UCSD Team Camp: Second Five
The three-day UCSD Team Camp brought teams from across the Western Region for a weekend of top-notch basketball. The well-organized event concluded Sunday with St. Augustine capturing the Triton Division championship with a 64-58 win over Fossil Ridge of Colorado,…
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Continue ReadingThe three-day UCSD Team Camp brought teams from across the Western Region for a weekend of top-notch basketball. The well-organized event concluded Sunday with St. Augustine capturing the Triton Division championship with a 64-58 win over Fossil Ridge of Colorado, the closest game the Saints had all weekend. Previously, San Diego’s Open Division championship had run roughshod over the camp’s competition, winning games by an average margin of 23 points.
Montgomery won the lower division “Navy Bracket” with an impressive defensive effort over Portola. Mission Bay won the consolation championship of the Triton Bracket.
Here are my second five performers from the weekend that was.
Lolo Rudolph, 6-2 2024 PG, St. Augustine
Rudolph has continued to elevate his stock with college coaches with the improvements in his game. Already one of the quickest and most explosive guards with the ball in his hands and a lockdown perimeter defender, Rudolph is playing with better pace, improving his decision making and beginning to hit shots from midrange off the dribble with consistency. He still can be very right-hand dominant, but at this level, it’s difficult for defenders to keep him from getting to his dominant hand.
JJ Sanchez, 6-4 2025 F, Montgomery
Sanchez continues to flummox players at this level due to his bruising size, uncanny court vision and high basketball IQ. His combination of brute strength and footwork in the post allows him to score with his back to the basket, and when teams send doubles or shade him helpside, he delivers pinpoint dimes to cutting teammates for easy baskets. Defensively, he’s a doorstop in the post and gets in position to frequently take charges or cut off driving lanes in helpside. Athletically he’s limited, but in terms of feel, very few players possess his IQ.
Charlie Hutchison, 6-7 2024 F, Mission Bay
Mission Bay’s point forward continued his strong play during the month of June by showcasing the versatility on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he handles the ball and initiate’s the teams offense, while displaying excellent pace, feel and footwork attacking the basket or scoring from midrange. Against zone defenses, he’s very good in the high-post as a passer and short-corner drives. As he continues to get stronger, he’s scoring more consistently through contact when he establishes two feet in the paint. UCSD had several coaches at his game, signaling that he’ll be a priority for them in the junior class.
Colin Hayes Colin Hayes 6'4" | SF Fossil Ridge | 2023 State CO , 6-5 2023 W, Fossil Ridge (CO)
The wiry slasher has a nice frame and an intriguing skill set for the runners up. While he doesn’t have a great handle, he has an uncanny ability to score off the wing by getting into the paint or to his spots in the midrange, where he is extremely effective getting on balance and finishing. Defensively, he plays with maximum effort, and his length and active hands come into play in the passing lanes, where he collected steals and scored in transition. Hayes plays hard every possession, a skill set in itself.
Elijah Newsome, 6-1 2023 G, Otay Ranch
This was the best I’ve seen Newsome play over the past year, as he looks like he is evolving into a capable scoring point guard. A physically developed guard, Newsome can get downhill and bully his way into the paint, and uses his improved handle to shake loose of defenders to create the space to get downhill. On several occasions, you saw defenders bounce off of him as he got into the paint and absorbed contact to finish. A noted three-point shooter with deep range, Newsome has to improve his shot selection, but he gets hot in a hurry and can hit them from beyond NBA range. The area where he showed most improvement was his willingness as a passer, dropping some nifty dimes off dribble penetration, though he sometimes has to look for the simple pass vs the home run play. Overall, this was a huge weekend for Newsome, who is very underrated at this stage of his recruitment.