The annual Fullcourt Press Fall Showcase attracts some of Southern California’s best players and this year was no different. After watching eight games this past Sunday and players from the 2014 to 2018 classes, we take a look at the five most important things we took away from the event.
1. The 2014s must continue to refine their game.
As the fall exposure period kicks off, we are beginning to see many of the top players in SoCal’s Class of 2014 with stagnant games. Many of them are still the same player we saw in the spring and/or summer. Obviously, the more you watch the same player, the easier it becomes to critique his/her every move and find things not to like about them. This phenomenon seems to hurt many of the middle school phenoms or players ranked at the top of their class early in the recruiting process. That’s not what were talking about in this case, but more of adding wrinkles to their game that are noticeable over time. Simple things such as the use of a reserve pivot, continued development of the jump shot, more defensive intensity or even being less unselfish goes a long way in an event such as this one. No seniors-to-be really brought that to the table.
2. Reality is beginning to set in for the 2014s.
Every young player has ambitions of playing at a big-time college or in the NBA, but now that the travel ball career for a majority of the class of 2014 is over, where they stand on the totem pole amongst their peers is setting in. The pecking order has taken shape and for those without the college looks or scholarship offers they were hoping to have by this time, their demeanor has noticeably changed. “Fight or flight” instincts take over and some of the players that displayed “fight”, i.e. improved focus and approach, were 6-4 Iziahiah Sweeney and 6-5 Isaiah Bailey (both Compton High of Compton, Calif.), 6-3 Luis Medearis from View Park Prep (Los Angeles, Calif.) and 6-2 John Flippin from North (Torrance, Calif.).
3. Jeffery McClendon is still a Bulldog.
This 6-foot-3 junior (2015) spent last season at Pasadena (Pasadena, Calif.), a school whose mascot is the Bulldogs. Some family priorities has taken him to Quartz Hill (Quartz Hill, Calif.) for his junior year, but McClendon is still a Bulldog. He’s simply the best on-ball defender among elite SoCal players and in a showcase environment, his defensive ability really shines. He is broad-shouldered and really does a good job of getting low and into an offensive player’s chest to dictate the direction he takes the ball. McClendon was lauded for his work on fast-rising 2015 guard New Williams from Santa Monica (Santa Monica, Calif.). He was just too physical for Williams to break down off the dribble.
4. Stanley Johnson wants to see how things shake out.
The nation’s top-ranked player by the Hoop Scoop and a consensus top five national prospect played in the Top 25 senior game to conclude the event. To no one’s surprise, Johnson was the difference maker in the black squad’s 123-106 victory over the white club while the +/- while he was on the floor was noticeable. At this point, there is no questions Johnson is the best player in California and many of his peers now naturally defer to him when it’s time for a bucket. Johnson will sign in the spring and is most concerned with how the season is going to play out for the colleges he’s considering, among them Arizona, Kentucky, Oregon, Kansas and the two local programs. According to his mother, Karen Taylor, “there is just so much that can happen between now and the end of the college basketball season. We got to see how things play out (with player movement and coaching changes).”
5. Uchenna Okeneme has a chance to be really good.
The 6-foot power guard from Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.) participated in the Top 50 senior game, but would have stood out even in the top 25 game because of his strength, quickness and approach. The 2014 prospect blew by his defender on the opening possession, scored a ton around the basket with his dribble penetration and came up with a big blocked shot in the game’s final minute. As the beginning of the summer, Okeneme hadn’t been contacted by any colleges but that is rapidly changing. Another thing that will help his recruitment is a self-reported 3.6 GPA. Okeneme will be a coup for a low-major or may even try to go to an Ivy League school.
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