Ten Best: St. Pius vs. La Mirada

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DOWNEY, Calif. — The nonleague matchup between St. Pius X-St. Matthias and La Mirada not only featured two very well-coached teams but a handful of heavyweight next-level prospects. The Warriors pulled away late to take a 71-67 home victory and, in the process, established themselves as a contender for one of the eight Open Division playoff spots available in the CIF Southern Section. Below we take a closer look at the Ten Best performers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Scorers: [player_tooltip player_id='1502771' first='Tyrone' last='Riley'] (SPX) and Gene Roebuck (LM)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riley, a University of San Francisco-signee, dropped a game-high 33 points for St. Pius in the win and did so in every way imaginable. The 6-foot-6 lefty has dialed in his smooth perimeter jumper both off the catch and off the bounce but can also get to the rim off the bounce and finish above the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roebuck is one of the more polished class of 2027 prospects we've seen on the offensive side of the ball. The best way to describe the 6-foot-5 freshman is to say he has old-school game. Roebuck is a crafty shot creator and shot maker off the dribble who can knock down 3-pointers, mid-range jumpers and score in the lane on drives or post-ups. Roebuck finished with a team-high 25 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Shooters: [player_tooltip player_id='1630641' first='Tariq' last='Bridges'] (SPX) and [player_tooltip player_id='1630683' first='Julien' last='Gomez'] (LM)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bridges is one of those guys who a defense can't give an inch to off the catch. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is a lethal catch and shoot guy from behind the arc who doesn't need much time or space to get his shot off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gomez could have been in the best scorers category but Roebuck outscored him by a slim four-point margin so we'll settle for putting him as one of the two best shooters in this game. The 6-foot-2 lefty scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and had his catch-and-shoot three and one or two dribble pull-up falling with consistency.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Defenders: [player_tooltip player_id='1502820' first='David' last='Mack'] (SPX) and MJ Smith (LM)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mack isn't the biggest or strongest guys on the court but he's one of the smartest and most scrappy players, especially on the defensive end. Mack found himself stripping and pick-pocketing ball handlers throughout the game and reading and anticipating passing lanes for steals. Mack's on-ball pressure and quick hands make him a very good on-ball defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith is one of the most versatile defenders in SoCal and also one of the more underrated juniors in the region. The rangy 6-foot-5 wing has spent time defending some of the area's top prospects and used his length, IQ and lateral athleticism to make getting clean looks difficult. Smith, a 2025 prospect, has also assumed point guard duties as the Matadores await an eligibility decision on one of their players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Rebounders: [player_tooltip player_id='1502771' first='Tyrone' last='Riley'] (SPX) and [player_tooltip player_id='1630631' first='Douglas' last='Langford'] (LM)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riley will see his name in two categories in this piece because his 11 rebounds tied for game-high honors. Riley is a tough guy to keep off the glass because of his size, length and athleticism but also his effort and energy when attacking the offensive boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Langford isn't just one of the best rebounders in this particular game but he's also one of the best in the state and on the west coast as a whole. The 6-foot-8 forward uses his wide base to execute fundamental block outs and secure and control the offensive and defensive boards.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Best Glue Guys: Dayvon Gates (SPX) and [player_tooltip player_id='2102473' first='Isaiah' last='Valenzuela'] (LM)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With so many talented guys on these two teams, it's important for them to have a guy who doesn't care about touches and can be an effective player without a ton of shots or bounces. For Pius it's Gates, a wiry 6-foot-3 guard who defends, runs the floor, finishes in transition and is aggressive and confident when his number is called.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Valenzuela is the glue for La Mirada because of his specialty: Three-point shooting off the catch. Getting Valenzuela involved is necessary to open the floor for the Matadores stars and the team does a great job of finding him on drive and kick opportunities. Valenzuela is also tough and physical on the defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->