Bucs Thanksgiving Classic: Third Five

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bucs Thanksgiving Classic is proving to be an excellent barometer of where teams are at the start of the season. If this year's event is any indication, Carlsbad looks to be a serious Open Division threat. The Lancers handily defeated Mission Bay 78-61 to claim the championship, winning its four games by an average of 22 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here were some of the top players we saw throughout the Thanksgiving Week tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Atreju De La Cruz and [player_tooltip player_id='1434840' first='Thomas' last='Metcalf'] Mission Bay</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>De la Cruz showcased his upside in the Bucs dominant win over the La Jolla Country Day, dominating his matchup against fellow sophomore Chris Carrillo. He's got the length, craftiness and headiness you like to see in young point guards, and shows flashes of being a lock-down on-ball defender. He needs to be more assertive offensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His 6-4 senior counterpart, Metcalf, continues to display an improved offensive skill-set, including nice touch on his catch-and-shoot from midrange and improved slashing from the perimeter. Plus, he's one of the region's more gifted athletes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Ozzeno Diallo, Hoover</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Diallo, a 6-2 senior guard, can turn it on whenever he wants to, and when he does, he's able to score it effectively around the basket off the bounce and with his midrange pull-up. He has a set shot that has a slow release from three, and he is inconsistent shooting it. But when he hits them, he's as tough a guard to cover as there is in the section. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Drew Bickley, Santa Fe Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bickley had some highs and lows this week, but his highs - eight threes in a win early in the tournament and seven in a win over Rancho Bernardo - are dizzying. When he's on, he hits from anywhere on the court and has the confidence and green light to pull from anywhere. If I'm a D3 and looking for a shooting specialist, I'd give him a hard look. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Derrick McBride, Patrick Henry</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a former undersized big man, I have an affinity for guys who play bigger than their height. That's McBride, a 6-3ish forward who has a nose for the ball and is an excellent rebounder on both ends. In his opening game against Santa Fe Christian, he nabbed 15 rebounds for his team, which kept them in the game for long stretches. He's not much of a scorer, but his ability to score off of his rebounds on the offensive glass is potent. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Zion Applewhaite, Del Norte</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Applewhaite's final game against San Diego displayed why I am so high on him as a prospect. The 6-4 swingman has a smooth stroke off the catch and buried five triples in the game (he's an excellent corner three shooter). At times, he fades and his intensity level doesn't always remain high, but when he's engaged on both ends, he has as much upside as any 2024 prospect in San Diego. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->