PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — It's three days until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic and today we celebrate three brothers.
The Ball brothers from
Chino Hills (Calif.) — senior
Lonzo Ball, junior
LiAngelo Ball and freshman
LaMelo Ball — have taken the game by storm. They wear their names proudly. This trio can ball.
"They have played with each other since they were five, six, seven years olds," Chino Hills head coach Steve Baik told the
news-press.com last week. "They have natural instincts they know ahead of anyone else. That's a big advantage."
Photos by MaxPreps Photographers/Graphic by Social Recluse Graphx
It showed at one of the nation's top tournaments, the 43rd annual City of Palms Classic where the Huskies, who entered No. 3 in the country by MaxPreps national basketball editor Jason Hickman, beat No. 1 and defending mythical national champion Montverde
83-82 in the quarterfinals on Monday.
The Ball brothers combined for 77 of the points in that one, including 32 points by LiAngelo, a 6-foot-3 junior. Lonzo, a 6-6 senior point guard, rated the No. 7 senior in the country by 247Sports, had 29 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Freshman LaMelo had 16 points.
In the team's title win Wednesday, a
66-60 overtime triumph over the Patrick School, Lonzo missed the front end of a one-and-one that would have won the game in regulation. He made up for it with 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, while
Elizjah Scott had 15 points and LaMelo and LiAngelo combined for 24 points.
The championship at the City of Palms was sort of prophetic. Lonzo told the news-press.com beforehand:
"I feel like we already have all the respect in Cali," he said. "We beat all the people in California. But nationally, people don't really give us that edge. So if we come out here and do what we supposed to do, I feel like we'll earn it."
Did they ever. They also combined for wins over Jefferson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) 91-90 and Hope Point Christian (Fort Myers, Fla.) 94-82.
These Huskies, led by the trio, like to run and gun. Before they got to Florida, they ran up point totals of 131, 106, 110 and 102. Without a shot clock in Florida, the Chino Hills only averaged 83.5 in four games. They averaged 105 entering.
The team also includes the Ball brothers' cousin
Andre Ball.
"We're just trying to find mismatches and run," LiAngelo told the newspaper. "We're trying to get the other team tired."
From left to right, senior point guard Lonzo Ball, his freshman brother LaMelo Ball, sophomore cousin Andre Ball and junior brother LiAngelo Ball.
Photo by Heston Quan
The Huskies may be tired by the time Saturday rolls around. Traveling from Fort Myers Fla. to Chino Hills is 2,613 miles. Chino Hills opens the 16-team Open Division Saturday against Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.).
The tournament runs Dec. 26-30 in Palm Springs.
See MPHC Open Division bracketBut none of it should slow down this trio. Lonzo does everything from the point. LiAngelo is a sheer scorer from the shooting guard position. LaMello, a 5-9, 130-pound 14-year-old, plays with tremendous confidence said his coach.
See MPHC site for all teams, brackets, stories"You look at him, he's a little kid on a grown man's court," Balik told news-press.com. "The only way that can happen is that he has a grown man's mindset. And there's no fear in that guy."
