Take Flight Challenge: Five Under-the-Radar Playmakers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>REDONDO BEACH — Redondo Union high school and head coach Reggie Morris, Jr. played host to the annual Jordan Brand Take Flight Challenge over the weekend which featured top programs from Southern California, Arizona and Texas. We were in attendance for all eight games and below are some playmakers who are under-the-radar when it comes to college recruitment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2136707' first='Amir' last='Jones'] | Harvard-Westlake</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jones is a steady and smart initiator of the Harvard-Westlake offense whose good pacing in transition and decision-making in half-court offense allows him to play on or off the ball. The 6-foot-2 junior spent his first two high school seasons studying behind current UCLA guard Trent Perry and it's clear that Jones learned how to control the tempo of the game and be an extension of the coach on the floor from his former teammate. Jones is a sure-handed ball-handler and passer who takes care of the ball and gets it into the hands of his talented teammates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956470' first='Chace' last='Holley'] | Redondo Union</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Holley is a rare two-way playmaker at the high school level. The 6-foot combo guard, who transferred to Redondo from Lynwood, has been an ideal addition to the Sea Hawks' uptempo attack on both ends of the floor. Holley is the perfect front man in Redondo's pressure as his quick twitch athleticism and active hands force opposing ball-handlers into uncomfortable spots which leads to bad passes, decisions and turnovers. Offensively, Holley is an aggressive attacker of the basket whose combination of speed, strength and explosive vertical athleticism allows him to get to the rim and finish through or above contact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630637' first='Jaedyn' last='Patterson'] | St. Monica</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Patterson's value is in his versatility at the guard spot. The 6-foot-2 senior has elite scoring feel off the bounce and is especially consistent and effective as an off-dribble scorer in the mid-range area of the floor. Patterson uses change of speed and direction to create space from defenders to get into his rhythm pull-up jumper or to the rim where he can finish with craft with either hand. Over the last few years, Patterson has evolved from true scoring guard into a scoring guard who who can also create for teammates as his recognition of help defenders and making the right reads has improved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630660' first='Myles' last='Walker'] | Eastvale Roosevelt</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Walker is one of the smartest, toughest and and most savvy defenders and creators that we have in Southern California. The 5-foot-9 lefty is an elite on-ball defender whose lateral speed allows him to contain drives and his quick hands and reaction time leads to picks on ball-handlers and steals in passing lanes. Walker is a dynamic open-court playmaker whose speed with the ball and ability to make decisions on the fly stand out in transition offense. Walker is a crafty finisher around the rim who scores with floaters and pull-up jumpers but his first order of business is to get paint touches and find his two Division I teammates for clean looks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2131799' first='Nana' last='Ofoegbu'] | Long Beach Poly</h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ofoegbu is emerging as a point guard to watch in the 2026 class. The 6-foot junior has great instincts as an on-ball and team defender and his ability to pressure and contain ball-handlers and position himself for help-side steals leads to him pushing the pace and creating in transition. Ofoegbu is more of a setup guy for Poly and his strength is in his ability to use his speed to get paint touches and hit open teammates and organize his team in the half-court and run offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->