Seattle Rotary vs. Compton Magic Takeaways

<p>The Las Vegas basketball scene has changed in the late travel ball season, but event directors like Dinos Trigonis have kept the fire alive. Despite there being no Division 1 college coaches allowed at the event, top programs from around the country showed up ready to compete. Dinos runs the Pangos All-American Camp in California, among other events, and he is putting on the Fantastic 40 in Vegas this year. Events like these have usually always been done by the end of July, but the NCAA has obviously changed things. The Fantastic 40 is running August 1-4 and features multiple matchups between top adidas, Nike and Under Armour teams. One of the most anticipated games early on was between Seattle Rotary EYBL and Compton Magic's 17u adidas Gauntlet team. </p> <p>Notes:</p> <p>Seattle Rotary picked up two 4-star prospects for this event adding depth at the wing and post positions, in the absence of 2021 superstar<strong> Paolo Banchero</strong>. 2020 6'6 SG <strong>Marjon Beauchamp</strong> (ML20 Enforcers) and 2020 6'10 C <strong>Mitchell Saxen</strong> (Team LaVine) both suited up for Rotary. </p> <p>Compton was playing without the number one 2020 prospect in the country in 7'0 <strong>Evan Mobley</strong> and 6'2 Yale PG commit <strong>Yassine Graham</strong>. </p> <p><em>Short Recap:</em></p> <p>Compton Magic jumped out to a lead early with Rotary taking some time to adjust to Compton's foot speed and quick passes. 2021<strong> Shane Nowell</strong> had a solid first half for Rotary, showing off a smooth mid range jumper off the bounce. The score was neck and neck by half time and Rotary kept some momentum rolling at the start of the second half. 2020 6'10 C <strong>Mitchell Saxen</strong> did a nice job of scoring in the paint with his back to the basket for Rotary and he rebounded the ball very well as the tallest player on the floor. Rotary's lead was as big as 10 and then Compton came storming back out of seemingly nowhere. 2020 6'6 G <strong>Jaylen Clark</strong> got rolling and showed the ability to score from all levels on the floor. Clark was the game's leading scorer at 20 points. Compton scored in flurries and showed a lot of pride in the come back, eventually winning by a score of 78-70. </p> <p><em>Takeaways:</em></p> <p><strong>1) Mitchell Saxen looked really good in a Rotary uniform! </strong></p> <p>One of the biggest things that has held Rotary back from winning it all at Nike is the lack of a true 5. If Mitchell played the 5 and slid Paolo over to the 3/4 more, it would have been a whole different ball game! Mitchell altered shots and threw some great outlet passes cross court with the overhead pass. The upside is there as he continues to get stronger.</p> <p><strong>2) Compton's guards were too quick!</strong></p> <p>2020 6'0 G <strong>Paris Dawson</strong> is lightning quick with the ball in his hands and Rotary's guards had a difficult time keeping him in front. 2020 6'1 G <strong>DJ Davis</strong> was more of the same and provided a spark when Compton really needed it on both ends of the floor. 2020 6'6 G <strong>Dalen Terry</strong> also provided some energy for CM down the stretch and made plays for his teammates. </p> <p><strong>3) Compton Magic fares well against Nike Opponents </strong></p> <p>Compton Magic is the face of the adidas brand and has been for many years now. They have prided themselves on being the best program in the country and their win last year over Nike's top dog, Team Takeover, helped solidify those beliefs. In the Fantastic 40, CM has scored victories over EYBL programs like Seattle Rotary and Mac Irvin Fire and they also took down a top Under Armour program in We-R-1. </p> <p><strong>4) Nolan Hickman is going to be fun to watch for years to come</strong></p> <p>2021 6'2 PG <strong>Nolan Hickman</strong> was not the quickest player on the floor, but he operated well in pick and roll situations and showed off his all around skill set. He makes solid reads and can score from all three levels. While Nolan does not put up the same type of explosive numbers, he has some similarities to Bellarmine Prep 2009 grad, Abdul Gaddy. </p>