Hometown Favorites Basketball Weekend Standouts Pt. 2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The weekend of Aug 27/28, Jump Beyond Sports in Torrance, CA played host to the 4th annual Hometown Favorites Basketball Weekend presented by former Gardena Serra standout and current pro basketball player, Pooh Jeter. In addition to several basketball drills sessions, the event gave local high school players the opportunity to connect with local professionals outside of basketball as well. Featuring numerous guest speakers, the even concluded with several five-on-five scrimmages. I was able to attend the event on Saturday, Aug. 27 and was able to see some familiar players as well as some I haven't seen play yet. Here's a look at some of the top standouts I saw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1 [player_tooltip player_id='994918' first='Devin' last='Curtis'] - SoCal Academy 2023 <br><br>Curtis is the type of versatile big that can thrive in today's game. He has a strong offensive game. He's able to establish position in the paint and he has a soft touch around the rim; strong finisher. He can step out and space the floor as well. Has a nice midrange shot and has consistent range out to the three-point line. Uses his frame and size well to grab rebounds. Makes good decisions with the ball in the paint. Defensively, he has nice quickness and can be a strong interior defender challenging shots at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2 [player_tooltip player_id='994923' first='Mateo' last='Duran'] - St. John Bosco 2023<br><br>Duran is a solid point guard, very comfortable with the ball in his hands running the offense and finding the open teammate. Good handles and good court vision. When I first saw him play back in the spring, I was impressed with his playmaking ability above all especially running the fast break. But he can score too. He's a knockdown shooter from three off the catch and off the dribble. He's able to get to the rim and he can draw contact and get to the free-throw line. Good defensive player too. <br><br>3 Aaman Zavahir - St. Anthony 2024<br><br>Zavahir is a solid wing scorer. I first saw him play back in June at a showcase and was impressed with his ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot. He can pull-up and shoot the midrange jumper or he can get to the rim and finish. Does a good job attacking the defense and using his first step to get past his defender. He has good footwork too around the rim and getting the defense out of position to get himself good looks at the rim. Good shooter from three. Runs the floor well in transition as a finisher.<br><br>4 [player_tooltip player_id='1502772' first='Deshawn' last='Gory'] - Oak Hills 2024<br><br>Gory is a player I saw a couple of years ago as a freshman and he's come a long way since then. Back then his talent was evident. He's become much more comfortable handling the ball and being able to make plays. He is able to attack off the dribble now and he has solid handles for his size. He's worked on his shot too and is now a solid shooter from three-point range; can knock them down off the catch. An athletic finisher at the rim and a very good player in transition. Can be the primary ball-handler on the break. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->