Nick Herrmann Memorial Showcase: Biggest surprises

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a day to remember the life of Nick Herrmann and to honor him with what he loved the most: good basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gamepoint Basketball and Torrey Pines High School organized the six-game event, which featured 12 of the top basketball teams from the San Diego/ Southwest Riverside County region.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the showcase's featured nightcap, [player_tooltip player_id='1069091' first='Mikey' last='Williams'] dazzled en route to an event-high 42 points in a close win over Carlsbad. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Which prospects surprised with their play? We explore some of the biggest revelations here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Jake Van Der Vorste, 5-11 2026 G, Mission Hills</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A well-built combo guard who can score it and rebound it, Van Der Vorste is a varsity-ready prospect who plays the game the right way. He will give the Grizzlies a nice scoring option off the bench who will be able to hold his own defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Terrion Woodard, 6-2 2024 G, El Camino</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Woodard has caught my attention in two recent Wildcats games with his ability to shoot the ball off the catch and his explosive athleticism, which he is still learning how to use on the court. Woodard is an excellent on-ball defender and a good rebounder on both ends. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='1576758' first='Cody' last='Myers'], 6-4 2025 F, Vista</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Myers was the only Panther with a pulse for most of the night, hustling on the boards and knocking down a pair of baseline threes to get Vista back in the game in the second half. A hard-nosed 'tweener, Myers has always had a great motor, and now he's starting to add some skill offensively. He's a nice piece for Vista as a reserve. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Caden Pearlman, 6-4 2023 F, La Costa Canyon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of two role players for the Mavericks who stood out, Pearlman is an excellent "glue guy." He competes on the boards, dives for 50/50 balls and unselfishly moves the ball in the half court and sets solid screens. It doesn't hurt that Pearlman can also knock down shots off the catch and finish around the rim. He'll likely come off the bench during the regular season, but he's the type of player that winning teams usually have. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Ben Hoier, 6-1 2023 G, La Costa Canyon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoier is the second Mavericks role player who stood out in a losing effort with his motor, IQ, ability to shoot the ball (albeit a streaky shooter from three) and pass as an off guard. Hoier is a little more dynamic than Pearlman offensively, and has a similar impact defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->