Classic at Damien: Glue-types

Joel Francisco

January 8, 2022 @ 07:12 PM

Classic at Damien: Glue-types LA VERNE, CA—Despite a surge of Covid over the Southland, the Classic at Damien persevered with some outstanding games and talent galore—especially the underclassmen. There were some senior standouts like Colorado State-bound Jack Payne (Owyhee/ID) and Fresno State-bound [player_tooltip player_id="1176080" first="Joseph" last="Hunter"] (Damien) as well as some scintillating underclassmen like 2024 Vyctorius Miller (Crean Lutheran) and 2025 Jovani Ruff (LB Poly). In this segment, we will focus on the glue-types--that particular player that is their team’s catalyst--as exemplified by 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="994950" first="Aaron" last="McBride"]. Kade Bonam (St. John Bosco) 2025, PF, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds Joel’s Take: Bonam, despite his youth, affects the game like a young Draymond Green. He has a burly frame, soft hands, and overall solid length. He is excellent in the half-court set utilizing his ability to affect the game in multiple ways. His passing, footwork, and touch are exceptional. He can lead the break, operate from the elbow, or carve out space in the paint to finish. Rashaud Bradley (Sheldon) 2022, SG, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds Joel’s Take: Sheldon has a collection of good athletes and they all play hard. However, the glue of the bunch and it’s most productive player is Bradley. He leads his team in every important statistical category. He can score from all three levels, rebound in traffic, and finish through contact. Defensively, he can defend all three perimeter positions and his consistency is impressive. Kwinton Crenshaw (Etiwanda) 2022, CG, 6-foot-1, 170 pounds Joel’s Take: Each and every season, Head Coach Dave Kleckner always has that glue-type that oozes moxie—and Crenshaw is that dude this season. The physical combo-guard loves to get physical at both ends. Defensively, he sides his feet well and has active hands. Offensively, he can knock down the 3-point shot and finish through contact. Whether its grabbing a rebound in traffic, communicating on defense, or hitting a clutch shot—Crenshaw has shown all those aspects of the game at this event. [player_tooltip player_id="934486" first="Noah" last="Moeaki"] (American Fork) 2022, WF, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds Joel’s Take: American Fork is a solid all-around team and Moeaki is their catalyst. The BYU signee (football) is tough to deal with at both ends of the floor. Despite being undersized he knows how to carve out space in the paint while rebounding and he can finish through contact. He can play inside and out, but he does most of his damage within 10-feet of the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="994950" first="Aaron" last="McBride"] (Corona Centennial) 2023, PF, 6-foot-6, 215 pounds Joel’s Take: Centennial is loaded up and down the roster with versatile perimeter players and “bigs.” Every successful team has glue types and McBride is that player for his team. The physical 4-man can score through contact or take his defender off the bounce and get to the rim. His perimeter touch has improved and he always plays with a good motor.