Utah Fall Classic: SoCal Standouts Pt. 1

With the uncertainty still surrounding the high school basketball regular season, various grassroots events have popped up across the country. This past weekend, St. George, Utah played host to the Utah Fall Classic put on by West Coast Elite. The event featured players from California, Utah, Nevada, and Washington. Quite a few players from Southern California were in attendance, and I was able to follow along through social media livestreaming. Here’s a quick look at some of the top standouts from Southern California. <strong>1. [player_tooltip player_id="103357" first="London" last="Gamble"] - Westlake 2022</strong> Gamble was a player I first saw play a little over a year ago at WCE event and she stood out for her offensive potential and her defensive ability. She’s come a long way since then. She’s very comfortable with the ball in her hands and putting pressure on the defense, especially in transition. Can shoot off the dribble or get the rim with ease. Defensively, she locks up on the wing and is willing to pick up ball in the backcourt. <strong>2. [player_tooltip player_id="102703" first="Sammie" last="Arnold"] - Palisades 2021</strong> Arnold is a player who’s stood out to me for a while due to her motor and willingness to to make hustle/winning plays. She’s always been that glue type player who crashes the glass, dives for loose balls, and plays defense. But what I see now is an improved handle and being much more comfortable with the ball in her hands. She was always a good three-point shooter, but she’s worked on that too and is pretty much a sniper from distance. <strong>3. [player_tooltip player_id="102696" first="Simone" last="Morris"] - Long Beach Poly 2021</strong> A lefty wing, Morris has emerged as one of the better perimeter scorers in SoCal. She is a great shooter from both midrange and from the three-point line. She can handle the ball and stop and pop on the break. She can also shoot off the bounce or face up and knock down jumpers in the defender’s face. An overall tough player who can also lock up defensively on the perimeter. Should have a big senior season. <strong>4. Emily Lim - Camarillo 2023</strong> Lim has to be one of the best shooters in the area. She actually has good size and can play in the paint a little bit, she is decent rebounder and can finish strong at the rim. But her major strength is her shooting. She’s an absolute sniper from three-point range and she has a quick release to get off her shot before the defense can close out on her. Has unlimited range and can’t be left open. Can step in and shoot in the midrange too.