Classic at Damien: Platinum Emergences – Second 5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>La Verne — The Classic at Damien has become one of the premier post-Christmas high school basketball tournament stops on the West Coast.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>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 players who put their name and game on the map.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Carrington Pierce, Etiwanda</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pierce was the second guard who stepped up in a big way for the Eagles. The 6-foot-1 point guard did a little bit of everything for Etiwanda from knocking down shots, setting up teammates with timely and accurate passes to locking in on the defensive end and being a guy willing to step in and take a charge. Pierce, whose older brother Camren played at Etiwanda and is now at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, has the same poise and court awareness that Camren had during his time as a high school player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Isaiah Fields, West Ranch</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fields turned a lot of heads last week with his sheer versatility and Division 1-level athletic abilities. The 6-foot-5 senior is a long, wiry wing with elite pop in his legs that he uses to run the floor in transition and finish at the rim or blow-by defenders on straight-line drives and finishes. Fields also flashed his defensive versatility and rebounding ability on the offensive and defensive boards throughout this event. He knocked down a couple of catch-and-shoot three's and if he can get that part of his game more consistent, look out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='994955' first='Kollen' last='Murphy'], Rancho Christian</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Murphy's presence on this list is more of a reemergence. The 6-foot-2 lefty transferred to Rancho Christian from Colony and not only played football at RC, but also had to adhere to the mandatory sit out period on CIF Southern Section transfers who didn't establish a change of residence, a time frame that ended on Dec. 25th. This was Murphy's first official action with his Eagles' teammates and the lefty didn't disappoint. The senior had his mid-range jumper flowing off the bounce, was a downhill driver and finisher in transition and half-court settings and did a nice job of managing and playmaking during late-game situations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Rohan Singh Sheemar, Inderkum</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Singh Sheemar was among the best perimeter shooters I saw throughout this event. The 6-foot-6 wing was lethal off the catch and had multiple distance and multiple spot consistency on drive and kicks. The senior moved well without the ball and always seemed to be in tune with his guards on where to be and when to be shot ready on kick-out passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Zach White, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>White is the son of legendary Crespi football player Russell White and has a chance to make his own name on the hardwood. The 6-foot-5 freshman wing has a really nice all-around skill-set complete with touch out to the three-point line, the ability to slash without the ball and finish around the basket and a high basketball IQ, especially when it comes to rebounding and making the next pass. White is a 2026 prospect to keep a very close eye on over the next three years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->