SoCal Fall Prep Classic: Undervalued Wings/Forwards

ORANGE, Calif. — Gerry Freitas hosted his annual SoCal Fall Prep Classic at Santiago Canyon College over the weekend with a strong mix of high school and prep school programs from Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, Washington and New Mexico. We were in the gym for all 10 games Saturday and below we break down the wings who are flying undervalued on the recruiting front.    Kone is a forward who embodied the term: playing with his hair on fire. The well-built and explosive four man was all over the offensive and defensive boards, guarded multiple perimeter positions and protected the rim with his physical interior play and vertical athleticism when contesting at the rim. Offensively, Kone generated offense with his energy and toughness by earning second chance opportunities, screening and rolling for high percentage layups and he attacked the rim on straight-line drives.     Sabir is a multi-positional perimeter guy whose combination of size, length and athleticism on the wing allows him to defend multiple positions at the high school level. The 6-foot-5 senior was a ball-hawking defender who used his physical and athletic tools to disrupt the timing of ball handlers and collect multiple tips and deflections. Offensively, Sabir attacked the rim with confidence in transition and flashed clean three-point shooting mechanics.     Fisher had his offensive and defensive versatility on display Saturday. The 6-foot-5 wing stretched the floor with catch-and-shoot threes, got to the rim off the bounce and scored through contact with body control and was hyper-active on the offensive glass. Fisher showed that he doesn't shy away from the intangible things of the game with his willingness to hit on block outs, pursue rebounds out of his area and defend multiple positions at a high level.     When it came to energy, effort and physicality around the basket, Castro was a step above the rest of the wings and forwards we saw. The strong-framed 6-foot-5 sophomore projects as a dribble-drive four man who is best in face-up situations where his ball skills, downhill speed and vertical athleticism led to bully-ball finishes around the basket. Castro showed a high motor and relentless pursuit of the ball on the glass.     Orange Lutheran's success will be based on its ability to hit the three ball and Frisch will be a big part of that. The 6-foot-5 wing is technically the "five man" in the Lancers five-out offensive style and his ability to stretch the floor to the three-point line off the catch allows for the spacing needed for the OLu guards to find defensive holes to drive. Frisch knocked down six triples in the Lancers' first game of the day and is really smart about his off-ball movement and shot prep which leads to a quick, consistent release.     We've written about how Akomolafe is an under-the-radar 2028 prospect in past articles and the statement stands after watching the impact he had for his high school team. The wiry 6-foot-4 wing plays in a system that allows him to play every spot on the floor and has developed his offensive IQ to the point where he succeeds as a scorer and playmaker both off the catch and off the bounce. Akomolafe is best as a spot-up and off-movement shooter but can attack the rim on straight-line drives, off of cuts and when running the floor in transition.

ORANGE, Calif. — Gerry Freitas hosted his annual SoCal Fall Prep Classic at Santiago Canyon College over the weekend with a strong mix of high school and prep school programs from Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, Washington and New Mexico. We were in the gym for all 10 games Saturday and below we break down the wings who are flying undervalued on the recruiting front.