7 standout players from Day 2 of Modesto Christian Summer Classic
Day two of the Modesto Christian Summer Classic featured some of the top teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
While most of the basketball teams playing on Saturday at Edison High School are out of the running to win the tournament, they were loaded with talented athletes looking to grow.
“The goal for us this summer is to try and find our team identity,” Kimball head coach Albert Garibaldi. “You don't really worry about the score. You worry about whether the kids are playing the right way, and they are able to execute what you’re asking from them.”
Here are the seven athletes from the Edison site of the tournament, who stood out on the second day of action.
(Players listed in alphabetical order)
Madhav Asija
School: Kimball
Year: Junior
Summary: Asija may be one of the smaller players on the court for Kimball but according to Garibaldi, he makes their team go. The junior point guard led the Jaguars' offense in their first game against Big Valley. He ended the game with 13 points to get his team their first win in the tournament, 54-34.
“We weren’t at our best yesterday but today we turned up with more intensity,” Asija said. “We ran the motions better, we flowed as a team. Everybody was picking each other up and that was a big difference.”
As the facilitator for Kimball, Asija played a key role in its cohesiveness on offense. He ended the Jaguars' second game against Bear Creek with five points.
Johnny Bullock
School: Kimball
Year: Senior
Summary: In both games, Bullock made his presence known.
The 6-foot 3-inch guard could make you pay from deep or he can drive to the basketball to draw contact. Against Big Valley, Bullock scored 12 points, half of those points from beyond the arc. He was just getting started offensively.
In the next game, Bullock drained three, three-pointers to finish the game with 20 points. This helped Kimball go 2-0, beating the Bruins 47-38.
“Today was redemption from yesterday,” Bullock said. “Yesterday we were more lackadaisical and we weren’t running our plays all the way through. Today we came together and got it done.”
Jayden Fakhouri
School: Venture Academy
Year: Junior
Summary: Standing at 6 feet and 6 inches, you would think Fakhouri would dominate the paint for Venture Academy in its Stockton showdown against Edison. Instead, the forward was the headliner for the splash show draining three after three.
He finished the game with the second-most points for the Mustangs, 15, all coming from beyond the arc. Fakhouri helped kickstart a huge upset win beating an SJS Division 1 team in the Vikings, 64-50.
“We’ve been trying to beat them for two years now so it feels good to beat them now,” Fakhouri said. “I’ve never beaten a team that much better than us and last year we lost by 20 twice. We came back this year and beat them by 14.”
Adam Perez
School: Bear Creek
Year: Senior
Summary: Bear Creek hasn’t had the best luck with a 1-3 record so far in the tournament. Perez has been a bright spot for the Bruins though leading them on offense. After beating the Ripon Royals, Bear Creek took on Kimball and it was a dogfight.
Perez did all he could for the Bruins; whether it was getting to the foul line, knocking down clutch shots, or trying to get his teammates involved. This had him leading his team in scoring with a total of 20 points.
“This year, I got to step up as a leader and with running the team, getting guys in the right spot, running plays, and getting everyone involved,” Perez said. “I’m doing good so far still trying to get back in shape so I’m not getting gassed.”
Perez’s lights-out shooting wasn’t enough to get Bear Creek its second win of the tournament but it has the Bruins in the right direction.
Joshua Seals
School: Sierra
Year: Senior
Summary: Sierra, like Bear Creek, hasn’t had the best outings during the tournament ending day two with an overall 1-3 record.
“It's been a lot of early summer mistakes for us and the growing pains,” Sierra’s head coach Ed Morales said. “That comes with what we’re trying to do. We’re just trying to get better every game.”
Seals is a player that continues to improve for the Timberwolves.
The 6-foot 3-inch forward led his team to victory against Johansen in their first game. In their next game against Clovis East, he remained consistent. He ended the game with 19 points, the most for Sierra as they would go on to lose the game 56-53.
“We’re struggling a lit bit and we’re trying to pull through when it comes to effort,” Seals said. “I want to work on putting in more effort, finishing, and my shooting form.”
Terrell Tek
School: Edison
Year: Senior
Summary: Tek is the latest addition to Edison’s loaded roster coming in as a transfer from Chavez. The senior guard did it all for the Titans last season and he showcased he can be a great fit for the Vikings.
“I feel like I fit in,” Tek said. “It’s a good program and I wanted to explore my options and play on a bigger stage. Whether it's defense or offense, I’m there for whatever the team needs.”
Against West, Tek added five points to help the Vikings win 53-40. In their next game against Venture Academy, he finished with eight points. His biggest contribution in Saturday's game came on defense. He can snag steals and clamp down on his opponents without fouling.
Mario Williams Jr.
School: Venture Academy
Year: Senior
Summary: If it wasn’t Fakhouri draining threes for Venture Academy then it was Williams knocking down the long ball. The 6-foot 4-inch guard knocked down five three-pointers in the Mustangs' game against Edison. The Vikings didn’t have an answer for Williams as he would go on to lead all scorers with 22 points.
“This just shows we’re not someone to walk over,” Williams said. “We asked to play Edison this season and they said no, basically that we weren’t good enough. That this made a statement with us pulling off the upset.”
With the help of Williams’ clutch shooting and the Mustangs keeping their foot on the gas, they ended day two of the Modesto Christian Summer Classic 2-0.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Which 7 players stood out in Day 2 of Modesto Christian Summer Classic
