Nor Cal Tip-Off Takeaways: Standout Performers and Observations

Now that the dust has settled, what do we know?

It’s now been five days since the 16th Nor Cal Tip-Off Classic, enough time to make calculated observations about the 18 teams and nine games, rather than just knee-jerk reactions. Here’s what we know:

Bellarmine’s size will overwhelm teams.

The Bells were locked into a tight battle with Head-Royce for a half before the combination of Nick Corbett and Julian Gospich overwhelmed the Jayhawks in the third quarter. Plenty of attention will be given to Brayden Harris and Will Corbett, both dynamic playmakers, who can throw down highlight-reel dunks, but the heart and soul of this team will be in the post. It’ll be a throwback to classic WCAL basketball, where the big men dominate.

The future is bright at Lincoln.

Lincoln-Stockton freshman Johnathon Rossiter’s big third quarter spurred the Trojans to victory over a hot-shooting Ygnacio Valley squad led by Antonio Kellogg Jr. and sophomore Jalan Cody. Rossiter, who finished the game with 10 points, will be a name to watch for years to come.

SI has more than just the sophomores.

The sophomore tandem of Raymond Whitley and Steele Labagh deservedly gets lots of attention for the Wildcats, but junior guard Vince Crisp’s 17 second-half points and the all-around play of senior forward Theo Lamb, committed to Division III Babson, sparked the 14-point comeback in a 63-55 victory over Dublin.

Don’t sound the alarm at Vanden.

Sure, the Vikings suffered a second consecutive loss at the hands of Clovis West, but their performance without Tyler Thompson, Luka Radovanovic and Nate Hibbert had plenty of reason for optimism. Vanden’s shot selection was far better than it was in the prior day’s defeat against Moreau Catholic, and it wasn’t until the Golden Eagles opened the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run that the Vikings were out of striking distance.

Roosevelt is an Open Division contender.

Outside of the fact that they had five-star junior Brayden Burries, most locals knew very little about the Roosevelt Mustangs. Considering the show they put on in the first half, they won’t be anonymous for long.

Colorado State commit Darnez Slater, point guard Myles Walker and Isaac Williamson led a ferocious attack as the Riverside County power knocked down seven 3-pointers in the first quarter. Roosevelt cooled off from the outside in the second half, but still finished 13-for-27 from 3-point land and led by as much as 20 before Riordan could mount a comeback.

This isn’t Riordan’s full form.

Speaking of the Crusaders, there’s no need for their notoriously reactionary fans to press the panic button. Saturday’s loss came without a significant number of key contributors.

Jasir Rencher and Nathan Tshamala are still serving suspensions from last season’s playoff win over Inderkum, which will end this weekend. Rencher will be able to play on Saturday in the Crusader Classic, while Tshamala will still be sidelined after his suspension ends due to a knee injury.

Junior wing John Tofi Jr.’s hand is still in a cast from an injury he suffered in an Aug. 25 football game, while Dorde Curcic, Ryder Bush and Nes Emeneke are in transfer sit-out periods that will last until the end of December.

Expect Rencher to be a key player at next week’s Gridley Invitational, while the others should be cleared to play by the start of January.

Ibrahim Monawar is going to be a star.

Monawar played sparingly off the bench as a freshman at De La Salle, but Saturday’s win over Centennial was his coming-out party, with 24 points and seven rebounds. Most notably, he wasn’t just benefitting from Alec Blair’s presence. Blair spent much of the game in foul trouble, but Monawar continued to score even with his point guard on the bench.