College Bound Network awakens some OC sleepers

WESTMINSTER, Calif. — Saturday could’ve been the perfect opportunity to lay back on the couch and take in a full slate of early-season college football action. But the opportunity to get in the gym to see some sleeper hoops prospects was much more intriguing. Neal Nieves, John Emaguna, Glen Worley and the College Bound Network partnered with D’Cean Bryant and his Push Skills Academy for the inaugural College Bound Network Back 2 School Fall Showcase Saturday at Westminster high school. The day began with Bryant, a prep basketball star at Lynwood High who went on to play at Long Beach State, providing players with hours worth of skill work to help diversify their game. Once the games began, two players, one a known commodity and the other a virtual unknown, separated themselves from the rest of the pack. Morgan Means, a 6-foot-2 guard from Redondo Union high school, was the player media in attendance expected to stand out. Means is a solid all-around basketball player who really takes pride in his defense. He showed the ability to play both on and off the ball, hit jump shots from mid and long-range and got to the rim at-will. That semi-unknown player mentioned above is 2017 Isaiah Robinson of Santa Ana (Calif.) Segerstrom high school. The coaches in Orange County’s Golden West League are very familiar with Robinson and his smooth left-handed jump shot, but many haven't seen him becuase he's never played a full slate of club basketball. Robinson is a smooth athlete at 6-foot-3 and is crafty with the ball in his hands. While he’s not an explosive athlete, Robinson showed the ability to finish above the rim.

2017 Isaiah Robinson of Segerstrom high school was a top performer at the CBN Fall Preview. Photo: Devin Ugland

A young guy to keep an eye on as his prep career progresses is 2019 Orange Lutheran forward Cade Potter. At 6-foot-6, Potter shoots the ball well from the perimeter and showcased his ability to handle it and create his own shot. The rest of Potter’s game is still coming along, but he’s a player who could be a major problem in the Trinity League in the coming years. There were two other Trinity League players who played well Saturday in the 2018 JSerra guard duo of Jonah Tolmaire and Jordan Alvarado - both of whom saw plenty of varsity action as South OC freshmen last season. Tolmaire is a lightning-quick 5-foot-11 point guard who is always on the lookout for a good pass. He wastes no time pushing the ball in transition and does a nice job of controlling the pace of the game and controlling the pace of himself. Alvarado is a 6-foot-1 shooting guard who does most of his damage with the mid-range pull-up. He’s a deceptive athlete and gets great lift on his jumper. Other standouts: 2017 G Caleb Banuelos (Villa Park) 2016 F Isaac Douglass (Yorba Linda) 2017 Wing Imran Takhar (Villa Park) 2017 G Noah Gutierrez (Citrus Hill) 2017 G Devyian Roberson (Servite)