WCE Beach Bonanza: Saturday Standouts
In this article:
MANHATTAN BEACH — Mira Costa high school and West Coast Elite hosted their inaugural two-day Beach Bonanza event. Friday night featured four boys basketball matchups – three consisting of CIF Southern Section programs and one prep school game to close…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMANHATTAN BEACH — Mira Costa high school and West Coast Elite hosted their inaugural two-day Beach Bonanza event. Friday night featured four boys basketball matchups – three consisting of CIF Southern Section programs and one prep school game to close the first day. We take a look at the top performers on Day 2 of the event.
Angelino Mark Angelino Mark 6'2" | PG SO Notre Dame | 2025 State #358 Nation CA-S | 2025 | Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
Mark is one of the premier athletes in the region and has been putting those tools to good use on the hardwood. The 6-foot-2 combo guard is a blur in transition and his ability to explode to the rim and finish over rim protectors already projects to the next level. Mark can also decelerate and change speeds when needed to side step defenders and get a clean look at the rim. He finished with 17 points in a win over Mira Costa.
Gavin Hightower Gavin Hightower 6'0" | PG Windward | 2025 State #99 Nation CA-S | 2025 | Windward
Hightower continues to be one of the more electric open court and half-court guards in his class. The 6-footer uses an explosive first step and burst of second-level speed to blow by defenders for paint touches where he can finish in a variety of ways around the rim. Hightower is best with his floater or body-contorting layups in the painted area. The junior scored 22 points in Windward’s loss to Crespi.
Isaiah Barnes | 2027 | Crespi
One of the two talented Barnes twins put together an impressive performance off the bench in Crespi’s win over Windward. The 6-foot off-guard scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter with a combination of three-pointers, drives and finishes and the ability to get to the free throw line and knock down the freebies. Like his brother, Carter, and father, former NBA player Matt Barnes, Isaiah brings a confidence and fearlessness to the floor you don’t often see from a freshman.
Jeremiah Hampton Jeremiah Hampton 6'4" | SG Windward | 2025 State CA-S | 2025 | Windward
The strong lefty scored an efficient 15 points for Windward with straight-line drives and finishes through contact, pull-up mid-range jumpers and offensive rebounds for easy put-backs. Hampton really is a solid glue-type player who doesn’t need to dominate the ball to impact the game.
Joe Sterling Joe Sterling 6'3" | PG Crespi | 2026 State CA-S | 2026 | Crespi
Sterling put on the most impressive performance of the day with a 35-point outing, including eight three-pointers, in a game which seemed like everything he put up toward the basket was going in. While the 6-foot-4 sophomore is definitely one of the better shooters in the state regardless of class, he’s not to be categorized as just a shooter. Sterling has great feel as a playmaker and shot creator off the the bounce for himself and teammates. He’s also a great mover without the ball in his hands with timely cuts for layups and being in the right spot for drivers to kick to him for open shots.
Mercy Miller Mercy Miller 6'4" | SG Notre Dame | 2024 State #45 Nation CA-S | 2024 | Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
If there’s one consistent thing in SoCal high school basketball it’s Miller’s ability to effortlessly score the basketball each time he takes the court. The 6-foot-3 University of Houston-signee dropped a cool 24 points and added 14 rebounds in Notre Dame’s win over Mira Costa. Miller can hurt you in a variety of ways from three’s off the bounce to transition buckets and high volume ability to get to the free throw line.