Best of SoCal Fall Showcase: Top 40 Junior Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LONG BEACH — Dinos Trigonis and his Pangos brand of events put on its annual Best of SoCal Fall Showcase for current junior and senior prospects to compete in an individual evaluation type setting Sunday at McBride high school. There were four games on the day with known and unknown prospects taking the floor. In this piece we take a closer look at the standouts from the “Top 40” Junior Game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Brookyln Ross | Aquinas</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ross brought a combination of size, physicality and athleticism to game where the amount of guards far outweighed the bigs and he used his physical tools to his advantage. The strong 6-foot-6 four man showcased a high motor on the offensive and defensive boards that resulted in him pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds - eight of which came on the offensive end. Offensively, Ross was best in transition rim-running situations where he used his soft hands and good footwork to catch, gather and finish around the basket with power or finesse.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2961003' first='Chukwuma' last='Ezinwa'] | Riverside King</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ezinwa is an under-the-radar prospect who is beginning to uncover himself by playing in showcase events and camps this fall. The 6-foot-2 shooting guard has a wiry-strong frame complete with a long wingspan that allows him to be a threat to finish in transition offense. Ezinwa's go-to trait at this point in his development is his pull-up perimeter jumper that he has shown to be balanced and consistent from multiple spots of the floor. He finished with 10 points and five rebounds in this game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Juliyahs Mareno | Aquinas</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mareno is an Inland Empire-based prospect who has gone from off-the-radar to on-the-radar over the last couple of months and a lot of that has to do with his smooth perimeter offensive game. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard is a fluid ball handler who flows into changes of speed to attack to his comfort zones. Mareno is most effective as a mid-range pull-up jump shooter going to his left hand and has the ability to make tough, contested shots. The junior finished with nine points and nine rebounds in the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436261' first='Sloane' last='Harris'] | Eastvale Roosevelt</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Harris was slated for the Top 20 Junior Game but hopped into the Top 40 and dominated from start to finish. The 6-foot-2 combo guard was by far the most physically and athletically gifted guard in the event and that combination led to him scoring 22 points on 11-for-15 from the field. Harris used his strength and downhill attacking speed to power through defenders and finish at the rim in transition and half-court offense, often showing a quick pop of vertical athleticism off the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2435385' first='TJ' last='Wansa'] | Cleveland</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wansa is an aggressive-minded scoring guard whose ability to create in isolation or attack in straight-line drives in transition made him an effective offensive piece. The 6-foot-2 lefty flashed quick-twitch changes of speed and direction which led to him getting by his defender and into the lane where he created shots for himself or teammates. Offensively, Wansa is best as a perimeter jump shooter off the bounce who can also get into the body of defenders and score through contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2436283' first='Tre' last='Cradle'] | Sage Hill</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cradle is one of the more underrated basketball athletes in Southern California. The 6-foot-3 wing is an effortless vertical leaper and uses it to finish every paint touch he gets above the rim. Cradle also has a sturdily built frame which allows him to initiate absorb and finish through contact and also helps him to defend multiple positions and be a high rate rebounder both in and out of his area. Cradle finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->