The biggest reason that Rivals.com drove down to San Diego from Los Angeles for the Under Armour Holiday Classic before making the trek to Palm Springs for the Maxpreps event was to check out four-star sophomore point guard
Jaylen Hands of Chula Vista (Calif.) Mater Dei. That fellow sophomore
Richard Polanco of San Diego (Calif.) Army & Navy was taking the floor was an added bonus. As it turned out, Polanco ended up stealing the show.
A strong 6-foot-6 wing, Polanco went absolutely nuts from deep. He made eight three-pointers and at one point over the course of the second and third quarters he made seven straight. When he wasn't bombing threes, Polanco showed that he can handle the ball, rebound and be a crafty playmaker for others.
Obviously, he's not going to shoot the ball like that every time out, but with his size and sturdy frame, that he can shoot is a huge selling point when it comes to college coaches that will eventually have interest. Polanco isn't a high flyer, but already has a pretty good feel for how to use his body and mostly needs to eliminate a little extra flash from his game that can lead to careless turnovers. A native of the Dominican Republic, Polanco has been in the States for a few years now. He said that the only school he has really heard from at this point is
Virginia.
The only downside to Polanco's big outing was that there weren't any college coaches in the building. The 26th is the end of a short dead period on the recruiting calendar, so nobody was allowed to be there. However, it is a safe bet they will find their way to see him throughout the rest of the tournament after word of his big day spreads.
As for the previously mentioned Hands, the 6-foot-1 floor general was playing with a taped right wrist and at times went to great lengths to avoid using his right (natural) hand. He is lightning quick and explosive, but didn't shoot the ball very well and was clearly less than 100 percent in his team's blowout loss at the hands of Polanco and Army & Navy. One other Mater Dei player actually showed some promise despite losing 67-39. Six-foot-7 freshman combo forward
Miles Norris has good size, long arms and soft touch around the rim. His team got rocked on Friday morning, but he looks like he will be a good one down the road.
Finally, the other player that we wanted to see in San Diego early Friday was junior four man
Tim HarrisonClick Next up at Saddleback is thin but athletic and active power forward Irshad Hunte. Standing around 6-foot-8, Hunte is a high energy four man who can really run up and down the floor. He attacks the glass, tries to block shots and doesn't mind getting in the mix physically despite his skinny build. A three-star prospect, he will be one to monitor on at least the upper mid major level.Here to view this Link.. Checking in at around 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8, he is a thin power forward at San Diego (Calif.) Francis Parker. A three-star prospect, Harrison runs well is a good enough athlete and looks like he has some touch. Early foul trouble and a guard dominated game kind of limited him but the overriding thought from watching him is that he has to be more physical on both ends of the floor. Strength will come with physical maturity, but physicality and toughness are a mindset. Harrison's already solid recruitment will be even more interesting if he can unleash his inner pit bull.