Big Play: California Top 250 Expo
In this article:
After seeing all of the talents today, here are the top bigs from this Saturday at the California Top 250 Expo. Kellen Hampton Kellen Hampton 6'7" | SF Southern California Academy | 2025 #120 Nation CA-S – PF – 6’7”…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAfter seeing all of the talents today, here are the top bigs from this Saturday at the California Top 250 Expo.
Kellen Hampton Kellen Hampton 6'7" | SF Southern California Academy | 2025 #120 Nation CA-S – PF – 6’7” – 2025 Moreau Catholic
Young stud. This prospect is only going into his sophomore year and has all the tools for success. He is a strong bull guard trapped in a big man’s body. Throwing down nasty dunks, he clears the paint when he drives to the basket. He has a decent shot but still room for improvement. If he continues to work on that (as he is still very young), he is someone that will be impossible to stop.
Jamari Widemon Jamari Widemon 6'5" | PF Berkeley | 2024 State CA-N – PF – 6’5” – 2024 Berkeley
Dominant big man on both ends of the floor. Definitely look for him to improve his technical skills over the next year. With that said, he has a relentless mentality, where you will never see him settle as he is always attacking the defense.
Dontaye Hardy Dontaye Hardy 6'7" | C Artesia | 2024 CA-S – PF – 6’7” – 2024 Artesia
A young prospect who still has a lot of room to grow, he still brings a lot to the table right now. An elite shot blocker and picking up full-court on the defensive end. On the other end he proves to be a stretch big who is agile and finishes through contact.
TiJuan Lumpkin TiJuan Lumpkin 6'6" | SF Village Christian | 2023 State CA-S – PF – 6’6” – 2023 Village Christian
Easily the most skilled big man in the gym. He was able to show every skill imaginable during his time on the court. He does everything from bringing the ball up, taking step back threes, to creating for his teammates. Very active on the defensive end and blocking shots. His best attribute is being unstoppable in the open court.
Sean Cruz Sean Cruz 6'3" | C Notre Dame | 2024 CA-S – PF – 6’3” – 2024 Notre Dame
He is a bit undersized for his traditional big-man style of play. With that said, his huge presence in the paint was undeniable. He finished just about every time his foot stepped in the paint. Watching his play you don’t expect much production, but when he went to his go-to spin move, he was unguardable.
Zion Staples Zion Staples 6'5" | PF Artesia | 2024 State CA-S – PF – 6’5” – 2024 Artesia
While he looks like a traditional big man, his play said otherwise. I had the chance to watch him grab big rebounds and go coast-to-coast multiple times. He also set up a great pick-and-pop game with his teammates to set himself up for open mid-range and three-point shots.
Each of these big men were able to show their talent in the Irvine, California gym this afternoon. The talents varied from dominance and control from both ends of the floor. All these players have a skill set that will improve their teams in multiple facets of the game.