Two of the top high school basketball programs in the country squared off in front of a national audience Saturday, as Camden (N.J.) knocked off Sierra Canyon (Calif.) by a final score of 66-62.
Camden’s matchup with Sierra Canyon featured a ton of star power, headlined by top class of 2023 recruit DJ Wagner. Wagner, the son of former NBA player DaJuan Wagner, has been the consensus top prospect in his class for a while now and is widely regarded as a player with the makings of a future NBA star.
He showed why in one play that has gone viral.
Wagner went to work on Bronny James with Camden leading 52-48 with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. Wagner received a dribble handoff at the top of the key and isolated James before dropping him to the floor with a nasty crossover.
Camden led Sierra Canyon wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 15-2 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looking back. Camden’s defense smothered Sierra Canyon in the first, limiting the Blazers to 1-12 shooting from the field and eight turnovers.
Sierra Canyon eventually got back into the game thanks to the efforts of five-star UCLA commit and McDonald’s All-American Amari Bailey, but it was not enough to overtake Wagner and his Camden team. Wagner finished with a team-high 21 points on 8-15 shooting, while Bailey finished with a game-high 23 points.
Wagner doesn’t garner as much attention as some other players in his class who are very active on social media, but he has dominated throughout most of his junior season against a difficult national schedule. Wagner can do it all, though, and his handle sent James to the floor and shockwaves through a capacity crowd in Pennsylvania.
