The Drop is the one-stop shop to find the best players, teams, and programs in youth basketball. Our team here at Grassroots 365 in partnership with Open Gym Premier and Elite Basketball Circuit meets every month to put together the best of the best. Whether through undefeated runs, tough finishes, or outright dominance over the Grassroots circuit, they have earned a right to call themselves the best on the West Coast! 

Welcome to The Drop, as we take a look back at the highlights from the month of January.

Team Rankings

Top Stat lines from January

MLK Classic at Open Gym Premier Anaheim

Tariq Johnson (IE Sixers 13U) vs Alameda Vipers: tournament-high of 36 points, making seven three points with also giving ten assists and collecting five steals in route to a 106-39 win. Johnson averaged 22.8 points per game, 4.8 assists and 3 steals.

Dean Mika (PD Basketball 14U) vs. Solana Beach Elite: tying tournament-high with 36pts, making seven three pointers, dishing out three assists and grabbing three steals. Mika averaged 23.8 points per game, 2.8 rebounds and 4.5 3pt made per game.

Alanah Camacho (G1 Elite 11U) vs. Open Gym Premier: solid 11 points, passing out six assists and grabbing a tournament-high thirteen steals in 63-24 victory. Camacho averaged 14.2 points, 2.4 assists and an event-high 6.8 steals.

Zion Smith (AVAC Komplex 11U) vs. G1 Elite: dropped a team-high 19 points and an impressive twenty-one rebound performance also adding in one steal to help his team secure a three-point win 47-44. Smith’s weekend averages were 8.2 points and 11.2 rebounds (3rd overall for MLK Classic).

New Years Bash at Open Gym Premier Oakland

Ryan Allocco (Norcal Elite 11U) vs. Northwest Prodigy: tallied an amazing 37 points, making nine three pointers, but also collecting four rebounds to go along with four steals. Allocco was also key on defense were he accounted for 8 steals in the 11U championship game. Allocco averaged 18.6 points per game, 3.2 3pt made per contest and 2.8 steals per game.

Jackson Ramirez (Bay Area Lava 13U) vs. Silicon Valley Soldiers: registered 27 points, making eight three pointers to secure a 47-36 win. Ramirez has been on tear from the 3 point line in the month of January averaging 5.4 per event.

Above The Rim at Open Gym Premier Ladera

Marcus Harris (Payton’s Place Elite) vs. Brea Ballers: finished with a team-high 32 points and sixteen rebounds, three assists and had two blocks on the defensive to fill out the enough stat sheet to help get the victory. Harris finished the weekend averaging 19.5 points per game, 9.5 rebounds and 1 block.

Blake Baker (Game Speed 12U) vs. 5onfive Ballerz: put on his best performance of the weekend with 19 points, eight rebounds, one assist to go along with one steal. Baker was the 12U division’s MVP after his team won the Gold/Silver championship.