Four-star prospects show up in big game
TORRANCE, Calif. - With plenty of attention already, the recruitment of Los Angeles (Calif.) Pacific Hills guard Namon Wright could be heating up after the performance he put on Wednesday night in a tight 79-75 loss to Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola.
The game, as part of the South Bay Classic, was billed as a battle between Wright and fellow class of 2014 recruit Loyola point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, and it definitely lived up to the hype.
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While Jackson-Cartwright got the win, Wright won the individual scoring battle and at the same time made sure to let people see that he is worthy of his status among the nation's top prospects.
Before the game started, Wright took the liberty of wowing the crowd with his supreme athleticism. Whether it was a powerful two-handed jam, or a reverse dunk that saw him hang in the air for what felt like minutes, Wright put it on display.
Even though none of the electric dunks made their way into the game, Wright scored 23 points, and did so in a variety of ways.
Whether it was slashing to the bucket, hitting from behind the arc or putting back missed shots off of an offensive rebound, Wright did it all.
Jackson-Cartwright finished with 14 points and seven assists, but didn't crack the stat line in either category in the fourth quarter. Rather, his 7-foot teammate Thomas Welsh took over in the waning minutes to secure a Loyola victory.
The Loyola standout led his team back from a nine-point first quarter deficit, scoring six points and dishing out three assists in the second period. Loyola trailed 39-37 at halftime.
The third quarter is where the Wright/Jackson-Cartwright show began with each player going bucket-for-bucket.
As Wright knocked down a 3-pointer, Jackson-Cartwright answered back with a drive and finish off of a high pick-and-roll.
Pacific Hills headed into the fourth quarter with a 60-59 advantage.
While the pace in the final period for Pacific Hills turned helter-skelter, Jackson-Cartwright made sure that Loyola stayed under control as it finished strong for the four-point win.
Pacific Hills standout and Rice commit Marcus Jackson scored 20 points for his team.
Wright already has a number of programs interested, a majority of them residing in the Pac-12 Conference. After Wednesday afternoon's performance, he showed once again why there are a number of schools that have offered including Gonzaga, USC and Wisconsin.
Click Here to view this Link.Devin Ugland
GOAZCATS.com West Coast recruiting analyst