Battle at the Bay: Most Versatile

Devin Ugland February 7, 2023 @ 01:51 PM

<p>SAN DIEGO – The annual Battle at the Bay showcase hosted by Mission Bay High and head coach Marshawn Cherry is one of the best one-day events in the San Diego area and allows for fans, media and scouts to see some of the area's top teams and players go head-to-head against one another. I was in attendance for six of the seven games on Saturday and below I break down the most versatile players from the event.</p>   <h4>Brycen Mackenzie, Santa Fe Christian</h4>   <p>My definition of versatility is the ability to impact multiple facets of the game to help your team win and few others fit that role better than Mackenzie. The 6-foot-1 junior point guard not only scored 23 points in the Eagles' win over Montgomery but he also controlled the pace of the game, found his teammate Drew Bickley for open threes when he was hot and made a ton of plays on 50/50 balls that don't show up in the box score.</p>   <h4>Charlie Hutchison, Mission Bay</h4>   <p>Mission Bay desperately needed all 25 points and 12 rebounds that the 6-foot-6 junior forward provided. The Buccaneers offense wasn't flowing quite as well as they wanted it to but Hutchison's ability to get to the rim in transition and half-court offense was critical in Mission Bay pulling out a 44-35 win over Mission Hills. Hutchison rebounded well in and out of his area, was able to push the break and make plays for himself and teammates, and guarded multiple positions defensively.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1630676' first='Jayden' last='Wade'], San Diego</h4>   <p>Wade is an impressive sophomore prospect, especially on the offensive end of the floor. The 6-foot-4 wing is a multi-faceted scorer from his ability to hit catch-and-shoot threes, slash to the basket without the ball for catches and finishes and used his size and strength advantages to finish through contact in the lane. Wade led San Diego High with 19 points in a 62-54 loss to Torrey Pines.</p>   <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1630657' first='JJ' last='Sanchez'], Montgomery</h4>   <p>We continue to marvel at Sanchez's skill-set and how effective he is on the offensive end despite lacking the traditional explosive athleticism you see from wing players these days. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is a crafty three-level scorer who can knock down catch and shoot threes or shot fake his defender and get to the rim where he uses angles and the glass neutralize rim protector. Perhaps Sanchez's most impressive skill his his vision and passing ability in low or mid-post situations as he found cutters and open shooters after drawing double coverage.</p>   <h4>Kevin Patton, Jr., Rancho Christian</h4>   <p>The day after Patton, Jr. scored 21 points in Rancho Christian's win over La Costa Canyon he serendipitously committed to the University of San Diego and the Toreros landed one of the most versatile available prospects on the west coast. At 6-feet-8, Patton, Jr. can stretch the floor to the 3-point line, score or play-make for teammates off the bounce, and is a lob threat both in transition and half-court offense. I think where Patton, Jr.'s highest potential resides is in his defensive abilities. Patton is already a very good help-side shot blocker and has the size, length and lateral athleticism to guard multiple positions at the next level.</p>   <h4>Kyelin King, Lincoln</h4>   <p>King was one of the biggest eye-openers of the day as far as a prospect who has made improvements to his game since the last time we saw him. The 6-foot-4 wing scored 21 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Lincoln's 53-48 win over El Camino and his high motor, physicality and athleticism stood out among the rest of the players on the floor. King pursued offensive and defensive boards with purpose and was able to lead the fast-break and score or make plays for his teammates.</p>

SAN DIEGO – The annual Battle at the Bay showcase hosted by Mission Bay High and head coach Marshawn Cherry is one of the best one-day events in the San Diego area and allows for fans, media and scouts to see some of the area's top teams and players go head-to-head against one another. I was in attendance for six of the seven games on Saturday and below I break down the most versatile players from the event.