SoCal Fall Prep Classic: Under-The-Radar Guards

ORANGE, Calif. — Gerry Freitas hosted his annual SoCal Fall Prep Classic at Santiago Canyon College over the weekend with a strong mix of high school and prep school programs from Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, Washington and New Mexico. We were in the gym for all 10 games Saturday and below we break down the guards who are flying under-the-radar on the recruiting front.    We were impressed by Smith's ability to get paint touches. The quick and shifty 6-foot-1 point guard used his combination of burst, downhill speed and body control to get into the lane where he made smart decisions on when to score and when to distribute. Smith is really effective when setting up his defender with a strong left-hand attack only to spin back to his right hand to score at the rim.     Murray is becoming one of the most versatile basketball players in SoCal's 2028 class. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard was doing a little bit of everything for Damien on Saturday from knocking down catch-and-shoot threes to posting up and exposing mismatches with duck-ins and initiating offense as the primary ball handler. As we've mentioned in the past, Murray hit a bit of a growth spurt and has worked on his body which has led to improved athleticism and lateral mobility on the defensive end.     Some may discount Dohrmann because of his lack of traditional "size" and "length" but he is one of Orange County's best scorers. The 6-foot sophomore combo guard is wired to put the ball in the basket and did so Saturday in a variety of ways. Dohrmann connected on deep threes off the catch, off the bounce and off movement - a combination of traits that Canyon guards always have in their arsenal. He's not just a shooter, either, as his confident handle and improved vertical athleticism have allowed Dohrmann to be a viable attacker and finisher at the rim.     Bowden is a microwave type of scorer who, when he sees one shot go down, you can expect a barrage of buckets to follow. The 6-foot-1 senior has great feel in isolation situations where his ability to hit threes and mid-range jumpers off the bounce keeps defenders off balance which opens up his drive and score game around the basket. We expect Bowden to put up major scoring numbers for Rancho Cucamonga this season.     The son of NBA veteran Devean George is carving out his own path as a floor general type of point guard. The 6-foot junior is a steady decision-maker with good court vision and the ability to control pace and tempo in transition and half-court offense. His scoring skill-set revolves around his ability to hit pull-up jumpers when coming off of a ball screen but his best attributes are his willingness to set the table for others, his vocal leadership and his willingness to make winning plays.     Davis put on a scoring clinic in his first game on Saturday morning where he connected on six three-pointers with a mix of off-catch and off-bounce looks. The San Diego-based point guard is coming into his own both as a primary scorer and a guy who can manage scoring and playmaking for teammates. Davis showed impressive shot selection, understanding of when to generate early offense and when to pull the ball out to run half-court offense.     Williams' blend of toughness, speed and court vision allowed Oakland Tech to thrive in the open court as the 6-foot guard pushed tempo with IQ, advanced the ball in transition and was a willing passer on his paint touches. Williams excelled on the defensive end as well as his broad shoulders, strong upper body and length led to him applying on-ball pressure and earning deflections as a help defender and in passing lanes when one pass away.

ORANGE, Calif. — Gerry Freitas hosted his annual SoCal Fall Prep Classic at Santiago Canyon College over the weekend with a strong mix of high school and prep school programs from Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, Washington and New Mexico. We were in the gym for all 10 games Saturday and below we break down the guards who are flying under-the-radar on the recruiting front.