San Diego Early Season Surprises

As the basketball season enters the most active time of the year there have been a handful of players that I have watched this season for the first time and others that I have seen develop at a rapid pace that have caught my eye and surprised me. These guys have been making a huge impact for their teams and they look to have bright futures as prospects   Angel Ochoa (2025) | 6-0 G | St. Joseph's Academy |   Ochoa has been on an absolute tear so far this season with multiple games with 30-plus points, making scoring look effortless. Whenever the ball is in his hands he is a threat to score and he is very good at using his body to fake out defenders with herky-jerky movements to keep them guessing if he is going to shoot the jumper or use his speed to blow by them. Ochoa has been a gem for the Crusaders and is going to keep them competitive for the years to come   [player_tooltip player_id='1630673' first='Elijah' last='Stephens'] (2025) | 6-6 F | Sage Creek |   Stephens was one of the freshmen I saw last season that I saw a lot of potential in and this season he has taken the next step as a player and then some. He has become a dominant force down low for the Bobcats always being on the glass on both ends and in the post commanding double teams and zone defenses to stop him from picking apart players in the post. Stephens does not force bad shots and stays calm under the pressure defenses give him as he is a very adept passer from the high and low post-finding shooters and cutters in stride. Stephens has just set the single-game scoring record for Sage Creek with a recent 40-point performance and looks to just continue to improve as a player   Isaiah Pomare (2024) | 6-4 F | El Camino |   Pomare is the type of player any coach would love to have on his team. Pomare does a bit of everything for the Wildcats and plays with high energy all game long. On the defensive end, he has no issue picking up from 1-5 hounding them with on-ball D, and is always ready in help defense to get a block or take the charge. Pomare also is versatile on offense showing off the ability to stretch the floor and hit catch and shoot threes and finish strong in the paint with a variety of post moves. Pomare goes for every 50-50 ball and brings the intensity teams need from their players to every play and he is a big part of the success of a Wildcats team that has shown they are one of the best teams in the county   [player_tooltip player_id='1502808' first='Andrei' last='Tovar'] (2024) | 6-8 F | San Ysidro |   Tovar has made great improvements in his athleticism and mobility fitting the Cougars' fast style of play much better and giving them a second big body to pair with JJ Taylor to create mismatch nightmares for opposing teams. Tovar down low is very adept in the post and will take advantage of all his touches. He is a huge part of San Ysidro's rebounding and is always clearing out space through boxing out and grabbing boards on both ends to create second-chance opportunities. Tovar does an amazing job at staying vertical in the air when he contests drives to the rim and is always getting over in help defense to alter or block shots. A lot of what Tovar does for San Ysidro does not show up on the stat sheet and he often gets overshadowed by his star-studded teammates but he is a key part of their team's success nonetheless   Levin Holloway (2023) | 6-4 F | Escondido |   Holloway physically looks like a man amongst boys and is one of the most athletic players I have gotten to see play within the county this season. When he is heading down the court with a head full of steam he is a very difficult player to stop as he relentlessly finishes at the basket regardless of contact. He can jump out of the gym and will throw down some big dunks or come up with some huge blocks to spark momentum for his Escondido team. Holloway also has shown off the ability to hit pull-up jumpers off the dribble as well as being a catch-and-shoot threat to hit open threes and stretch the floor. Holloway looks to continue to build on his strong start to his senior year and give Escondido a chance to compete for a Valley league title.   Cj Aldrich (2026) | 5-9 G | Rancho Buena Vista |   Aldrich has had a stellar start to his high school career and has a handful of high-scoring games to his name including a 43-point explosion in only his second game. He is the Longhorns leading scorer but what impressed me most when watching him play was his ability to run the show for his team and be a leader so early into his time at RBV. Aldrich has an amazing feel for the game and it shows through his passing ability, he threads the needle with ease and creates lots of great looks for his teammates. On the defensive end, Aldrich has great timing for jumping passing lanes and is always picking up steals and starting fast break opportunities for the Longhorns. Aldrich looks to continue building on a strong freshman campaign as RBV enters the Holiday Classic as one of the favorites in their bracket.

As the basketball season enters the most active time of the year there have been a handful of players that I have watched this season for the first time and others that I have seen develop at a rapid pace that have caught my eye and surprised me. These guys have been making a huge impact for their teams and they look to have bright futures as prospects