Classic at Damien: Senior Sleepers

<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Classic at Damien: Senior Sleepers</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">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 <b>Jack Payne</b> (Owyhee/ID) and Fresno State-bound <b>[player_tooltip player_id="1176080" first="Joseph" last="Hunter"]</b> (Damien) as well as some scintillating underclassmen like 2024 <b>Vyctorius Miller</b> (Crean Lutheran) and 2025 <b>Jovani Ruff</b> (LB Poly).<span class="Apple-converted-space"> In addition, there were a number of seniors that have improved their stock like <strong>Christian Estrada</strong> (St. John Bosco) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="972530" first="Payden" last="White"]</strong> (Riverside Poly). </span></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Christian Estrada (St. John Bosco)</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, PF, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds</b></span></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Christian-Estrada-crop-1242x816-1641428142.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1360663 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Christian-Estrada-crop-1242x816-1641428142-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> Estrada is the glue for the Braves’ success. The blue-collar 5-man is a chiseled lefthander who is a load underneath. He can hit the elbow jump shot, but he does most of his work in the paint creating space, utilizing his good hands, and having a knack for rebounding.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Eric Shepard (Los Osos)</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, SG, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> This was our first look at Shepard and we came away impressed with his overall impact on the game. He is a strong combo-guard who can guard multiple positions. He has long arms and solid ball skills and knows how to get in the lane for the finish. He plays with a great motor, shows a good feel for the game, and has all the athletic attributes. Projects well as a JUCO priority with upside.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="972530" first="Payden" last="White"] (Riverside Poly)</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, WF, 6-foot-5, 180 pounds</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take: </b>There have not been too many prospects who have elevated their stock more than White during his senior campaign. He was terrific in the semis against Damien as he stuffed the stat sheet at both ends. He is a slashing athlete who can get in the lane and finish and his jump shot is on the come. He exhibits good ball skills, can defend multiple positions, and plays with a hot motor.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Spivey Word (Damien)</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, CG, 6-foot, 155 pounds</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> Word has been a steady force for Damien the last two seasons and is having a very solid senior campaign. He has a steady jump shot off the catch and he gets great lift on his shot. He can finish above the rim in transition and has evolved into a solid defender.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Daniel Hardy (Long Beach Poly)</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, PF, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds</b></span></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> Hardy is a raw prospect, but checks off all the boxes when it comes to an ideal frame and overall athleticism. He is a rim-running finisher, has the lateral quickness to defend the perimeter, and he is a quality rebounder. With a couple of seasons of JUCO, he could evolve into a Division 1 player.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>