Rancho Buena Vista Summer League: Varsity standouts

One of my highlights of the summer hoops slate in San Diego is the Rancho Buena Vista Summer League finale. The league and its final day has proven to be a good indicator of which teams and players are headed in the right direction heading into the fall. Last year, Torrey Pines got everything it could handle from a [player_tooltip player_id='1630639' first='Jake' last='Hall']-led Carlsbad Lancers squad. Nine months later, the Falcons were an Open Division semifinalist and Carlsbad was winning the D1 crown. This year's league yielded a surprise finalist in the host, RBV, which had not lost a game in summer play until the title game, which Del Norte won 54-46. The Nighthawks continued their dominant summer, and appear to be one of the Top 10 teams in San Diego to enter the season. Let's look at some of the individual standouts in the title game, and in my next report, we'll talk about some of the younger standouts in the JV and freshman finales. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/IMG_5918.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1512661" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/IMG_5918-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> <h3>MVP: Jaden Herrera, 5-10 2023 G, Del Norte</h3> Herrera, a physically strapping, albeit undersized combo guard, dominated the game for the Nighthawks with his scoring, passing and defense. He knocked down open threes and did an exceptional job of scoring in the chest of RBV's defenders off the bounce. His on-ball and off-ball defense helped create transition scoring opportunities for his team and he knocked down clutch free throws to seal the summer league championship. <h3>Best prospect: [player_tooltip player_id='1956469' first='CJ' last='Aldrich'], 5-10 2026 PG, Rancho Buena Vista (featured image)</h3> RBV's summer league has often given us our first look at some of the region's brightest young stars. Add Aldrich, a long-armed, crafty point guard, to that list. The 5-10 guard has tremendous feel and plays the game at multiple speeds, which allows him to get into the paint, where he showed the ability to finish at least some buckets through contact. Aldrich knocked down several threes off the wing and took over the game for a stretch during the second half where RBV turned a 17-point deficit into a 4-point lead. Aldrich is one of the top 2026 prospects I've seen so far. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="medium" ids="1512664,1512666"] <h3>Most intriguing: [player_tooltip player_id='1903782' first='Ayden' last='Horn'], 6-4 2025 W, Rancho Buena Vista and Zion Applewhaite, 6-4 2024 W Del Norte</h3> Watching these two compete was like watching a mirror match. Both around 6-4+ with long, rangy frames, Horn and Applewhite are versatile and valuable defenders who do a little bit of everything from their team, including rebound, defend multiple positions, knock down spot-up jump shots and score off of offensive boards. They both have long-term potential on the wing, but need to improve their ball handling to unlock it. <h3>Best shooter: Drew Manning, 5-11 2023 G, Del Norte</h3> The Nighthawks dial Manning's number on baseline out of bounds plays and out of time out scenarios when they need a big shot, and he almost always delivers. A confident shooter who moves well without the ball, Manning does a good job getting his feet set and getting off his shot quickly, but not rushed. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/IMG_5921.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1512680" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/IMG_5921-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> <h3>Hardest worker: Shay Todd, 6-5 2024 W, Rancho Buena Vista</h3> Todd's motor allowed him to have a big impact on the game, especially on the offensive and defensive glass, but he's not just a workhorse. The swingman hit several open jumpers (shot can be flat at times) and looked capable attacking from the wing, including one finish where he showed nice footwork in the pivot to score a key bucket. A player with a strong frame with underrated length, he's a sleeper to monitor.