San Diego Section League Play Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The basketball season is heading toward its climax as the first half of league play ends for the majority of teams and the path to league titles has been revealed. These guys have been instrumental in pushing their teams toward hanging a banner in their gym as well as giving them that post-season push for seeding as CIF playoffs loom around the corner.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1437035' first='Dalton' last='Norvell'] (2024) | 6-3 G | Ramona |</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Norvell has pushed the Bulldogs into first place in the North County Coastal League after big wins last week against the Vista Panthers and the Longhorns of RBV where he dropped 41 points in a win to break a first-place tie and put Ramona in control of their own destiny. Norvell is an extremely efficient scorer who is comfortable scoring from all three levels and almost never takes a bad shot all while running the show for the Bulldogs at the point guard position. The game looks like it comes easy to Norvell who is one of the best-unsigned seniors in the county and has put the Bulldogs in a position to not only win their league but most likely clinch the 1 seed for D3 CIF.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jayden Gray (2026) | 6-0 G | Victory Christian Academy | (Pictured Above as Articles Featured Image)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gray has thrust himself into the conversation for the best freshman in San Diego County and certainly has the statistical performances to back it up. as he is coming off three straight games with 30-plus points and plenty of double-doubles with either rebounds or assists. Gray plays with great confidence with the ball in his hands and has no issue being the go-to guy for the Knights when called upon with crafty finishes at the rim and pull-up jumpers. Gray has been dominating the South Bay League and has shown that he will be a household name for years to come in San Diego as Victory Christian controls their own destiny in their league and is one of the favorites to make it to the D3 CIF finals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kai Brown (2024) | 6-0 G | Scripps Ranch | </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown's transfer to Scripps Ranch has given the Falcons that extra punch they needed to take over control of the Eastern league as the Falcons currently sit at the top undefeated in league play. Brown is a very smooth player who thrives off of his creativity with the ball. Offensively he has a variety of ways to score through acrobatic finishes at the basket, runners, mid-range jumpers, and gets hot in a hurry from three as well as hitting from deep in transition. Brown has put Scripps Ranch in the driver's seat for the Eastern league championship as well as given them a late-season push to become dark horse contenders for the D2 CIF title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ben Lee (2023) | 6-0 G | Del Norte |</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lee has been huge for the Nighthawks all season long and is a big part of why Del Norte is currently undefeated in Avocado league play. Lee has a long frame and which he uses to his advantage while attacking on the offensive end. Lee is a tough finisher who can get creative with the ball in his hands to get buckets and is a constant catch-and-shoot threat, but one of the most impressive things about Lee is his ability to hit big-time shots in big-time moments, giving Del Norte a guy to rely on in the clutch. Lee has been on good Nighthawk teams but this might be the most successful one as they have all but clinched a league title and are currently teetering between the top seed in Division 1 CIF and becoming the first team in school history to be in the Open Divison</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alex Jenkins (2023) | 6-4 G | Steele Canyon |</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jenkins and the Cougars had a rocky 1-1 start in Grossmont-Valley league play but have since flipped a switch dominating their last few league games and sitting now at first place with them controlling their own destiny. Jenkins has been the team's lead man on the offensive end all season long and has been electric in league. Jenkins is freakishly athletic and is a relentless finisher driving to the rim. He is a lob threat who can also put defenders on a highlight reel if they jump with him and his play sparks the Cougars with energy. Jenkins and Steele Canyon are on a 7-game win streak picking up steam at the right time as they slowly climb up the D3 playoff seeding and look to potentially have some teams be on upset alert when the playoffs begin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1630657' first='JJ' last='Sanchez'] (2025) | 6-5 G | Montgomery |</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sanchez and the Aztecs were expected to be good and be considered a top-10 team in the county in the pre-season but their excellent play all season long has them exceeding expectations regardless. A big part of this has been the play of Sanchez who has taken a huge step forward in his play from his freshman season along with his conditioning and has become a jack of all trades for Montgomery leading them in points, assists, and rebounds per game. Sanchez does all of this while making the right plays and passes all game long and rarely takes a bad shot. The future is now for Sanchez and Montgomery who have established themselves as a top 3 team in the county as well as clinching a share of the Mesa league title in a league containing two fellow open-division contenders including Mater Dei Catholic and the Mesa league and San Diego section favorites San Ysidro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='992479' first='Jurian' last='Dixon'] (2023) | 6-5 G | St. Agustine |</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dixon is unquestionably the best-unsigned senior in San Diego and one of the best in California, how more major D1 haven't offered him yet baffles me. Dixon is an elite three-level scorer, has the athleticism for his position, has the height, and has the intangibles to play high-level basketball at the next level and he has shown it all season long. Dixon and the Saints have dominated league play and have all but clinched the outright league title as Dixon projects to be back-to-back Western League player of the year. St. Agustine holds the top ranking in San Diego County and is a top 10 team in the state as Dixon looks to add to his already impressive resume with a third CIF ring and a state playoff run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->