MVP(S)

Gavin Sykes, Sr, CHB & Myles Jones, Jr, CHB (Stanford Commit) 

Sykes and Jones were unstoppable all day. Whether it was facilitating the offense, hitting a big shot when needed, or getting a stop defensively the pair came up big at the right time the entire day. What made them even more dangerous is the chemistry that exists between the two. They took turns imposing their will on the defense and always seemed to know where the other is at on the floor. The duo was equally impressive on Sunday and should be one of the best backcourts in the country. Jones, a junior, is already committed to Stanford. The senior Sykes is expected to make a college decision soon with schools like Pepperdine and Long Beach State vying for his services.

ALL TOURNEY

First Team

Chadwick Johnson, Sr, Big Dawgs-The 6’4” Jones showed why he is one the biggest sleeper prospects out west. He can shoot it from deep with range but he’s equally impressive getting to the rim and finishing with either hand. Jones had several tough finishes on the day for the Big Dawgs and seemed to come up with a big shot whenever the Big Dawgs needed one. The athletic combo guard is not a well-known prospect out west but that could change with a big senior year at Sheldon.

SirMarius Jones, Sr, Beast Club-Jones is a prolific scorer who came out on fire in the opening game finishing with a tournament high 33 points. Jones hit his first 5 shots from deep and then got to the basket where he was either fouled or converted baskets through contact. He’s able to score at all 3 levels and several times posted smaller guards. Jones is fresh from official visits to both UC Irvine and Weber State and is expected to make a college decision soon.

Derron White, Sr, The Trail-“Floor General” is the best way to describe the 5’10” White. He gets into the paint at will and seems to make the right play on every possession. The Trail was one of the deepest teams at the event and it was all spearheaded by the tenacious White. White is starting to pick up low D1 and D2 interest. If he continues to play the way he played Saturday expect the interest to grow with more schools getting involved.

Jaylen Valadez, Sr, Cap City-Valadez started the day off getting his teammates involved and playing defense. However, in the game of the day against the Big Dawgs, Valadez willed his team to a win with a full court drive that ended in a buzzer beating two hand dunks to send the game into overtime. He was equally impressive in the Championship game against CHB, where he kept his team in the game early, before eventually running out of gas, having to play back-to-back games.

Darrion Lilly, Sr, The Ranch-The 6’5” senior does EVERYTHING for The Ranch and COMPETES at a high level. His energy is contagious, and his teammates feed off his enthusiasm and competitive spirit. Lilly competed the entire day covering all 5 positions, fighting for rebounds, scrapping for loose balls, and stealing cross court passes that he finished with dunks. He filled the stat sheet in every way possible on Sunday.

Devaughn Dorrough, Fr, The Trail-Expect to Dorrough to become one of the top recruits in NorCal in the 2028 class. Dorrough has great balance and footwork around the rim and seems to finish everything with a dunk or with nice touch.  He hit a 3 from the top of the key and he’s a very good passer out of the high post. Dorrough has a great feel offensively and he’s equally impressive as a rebounder and defender. He rebounds out of his area and is already a good weakside shot blocker. The sky is the limit for the freshman.

Aaron Wallace, So, Sac Tornadoes-Wallace was the biggest revelation of the day, even more so than the highly touted freshman Dorrough. It was interesting to see how Wallace would do against elite competition. He more than held his own in a matchup against the senior Sirmarius Jones. Jones may have won the scoring battle with 33 points, but Wallace scored 25 points of his own and willed his team to a come from behind win in the game. Wallace hit timely shots and was a playmaker for his scrappy teammates. At 6’3” with a long wiry frame Wallace can shoot it from deep but also scores getting into the paint and finishing over smaller guards. He’s a very good passer and takes the challenge on defensively as well, covering Jones late in the game.

Second Team

Ry Atkins, Sr, CHB-Utility player who does whatever CHB needs. Battles inside with no complaints but can step outside to shoot and create from the perimeter.

Damien Reese, Sr, The Ranch-Tenacious defender who attacks downhill and hits shots from beyond the arc.

Nathan Ruff, Sr, Big Dawg-Senior post who rebounded and held down the paint for the Big Dawgs against a physical and aggressive Cap City front court.

Jephte Tambala, Sr, Cap City-An undersized post who impacts the game with his strength, athleticism, and physicality.

Fred Blue, Jr, Cap City-A pure point guard who ran the show for Cap City all day.

Manno Jenkins, Jr, Sac Tornadoes-A smooth scorer and competitor who can give you a bucket anyway you want it.

Damari Hunter, Jr, Pacer Academy-Long lead guard with good vision and nice pull up jumper.

5 SLEEPERS

Sebastian James, Sr, Big Dawgs-The 6’6”  James was impressive all day. A versatile forward who does a lot of the dirty work for the Big Dawgs showed a lot of promise as a secondary scorer and contributor for the Big Dawgs.

Alfred “AP” Wilkins, So, Sac Tornadoes-The fearless 5’7” point guard, Wilkins, did everything in his power to get the upset against CHB scoring 18 big points in the game.

Elijah Payne, So, CHB-The 6’4” sophomore got hot in the championship game and hit 5 threes. He has good athleticism and should develop into an impact player as he continues to mature,

Nick Androetti, So, Cap City-Sophomore guard can score in a variety of ways, led Cap City in scoring in their first game with 17 points off the bench.

Elijah Sykes, Jr, Big Dawg-A heady point guard who did a good job of facilitating and running the show for the Big Dawgs.