California Live: Stock Raisers (Pt. 3)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>IRVINE — Southern California played host to more than 160 boys high school basketball programs over the weekend for the inaugural California Live scholastic event. Those teams were given the opportunity to play in front of more than 190 college coaches over the course of three days. I spent most of my time watching games at the Irvine and Tustin High sites and below are players I saw who boosted their stock in front of two and four-year coaches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630667' first='Nate' last='Garcia'], Damien</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garcia is one of the biggest dudes with one the smallest names (recruiting-wise) that we have on the west coast but his performance at California Live should change that. The 6-foot-11, 250-plus pound center has made huge strides in his game since coming into high school as a sort of awkward, but filled with potential freshman. Garcia scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in Damien's loss to Corona Centennial in the Advocates 4 Athletes championship game, and while his game isn't necessarily pretty, he's an impactful force on both sides of the floor. Garcia averaged better than 20 points and 12 rebounds in his four games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1384451' first='Semetri' last='Carr'], Branson</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carr is the other piece of the dynamic Branson backcourt duo and the class of 2025 prospect opened plenty of eyes with his play for the Bulls. Carr is a freakish athlete with dynamic speed in the open court and, if he gets a full head of steam, he's tough to keep in front because of his shiftiness and body control without needed to slow down. The 6-foot point guard was a high level playmaker in transition who also knocked down over three 3-pointers per game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630627' first='Tae' last='Simmons'], Heritage Christian</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simmons, one of the most physically-imposing prospects in SoCal regardless of class, brought his usual hard-hat approach to the game and college coaches took notice. At 6-feet-7 with a powerful frame, the rising junior led the Advocates 4 Athletes bracket in rebounding as he grabbed 12.5 per game. Offensively, Simmons is a rim runner who powers through contact for high percentage finishes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1643024' first='Tanner' last='Jones'], Campbell Hall</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jones put on an impressive display of scoring and shot-making but what stood out most to me is how hard he played and the level of competitiveness he displayed. The 6-foot-2 shooting guard averaged 14.5 points per game in the Chevy Silverado bracket and did so from all three levels of the floor. Jones was canning catch-and-shoot 3's, nailing balanced mid-range jumpers and his combination of strength and athleticism made him one of the better guard finishers we watched.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Tochi Anigbogu, Roosevelt</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anigbogu made the move to Roosevelt from league rival Centennial likely for an opportunity for more playing time and he got plenty of it over the weekend. The 6-foot-10 center started and played big minutes in all four of the Mustangs' game while showing a good amount of improvement. Offensively, Anigbogu is pulling in passes that are tough to handle and finishing around the basket with better touch. Defensively, the rising senior has improved his timing and feel as a rim protector and help-side defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1817896' first='Xavier' last='Clinton'], Damien</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>California Live was Clinton's official arrival as a next-level prospect. The rising senior was one of the more prolific shooters in the event as he knocked down four three's per game on average. What makes Clinton such an effective perimeter player is how he can score with limited dribbles and limited usage. Some of that has to do with Damien's offense, which is geared every so perfectly to get shooters open shots, but most of it has to do with Clinton's ability to move without the ball. Whether it's off basic cuts or coming off of screens, the 6-foot-3 guard is one of the best shooters in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->