By Dinos Trigonis
fullctpress.net
@trigonis30
The fifth annual Jerry Tarkanian Classic Finals were held on Dec. 20 for all bracketed divisions.
In the Platinum Division Championship Game, it was Chino Hills (Calif.) breaking open a close game early and answering every Mater Dei run to beat the Monarchs 84-73. Tourney co-MVP Gelo Ball (UCLA signee) scored 25 points (18 in the first half), while fellow co-MVP Eli Scott (Loyola Marymount signee) had another highly productive game (10 points, 14 rebounds) to anchor the Huskies. Three other Chino Hills starters scored in double figures with Melo Ball (21 points, 12 assists), Oneyka Okongwu (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Phaquan Davis (12 points, 4 of 5 on 3-pointers) all making major contributions for the Huskies. Mater Dei’s Justice Sueing did all he could to keep the Monarchs in contention, scoring a game-high 27 points and grabbing 11 boards. Mike Wang added 17 points and Spencer Freedman dished out 10 assists.
In the Platinum Division Third Place Game it was 6-foot-2 freshman Noah Taitz driving the lane and hitting a bank shot to push host Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.) past Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) 66-64. Bishop Gorman’s 6-foot-6 senior Charles O’Bannon led all scorers with 29 points while Roosevelt’s Matt Mitchell led the Mustangs with 27 points.
In the Nike Division Final, Timpanogos (Orem, Utah) knocked off Maranatha (Pasadena, Calif.) 57-46 as Justin Beus led the way for the Timberwolves with 17 points. Maranatha’s Chris Austin topped the Minutemen’s scoring with 17 points of his own.
Below are several of the top players that rose to the occasion on Day 5:
Eli Scott 6-foot-5 2017 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Scott followed up a monster semi-final effort with another double-double (10 points on 5 of 6 from the field and 14 rebounds) versus Mater Dei in the Platinum title game. Scott is the ultimate glue guy for any championship squad. He rebounds, He defends. He scores when necessary. He competes on every play! That type of effort was prevalent all tourney long and was a huge reason Chino Hills survived every round of play in Las Vegas and came away with the 2016 Platinum crown. Scott grabbed a share of tourney MVP honors (along with teammate LiAngelo Ball).
LiAngelo Ball 6-foot-5 2017 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Gelo started off the championship game with Mater Dei strong and was the offensive spark that propelled Chino Hills to a 1st half lead they would never relinquish. Gelo led the Huskies with 25 points (10 of 23 FG, 5 of 11 on 3-pointers) in the Final and his impressive variety of buckets, both from posting up defenders in the paint as well as NBA-type 3 point bombs were main factors in Gelo being named tourney co-MVP (with fellow Husky Eli Scott).
Justice Sueing 6-foot-6 2017 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Sueing was Mater Dei’s driving offensive force in the title game – going for a game-high 27 points (11of 17 FG, 3 of 6 from deep) to go along with 11 boards. Utah and Cal were among the schools checking out Justice here and his impressive tourney play (averaged 26 points and 11.5 rebounds during his last two games) earned him all-tourney honors.
LaMelo Ball 6-foot-2 2019 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Melo is a very confident and competitive young scoring lead guard and although he was not very efficient in title game (8 of 32 FG; 3 of 19 on 3-pointers) he was able to churn out 21 points (including a few of his trademark deep 3s) but more importantly was terrific distributing the rock (handed out 12 assists) as well as directing a very balanced Chino Hills attack (all five starters scored in double figures). Melo’s impact on each game earned him a well-deserved spot on the all-tourney team.
Spencer Freedman 6-foot-1 2018 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Freedman had a great Tarkanian Classic – leading Mater Dei to the Platinum title game and earning all-tournament honors. Spencer displayed his sharpshooting skills here, scoring 26 twice versus Desert Pines and Bishop Gorman and his passing skills were on full display in the title game (10 assists vs. Chino Hills).
Mike Wang 6-foot-9 2018 Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
Battling the flu, Wang battled all-tourney long and was a very valuable member of the Mater Dei squad that reached the title game. Scored 17 points versus Chino Hills, two of which was an impressive dunk in traffic. Expect Wang’s recruiting to pick up as more and more high-major programs are becoming aware of his high skill set.
Oneyka Okongwu 6-foot-9 2019 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
The Tarkanian Classic Platinum title game was just another day at the office for “Big O.” Okongwu produced a double-double (14 points on 6 of 9 FG, 14 rebounds) for the 2016 tourney champs. Chino Hills’ current 46-game winning streak would not have been possible if Oneyka wasn’t protecting the rim and patrolling the paint for the Huskies.
Phaquan Davis 5-foot-10 2019 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Small guard came up big in this tourney, playing great defense and he could be counted on to knock down crucial perimeter shots. His 12 points (all from beyond the 3-point arc -- 4 of 5 from deep) in the title game were instrumental in helping Chino Hills get past Mater Dei.
Matt Mitchell 6-foot-6 2017 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.)
Cal State Fullerton signee continued his impressive play in the Platinum 3rd Place Game – erupting for a team-high 27 points and earning an all-tourney selection.
Bryce Hamilton 6-foot-4 2018 Pasadena (Pasadena, Calif.)
Bryce has rapidly become one of the hottest names in California’s 2018 class and his talents are attracting the attention of more and more college coaches and scouts. Pasadena’s last game in this year’s Tarkanian Classic was a memorable one. Dueling with one of Nevada’s top juniors Maka Ellis (Sierra Vista/Las Vegas), Hamilton took matters into his own hands, pouring in 35 points including 6 straight free-throws to seal Pasadena’s win over Sierra Vista. Assistants from Virginia, Nevada, Boise State and Santa Clara watched the Hamilton/Ellis match-up. Hamilton averaged 28.8 points per game during the Tarkanian Classic.
Andre Ball 6-foot-7 2018 Chino Hills (Chino Hills, Calif.)
Very underrated junior has tremendous potential to be a high-flying forward at the next level. Andre’s rate of development would be accelerated if he had the opportunity to see more time and touches on the floor for the Huskies. Like teammate Eli Scott, one of the most undervalued prospects on the West Coast.
Note: Special thanks to Tarkanian Classic producer and boys basketball expert analyst Dinos Trigonis of Pangos for use of this content from his championship day recap media release
