Broncos’ Padilla gets MVP at basketball tournament after summer of hard training

Joaquin Padilla was the returning starting guard for Rancho Bernardo’s basketball team as he entered his junior season.

He didn’t start a game.

“At his position (point guard) we needed some size (Padilla is 5-foot-8),” said coach Bo Brewer. “It was just the way the lineup set up.”

The way things go these days, Padilla could easily have moped about what many would consider a demotion. Or considered transferring schools. Or just quit.

That’s not who he is.

“Not starting hurt my confidence,” admitted Padilla, a senior who is firmly entrenched as the starter this season. “I wasn’t hitting my shots. I didn’t know how to react. So, I did what I usually do before a game, I talked to my dad (Eddie.) His answer was pretty simple: Get better.

“So, over the summer I worked really hard training. I spent a lot of time in the weight room and I took a lot of shots on our backyard hoop. The second half of the summer I played for my AAU team, 4S Elite, where I worked at becoming more vocal on and off the court.

“And I ran suicides day and night. Every time I went to the high school gym, I’d do suicides (sprinting from one end of the court to the other as fast as he could—nonstop), sometimes three times a day.”

It paid off in the Mt. Carmel Holiday Hoops Classic as Padilla was named the Most Valuable Player after leading the Broncos (8-6 at the start of the week) to four straight wins, including beating Placentia El Dorado 65-62 in the championship game.

This was an El Dorado team that came into the championship with a 15-1 record, having won 14 straight games.

He scored 15 points in the title contest, almost three times his season average, including making a pair of three-point attempts from outside the arc.

“He won that award for his overall play,” said Brewer. “He was the key player, the catalyst, and in the championship, he willed the team to win. He brings so much energy, he initiated the offense and the other players were galvanized through him.

“The thing about Joaquin is he knows everyone’s position, where they’re supposed to be, and he’s a great leader. He is vocal, but the others see how much he really cares, how he goes after every loose ball, how he has insatiable energy, and they respond.

“He’s relentless both on offense and defense. Sprint, sprint, sprint. He has an unbelievable passion for the game.

“People lean on him and to his credit, he bought in completely. He’s our heartbeat.”

Padilla said he doesn’t just watch NCAA and NBA basketball; he studies it.

“You watch others who are really good, you see how they attack the defense, how they move and maybe you can pick up a tip or two to help your game,” he said.

Even though he is 5-foot-8 and hasn’t been noticed by major — or minor — colleges, Padilla isn’t worried. He’s focused on helping the team win the Palomar League, which includes programs like Poway, San Marcos, and Westview.

“I’m looking to play next year, whether it’s at a community college or university,” said Padilla who carries a 3.7 grade point average (out of a possible 4.0).

“The thing about winning the Mt. Carmel Tournament wasn’t that I earned MVP, that was nice, but it was how the team reacted. We were down but we fought back from adversity. We found a way to win.

“The atmosphere after winning was amazing. It showed us that all the hard work we put in paid off in the end. Now we want to take that feeling into Palomar League play (which starts Jan. 14 at San Marcos) and beyond.”

There’s no doubt who will lead the way.