Lute Olson Legacy Classic: Best W/F/C

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LONG BEACH — Dinos Trigonis added another notch to his event operating belt with the inaugural Lute Olson Legacy Classic last Saturday. The high school team showcase took place at Long Beach City College, where legendary coach Lute Olson first cut his teeth at the collegiate level. Below we break down the the best wings, forwards and centers from the six games we watched.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Demarcus Henry | 2027 | Compass Prep (AZ)</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The former Southern California product left for the Arizona-based prep school in the spring and his game has continued to be smooth and efficient. The 6-foot-7 lefty is a capable three-point range with time and space but is best when using his combination of ball skills, length and off-dribble shooting ability to pull-up for mid-range jumpers. The highly-recruited junior finished with 16 points on 8-for-11 from the field and eight rebounds in a win over The Wilson Academy (GA).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2895483' first='Ean' last='Britt'] | 2027 | Campbell Hall</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Britt is one of the most intriguing 2027 wing prospects in SoCal. The 6-foot-6 junior is long and wiry strong with a quick pop of vertical athleticism when finishing around the basket in transition or on half-court drives to the rim. Britt is also a good rhythm jump shooter who balances his slashing ability with that high elevation mid-range jumper. Britt scored 16 points with five rebounds and five assists in a win over Laguna Hills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1945830' first='EJ' last='Popoola'] | 2027 | Palisades</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Popoola continues to bolster his resume as one of the region's premier wing prospects. The 6-foot-5 junior is as versatile as they come on the offensive end as he can finish around the rim with finesse or a highlight-reel dunk, pull-up for balanced threes and mid-range jumpers and has the ball-handling and shiftiness to create for himself in isolation. Popoola had 21 points and six rebounds in a win over St. Paul.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2131798' first='Jonas' last='Oware'] | 2026 | Long Beach Poly</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Yale-bound senior is one of the region's best true center prospects due to his combination of size, athleticism, interior finishing ability and the versatility of his defensive impact. Oware scores on high percentage paint finishes and is a threat to score on lob passes due to his soft hands and vertical athleticism. The 6-foot-9 Ivy League-commit contests and changes shots at the rim without fouling and is mobile enough to hedge and recover or switch and contain guards on the perimeter. Oware filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in a win over Mayfair.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2918062' first='Julian' last='Cunningham'] | 2027 | Palisades</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Palisades had many advantages over St. Paul and Cunningham's 6-foot-10 frame was the biggest of them. Coach Jeff Bryant made it a point to go inside to the junior early and often and Cunningham impressed with a soft-touched jump hook over his left shoulder that was a bit of a throwback move. Cunningham recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a win over St. Paul.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Myles Mittelsteadt | 2027 | Laguna Hills</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mittelsteadt is a more under-the-radar prospect in SoCal's 2027 class but he's getting more recognition as Laguna Hills competes in these showcase type events. The 6-foot-7 forward is a highly-skilled offensive player who is best in face-up situations where he can knock down mid-range jumpers or take his defender to the rim and finish with footwork and physicality. Mittelsteadt scored 17 points on 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-3 from 3-point range in a loss to Campbell Hall which he played about three quarters of due to foul trouble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='3026144' first='Trevon' last='Carter-Givens'] | 2026 | SoCal Academy</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bella Vista Grind had no answer for the long, wiry and athletic Carter-Givens. The 6-foot-10 center is one of the premier rim protectors out west as his combination of length, vertical athleticism, timing and ability to contest without fouling allows him to deter, change and block countless shots. Carter-Givens mobility posed the biggest issue for the opponent in this game as his rim-running led to numerous easy buckets around the basket. The NC State-bound senior finished with 19 points on 9-for-14 from the field in a win over Bella Vista Prep Grind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->