Classic at Damien: West Coast's best leave their mark
La Verne, CA. – Day two of The Classic at Damien began with a solid showing from Peyton Watson who has quickly become a national recruit. His talent and versatility shined but so did DJ Dudley, one of the best sophomore guards out west, and Jahmai Mashack, a Rivals150 junior that has just begun his college recruitment. All three left a positive impression with plenty more to take away from our day spent in southern California.
Peyton Watson hasn’t stopped growing. The now 6-foot-8 wing forward finished with a game high of 21 points on Friday and while his team went down in defeat, Watson showed just why he is a top-30 prospect nationally. Versatility is the name of the game with the two-way producer. He can put the ball on the floor and finish with either hand, create for his teammates on the go, win the 50-50 ball and defend three separate positions. He is a tireless worker that brings all of the intangibles to the floor and because of it, leads a national recruitment.
The four-star has already taken official visits to Arizona and Washington, and while he was expected to visit Virginia this fall, was forced to postpone such a trip. Another date is currently being worked on as Watson was watched by coaches form Cal, Gonzaga, Stanford, UCLA and USC on Saturday morning.
DJ Dudley is the next man up out of Fairfax High. The program has produced its fair share of basketball standouts in recent years with USC’s Ethan Anderson the latest to find success within the college game. San Diego State bound Keith Dinwiddie was not suited up on Friday which allowed for Dudley to show just how good he is. That he did as he displayed the ability to pick the time and place to score and pass. He has great length that he uses on the defensive end and a quality feel that makes one believe that his best ball is way ahead of him. A solid four-star prospect in the 2022 class, San Diego and San Diego State have offered but it won’t be much longer before a number of Pac 12 programs jump into the recruitment of the talented sophomore.
Jahmai Mashack has great two-way potential. He doesn’t fail the looks test but it is more than just the physicality that he brings to the hardwood but also his ability to impact the game on both sides of the floor. Mashack, a member of the Rivals150, is great out of the mid-range and is more than tough and engaged to where he can be seen as a premier wing defender. Missing his junior summer due to a bad ankle injury, his recruitment has yet to really take off but that is going to change.
He has taken an unofficial visit to UCLA as the Bruins have shown heavy interest in him. He is just the type that Mick Cronin found great success with at Cincinnati but competition for him will not be in short supply. By the spring, expect for many of the Pac 12 to have offered and also keep an eye on Oklahoma who has also begun to ramp up interest in him.
Windward’s sophomore tandem is something special. We broached the topic that is Kijani Wright yesterday and he was back at it again on Friday. A tremendously polished big man prospect that is just a sophomore, it was great to see another impressive outing from the five-star. His motor remained, he made shots to the perimeter, changed shots in the lane and he rebounded in traffic. Consistency from a post player is difficult to find which gives places a greater emphasis on how good he is and can be down the road.
Joining him is Dylan Andrews, another talented member of the 2022 class that has enjoyed a high-major recruitment since the summer. Arizona, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Utah have already offered and, before long, the entire Pac 12 will have jumped entirely on board with. Andrews is a gifted lead guard that doesn’t get sped up. He can make shots with consistency, create for others and himself, and has plenty of value as an on the ball defender.
KJ Simpson is a tough and under-recruited guard. A member of the 2021 class, Simpson is everything one looks for in a lead guard: he is tough, gets downhill with the basketball, competes and defends. He is still evolving into a true facilitator role but for the constant need for primary ballhandlers that can complete a variety of tasks in the backcourt, one would assume that it is only a matter of time before his recruitment really takes off.
Arizona State sits as his lone power conference offer, but with USC’s Andy Enfield and assistants coaches from Cal, Gonzaga, Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA in attendance on Friday, it might not take too much longer before some of the best within his region hand out their own offer to the Chaminade product.
Ty Harper is the real deal. Making the move into Santa Clarita and reclassifying into the 2021 class, Harper is someone to know. The lefty is one of the best that I have seen whenever it comes to getting downhill with the basketball. He is a more than capable playmaker but is most comfortable in a scoring capacity. With ice in his veins, Harper nailed two buzzer beating 3s to force an extra session, carrying his team to a double-overtime win. He has the potential to move back into his original 2020 class but, either way, his offer list needs to change as it boasts a single offer from Detroit. Harper is a highly competitive guard that has great potential as a scorer and defender and could see a national recruitment ensue thanks to his new home on the west coast and former ties based in Georgia.