Dwan Hurt Holiday Classic Pt. 2

<p>Last week, Serra High School played host to the annual Dwan Hurt Holiday Classic. The holiday tournaments are a good way for teams to get some run and go up against solid competition. There were certainly some strong teams at the event. I was able to attend the tournament the final two days (12/22 and 12/23) and here’s a look at some of the top talent that I saw.</p> <p><strong>1. Marcel Hayes - Long Beach Poly 2022</strong></p> <p>Hayes stood out as a very good shot creator with the ball in his hands. He’s a good midrange shooter and can create space to get his shot off. Good shooter off the dribble. He has a solid slashing game too and has strong takes to the rim. Good body control to finish strong through traffic. He has good footwork in the paint and a soft touch around the rim. Good defensive player too. </p> <p><strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="748750" first="Duke" last="Gipson"] - Serra 2022</strong></p> <p>Gipson really has the tools to be a defensive anchor in the paint. He moves his feet well and does a solid job blocking and altering shots. Any shot that comes into the paint, he’s there contesting it. Offensively, he gets good position in the post. He uses his size and skill well to score effectively at the rim. He’s also able to shoot it well from midrange. He’s very active and runs the floor well in transition. Good rebounder.</p> <p><strong>3. Jameson Caruso - Beverly Hills 2023</strong></p> <p>Caruso stood out as a solid point guard. He does a good job controlling the pace in the halfcourt and he pushes the pace well in transition. In the halfcourt, he moves the ball around and can find open shooters. Very good ball-handler who can dribble under pressure. Very quick in the open court and he can easily get past his defender and get to the rim where he is a good finisher through traffic.</p> <p><strong>4. Jaden Hubbard - Fairfax 2024</strong></p> <p>Hubbard is a very good scoring wing who is comfortable with the ball in his hands making plays. He can pull-up off the dribble and he is a solid catch and shoot player from the three-point line. He’s got a quick release and can shoot with defenders closing out on him. He can put the ball on the floor and he can finish at the rim. He has the ability to be a good defensive player on the wings with his quick hands and his mobility.</p>