California Live: Day One Notebook

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LADERA RANCH — The second scholastic live viewing period of June opened up to college coaches and media Friday morning as more than 150 teams from California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Texas descended on Open Gym Premier in Ladera Ranch for the three day event. We empty our notebook from the first 14 hours of action below.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">2029 Prospects Make Their Presence Felt</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The class of 2029 is shaping up to be a good one in California and beyond and there were plenty of impressive performances from incoming freshmen on Friday.<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='2767777' first='Will' last='Conroy, Jr.']</strong> of Village Christian put on a scoring clinic in a win over St. Anthony as he dropped and efficient 46 points with a combination of pull-up jumpers, floaters and strong at-rim finishes from all over the floor. Monterey Trail point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2868676' first='Juleeyan' last='Williams']</strong> built on his strong performance from Section 7 with a dynamic all-around floor game. At 6-feet-2 with a combination of speed, strength and offensive skill, Williams' game is advanced well beyond his years. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaden De Jesus</strong> of Christian Brothers in Sacramento is a sure-handed young big man with soft touch around the rim and good rim protecting instincts. Smooth shooting guard <strong>JoJo Mariles</strong> has a chance to score a lot of points at La Verne Damien with coach Mike LeDuc's ability to generate open looks for his shooters. <strong>TJ Walton</strong>, son of former Michigan State guard Travis Walton, showed playmaking and shot-making ability while playing with a combination of poise and toughness with Eastvale Roosevelt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2137372' first='Josiah' last='Johnson'] Continues Summer Ascent</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The hyper-athletic Mayfair guard has been a known commodity to regional scouts, media and high school coaches who have played against him but his performance at Section 7 and now at California Live have firmly planted him on the radar of some of the best Mid and High Major programs in the country. The baselines of Johnson's games are lined with college coaches who all come away impressed with his feel for the game, quick-twitch athleticism, college-ready frame and ability to score on mid-range jumpers and with physical interior finishes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2830146' first='Parker' last='Spees'] and San Joaquin Memorial Score Big Upset of Sunnyslope</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spees is gaining traction as a Mid Major level recruit at the forward position and his versatility and skill stood out as the traits that translate best to the next level. The 6-foot-9 rising senior is a floor stretching threat off the catch who can also attack the basket on straight-line drives or score on a quick jump hook in the lane. Spees' last second three-point shot from the top of the key gave San Joaquin Memorial the upset of the day with a 62-60 win over Sunnyslope, one of the top teams in Arizona. Class of 2028 wing Dominick Olanrewaju was also a key contributor in this game as his physical defense inside, despite being undersized, wore down the Sunnyslope front court and his three-point shooting forced rim protectors away from the basket to open driving lanes and second chance opportunities on offensive rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->