Ryse Williams Pac Shores Day 1: Ten Best
Redondo Beach, Ca. — As it always does, the 67th annual Ryse Williams Pacific Shores Tournament kicked off the high school basketball season.
The event, hosted by Redondo Union High, features many of the Southland’s top teams and players. Here is the Ten Best from Monday’s action.
Best Performance: Ziaire WIlliams, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
The 6-foot-8 wing continues his meteoric rise in (some) of the rankings that didn’t already have him as highly-regarded as they should. Williams, a junior, was dominant in the Knights’ opener, finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in a first-round win over Rolling Hills Prep.
Best Shooter: Jake Kyman, Santa Margarita
Kyman, a senior who signed with UCLA Wednesday, started off his final season as a member of the Eagles with a shooting display that put him on the map as a youngster. The 6-foot-7 wing scored 30 points in a 74-57 win over Gardena Serra, including an impressive 7-for-8 from three-point range.
Best Passer: Jake Blazona, Santa Margarita
The 5-foot-8 sophomore point guard earned the starting nod for the Eagles in game one and didn’t disappoint. Blazona is the prototypical pass-first point guard who makes sure the offense is flowing and all of his teammates are getting touches where they are most effective. Blazona finished with seven assists in my book, but Santa Margarita had him with 11 “pro-style” dimes.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Hansen Clarke, Washington Prep
Clarke made a number of clutch plays for the Generals, including a buzzer-beater off the glass to close out the third quarter and a corner 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to break a 49-all tie and give Washington Prep momentum.
Best Clutch Moment: Jaren Johnson, Lynwood
The 6-foot-5 wing sealed a controversial overtime win over Harvard-Westlake with two free throws with 0.3 seconds to play. Lynwood won, 72-71, after a late foul call on the Wolverines, which some contest was blown after time had expired, sent Johnson to the charity stripe.
Best Defensive Performance: Fairfax
The Lions held first-round opponent Peninsula to 21 points in the first half and 20 points in the second half in a 68-41 rout. Fairfax’s all-out, full-court pressure is difficult for teams to deal with for 32 minutes. The Lions force a ton of turnovers, resulting in easy points on the other end.
Best Underclassman: Jayden Bush, St Anthony
The freshman was slated to spend some time on the junior varsity squad according to coach Allen Caveness, but he certainly looked comfortable playing with the big boys. Bush, a 5-foot-6 point guard, played unafraid and with poise, making sharp passes and decisions both in transition and half-court settings.
Best Rebounder: Shengzhe Li, Santa Margarita
The BYU-signee corralled 10 rebounds for the Eagles in a win over Gardena Serra. Li, at 6-feet-10 and 250-plus pounds, is a match-up nightmare for opposing big men in the paint. He uses that size and strength to his advantage on both sides of the glass.
Best Intangibles: Tyler Ganim, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame
The 6-foot-3 senior plays an undersized four/five role for the Knights, but makes up for a lack of size, per se, with his activity and motor. Ganim puts his body on the line when taking charges, scraps for offensive and defensive boards and communicates well on the defensive end.
Best Shot Blocker: De’Shawn Johnson, Washington Prep
Johnson is a nice addition for L.A. City Section contender Washington Prep because of the fact that he serves as a high level rim protector. The 6-foot-6 forward has very good timing on his shot contests and uses his length well when blocking shots.