Saturday rewind: Battle at the Bay Top wings, Part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mission Bay head coach Marshawn Cherry's Battle at the Bay has given us upsets, dramatic finishes and stellar performances over its four installations.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fifth annual showcase gave us all that and then some by the halfway mark of the event. Punctuated by the Game 3 70-69 thriller between Santa Fe Christian and Montgomery, the showcase provided a great day of hoops. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the first reports, I discuss the wings that stood out in the games I attended. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='831115' first='Kevin' last='Patton Jr'], 2023 W, Rancho Christian</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An explosive athlete with a smooth offensive game, Patton tied for team-high scoring honors with [player_tooltip player_id='1434418' first='Rodney' last='Brown'] with 21 points in RC's win over La Costa Canyon. At 6-7, the senior's game translates well to the college level on the perimeter due to his smooth shooting stroke, ability to attack closeouts and handle from the perimeter, and his excellent finishing ability. He sometimes takes plays off on the defensive end, and his motor is inconsistent, but the tools are there. Shortly after the game, Patton committed to the University of San Diego, so any Torero fans in the stands got a sneak preview of what's to come, and it was a great preview indeed. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='994912' first='Christian' last='Brown'], 2023 W, La Costa Canyon</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fact that a player like Brown still has no offers at this stage is mind boggling. The 6-5 sharpshooter got going early with 3 triples in the first quarter, and finished with a game-high 26 points. He moves well without the ball, darting to his spots on the wings and baseline (he's also excellent at slipping screens) and has a quick release so he doesn't need much time to get his shot off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>[player_tooltip player_id='1630657' first='JJ' last='Sanchez'], 2025 F, Montgomery </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sanchez fits the mold of the "position-less" basketball player that has grown in popularity at every level of basketball. As my colleague Devin Ugland opined in his report, Sanchez's ability to impact the game despite having pedestrian athleticism is super impressive. He processes the game at a much higher level than his counterparts, and continues to dominate due to his footwork, patience and impressive court vision. He carved up attempts to double team him in the post by quickly passing to open teammates on the perimeter or cutting to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Zion Applewhaite, 2024 F, Del Norte </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If there is a player on display this weekend who screams "untapped potential" it's Applewhaite. The 6-4+ junior wing has a great basketball frame, and shows flashes of catch-and-shoot ability from the corners. He also can attack the defense with his right hand off the wing or baseline attacking closeouts. His effort level and physicality must improve to realize his upside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Micah Brickner, 2023 F, Scripps Ranch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brickner was the other wing who I feel has yet to scratch the surface of his ability. The brother of Marist standout Isaiah Brickner, Micah's game is based on his effort and athleticism at this stage. He plays hard almost every possession, crashes the boards on both ends and is an athletic rim runner. In many ways, his game is more undersized five than it is wing, but you see flashes of handle in the open court and shooting from midrange. He could use a stint at juco to continue to refine his skills, but the base is there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->