State Preview Classic: Junior Class Standouts (Pt. 2)
In this article:
ONTARIO — The annual State Preview Classic hosted by Harvey Kitani had a co-host this year in Colony high school and coach Jerry DeFabiis. The always-loaded event had some of the top SoCal high school programs and prospects line it…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingONTARIO — The annual State Preview Classic hosted by Harvey Kitani had a co-host this year in Colony high school and coach Jerry DeFabiis. The always-loaded event had some of the top SoCal high school programs and prospects line it up for an eight game event. Below are the game results and second set of top performers from the junior class.
Rancho Verde 61, Oak Hills 51
St. Francis 64, Long Beach Poly 60
Rolling Hills Prep 68, Saugus 58
Los Altos 61, Hillcrest 50
St. Anthony 60, Capistrano Valley Christian 59
Harvard-Westlake 79, Birmingham 55
Etiwanda 53, Colony 52
Corona Centennial 72, Crean Lutheran 57
Jacob McFarland, Rancho Verde – McFarland is just beginning to scratch the surface of the player he has the potential to become. The 6-foot-10 center has all the measurables and fluid athleticism you look for in a next-level big man. In addition to those size and athleticism traits, McFarland is already an impact defender due to his instincts on shot blocks and shot contests and ability to jump and stay vertical when changing shots around the basket.
Jared McCain Jared McCain 6'3" | PG Centennial | 2023 State #24 Nation CA-S , Corona Centennial – McCain has grown into stardom both on and off the court. For the sake of this topic, we’ll discuss his on-court performance. The 6-foot-3 junior guard is one of the elite shooters in the country and he’s also a very capable ball handler and initiator of offense when needed. McCain thrives in an uptempo and free-flowing open-court tempo where he can spread defenses out with the three-ball but also attack driving lanes and finish around the basket.
Jazz Gardner Jazz Gardner 7'0" | C Los Altos | 2023 State #85 Nation CA-S , Los Altos – Gardner was on the winning side of the highly-anticipated battle of the 7-footers when Los Altos matched up against Riverside Hillcrest. The skilled big man got into early foul trouble which led to a less than Jazz-like first half, but he was able to settle in over the final 16 minutes to lead the Conquerors to victory. Gardner finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, scoring in a variety of ways from dunks to back to the basket moves to stretching the floor to the three-point line.
Jimmy Baker Jimmy Baker 6'2" | PG Etiwanda | 2023 State CA-S , Etiwanda – Baker is one of the fastest and most athletic point guards we have in Southern California, but his ability to play with pace, physicality and manage the flow of a game is what separates him as one of the better junior prospects in the state. The 6-foot-1 floor general has great end to end speed with the ball in his hands and dictates tempo with his IQ. Baker finished with 12 points in Etiwanda’s one-point win over Colony.
Kollen Murphy Kollen Murphy 6'2" | PG Colony | 2023 State CA-S , Colony – The left-handed combo guard has an impressive combination of size, speed, feel for the game and basketball IQ. Murphy can play both on or off the ball with his ability to hit catch and shoot three’s or hit driving lanes for downhill baskets at the rim and he can also initiate offense and handle any pressure a defense throws at him. Murphy had 10 points in a loss to Etiwanda and just missed a potential game-winning layup on a strong drive at the end of the game.