A Scout’s Take: Laguna Beach and Edison
A Scout’s Take: Laguna Beach and Edison HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA—While many of the elite teams in So-Cal are competing in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, fellow PrepHoops colleague Devin Ugland and I decided to take in some under the…
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Continue ReadingA Scout’s Take: Laguna Beach and Edison
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA—While many of the elite teams in So-Cal are competing in the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas, fellow PrepHoops colleague Devin Ugland and I decided to take in some under the radar Orange County action—that being Edison and Laguna Beach. This Sunset League clash would feature two well-oiled machines at the offensive end and a number of “sleeper” types—including sophomore Nolan Naess.
The Catalyst
Kaden Headington (Edison)
2019, 6-foot, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: This heady point guard has some DIII and NAIA programs monitoring his progress. He is the engine to the Charger offense as he is equally adept at facilitating as he is scoring. He does a nice job of initiating the offense in transition and does a nice job of navigating through traffic for the score. He can hit the pull-up jump shot as well or snap passess to open teammates. A true winner.
Mr. Glue
Connor Collins (Edison)
2021, WF, 6-foot-4, 180 pounds
Joel’s Take: Each team needs a glue-guy and Collins definitely filled the position against Laguna Beach. He showed good ball skills, delivers timely passes in the half court set, and he attacks the rim with a vengeance. Although he is just a sophomore, he has the strength to carry defenders and his head is always up while on the court. He is one of those kids that has a knack of always being around the ball.
Oozing Potential
Nolan Naess (Laguna Beach)
2021, PF, 6-foot-7, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: The most intriguing prospect of the night was the ultra-versatile Naess. The gangly 4-man has long arms, soft hands, and his motor runs hot. He sets screens, rolls hard, and is excellent at cutting to the basket. He can score inside-and-out due to his soft touch and his ball skills and passing are part of the package as well.
Shooters-a-plenty
Aiden Garnet (Edison)
2019, SG, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds
Joel’s Take: The leading scorer of the night was Garret and it was due to his feathery touch from beyond the arc. He can pull-up and hit jumpers off the dribble, but he is at his best shooting off the catch—usually from a adept pass from Headington.
Brooks Hogenauer (Laguna Beach)
2020, SG, 6-foot-1, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: Brooks shot looked mechanically sound and he gets decent lift on it as well. In addition to his shooting touch, he moves well without the ball and his passing acumen is impressive. Naess gets most of the attention, but Hogenauer is a nice compliment to Naess’ all-around game.
Potential Sleeper
Luke Serven (Edison)
2021, SG, 6-foot-1, 155 pounds
Joel’s Take: By analyzing Serven’s frame, it’s easy to see that his best basketball is ahead of him. He has high hips, long arms, and he’s a fluid athlete. He comes off of screens well, understands how to get open, and his jump shot is feathery smooth. He needs to improve his ball skills against pressure, but overall he’s an intriguing prospect.