Classic at Damien: Platinum Division Playmakers
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La Verne — The Classic at Damien has become one of the premier post-Christmas high school basketball tournament stops on the West Coast. This year’s Damien field has expanded to seven divisions and 112 teams and seven champions will be…
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Continue ReadingLa Verne — The Classic at Damien has become one of the premier post-Christmas high school basketball tournament stops on the West Coast.
This year’s Damien field has expanded to seven divisions and 112 teams and seven champions will be named over the course of the five-day event.
Tuesday marked the start of the tournament’s main division which featured top teams from California, Washington, Nevada, Utah and Idaho. In this piece we take a closer look at the top playmakers from the Platinum Division first round games.
Aaron Hunkin-Claytor Aaron Hunkin-Claytor 6'3" | PG Salesian Prep | 2024 State , Salesian
This was our first extended look at Claytor this season and his ability to set up teammates and control the pace and tempo of the game really stood out. The 6-foot-3 junior handles pressure well, doesn’t get sped up and always had his eyes up the floor in transition looking to make a play for his teammates. Claytor earned the “true” point guard tag with his combination of steady decision-making and passing IQ.
Caleb Foster Caleb Foster 6'4" | PG Notre Dame | 2023 State , Notre Dame (SO)
Foster led Notre Dame with 19 points in its win over Salesian as the Knights advanced to the quarterfinals of the Platinum Division with a win over Salesian. The 6-foot-3 Duke-bound point guard got into the lane and to the rim whenever he wanted as he overwhelmed defenders with his size, physicality and athleticism on drives. Foster’s ability to stay on balance and play through contact is something that separates him from other guards on this level.
Darrell Morris, Jr. Darrell Morris, Jr. 5'9" | PG West Ranch | 2024 State , Jr., West Ranch
Morris plays like he’s shot out of a cannon. Sometimes its controlled chaos, other times its just plain chaos, but one thing you have to give the 5-foot-10 point guard is his energy and effort impacts both sides of the ball. Morris, a junior, has blurring speed in both transition and half-court settings that allows him to get paint touches any time he wants. On those paint touches, Morris is a willing passer who kicks to open shooters. Where he excels the most is on the defensive end where his relentless ball pressure, motor and ability to get into passing lanes disrupts the opponents offense.
Dedan Thomas, Liberty (NV)
Two coaches from the University of Arizona were front and center for Thomas who is one of the best point guards in the country. The junior plays with elite pace, has as high of a basketball IQ as you’ll find at the high school level and has effortless control of when dictating the pace of the game. Thomas was orchestrating Liberty’s offense to perfection in its win over Anaheim Canyon and is also turning into quite the perimeter defensive anchor, as well.
Tiger Cuff, American Fork (UT)
Cuff is a player who did a really nice job of letting the game come to him. The 6-foot-1 junior didn’t try to force anything offensively, executed the calls from the sideline to perfection, took care of the basketball and excelled as an unselfish, pass-first setup man. It’s always good to watch teams from Utah from the standpoints of fundamentals and offensive execution and Cuff was the trigger man for American Fork’s offense.
Trent Perry Trent Perry 6'4" | PG Harvard-Westlake | 2024 State #70 Nation , Harvard-Westlake
The Wolverines had a cake-walk of a game against an undermanned Narbonne team that was missing two of its top players, but that didn’t take away from what Perry did as a scorer and playmaker. The 6-foot-4 point guard has been striking a nice balance of scoring and creating for teammates and it was no different in Harvard-Westlake’s first round game on Tuesday. Perry, a junior, has one of the smoothest shooting strokes on the west coast, but is also a player who makes all the right reads and decisions with the ball in his hands.
Zoom Diallo, Curtis (WA)
Diallo’s combination of strength, athleticism, change of speed and direction and the ability to do all of that with fluidity and no wasted motion is the reason why he’s one of the most coveted prospects in the country. The 6-foot-3 junior operates with elite pace in transition and half-court settings, can get into the paint and to the rim at-will and, though he can get himself a clean offensive look at any time, is an unselfish passer and playmaker for teammates.