Future now for underclassmen at Holiday Hoop Classic

Experience is welcomed but not required to win at the Holiday Hoop Classic.

Salesian of Richmond has put itself in contention for a tournament title with a team built on youth, turning away Berkeley, a Division I state finalist, and Freedom, ranked sixth in the state by MaxPreps.

The Pride, a chic pick to contend in the Northern California Open Division tournament, feature seven underclassmen, including sophomore guards Jaden and JoVon McClanahan and four freshmen.

Modesto Christian, the defending Classic champion, has nine underclassmen on the roster, including a pair of freshmen in the starting backcourt.

Here’s a closer look at the local freshman and sophomores turning heads at the Holiday Hoop Classic.

Michael Pearson, Modesto Christian: The Crusaders went from a four-year starting point guard in Christian Ellis (now at Southern Illinois Edwardsville) to a true freshman in Pearson. While the learning curve has been steep, Pearson might actually be a better shooter/scorer than Ellis, The Bee’s 2015 All-District co-Player of the Year. Pearson had 12 points against Ceres and another nine in a victory over Turlock, including a 3 from the wing and a three-point play off a nifty runner.

Baljot Sahi, Modesto Christian: Sahi struggled in his Holiday Hoop Classic debut, connecting on just one 3-pointer against his hometown Ceres Bulldogs. But like any gifted long-distance shooter, Sahi is blessed with a short memory. He responded with four 3s and 14 points, helping the Crusaders advance to the semifinal round for the third year in a row. He benefitted from a bit of coaching by first-year man Brice Fantazia, who brought Sahi off the bench on Day 2, alleviating the pressure on his shooting guard.

Dom Dancer, Beyer: The sophomore is the younger brother of Georgie Dancer (a redshirt freshman at Sacramento State) and senior Deangelo Dancer. Dom, who has shuffled in and out of Beyer’s starting lineup the last two years, came off the bench in Thursday’s win over Ceres. Within minutes, Dancer led an 8-2 charge with five points. He turned a steal into a layup and canned a wide-open 3. He’s at his best, though, attacking the lane. A creative finisher, Dancer, a 6-foot, 145-pound pass-first point guard, has proven he can find the open man, but more importantly, make the right pass.

Avalon White, Beyer: Another sophomore guard built for coach Kyle McKim’s uptempo system, White is instant energy off the bench. He rattled home a 3-pointer early in Thursday’s victory over Ceres, but the left-hander has burned teams off the dribble. He had five points in a loss at Manteca, fueling the Patriots’ late charge. White has a natural chemistry with Dom Dancer and junior guard Ben Polack, a rotation McKim may go to in the near future. White and Polack played alongside one another on Beyer’s junior varsity team a season ago.

Everett Johnson, Turlock: The 6-foot-6, 260-pound freshman got limited minutes in a opening-round victory over Castlemont, but played a larger role against Modesto Christian and its 6-foot-7 forward Gabe Murphy. Johnson had six points and seven rebounds in the loss. When paired with forward Mustafa Noel-Johnson – forming coach Doug Cornfoot’s goal-line package – Turlock is as tall and strong as any team it will see in the Central California Conference.

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Future now for underclassmen at Holiday Hoop Classic."