Five Takeaways: Ribet Academy vs. Desert Oasis (SoCal-Vegas Showdown)

<p>PASADENA — Gerry Freitas hosted his inaugural SoCal-Vegas Showdown on the campus of Pasadena City College last Saturday. The six-game event featured match-ups of some of the best that Southern California and Las Vegas have to offer. Here are the Five Takeaways from the second game of the event: Ribet Academy vs. Desert Oasis.</p> <p><strong>Tyler Powell</strong> <strong>showed marked improvements</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-5 junior has always been regarded as one of the top wing athletes in all of Southern California, and while that's still very true, he's added plenty of skill to go along with his explosiveness. Powell led all scorers with 23 points as the Frogs dominated Desert Oasis, to the tune of an 80-41 final score, and showed a consistent 3-point shooting touch in the process, finishing with a handful of deep jumpers.</p> <p><strong>Barrington Hargress is the picture of production</strong></p> <p>Sticking with the Ribet theme, point guard Barrington Hargress can always be counted on to make things happen on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is wired to score off the bounce, using his speed and physicality to bully people en route to finishes around the basket. Defensively, Hargress has quick hands and uses his strong frame to keep smaller guards from penetrating. The next step for him in his development is to become a more consistent perimeter shooter.</p> <p><strong>Ribet Academy up a couple of divisions, but will be in the mix</strong></p> <p>The Frogs won the CIF Southern Section Division 4A and CIF State Division 4 titles last season, and by means of the CIF Competitive Equity playoff format, Ribet has moved into the Division 2A playoff field for this season. Some of the Frogs biggest challengers in the Division will be Sonora, Mayfair, Pacifica Christian/OC and Lynwood, but seeing that Ribet has returned a good chunk of its production from last season, it could make another deep playoff run and championship push.</p> <p><strong>Ignacio Camacho has intriguing potential</strong></p> <p>It's rare in this age of high school hoops to see a skilled, traditional big man and Camacho fits that bill. The 6-foot-9 center has soft hands and touch around the basket to go along with fundamental footwork and some low-block, back to the basket scoring ability. Camacho is mobile, changes ends of the floor well and converts from the free throw line.</p> <p><strong>Dominique Ford has next-level potential</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-3 senior scored a team-high 13 points in defeat and in the process showed flashes of two-way ability which could land him a spot at the Division II or Low Major collegiate level. Ford is a good rebounder for his position, can defend multiple spots and showed the basketball IQ to play both on or off the ball.</p>