SoCal Fall Prep Classic: Standout Playmakers (Pt. 2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>ORANGE — Gerry Freitas' annual SoCal Fall Prep Classic was held last weekend at Santiago Canyon College and featured many of the state's top programs and a handful of strong out-of-state teams from Utah and Arizona. Below we break down the top playmakers we saw.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2323686' first='JJ' last='Harris'] | 2025 | Windward</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harris is your prototypical slashing and finishing wing in transition offense but, with the transfer of [player_tooltip player_id='1630623' first='Gavin' last='Hightower'] to Sierra Canyon, the 6-foot-5 senior will be tasked with more ball handling and playmaking duties. Harris' long strides and slippery driving ability allowed him to get into the lane with ease in this event and he showed improved feel and vision when finding teammates in those situations. Harris is also one of the better defensive playmakers we have in SoCal as his length and instincts help him to guard multiple spots and disrupt passing lanes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2131788' first='Kayleb' last='Kearse'] | 2026 | St. Pius X-St. Matthias</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kearse is among the fastest players with the ball in his hands in the region. The 5-foot-9 point guard gets the ball up the floor in a hurry but does a nice job of not over-handling and puts the rock in the hands of teammates in positions where they can attack on the break. Kearse has impressive burst off the dribble, especially when coming off of a ball screen, which creates a high likelihood that he'll get a paint touch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Mason Ford | 2026 | Timpview (UT)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ford can be best described as a "basketball player" because of his high playmaking IQ, ease in which he runs a team and ability to manage a game. The 6-foot-3 guard consistently makes the right plays and keeps things simple in the sense of running offense, not trying to make home run plays and being an extension of the head coach on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1464983' first='Mick' last='Riordan'] | 2027 | Boulder Creek (AZ)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Riordan was very controlled and ran his team with precision in half-court and transition offense. The 6-foot-1 point guard was a steady ball-handler and decision-maker whose unselfishness permeated throughout the rest of his team which resulted in great ball movement and team basketball. Riordan is of the "true" point guard mold with his understanding of his teammates' strengths and willingness to get them the ball in those spots.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436261' first='Sloane' last='Harris'] | 2027 | Etiwanda</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harris is coming into his own as a point guard prospect. The sophomore is sturdily built, plays with good pace and his game is predicated on his physical on-ball defensive presence. Harris is a game-managing type of guard on the offensive end who does a nice job of picking his spots on when to attack and when to run offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->