CIF-SS Season Stock Risers: Division 2A (Part 2)

<p>In part two of the CIF Southern Section Division 2A season stock risers spotlight, we highlight four more players that had tremendous seasons for their teams. Each of these players also went from being tabbed as an under-the-radar talent to now a player to watch for next season. </p> <p><strong>2021 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/houston-mallette/">[player_tooltip player_id="680210" first="Houston" last="Mallette"]</a> — Pacifica Christian</strong> <br /> <em>Strength:</em> Multi-dimensional scorer<br /> <em>What to work on for next season:</em> Defense</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/houston-mallette/">[player_tooltip player_id="680210" first="Houston" last="Mallette"]</a> is certainly a player who has gradually caught the eye of college coaches and scouts over the past year.</p> <p>Mallette is a versatile scorer who can light up the scoreboard within seconds. What makes him stand out is credited to just how much of a patient scorer he is. He is not a high volume scorer who will take reckless and contested shots. Instead, he is more assertive in finding the best shot possible. The guard strives to create space against his defender or simply take on his defender rather than settle for a low percentage, contested shot. The extension that he possesses on his shot allows him to do just that. </p> <p>His off-ball movements are also a key part of his game. Mallette does not wait for the ball to come to him but rather is keen on spacing the floor and moving into open space for what could result in a possible high percentage shot. Movements off the ball are a critical component for any ball-handling guard and for Mallette, this is where he is showing tremendous growth in.</p> <p>Other key positives of his game include 3-point shooting and passing — both of which steadily improved this past season.</p> <p>Now if there is one area of play that the 6’4” guard could look to improve on, it is over on defense. At times, he is susceptible to defensive lapses, which opponents are able to take advantage of for easy points. However, this should not be a significant concern at all. With more work on reading the opponent’s offensive sets and staying on his opponent, Mallette could very well see a stark improvement in this area of play next season.</p> <p><strong>2021 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/daniel-esparza/">[player_tooltip player_id="943443" first="Daniel" last="Esparza"]</a> — Sonora</strong> <br /> <em>Key strength</em>: Range scorer<br /> <em>What to work on for next season:</em> Efficiency </p> <p>Fresh off of a sophomore season which included a school-record 45-point game, Sonora guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/daniel-esparza/">[player_tooltip player_id="943443" first="Daniel" last="Esparza"]</a> managed to impress even more in his junior year. </p> <p>With his overall play on the court, Esparza frustrated opposing defenses with his offensive production, more so as a shooter. He is one of the top knockdown shooters in the league. He is capable of lighting it up in the mid-range department to out beyond the arc. His range as a shooter is an aspect of his game that blossomed this past season. The quick-release on his shot allows him to score in bunches. </p> <p>What makes Esparza a quality scorer is his ability to be creative in getting off shots. This occurred in situations such as when he was waiting out on the wing as a spot-up shooter or in isolation situations when faced with pressure from a defender. Even when being the primary focus of the opponent’s defensive set up, Esparza still found ways to get off shots, which made him a dynamic offensive talent on the floor. </p> <p>If there is one area of play that Esparza could look to improve on, it is his efficiency. Of course, efficiency will come up as an area of concern for any volume scorer. But for Esparza, this should not be a significant red flag considering how well he carried Sonora on the offensive side of the ball this past season.</p> <p><strong>2022 <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jeremy-dent-smith/">[player_tooltip player_id="748747" first="Jeremy" last="Dent-Smith"]</a> — Serra</strong><br /> <em>Key strength:</em> Viable double-digit scorer<br /> <em>What to work on for next season:</em> Find different ways to score</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jeremy-dent-smith/">[player_tooltip player_id="748747" first="Jeremy" last="Dent-Smith"]</a> is another underrated talent from the 2022 class.</p> <p>The Serra guard is coming off of a strong season where alongside the likes of 2020 talent <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dominic-woods/">[player_tooltip player_id="745426" first="Dominic" last="Woods"]</a>, they emerged as a potent side amongst the Division 2A rank.</p> <p>Dent-Smith had several strong offensive performances that contributed to what became an improved season on that side of the ball. He had several 20+ point outings, including his 21 points and 10 assist performance against Lynwood back in December.</p> <p>Success for Dent-Smith this past season revolved around his ability to finish at the rim. The point guard often weaved into the paint and was relentless at taking it to the basket against multiple defenders. His ability to maneuver his way around his defender made him extremely difficult to contain in isolation possessions. The guard’s poise when on the ball continually frustrated defenders.</p> <p>If Dent-Smith wishes to elevate his offensive game, he will need to expand on his scoring repertoire. With 2020 talents like <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dominic-woods/">[player_tooltip player_id="745426" first="Dominic" last="Woods"]</a> and [player_tooltip player_id="942353" first="Kristopher" last="Sweet"] in their final year, Dent-Smith may very well see a rise in his volume of shots next season; however, this should be no challenge to a quality scorer like the Serra guard. With more work on solidifying multiple go-to moves to create shooting space when outside the paint, his offensive game will only continue to flourish and be more unpredictable for defenses.</p> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="994940" first="Keyon" last="Kensie"] — Lynwood</strong><br /> <em>Key strength:</em> Transition finisher<br /> <em>What to work on for next season:</em> Developing the jump shot</p> <p>The lone freshman talent on this list is another player from the Lynwood Knights: [player_tooltip player_id="994940" first="Keyon" last="Kensie"].</p> <p>Even considering that he played alongside future college talents like <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaren-johnson/">[player_tooltip player_id="557517" first="Jaren" last="Johnson"]</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/christian-johnson-2/">[player_tooltip player_id="839205" first="Christian" last="Johnson"]</a>, Kensie stood out and orchestrated a strong freshman season. The 6’5” guard had a number of strong scoring showings and proved to be an x-factor as a role player for the Knights.</p> <p>Kensie has good length for a guard. He uses this to his advantage in fast-break sequences where he weaves his way through traffic and finishes after a striding run up the court. He is very elusive when on the ball, which works well for a player his size. The Lynwood guard does not have much of a problem when sizing up against other guards considering he is often met with a good size advantage.</p> <p>However, Kensie’s offensive game is far from polished. His jump shot is one area of play that needs several tweaks. Also, the guard will need to add upper body strength, which would be pivotal in sequences where he drives to the rim against multiple defenders awaiting his shot. If he is able to do so, he will be a player who can initiate contact and finish contested shots against taller defenders. Taking into account he will be heading into his sophomore year next season, there is no immediate rush to perfect any of this.</p> <p>Kensie has a high ceiling, and he may soon come up on numerous California 2023 player rankings if he shows great improvement to his game over the year.</p>