ASAP. It’s one of the best gyms in the entire county. Kris Bucu has done a great job with the league, giving teams from some of the lower CIF divisions an opportunity to tune up against each other before the start of the season.
In the first of two reports from the league’s final day, I look at the standouts from the morning session.
Brotherhood Basketball Fall League Finale – Ten Best
Marley Gonzalez, 6-7 2022 F, Escondido Charter
Gonzalez is playing the best basketball of his career right now. Taking a leap athletically and skill-wise, Gonzalez put together a dominant second half to lead his team to a comeback win over a solid Mar Vista team. He has soft hands and improved footwork on the block and perimeter, and plays with greater toughness than I’ve seen at any point. A very young senior (just turned 17 a week ago), Gonzalez is trending in the right direction.
Tristan Hernandez, 5-11 2022 G, Escondido Charter
The White Tigers’ floor general did a solid job on both ends Saturday. A physical, scrappy presence defensively, he did a good job playing position defense against the Mariners guards, forcing them into contested layups. Offensively, he does a good job getting his team into sets and gets into the paint and makes good decisions.
Josiah Scott, 5-11 2022 G, Mr Vista
Scott is an electric scoring point guard who opened the second half of the game against Esco Charter on fire, knocking down three straight triples to give the Mariners a 10-point lead. A slick ball handler and right-hand dominant scorer, Scott can score in a hurry. Down the stretch, however, he needed to be more assertive as his team’s lead dwindled, and he must improve his effort level on defense.
Santiago Estrada, 6-0 2024 G, Mar Vista
Of the Mariners three-headed back court, Estrada is the one I think has the most upside. A long, crafty scorer, Estrada can fill it up from three levels when he’s on, although he is at this juncture a streaky scorer. He’s not a burner, but his hesitation dribble and change of pace keeps defenses off balance.
Danny Lopez, 5-5 2023 G, Escondido Charter
At 5-5, Lopez is really effective at scoring in the paint with his runners and floaters and making the right read in transition (very underrated passer). He’s also very feisty defensively and his competitive fire is infectious on his teammates.
Mikey Murray, 5-11 2022 G, St. Joseph’s Academy
Murray is an electric scorer who can put it in from all three levels. He’s got an unorthodox handle, but his initial burst puts defenders on their heels, which he uses to set up his really strong mid-range pull-up game. He’s also a solid defender who can play the passing lanes to collect steals.
Daniel Valenzuela, 6-1 2022 G, St. Joseph’s Academy
There might not be a player who has done more for themselves from a post-HS perspective this fall than Valenzuela, a confident shooter and scorer who is primed for a breakout season. He can knock down shots off the catch and attack closeouts for one-dribble pull-ups, but also has the ability to get into the lane and finish through traffic. Playing alongside Murray, the duo comprise arguably the best one-two combo in CIF D5 this season.
Aidan Montanez, 6-5 2022 F, Tri-City Christian
A big, physical “basketball player” Montanez does it all for Tri-City Christian. He is a very strong rebounder in traffic and out of the paint, handles it well enough to initiate transition offense, and can finish plays through contact or make the correct read with the pass. Montanez has also improved as a shooter, knocking down a couple of jump shots off the catch. He’s a very strong student who should get lots of Academic D3 interest this winter.
Chase Newman, 6-5 2024 W, Ramona
Newman is an intriguing 2024 prospect who looks to be one of the sleepers in the local class. He has nice size, length and athleticism and perimeter skill-set and plays the game the right way – very little wasted effort, and extremely efficient. He’s also a very good rebounder for a guard/ wing.
Austin Moe, 5-9 2022 PG, Ramona
Moe packs a punch for being an undersized guard. He’s got a stocky build, good burst with the ball, and is extremely unselfish, preferring to set up teammates in drive-and-kick or finding cutters when the help defense stops his penetration. Defensively, he sits in a stance and is very physical on the ball.