San Diego tournaments: Day 4 standouts

<p>The final day of the tournament season in San Diego saw me attend the final day of the Tri-City Holiday Classic, where several San Diego teams were in action. In the best game of the day, Tri-City Christian battled back from a 17-point deficit to stun Maranatha Christian 60-54. </p> <p>A quick drive up Melrose Drive had me at Rancho Buena Vista High for the final day of the Governor’s Division of The Holiday Classic, where I saw a few games, including a dominant Vista effort against Canyon Crest Academy.</p> <p>And finally, I made my way to St. Augustine High for the championship of The Holiday Classic’s American Division, where a dominant performance by Mission Hills senior [player_tooltip player_id="971187" first="Justin" last="White"] propelled the Grizzlies to a 63-56 win over a very good Camas team from Washington. </p> <p>Here are some of my standouts on the day. </p> <h3>Best performance</h3> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="971187" first="Justin" last="White"], 6-6 2022 F, Mission Hills</strong></p> <p>In a word, White was flat-out dominant in the win over Camas, scoring 24 points and grabbing 7 rebounds and making critical bucket after critical bucket down the stretch. We talked about his performance earlier in the week, and he delivered every game for the Grizzlies with interior and midrange buckets, physical rebounding on both ends and excellent position defense in the post and on switches on the perimeter. If there is a single player who raised their stock the most this week, it was White, who saw Redlands begin recruiting him and other schools follow suit. </p> <h3>Best prospect</h3> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="994937" first="Cyprian" last="Hyde"], 6-10 2023 C, Vista</strong></p> <p>Hyde had one of the best games I’ve seen him play in person in the win over Canyon Crest. He dominated the Ravens in the paint, making a concerted effort to stay in the paint versus floating on the perimeter as he had done in other viewings. This effort extended to the boards, where he actively pursued boards in the paint and out of his area. He showed that he still has soft touch from midrange, nailing a couple of spot up and fadeaway shots from 10-15 feet. And defensively, he altered a lot of Canyon Crest’s attempts. If he continues to give these type of efforts, it won’t be a stretch to call him one of the top big men prospects in the state in his class. </p> <h3>Best scorer</h3> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="971240" first="Benji" last="Hilstock"], 6-2 2022 G, Vista</strong></p> <p>While his teammate Hyde was doing the job in the paint, Hilstock got it done scoring from all three levels, and did so efficiently. Not quite a true PG (at times, he can be loose with the ball especially in pick and roll action), Hilstock’s best attribute is that he can get a bucket when you need it, scoring through contact or getting to the foul line on drives, pulling up from midrange, or knocking down threes off the bounce or off the catch. In this recruiting environment, JUCO might be his best option, but he’d be a great pick up for them. </p> <h3>Most intriguing</h3> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="971189" first="Jayden" last="White"], 6-7 2022 G/W, Mission Hills</strong></p> <p>Justin’s twin brother was a 6-0 guard to start high school, and has grown physically and maturity-wise, delivering a well-rounded effort for the Grizzlies in the win. A big wing whose perimeter skills make him a mismatch on the floor, Jayden is an excellent rebounder, a sound secondary ball handler, and has improved court vision and feel. The lefty has loads of long-term upside for a team that is willing to develop the other aspects of his game, including is rapidly improving perimeter attack. </p> <p><strong>Kieran Ashley, 6-6 2022 F, Coronado</strong></p> <p>Ashley stands out as a chiseled physically imposing prospect with solid athleticism and freakish length. On a rebuilding Coronado team, he has to do a lot that he wouldn’t likely have to do at the next level, but you see in flashes where he would fit in at the collegiate level: a physical presence on the boards who can score through contact and hit a spot-up jumper if necessary. </p> <p><strong>Marley Gonzalez, 6-7 2022 F, Escondido Charter</strong></p> <p>Gonzalez continues his upward trajectory that he’s been on since the summer. At the small school level, he commands a lot of attention from opposing defenses due to his ability to attack off the bounce from the top of the key (really nimble feet for a guy his size). He has soft hands and nice touch around the basket, and while he’s not a leaper, he gives improved effort on the glass. A very young 2022 prospect, he’d be a very good redshirt candidate at a school willing to continue the progress he’s made on his body. </p> <h3>Best shooter</h3> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1241594" first="Miguel" last="Yniguez"], 6-7 2022 F, Canyon Crest</strong></p> <p>Yniguez, who recently was offered by San Francisco State, has great size and a prolific stroke from the perimeter, especially off the catch. He shoots it from behind his head, which allows him to get his shot off against taller defenders. As he prepares for the next level, he needs to take greater advantage of his physical gifts attacking the basket and rebounding the ball, which will open up more shooting opportunities as he becomes a more well-rounded threat. </p> <h3>Biggest surprise</h3> <p><strong>Darnell Adler, 6-4 2022 WF, Stevenson</strong></p> <p>Adler, who is a football prospect, has a sleek build, solid athleticism and length, and plays to his strengths. He has magnetic hands around the basket (excellent in pick-and-roll) and finishes at a prolific rate and limits his attacks to one-to-two dribbles, getting most of his offense in the paint. But he also showed he can step out and shoot the three off the catch. Defensively, he played excellent position defense while giving up three inches and about 50 pounds to Marley Gonzalez. </p> <p><strong>Trent Toole, 6-1 2023 G, Stevenson </strong></p> <p>Toole, who apparently is a baseball prospect, is a pretty good guard in his own right. A slasher with crafty handles, Toole got into the paint seemingly when he wanted to against Escondido Charter, and had some crafty finishes off the bounce. A streaky shooter from the perimeter, he hit some critical shots to help his team pull away for the victory. </p>