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The title game of the 11th Annual Tarkanian Classic pitted two teams that took different approaches to reaching Thursday afternoon's championship game. St. Pius-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.) came into the game knowing it could play with Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and could play from behind, if necessary. The Warriors preferred not to play from behind against a Desert Mountain club that was the Platinum Division's most explosive offensively and an ideal scenario transpired. The Southeast L.A.-based club got off to the fast start it needed and posted a wire-to-wire victory over a youthful club that played with no fear but could never overcome its own rocky start.

Desert Mountain star guard Kaden House, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who came into the title game averaging 34.7 ppg through the tournament's first three games but hurt his hamstring in the 78-65 semifinal victory over Branson (Ross, Calif.), did not start the game. He took some extra time to warm-up behind the bench, but by the time House entered the game with 6:03 remaining in the first period, St. Pius X-St. Matthias was already cooking. The Wolves trailed 8-0 by that time and eventually went down 10-0 and Desert Mountain's slow start was essentially the difference in St. Pius X's 89-79 victory.

With the victory, St. Pius X-St. Matthias (8-1) becomes the sixth program from the massive CIF Southern Section in California to win the event's top bracket. CIFSS teams have now won seven of 11 tournaments, as Stanley Johnson-led Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) captured the first two championships in 2012 and 2013.

Even with House in the game, the Warriors remained hot, particularly senior 6-foot-6 wing Tyrone Riley, one of California's best players whose confident demeanor brings out the best in his teammates. Riley had 10 points in the first period as the Warriors led 27-17 after eight minutes and he was up to 24 points by the time St. Pius X-St. Matthias took a 51-43 halftime lead. He only missed three field goal attempts at that point.

"The energy we had in the locker room...I still felt it during warmups and it carried over to our 10-0 start," said Riley. "After we won our first game, we said to ourselves 'we can win this'. We knew if we could speed them up, they'd get tired."

Desert Mountain (9-2), in reality, never got too tired, House was just somewhat bothered by the hamstring and the Wolves' other shot-makers were harassed by the best and most committed defenders they saw in the tournament, particularly 5-foot-8 senior (2024) David Mack and then 5-foot-8 2025 Saul Anaya off the bench. That defensive duo kept constant pressure on House and his brother Kalek House and the team's third all-tournament player, 6-foot-4 freshman Javon Bardwell.

"We knew it was going to be hard, but that they were going to get tired eventually, said Mack, who was named all-tournament and finished the title game with six points. "It was a hard job, but we stayed with it."

Shots around the rim also didn't fall quite like they did in the first three games for Desert Mountain, thanks to the presence of 2025 forward Doug Langford, who had seven points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in the first half. Langford also forced Desert Mountain to play a big lineup and go just a bit deeper in its bench than it perhaps wanted to.

St. Pius X led 72-59 after three periods, but Desert Mountain wasn't done yet. It eventually cut its deficit to 77-73 as Langford (who finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots) fouled out with 2:54 remaining. The Wolves, however, could get no closer as St. Pius X hit a few timely shots, continued to keep up the defensive intensity and hit just enough free throws to return to Southern California with its tourney title in tow.

Senior Tylon Williams scored nine points, all in the first half, and senior Dayvon Gates netted 11 points, all in the second half, to provide a big lift for St. Pius X. The unsung play of junior (2025) Tariq Bridges was also key throughout the tourney, and he finished the championship game with 16 points.

Riley scored seven points after intermission to finish with 31 points, but his impact on the game never wavered. He had two key putbacks in the second half, contested shots, jumped passing lanes and battled on the boards to finish with six rebounds, and four steals. The lefty wing was named the Platinum Division's Most Valuable Player, averaging 22 ppg for the tourney.

St. Pius-St. Matthias head coach Donte Archie flashed a proud grin for Riley for the showing his star senior had at Tarkanian after a somewhat injury plagued summer. "It's nice to see him bounce back after his injuries, as some people wrote him off," Archie said. "I'm especially happy for Tyrone because I know how good he is."

Sophomore Kalek House (17.3 ppg in four tourney games) led Desert Mountain 24 points. Bardwell (15 ppg) finished with 13 points. Before fouling out with 35.5 seconds remaining, Kaden House finished with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists. For the tournament, he averaged 30 ppg and was one of two serpentine sophomore guards among the Tarkanian Classic's scoring leaders. The other superb tenth-grader, Jason Crowe of Lynwood (Calif.) actually did lead the tourney in scoring competing in the Ball Dawgs Division. He had two 50-point performances to finish with an event record 157 points, while averaging 39.3 ppg.

Desert Mountain will get some much-needed rest before playing in the VisitMesa.com Tournament in Arizona after the holiday. As for the Warriors, they are in the Gold Division at The Classic at Damien and now are the prohibitive favorites to win that tourney's second division.

St. Augustine (Calif.) coach Mike Haupt is known as one of the best coaches in the CIF ranks and that point was reiterated when he coached up his undersized club to a third place finish in Tark's top division, recording a 56-55 victory over The Branson School.

St. Augustine (10-2) led 33-22 at halftime, but Branson (which fell to eventual runner-up Desert Mountain in the semis) kept chipping away. Branson (7-3) even took a 34-33 lead with 3:44 remaining in the third period after trailing 31-17 late in the second period. The game went back-and-fourth from there, with the Bulls in position to tie the game on their last possession with a 3-pointer. After a 3-point miss in the closing seconds, all Branson could muster with a two-point field at the buzzer.

Branson's Semetri Carr, a 6-foot-1 junior guard who finished with 11 points, was joined on the 2023 Platinum Division All-Tournament team by Illinois-bound teammate Jase Butler, who finished the third place contest with 21 points. For St. Augustine, Cal-St. Fullerton-bound LoLo Rudolph (six points) made all-tourney for the second consecutive year. He was joined by sophomore Jaden Bailes, who had a breakout tournament and netted 20 points in the third place victory.

The following is the complete all-tournament team in the top division.

2023 Tarkanian Platinum Division All-Tournament Team

MVP: Tyrone Riley, St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 6-6 2024 G (USF) 22.0 ppg

Doug Langford, St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 6-8 2025 PF (15 ppg)
David Mack, St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 5-8 2024 G
Javon Bardwell, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 6-3 2027 G (15 ppg)
Kaden House, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 6-3 2026 G (30 ppg)
Kalek House, Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 6-2 2026 G (17.3 ppg)
Jase Butler, Branson School (Calif.) 6-4 2024 G (Illinois) 22.3 ppg
Semetri Carr, Branson School (Calif.) 6-1 2025 G
Jaden Bailes, St. Augustine (Calif.) 6-2 2026 G (19 ppg)
LoLo Rudolph, St. Augustine (Calif.) 6-2 2026 G
Shon Abaev, Calvary Christian (Fla.) 6-8 2025 PF (18.8 ppg)
Pharaoh Compton, Arbor View (Nevada.) 6-7 2024 PF (San Diego St.) 16 ppg
Josiah Cunningham, Coronado (Nev.) 6-3 2024 G (18 ppg)
Eric Freeny, Centennial (Calif.) 6-4 2024 G (UCLA) 18.5 ppg
Aliaun Iscandari, Campbell Hall (Calif.) 6-4 2024 G (20 ppg)
Nick Jefferson, Bishop Gorman (Nevada.) 6-1 2025 G (20.3 ppg)
Jaxon Johnson, Alta (Utah) 6-8 2024 F (Utah) 19.8 ppg
Jordyn Kee, Sagemont Prep (Fla.) 6-4 2024 G
Christian Reid, Mater Lakes (Fla.) 6-5 F (Southern Miss)
Kendyl Sanders, St. Bernard (Calif.) 6-6 2024 F (16 ppg)
D.J. Stickman, Clovis West (Calif.) 6-1 2024 G (11.7 ppg)
Bryson Tucker, O’Connell (Va.) 6-7 2024 G (24.5 ppg)

MORE TOURNEY TILE GAME ROUNDUPS

BallDawgs Division Championship:
Liberty Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 59, Weston Ranch (Stockton, Calif.) 49
The Patriots did a great job defensively and broke the game open in the second quarter, outscoring Weston Ranch 17-4 in that stanza to take a 33-19 halftime lead. Weston Ranch got within 49-42, but two missed free throws followed by a Liberty Magnet 3-pointer set forth in motion the Patriots' victory. Jaylen Peters, a 6-foot-6 forward was a big difference all tourney for Liberty Magnet (13-2), earning division MVP honors and finishing the title game with 11 points. The Louisiana club also limited Cornell-bound sharp-shooter Mateen Rafiq of Weston Ranch (6-2) to eight points and two 3-pointers. He finished the tournament with 20 made 3-pointers and averaged 20 ppg.

Spalding Division:
Carlsbad (Calif.) 53, Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 50
In one of the best championship games at Bishop Gorman, it was a nip-and-tuck affair in the second half after Carlsbad led by two points (39-37) at halftime. Carlsbad (10-1) led 48-45 with 30 seconds remaining when Poly's J-Rob Croy (19 points) made a twisting lay-up to cut its deficit to one. Carlsbad's Jordan Garner then made two free throws, but with seven seconds remaining, Croy tied the game for Poly (10-4) at 50-50 on his fifth 3-pointer. The Lancers' Tony Duckett, however, answered right back by hitting a straight-away 3-pointer at the buzzer to give his team the title. Duckett, an unsigned senior who helped himself tremendously at Tarkanian, was name division MVP after scoring 21 points.

Orleans Division:
Brentwood (Los Angeles) 71, Higley (Gilbert, Ariz.) 58
Jordan Houegban, a 6-foot-3 senior, had a terrific performance when his team needed it the most, knocking down six 3-pointers and finishing with 38 points. Houegban is one of California's best shooters. The Eagles start two freshmen and play three extensively.

BallerTV Division:
Vista Murrieta (Calif.) 81, Desert Oasis (Las Vegas, Nv.) 40
The Broncos moved to 13-1 with a romp of a local club. The division MVP was 6-foot-6 senior Donovan Ford, who netted nine points in the title game but was steady all tournament long. Nine players scored in the easy victory for the Broncos. The key win was their 68-46 semifinal win over previously unbeaten Pasadena (Calif.), a team that came into the game ranked No. 22 in California, according to Cal-Hi Sports.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Tarkanian Classic Platinum Division Final (12/21, PST)
St. Pius-St. Matthias (Calif.) 7-1 vs. Desert Mountain (Ariz.) 9-1, 4:30 pm
Tarkanian Classic Ball Dawgs Division Final (12/21, PST)
Weston Ranch (Stockton, Calif.) 6-1 vs. Liberty Magnet (Baton Rouge, La.) 12-2, 1:30 pm
Tarkanian Classic Spalding Division Final (12/21, PST)
Poly (Riverside, Calif.) 10-3 vs. Carlsbad (Calif.) 9-1, 12 pm

St. Pius-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.) doesn't always win pretty and tends to start slow, but if it wins and advances, the players don't care. That team-first philosophy had produced results at the 11th annual Tarkanian Classic and has put the Warriors in position to play for the Platinum Division championship.

The Warriors took on St. Augustine (9-2) and the CIF San Diego Section power led 36-32 at halftime in the semifinal contest. Saints was seemingly in control until St. Pius-St. Matthias (7-1) picked up the defense and started making timely buckets to post a 62-50 victory to advance to Thursday's 4:30 pm (PT) championship game.

St. Pius, which lone loss this season is to California No. 1 and FAB 50 No. 9 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) by one point in a road game, led 48-45 at the end of the third period, but Saint's first field goal of the final period came with just four minutes remaining in the eight minute stanza. St. Augustine finished with 14 points after intermission. Jaden Bailes, a sophomore guard and Saints' leading scorer in their first two tourney games, had 14 points, but only two after halftime.

St. Augustine had trouble slowing down Pius X big man Doug Langford, who forced double teams inside, created lanes for teammates and worked the offensive glass. The highly-recruited 2025 power forward finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.

San Francisco-bound wing Tyrone Riley of St. Pius-St. Matthias is similar to all-time great middleweight boxing champ Marvin Hager; he can be a slow starter but is a productive and championship player. Riley's mere presence is a threat to foes and he came up with timely shots and clutch rebounds in the second half vs. St. Augustine to finish with eight points.

"We came into the tournament with the mindset to win it (the title)," Riley said.

The Warriors are a scrappy bunch that never get too high or too low on themselves and received some timely second half shots from 6-foot-2 2024 (senior) Tylon Williams. Five-foot-8 2024 David Mack, the unsung hero of Tuesday's quarterfinal victory over FAB 50 No. 44 Alta (Sandy, Utah) with 20 points, came through again late vs. Saints for his team, which trailed by nine points in the second half in its first round win over Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) and by as much as 16 points in the second quarter in the big win over Alta. With 1:21 to go and St. Pius holding on to a 56-50 lead, Mack's slicing lay-up was a big moment and on the other end on Saints' next possession, he came up with a big rebound to put his team firmly in control.

"I just do whatever is needed for us to win," said Mack, a transfer from L.A. Fairfax. "We're just focused on winning."

The Warriors know how to come from behind to win and win in a variety of ways, but they probably can't afford too much of a slow start against their foe in the Platinum Division championship game. That's because Desert Mountain, a young outfit from Scottsdale, Ariz., that starts a pair of brothers who are sophomores and freshmen, have jumped all over teams and kept up the offensive pressure for 32 minutes in its first three victories.

The Wolves' 78-65 semifinal victory over Branson (Ross, Calif.) was no different, as they got it going early to move to 9-1 on the season and handed the Bulls their second loss (7-2 overall). All five of Desert Mountain's starters scored in the first period, as the Wolves led 17-10 after eight minutes.

All four of the Wolves' young perimeter players can burst by defenders, stop on a dime and pop the jumper or whip a pass, but their best player, 6-foot-3 sophomore Kaden House, simply does those things on another level than his peers in the national 2026 class. He is putting forth a show-stopping performance in Sin City and was already up to 20 points at halftime as his team led Branson, 40-30.

Junior guard Semetri Carr (24 points), a blur of a ball-handler himself, kept the Bulls in the game but they couldn't get over the hump dispite a 15-2 run that put Branson (which also got 23 points from Illinois-bound senior guard Jase Butler) within a point at 47-46 after trialing 45-31. The Branson run was stopped by a timely bucket by freshman (2027) guard Jabron Bardwell. From there Desert Mountain, which lost its only game of the season on a buzzer-beating shot by Pinnacle of Arizona, led 58-48 at the end of the third period with House up to 34 points.

In the end, the sophomore sensation was the difference in the game, as he once again nailed his free throws and sliced through the defense to the tune of 43 points and also had nine rebounds. Through three Platinum Division games, he's scored 104 points, good for a 34.7 ppg. One will be hard pressed to find a hotter player in the country or a better all-around guard in the West Region.

A star has been born in a city that has produced many of them over the years in scholastic and grassroots basketball, but the job is not done yet. St. Pius-St. Matthias may not have the same type of flash, but all it does is do its job and close out games.

The contrasting styles will make for quite the interesting Tarkanian Classic championship game.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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Editor's Note: For schedules, brackets and more tourney info, please visit: tarkanianclassic.com

1. Point Guard Matchups In Prep Division
There are over 70 teams in the prep division at Tark and there is an abundance of quality lead guards. Scouts and NBA personnel will want to lock their eyes on the matchup between SoCal Academy (Valencia, Calif.) and Canyon International Academy (Chandler, Ariz.) on Dec. 17 at Gorman. That game will pit Creighton-bound 6-foot-3 2024 Larry Johnson of SoCal Academy vs. Miles Sadler, a 5-foot-10 2026 from CIA who is a blur with the ball. Johnson is a combo downhill scoring threat and will be the one of the best individual talents in the prep division. Sadler is getting hands-on training playing in the EYBL Scholastic high school league and Tark will be a big platform for him to shine. A FAB 50 showdown will take place Dec. 16 between No. 4 Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and No. 15 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). That will pit Prolific Prep's Zoom Diallo, a 6-foot-4 do-it-all performer who is still undecided and looking to earn a McDonald's All-American berth, vs. 6-foot-2 2025 Jeremiah Fears, a fearless competitor who played well versus No. 1 Montverde Academy in a recent EYBLS game. Fears can be considered more of a combo, but most colleges are playing with three guards or their two best guards, regardless of position, nowadays, so he'll be highly-coveted when its time to choose his next level destination.

2. Will A Vegas High School Team Step Up?
There is no secret that, talent-wise, teams in the Las Vegas Valley are down this year. No NIAA team came close to cracking the preseason FAB 50 and in recent seasons two or three teams were always on the cusp of the rankings. Host Bishop Gorman, which fell in last year's Platinum Division title game to West Ranch (Valencia, Calif.) and won the title three times in four tournaments prior, is one of the dark horses that feels it has a chance. If the Gaels can get by Sagemont (Weston, Fla.), they like their chances between the winner of Desert Mountain (Ariz.) and Campbell Hall (Calif.). Coronado (Henderson, Nev.) is a slight underdog against St. Pius-St. Matthias (Downey, Calif.), as the Cougars must slow down the inside-out combination of 6-foot-5 San Francisco-bound wing Tyrone Riley and 6-foot-8 2025 power forward Doug Langford. Arbor View (Las Vegas) might be the best local team, but it will have its hands full with FAB 50 No. 19 Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.). San Diego St.-bound Pharaoh Compton is a load to handle, but it will take a player such as 6-foot-1 2025 Trammell Darden, Jr. or 6-foot 2024 Maximus Romero stepping up big-time in order to pull off the upset of the tourney's highest-ranked team. Gorman has the best chance to advance in the winner's bracket of the three local clubs.

3. Will Bishop O'Connell (Va.) Live Up to Expectations?
For the first time since perhaps the 2015 Tark Classic, when Overland (Aurora, Col.) took the top division title, the field in the Platinum Division is wide open. As many as 10 teams should feel they have a legitimate shot at capturing the Platinum title, with O'Connell the slight favorite. Still, outside of Overland, no other teams besides Gorman and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) clubs have won the championship since the tourney began in 2012, so the Knights have something to prove. They also have to bounce back from a 59-58 loss on Dec. 14 at the Western Maryland Hoops Classic to FAB 50 bubble club and EYBLS member Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.). Bryson Tucker, a 6-foot-6 2024 small forward, missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer vs. Brewster, but he'll be one of the difference-makers in the Platinum bracket. Jayden Harris, another unsigned 6-foot-6 2024, has been getting things done for coach Joe Wootten's club while Quincy Wadley, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, will be one of the best sophomores in the event. O'Connell could meet FAB 50 No. 44 Alta (Sandy, Utah) in a semifinal contest, but first the Utah club has to worry about handling the pressure defense of two-time defending Tark divisional champ Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), which is in the main division for the first time. Clovis West-Alta gets our vote as the best first round matchup.

4. Can Desert Mountain (Ariz.) Keep Up its Momentum?
If anything, the Wolves are exciting to watch and are also an excellent team despite their youth. This Scottsdale, Ariz.-based club has a never-say-die attitude and terrific perimeter scoring punch. This team has only one senior starter (5-foot-8 Ryan Dick) and he didn't take a field goal shot in Desert Mountain's overtime victory over highly-regarded Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) that knocked that club out of the FAB 50. The Wolves' first-round game vs. Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.) will be a track meet with the quality guards on display for both teams. Campbell Hall is looking to stop a three-game slide against national level teams and must slow down the brother combination of 6-foot-3 2026 sophomore Kaden House and 6-foot-2 sophomore Kalek House. The opposition is going to find out 6-foot Jabron Bardwell and 6-foot-3 Javon Bardwell, freshmen (2027) brothers, are difference-makers, as well. If Desert Mountain can keep the turnover count low, it would give itself a solid chance to make the semifinals.

5. There are Plenty of Prospects To Scout In The HS Division
With 126 high school teams from across the country, there is plenty of talent for college coaches and pro scouts to evaluate. NBA scouts will mostly be intrigued by the underclassmen to track down the line. In addition to the previously mentioned names, the Platinum Division contains a plethora of prospects that have the ability to play at some level of D1 ball. Those players include: 6-foot-7 2026 Kevin Thomas and 6-foot-6 2025 Patrick Liburd of Sagemont (Weston, Fla.), Illinois-bound 6-foot-4 2024 Jase Butler and 6-foot-1 2025 Semetri Carr of Branson (Ross, Calif.), 6-foot-7 2024 Kendyl Sanders, 6-foot-7 2026 Tajh Ariza, 6-foot-2 2025 Caleb Versher and 6-foot-7 2026 Christian Malachi Collins of St. Bernard (Playa del Rey, Calif.), 6-foot-7 2024 Shon Abaev of Calvary Christian (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), Arizona-bound 6-foot-9 2024 Carter Bryant and a trio of sophomores from Centennial (Corona, Calif.), including 6-foot-3 2026 Isaiah Rogers, UC San Diego-bound 6-foot-3 2024 Ryder Elisaldez and 6-foot-1 2025 Nick Jefferson of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 6-foot-4 2024 Tanner Jones and Cal Poly SLO-bound 6-foot-2 2024 Aaron Powell of Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.), 6-foot-3 2024 Josiah Cunningham and 6-foot-10 2025 Tee Bartlett of Coronado (Henderson, Nev.), Utah-bound 6-foot-8 2024 Jaxon Johnson and 5-foot-11 2024 Ace Reiser of Alta (Sandy, Utah), 6-foot-1 2025 D.J. Stickman of Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.), Cal-St. Fullerton-bound 6-foot-2 2024 LoLo Rudolph and 6-foot-1 2026 Jaden Bailes of St. Augustine (San Diego, Calif.) and 6-foot 2025 Anthony Knowles and 6-foot-5 2024 Christian Reid of Mater Lakes (Miami, Fla.).

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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RELATED: Hoophall West Eval Standouts!

1.Boogie Fland Gives Major Kentucky Vibes

In a terrific game on Friday evening between two FAB 50 ranked teams and two elite players, it was another fine player who made the winning basket in a 53-50 buzzer-beating win for Boogie Fland's team from Archbishop Stepinac (White Plains, N.Y.), which came into the game ranked No. 14 in the FAB 50. Its opponent was No. 29 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.), which is led by forward Koa Peat, one of the nation's best juniors whose team is playing a high-powered national schedule. The game went back and forth with both big guns making clutch plays, but it was Stepinac's Danny Carbuccia who hit the game-winning three-pointer right before the buzzer to give the visitors from New York a dramatic 53-50 victory in its first game of the season. Peat had a big block on Fland with 20.1 seconds to go in a possession that ended with a Fland miss in a tied game. Peat (12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists) looked to take the go-ahead field goal on Perry's final possession, but a held ball was called with seven seconds remaining to set up Carbuccia's shot that came after two quick passes to the left wing. It's safe to say without Fland, Stepinac wouldn't have been in position to win the game. The Kentucky commit and likely McDonald's All-American impressed media-types, scouts and fans in attendance with his darting moves and shot-making ability. It's fact, he moves and plays the game similarly to two former Big Blue Nation guards: Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) and Immanuel Quickley (New York Knicks) in terms of speed with the ball, step back shooting and ability to split defenders. He scored 14 points in the final period and finished with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals. "Yes, we did talk about getting off on the right foot for the season and we reminded them at halftime," Stepinac coach Patrick Massaroni said. "We couldn't have played a worse first half." Stepinac will try to keep up the momentum when it faces regionally-ranked Centennial (Corona, Calif.) in a Saturday afternoon matchup. Perry (4-1) will look to rebound vs. FAB 50 No. 12 Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.).

2. Wasatch Academy Is A Big EYBLS Factor

The Tigers began the season No. 23 in the preseason FAB 50, but so far they look like a realistic threat to finish in second place in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball Scholastic League (EYBL Scholastic). The Tigers will be hard pressed to beat No. 1 Montverde Academy in the league standings, but finishing in second place is realistic. After all, the Tigers lost to the Eagles, 88-53, in Utah on Nov. 20 and Montverde Academy crushed the Columbus (Miami, Fla.) team by 28 points, 89-61, on Friday evening that Wasatch Academy beat by two points (75-73). Coach Paul Peterson's club, currently ranked No. 6 nationally one spot in front of Columbus, has good pieces surrounding the high-powered backcourt of Ohio State-bound guard John Mobley Jr. and top-notch junior shooting guard Isiah Harwell. Bham Buom, a 6-foot-7 senior from Lincoln, Neb., by the way of Ghana, and 6-foot-9 junior Augustine Ekwe, a native of Nigeria, have stepped up big for the Tigers so far this season. Buom is a stringy forward who can face up with a nice handle or play inside with good instinct around the basket. He's likely going to have to go the JUCO route, but he's still a terrific long-term prospect. Ekwe is light on his feet and is a good rebounder. His production has been necessary as Wasatch Academy deals with the ACL injury loss of Malick Diallo, a TCU-bound 6-foor-10 center who played well at Border League in October but is lost for the season. Buom hit 3-of-4 3-pointers and finished with 16 points while, Mobley hit three timely 3-pointers and had 22 points in the Tigers' 71-63 victory over No. 15 AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.). "Buom and Ekwe are coming on strong and overall yes, they have been a a pleasant surprise."

3. Kaden House Is A Big-Time Player

The 6-foot-3 sophomore (2026) scoring guard is a bullish talent who incorporates some of his brother's game (New Mexico's Jaelen House) and his father's (former NBA guard Eddie House). Kaden can sprint with the ball, change direction and stop on a dime like his brother, but also has some of the scoring acumen of his father, who was the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2000 at Arizona State and is still ASU's all-time scoring leader (2,044 points). He's not the catch-n-shoot player his father was, but the current Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) standout can score in a variety of ways off the dribble and has the innate ability to slide past defenders with a quick first step or a series of euro steps. He's not quite the on-ball defender his brother was at the same stage (after all, Jaelen had 591 career steals at Shadow Mountain in Phoenix) but he is more than capable and is a big play-maker on both sides of the ball. He put up 35 points, four assists, three blocks and five steals in the Wolves' 83-81 overtime victory over Notre Dame Prep (Scottsdale, Ariz.) on Thursday evening. Desert Mountain at one point led by 20 points (34-14) in the second quarter, but didn't take care of the ball. Once House (eight turnovers) and his teammates learn to value possessions, this team will be a tough out in the AIA playoffs. Keep in mind, his twin brother, 6-foot-2 sophomore Kalek House (19 points), is not too far behind as a prospect and the Wolves also start two freshmen: 6-foot Jabron Bardwell and 6-foot-3 Javon Bardwell. Jabron has fast hands on defense, while Javon has a nice change of pace to his game and a fearless approach.

4. Sunnyslope Will Be Dynamite in 2024-25

In the early season Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) game of the year, Sunnyslope (Phoenix) was seemingly in control versus Millennium (Phoenix) in a matchup of regionally ranked teams and two of the AIA's three best clubs. The Vikings led by 13 points with 4:28 to go in the third period and by nine points (49-40) with four minutes remaining, but a series of poor possessions and sloppy ball-handling allowed Millennium to storm back, tying the game with a steal and 3-pointer by CSUN-bound guard Sabien Cain with 15.3 seconds remaining. Even though Sunnyslope eventually lost the game, 65-62, in overtime, coach Ray Portela's club shows alot of promise for the future. Delton Prescott, a 5-foot-11 freshman (2027) point guard, is a blur with the ball, a good passer and a catalyst on a team that starts four underclassmen. Prescott is as good a 2027 lead guard as we've seen in the West Region, so far. John Mattingly, a 6-foot sophomore, compliments Prescott well and finds the open teammate. Mattingly also has a good I.Q. and makes the right reads. Rider Portela, a 6-foot-5 sophomore and the coach's son, moves well without the ball and has a mean streak to go along with a fine all-around skill level. Sunnyslope already owns a victory over regionally-ranked Centennial (Corona, Calif.) and its upcoming games with FAB 50 No. 20 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) and No. 29 Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) will tell us alot. Regardless of what happens against those two opponents, Sunnyslope is a major AIA open division title contender and will even be more potent when 6-foot-7 sophomore Christian Simmons and 6-foot-10 freshman Darius Wabbington get more comfortable against national level competition. Simmons is progressing steadily, while Wabbington doesn't play much right now, he'll be a key cog come playoff time. Next year, this team will be dynamite when its interior pieces match the backcourt and it learns to take care of the ball in crunch time.

5. It Isn't Easy Running National Showcase Events

This one point has really nothing to do with the Hoophall West event specifically or the event company that executes it (Position Sports), but it's necessary to mention. Post-Pandemic many public events are still recovering from where they were pre March 2020, but there are others factors. Not only are there a plethora of over-lapping events, but the prices to conduct business is rising and that cost is passed on to the consumer. Especially with so many good teams playing in high-powered fall leagues, it puts plenty of pressure on parents and fans alike to attend games. They can only shell out $15 or $20 dollars so many times during a calendar year, especially with the price to travel to many games. Three other factors play a role in the smaller crowds we've recently seen in the West Region. One, every class doesn't have a big-time social media darling like we saw in 2022-23 such as Bronny James or Mikey Williams. Second, fans follow their favorites at such a young age and see so much video and imagery of them, sometimes there is no anticipation for seeing a player in person like there was 10 years ago. Lastly, sponsors are very cautious in these economic times with what they spend on or pick up the tab for in regards to high school and grassroots events. This obviously is a fluid situation, but we rarely if, ever, get standing-room only, shoulder-to-shoulder, call the fire marshall type crowds that we saw with the Ball Brothers or other elite stars prior to 2020.

Ronnie Flores is the national Grassroots editor of www.ebooksnet.com. He can be reached at?[email protected]. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter:?@RonMFlores

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