Classic at Damien: Platinum Div. F/C Standouts

<p>LA VERNE — The ninth annual Classic at Damien is one of the nation's premier post-holiday high school basketball tournaments. The 2025 edition features 144 teams from five states spread across nine divisions and includes many of the country's top prospects. We were in attendance for the three of the four days at Damien High and below are the top big men we saw among Platinum Division participants.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2815162' first='Carson' last='Butler'] | 2027 | Roosevelt</h4>   <p>The 6-foot-7 forward is starting to emerge as one of the most intriguing 4/5 men in all of Southern California after spending the majority of last season playing junior varsity. Butler had a massive first game of the tournament with 17 points and five rebounds and showed his versatility on the offensive end by mixing perimeter shooting touch with interior finishing ability.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Chadrack Mpoyi | 2026 | Crean Lutheran</h4>   <p>Mpoyi was probably the most physically dominant interior force in the entire tournament. The Minnesota-signee used his 6-foot-10, 240-pound frame to establish and hold deep post position where demanded the ball and scored at the rim with physicality and finesse. Two of Mpoyi's best performances came in a 31-point effort in a third-place loss to Crespi and a 28-point effort in a semifinal loss to Redondo Union.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Cristian Simmons | 2026 | Sunnyslope (AZ)</h4>   <p>Simmons is an energy, hustle and glue type player whose perimeter shooting ability is a good contrast with his front-court mate who we will write about a couple players below. The 6-foot-7 senior is a threat to stretch the floor with off-catch jumpers from three-point and mid-range levels of the floor, which opens up space with driving lanes and around the basket. The Nebraska-Kearny-commit might not produce an eye-popping stat-line but he does a lot of the little things and makes timely shots.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Colton Watson | 2026 | O'Connor (AZ)</h4>   <p>Watson was one of the most versatile wing/forwards in the tournament and his impact on multiple facets of the game. The 6-foot-7 senior's combination of ball skills, playmaking, passing and shooting abilities allowed him to play on or off the ball while his size, length and fluidity off the bounce lend to his on-ball creating for himself and teammates. Watson's offensive skill stretches out to the three-point line and mid-range area off the dribble. In the game we watched, Watson had 17 points and eight rebounds in a win over Corona Centennial.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1555179' first='Darius' last='Wabbington'] | 2027 | Sunnyslope (AZ)</h4>   <p>When it comes to a blend of size, skill and mobility, no prospect in the event was better than Wabbington. The 6-foot-10 center is being lured by many of college basketball's top programs and it is easy to see why. The junior can do a little bit of everything as a modern big man from scoring with his back to the basket, out of ball screens in roll and pop situations and he can step out and knock down three-point shots off the catch. Wabbington had 22 points and 12 rebounds in the championship win over Redondo Union.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Hudson Lucas | 2026 | Parish Episcopal (TX)</h4>   <p>Lucas has a ton of long-term potential and really advanced his offensive skill-set since the last time we saw him which was at the 2024 Classic at Damien. The 6-foot-9 forward tightened up his ball skills which made him more confident putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket off the dribble, adding to his offensive versatility. Lucas still flashed his consistent right-handed jump hook but the added self-creation is an interesting tool to track throughout his career at Nevada.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Omar Mowafak | 2026 | Layton Christian (UT)</h4>   <p>The Utah Valley-signee was a tough cover for La Mirada in the opening round because of his combination of size, strength, skill and mobility at the four/five spot. Mowafak finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds in that win which included two three-pointers and a number of powerful interior finishes. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward/center can also rebound the defensive glass, push the break and create for himself or teammates.</p>   <p></p>

LA VERNE — The ninth annual Classic at Damien is one of the nation's premier post-holiday high school basketball tournaments. The 2025 edition features 144 teams from five states spread across nine divisions and includes many of the country's top prospects. We were in attendance for the three of the four days at Damien High and below are the top big men we saw among Platinum Division participants.