Torrey Pines Holiday Classic: Senator Division Standouts

The annual Torrey Pines Holiday Classic was once again a fantastic display of talent across all five bracket divisions and I got the chance to see lots of solid talent, especially from the Senator's Division hosted by Carlsbad high. During my time attending the tournament, these players really stood out to me both for their long-term potential as prospects and for their in-game performances   Zion Applewhaite (2024) | 6-4 F | Del Norte |   Applewhaite is one of the most versatile players I got to watch play in the Holiday Classic. He is everywhere for the Nighthawks on defense switching onto guards and holding down the paint with great shot-blocking. He plays hard in the paint and does not shy away from contact finishing well off two. Applewhaite is developing his ability to play out on the wing as he can catch and shoot from three and is fast enough to take players off the dribble. Del Norte has had many impressive wins this season and looks to continue their strong play going into league.   Travis Paleo (2025) | 5-10 G | Foothill (CA) |   Paleo came out on fire when I watched him play and it felt like he couldn't miss. Paleo knocked down threes with ease and showed some great touch with some tough floaters in the lane. Paleo also was the primary ball handler for the Knights and showed off some good court vision hitting teammates with great passes in their sets and on fast breaks. He plays very efficient basketball when it comes to his shot selection which lets him build confidence and cash in on heat checks in transition to spark big runs for his Foothill squad who took the championship of their bracket and showed why they have been such a strong program in recent history   Jay Haylock (2023) | 5-8 G | Foothill (NV) |   Haylock is a pure point guard for the Falcons and was one of if not the most impressive floor general I got to see in all of the tournament. Haylock threaded the needle on offense for some amazing assists to his teammates and would constantly be attacking the paint to bring the defense to him before creating a look for his teammates. His impact on the defensive end was big too as he hounded the other team's ballhandler from full court all game long and would get every 50-50 ball. Haylock is the type of player who can greatly impact the game without shooting the ball, but the few times he did let it fly he cashed in with some acrobatic layups and pull-up jumpers. Haylock was a huge part of his Falcons squad that took home the consolation championship in a tough bracket   James Martez (2024) | 6-4 SF | College Park (TX) |   Martez really impressed me with how much of a vocal leader he was on the defensive end, calling out screens and positioning all game long keeping not only himself but his teammates aware of everything going on. On offense, he played strong in the post and moved defenders with ease, Martez also showed off his touch around the basket by consistently finding the angles to pull off some nifty moves. Matez was constantly following his own shot as well as grabbing boards and got a lot of trips to the free throw line where he cashed it in almost every time. Martez and the Cavaliers put on some strong performances winning 3 out of their 4 games in the tournament and building momentum as they head back to Texas   Das Sanders (2023) | 6-7 F | Fort Worth Christian |   Sanders is a very strong player with elite athleticism and he has the physical traits needed to play at the next level. He erases shots at the rim with his impressive vertical leap and can throw down some impressive dunks. Sanders showed his ability to finish through contact and operate down low on the offensive end. Sanders will also take the occasional catch-and-shoot three but is still somewhat of a raw prospect who can still add to his game but I can see him flourishing at a JUCO as he continues to develop his game and play at the next level.   Kristian Gonzalez (2023) | 6-3 G | Mater Dei Catholic |   Gonzalez pushed the Crusaders to the finals of their bracket and looked every bit like one of the best basketball players in the county. Gonzales scores from all three levels with ease while heating up in a hurry, and in his last 6 games, he has scored 20 points or more, finding his stride. He plays with great confidence and never gets fazed by physical play or missed shots. Gonzalez has taken leaps athletically from last season and can play above the rim as well as hang in the air for tough finishes. Sac State is getting an elite scorer in Gonzalez who has helped play his Mater Dei squad into the open division conversation as they head into a stacked Mesa league while playing some of their best basketball all year   [player_tooltip player_id='1576758' first='Cody' last='Myers'] (2025) | 6-4 F | Vista |   I mentioned Myers before as one of my freshmen to keep an eye on last season and he has proved me right with the progress he has made in his sophomore season. Myers is playing with much more confidence and has started to look to create shots for himself with the ball which was on display as he would take and make pull-up jumpers and three-pointers off the dribble. He was also constantly crashing the boards taking advantage of the mismatches he creates through his long frame and sharing the court with big teammates. Myers is a great glue guy for the Panthers who keeps improving as his role increases over time for a rising Vista team as they come closer and closer to entering league play.

The annual Torrey Pines Holiday Classic was once again a fantastic display of talent across all five bracket divisions and I got the chance to see lots of solid talent, especially from the Senator's Division hosted by Carlsbad high. During my time attending the tournament, these players really stood out to me both for their long-term potential as prospects and for their in-game performances