The Stage: Saturday Report

<p>A full day of basketball was on tap at The Draft Sports Complex, as teams played two games to punch their ticket to Sunday’s championship games. </p> <p>Here’s a summary of the Saturday session:</p> <h2>Hoop Nation, Compton Magic advance to 17u Finals</h2> <p>After three rounds of hard fought games, Compton Magic and Hoop Nation (primarily comprised of Inland Empire talent), advanced to Sunday’s title game. </p> <p>The Magic dispatched of Coastal Elite, San Diego All-Stars and Team Inland on their side of the bracket, while Hoop Nation defeated Elev8, Team Lavine and Gamepoint to advance. </p> <p>The latter game, Hoop Nation’s 49-45 semifinal win over Gamepoint, was arguably the most tightly contested game of the day in the 17u field. </p> <p>2022 G [player_tooltip player_id="748739" first="Devon" last="Arlington"] (San Marcos) and 6-5 W [player_tooltip player_id="971239" first="Malachi" last="Murrell"] (La Quinta) got Gamepoint to a hot start, racing out to 10-point lead before 2023 F [player_tooltip player_id="994973" first="Devin" last="Williams"] and G [player_tooltip player_id="970280" first="Donovan" last="Dent"] (Corona Centennial) took over the game. The 6-9 Williams, especially, was unstoppable scoring out of the pick-and-roll and knocking down shots with his back to the basket and from the perimeter. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="748767" first="Isaac" last="Peralta"] (6-2 2022 G, JSerra Catholic), who joined Hoop Nation for the final event of the evaluation period, scored timely buckets down the stretch to help Hoop Nation seal the victory.</p> <p>Compton Magic during it’s run was paced by the play of its frontcourt, 2022 6-8 F Elijah Saunders (Sunnyslope) and the surprisingly dominant 2025 F Koa Peat (Perry AZ), who scored from three levels and attacked the basket with a confidence well beyond his years. </p> <p>A surprise for Compton Magic was also the play of its undersized guards Kalib LaCount and Jayson Mathews. LaCount, generously listed at 5-8, knocked down 4 threes in the second half to help the Magic pull away from Team Inland, while Mathews on-ball defense against Team Inland and SDA’s guards was superb. </p> <h3>Other 17u standouts:</h3> <p>Jaden Henley,6-5 2022 G, Ontario Colony/ Team Inland: Scored it in every way imaginable to keep Team Inland in the game against the Magic. A shifty playmaker who can finish around the basket through contact, knock down midrange shots and stretch the floor from deep. His teammate, 6-4 2022 G Mike Miller (Oak Hills) was solid as well, scoring from midrange and on strong drives to the hoop. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="748743" first="Jaayden" last="Bush"], 5-11 2022 G, St. Anthony’s/ Los Angeles Elite 17u Premier: Bush and teammate [player_tooltip player_id="974065" first="Jackson" last="Hopps"] (6-4 2022 W, Culver City) kept a severely depleted LA Elite team in games with his superb play on both ends. He is an elite on-ball defender, and a tough scorer through contact and playmaker in the halfcourt. </p> <p>In the Sandra Bland Bracket, 6-1 2022 PG Baron Bracey willed his Gamepoint 17u Select team into the finals in a 49-47 3OT win over Play Hard Play Smart 17u Green. Bracey made huge plays during both overtimes, as did 2023 F Kai Gaurnut and 2021 W Devin Dunn. </p> <h2>Coastal Elite 16s, San Francisco Rebels make 16u Final Four</h2> <p>In a bracket that included 3SSB teams Team Lavine and Compton Magic, betting odds were that the two top-tier Adidas programs would make the Finals. </p> <p>But it turned out to be a pair of grizzled, underrated 16u teams battling for the spot in the Final 4 on the Magic’s side of the bracket: the San Francisco Rebels and Coastal Elite. </p> <p>The Rebels would claim the spot in a tightly contested 49-43 semifinals win. </p> <p>The Rebels got big games from 6-3 guard Mallachi Miller,  6-3 W Jerry Mixon and 2024 G Aaron Claytor, who played tough defense on both ends and knocked down timely shots. </p> <p>For Coastal Elite, the story of the day was 5-7 2023 G Caleb Hofmeister (Mission Hills), who had a dominant performance in Coastal’s quarterfinal win over Team Zona. Known as a sharpshooter, Hofmeister impressed with his playmaking (drive and kick), his on-ball defense and his vocal leadership. </p> <p>They also got solid performances from 2024 G Euan Davis (El Camino), Trey Vergenz (San Marcos) and Pe’a Misaalefua. </p> <h3>Other 16u standouts:</h3> <p>Jeremy Love, 5-11 2023 G, Santa Fe Christian/Gamepoint: A week after subpar performance in Omaha, Gamepoint 16u rattled off 2 wins to get to the consolation finals after an opening round loss to Hoop Nation. It was Love who scored it from all over the court, including some impressive finishes through contact, who keyed their improved performance. </p> <p>Seth Horn, 6-9 2023 F, Northwest (WA)/ Team Lavine 3SSB: Horn is an impressive physical specimen, and his length, mobility, rim protection and versatility on offense was too much for teams on the bottom side of the bracket. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="994953" first="Macarhy" last="Morris"], 6-1 2023 PG, Fountain Valley/ Cali Rebels: Morris has become the unquestioned leader of a very good Rebels 16u team. Crafty, strong and poised, Morris scores it effectively off the bounce, where he is tough to keep out of the paint, and has high level court vision and feel. </p> <h2>Gamepoint 15s, Sacramento Magic on collision course </h2> <p>The Sacramento Magic was an absolute buzz saw on their way to a championship date with Gamepoint, defeating South Bay Show, Team Lavine and the San Diego All-Stars by a 33-point margin. It was their three-headed monster of Alec Blair (6-5 2025 G), Derek Hogue Smith (6-2 2024 G) and Aaron Miles (5-6 2024 G) that led the way. </p> <p>Blair, a confident lefty scoring guard, scored in every way imaginable, and has the look of a player that could ultimately be a high-major guard prospect. Hogue Smith, an explosive athlete, is surprisingly skilled and scores and creates ambidextrously. Miles, at only 5-6, is a ball of lightning with the ball and finishes at - and above - the rim. </p> <p>Gamepoint had to claw its way into the finals with a 40-38 win over a game San Francisco Rebels team led by 6-3 playmaking lefty Jase Butler. His passing and scoring off the bounce had the Rebels ahead for most of the first half before Gamepoint countered with big baskets from its stellar 2024 back court of Jack Jillson and Brycen Mackenzie. </p> <p>Gamepoint also got strong play from 6-4 Bradley McGlothlin and 6-2 2024 W Jaden Mangini, whose rebounding and on-ball defense was among the top in the division. </p> <p>In one of the biggest upsets of the day, the San Diego All-Stars got a big win over the Compton Magic, 46-45 in Overtime. 6-1 2024 G Isaah Whitehurst (Mission Bay) scored the decisive bucket after stealing the inbound and scoring with under 20 seconds to go. 6-7 2024 Mission Bay F Charlie Hutchison (versatile, skilled swingman) and 6-0 2024 Mission Bay G Marcos Korch (physical playmaking guard) also had big efforts in the win. </p>