Classic at Damien: BJ Boston & Kijani Wright take the spotlight
La Verne, CA. – The Classic at Damien has become a staple on the high school event calendar whenever it comes to drawing the best high school teams off of the west coast to the four-day event. Things kicked off on Thursday with the hidden playmaking skills from BJ Bosotn on full display, a dominant showing from Kijani Wright, freshman Darius Carr emerging as a national prospect and Evan Mobley showing why he is so heavily thought of.
Boston has sneaky powers. One of the things that I have always valued in BJ Boston is just how good of a passer he is. Once he hit another growth spurt two years ago, and due to those that he teamed up with, he was placed into a scoring role that, thanks to his talent base, flourished within. Playing with a loaded Sierra Canyon squad, Boston has begun to display again his hidden playmaking skills.
This all is to say that Boston’s passing prowess will only enhance what Kentucky might be able to achieve next year. While John Calipari has often relied on a lone primary ballhandler to facilitate his team’s offense, Boston might unlock a more versatile backcourt. The Cats won’t have to rely solely on Devin Askew from their 2020 recruiting class to create their half-court offense. Boston can be used on the ball in spurts which might give Askew and the above 40-percent perimeter shooting that he boasted during Nike EYBL play in the summer a chance to be used as an off the ball threat. Such would allow for easier driving lanes for CamRon Fletcher and Terrence Clarke, and also a more dynamic offense in Lexington.
Kijani Wright is a monster. Wright was tremendous to open his team’s first half, hitting three pick and pop perimeter attempts which helped add up to 20 points. Questions have never surrounded the talent level or the abilities of Wright as he sits as one of the best frontcourt prospects in the 2022 class. He is a west coast priority with Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Vanderbilt sitting as just a few of the programs already involved. Expect for his recruitment to soar into the blue blood realm any day now despite his young age. He is a rather mature big man that impacts the game in a variety of ways and will be cemented as a five-star prospect for the remainder of his high school career.
Darius Carr looks to be one of the best freshman guards out west. Playing alongside four-star junior Reese Dixon-Waters, Carr was fantastic getting to the basket and finishing through contact off of his right hand. Bringing an unrelenting playing style to the perimeter, Carr has the body to grow into as he gets older along with a confident jumper that he nailed twice from 21-feet. He has to work out some of the kinks within his game as in taking care of the ball better but the talent and potential with the tough-nosed freshman is evident. His recruitment has yet to begin but I would expect for the best to pursue.
Evan Mobley has freakish tangibles. He is not to the level of Giannis Antetokounmpo but he isn’t far off. The top-ranked senior was a bit perturbed throughout his showing on Thursday but whenever it came down to it and his team needed him the most, Mobley showed out by dominating around the basket. A super long, mobile and well-coordinated big man that is the elite of the elite whenever it comes to protecting his team’s basket, it is the progressions that he has made with his ball skills that has really raised his ceiling for what he can achieve on the hardwood over the long haul.
Not many with his size have the handles and durability that Mobley possesses. A one-year stop at USC will be it for Mobley next year but his transcendent abilities, along with that of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, should be enough to bring the spotlight to the college game that is rather lacking this winter. A triple-double or two should be on the docket from Mobley every now and again, even at the highest level.
Julian Strawther is another great plug-in for Gonzaga. Mark Few has made tremendous recruiting strides domestically and one of his latest wins, the top-65 Strawther, showed out to begin his time The Classic at Damien. Imagining him alongside Anton Watson next year, giving Few an uberly-versatile frontcourt tandem, should only cause for greater nightmares within opposing WCC coaching offices. Strawther has a done a great job of reshaping his frame since the summer and because of it, is quicker off of his feet which makes him that much more of a difficult stop off of the first step, on the glass and defensively. He will be a good one in Spokane.
Reese Dixon-Waters is already a west coast priority. Rightfully so. The long-armed, smooth scoring wing does one thing really, really well, and that is score the basketball. Despite coming up just a bit short on Thursday, the best is way ahead for the four-star junior. Dixon-Waters is a bucket getter first and foremost and once he figures out the time and place to shoot and drive, his basketball ceiling only will heighten. He is a talented prospect that has already been deemed as a must-get by the top programs within his general locale.
California became the first to officially host him in October, while nearby Stanford has brought him in the unofficial variety. San Diego State, UCLA, USC and Vanderbilt are a few others involved, making up a school list that will only continue to grow.