The Classic at Damien (Biggest Surprises)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LA VERNE, Ca.--The Classic at Damien continued to show it's the ultimate holiday tournament on the West Coast due to its plethora of quality teams and stellar players, led by Tournament MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1630617' first='Brayden' last='Burries'] of Roosevelt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the following days, there will be numerous breakdowns of prospects ranging from High-Major Division 1 talents to junior college prospects under a bevy of categories. Let's begin with Best All Around. This type of player impacts the game in a variety of ways–fills the stat sheet, per se.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Keaundre Morris (Curtis/WA)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027, PG, 6-foot-1, 160 pounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joel's Take:</strong> We had heard through the grapevine about Morris, but we didn't anticipate him being this productive against elite competition. He is a rangy point guard who has long arms and a frame that should add a couple of more inches. He shows excellent speed in transition and is equally adept at either scoring or facilitating. His go-to move is his jump shot; he shows excellent balance and lift. He looks to be one of the best freshman guards on the West Coast. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1110808' first='Boden' last='Howell'] (Owyhee, ID)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025, WF, 6-foot-4, 170 pounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joel's Take</strong>: [player_tooltip player_id='1568017' first='Liam' last='Campbell'] gets most of the attention, but Howell caught our attention as well. The lengthy wing-type has an all-around game and he's a quality athlete. He gets great lift on his shot and can come off a screen or nail the pull-up. He shows his bouncy nature in the paint, but he also can post-up and utilize the mismatch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Josh Irving (Pasadena)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026, 6-foot-9, 190 pounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joel's Take:</strong> Pasadena has a good-sized squad with some quality perimeter players. However, their best prospect is Irving. Irving is a willowy 4-man with tremendous length and he's extremely athletic. He runs like a deer in transition, shows good timing around the rim as a finisher and rim protector, and his touch is solid. He needs to improve his inside-out skills and gain a significant amount of strength to elevate his stock</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chris Saunders (Redondo Union)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027, WF, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joel's Take:</strong> The Saunders is one of the most productive freshmen in Southern California. The burly left-hander loves to attack off the dribble and has a knack for scoring in the paint. He uses his triple-threat moves to get into the lane and he has the strength to finish through contact. He'll need to extend the range on his shot, but the confidence he plays with is impressive for a freshman. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mathew Diekmann (San Ramon Valley)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025, WF, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Joel's Take:</strong> San Ramon Valley had a great run in the tournament and they had a host of players that helped them achieve that Gold Bracket Championship--one being Mathew Diekmann. Diekmann is an athletic guard who has a nice lift on his shot and an ideal burst off the dribble. He plays with a great motor and uses his length to snag rebounds and deflect passes on the perimeter. He was one of the better glue-types in the tournament and a catalyst for his team's success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->