WCE OC Orange Bowl: Saturday’s Best (Pt. 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>SEAL BEACH — The grassroots season kicked off this weekend with various events across Southern California. On Saturday we took in the action at the OC Orange Bowl hosted by West Coast Elite at AIM Sports. Here's a closer look at the biggest standouts from the event.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Christian Collins, WCE UAA 15</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Collins is a long, wiry and bouncy forward whose size and fluidity at his age makes him a long-term prospect to keep an eye on. At 6-feet-7, the class of 2026 four-man worked hard on the offensive and defensive boards and his length and quick second jump allowed him to beat out the opponent to 50/50 offensive rebounds. Collins can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim for straight-line drive finishes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Dylan Gomez, Alley Oop 17</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gomez put on an impressive display of shot-making throughout the event. The 6-foot guard is known as one of the better jump shooters in Southern California in the class of 2025 and his catch-and-shoot 3-point shot was dialed in on Saturday. It was good to see him make a jump in his off-the-bounce game. When defenders overplayed their closeout on the perimeter, Gomez used a shot fake and one or two-dribble pull-up to counter it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Greyson Mundis, WCE San Diego 17</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mundis played a hard-nosed style of basketball which is to be revered in a setting that doesn't always result in that type of effort. The 6-foot guard was a pest on the defensive end and his ability to apply ball pressure and contain guards off the dribble by keeping them out of the painted area was impressive. Offensively, Mundis made it a point to get downhill and to the rim where absorbed and finished through contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>Jaden Haire, WCE UAA 17</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was our fist look at Haire this season as he plays his high school ball in Central California at Hanford West. The 6-foot-7 forward is a high motor guy who stood out most with his communication and effort defensively. Haire guarded the opponent's five-man, but showed his ability to switch onto guards and keep them in front of him. On the offensive end, the physical forward had a couple of strong drives and finishes and ran the floor hard in transition for easy buckets.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4>[player_tooltip player_id='1814766' first='Isaiah' last='Fields'], WCE UAA 17</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fields is one of the best available seniors in the state and he showed why on Saturday. The 6-foot-6 wing is one of the most versatile defensive players left on the board. His lateral speed, length, and perimeter and interior athleticism allow him to guard the 1 through 4 spots at the high school level. Fields is a tough cover in transition due to his speed, mobility and explosive leaping ability when slashing and finishing at or above the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->