Live Period Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second live period for July is in the books. PH NorCal was in Las Vegas to capture some of the standouts at the two main events. The Las Vegas Live, and Las Vegas Big Time, both had good representation from NorCal. Some teams were able to get into the semi-finals, while others made it to the title game at their respective levels. With such a large venue of teams and locations PH NorCal could not see all the teams and prospects from NorCal. Here’s a group of prospects who stood out while we were in attendance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1380867’ first=’Amari’ last=’Gray’] 2023 6’1 CG of Bay City Warriors RB.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With two key players sitting. This was an opportunity for Gray to showcase his skills on the big stage. He did not disappoint. The combo guard would not be denied. He used his speed, and slickness to get a victory over PGE EYBL 16. He repeatedly went by defenders using a burst of speed and quickness, along with superb handles, all while challenging bigs at the rim for buckets high off the glass. He made key jumpers down the stretch off the dribble. He had success defending taller players, and hauled in key rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1381185’ first=’Elias’ last=’Weathers’] 2023 6’1 G/W of PHPS 17.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Weathers</strong> gradually improved his play as the games moved forward. You could see him gaining confidence slowly but surely. The athletically strong guard started using his toughness to attack, and challenge bigs at the rim and in the paint for points and rebounds at 6’1. He started knocking down jumpers in the corner and scoring in the paint off the dribble. We thought he was one of the surprise performers from NorCal. We’ll keep an eye on him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1498204’ first=’Ivan’ last=’Soto’] 2023 6’1 SG of San Francisco Rebels 17.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Soto was key in an early morning contest with an 8am start time. He was ready to go, while his teammates struggled a bit. The shooting guard kept his team in the game knocking down corner 3’s in this semi-final contest, which ultimately led to the SF Rebels winning the title in their division. He’s a confident shooter, takes care of the ball, and makes good decisions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1510685’ first=’Gavin’ last=’Cox’] 2023 6’7 F of California Wizards 17</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He was active on both ends of the court. He’s long, wiry and runs the court well. He did a good job of defending in the paint, using his length to change a few shots. He was aggressive looking to score in the paint using the jumper in the key and put backs from getting his rebound. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id=’1384448’ first=’Donez’ last=’Lindsey’] 2025 5’9 PG of Lincoln in Stockton.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lindsey</strong> has expanded his game. He’s a quality on ball defender who’s now starting to put points on the board. He’s aggressive, and is handling contact while making his move towards the basket. He beat his man off the dribble, and into the paint often. He’s knocking down his dribble drive jumper from mid-range and in the paint. He was key in leading WCE UA NorCal 15 to the title game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->