SJB MLK Dream Classic: Best Passers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BELLFLOWER — The annual St. John Bosco Martin Luther King, Jr. Dream Classic featured 10 games on Monday – comprised mainly of teams from Orange and Los Angeles Counties. In this piece we look at the best passers from the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1630620' first='Elzie' last='Harrington'], St. John Bosco</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harrington, who was also mentioned in our story on the best scorers from the event, was also impactful in what we've come to know him as - a true point guard. The 6-foot-5 sophomore has elite feel for the game and the position in both half-court and transition settings where his eyes are up scanning the floor looking to find an open teammate. Harrington dished out six assists in Bosco's win over Vanden and also had a number of "hockey assists."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Jalen Constantino, Capistrano Valley</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Constantino is a quick and shifty 5-foot-9 point guard whose combination of burst on his first step and ability to stay under control on drives allows him to create drive and kick opportunities. The senior is surrounded by high level shooters and he knows what his role is: Get those guys the ball in their shooting pocket with timely and accurate passes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Joshua Garland, Leuzinger </h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While most of the names on this list are synonymous with the point guard position, Garland is the one who isn't. The 6-foot-4 sophomore forward has elite vision out of the high post and, when he's on the floor, Leuzinger runs their offense through him at that spot because of his ability to find cutters with the pass. Garland hits slashers with shovel passes through the hands of defenders, bounce passes that are on the money, and can turn, face, and hit baseline cutters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1434750' first='Parker' last='Strauss'], Pacifica Christian</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Strauss' high basketball IQ and passing accuracy was instrumental in the Tritons' win Monday night as Lynwood's full-court pressure defense was designed to turn teams over to create easy offensive opportunities on the other end. The Northwestern-signee controlled the pace from start to finish and racked up 13 assists for the game and what's great about his passing ability is his willingness to just make the simple but most effective play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Sean Cervantes, La Mirada</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A dynamic offensive system like La Mirada has requires a point guard who can make dynamic reads and next-level passes and that's exactly what Cervantes does for the Matadores. The 5-foot-9 senior can play at a breakneck pace while retaining his court vision, is as unselfish of a guard as you'll find at the high school level and knows which spots his teammates will be in within their offense. What makes Cervantes so effective is the fact that he knows his own personnel and where to get his teammates the ball to be successful.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->