<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Nike X: Los Altos vs Mater Dei (Standouts)</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">SANTA ANA, Ca—In a game that wasn’t aesthetically pleasing to the eye—both teams shot a miserable 37% from the floor—the effort was evident, however, as Mater Dei came back from a 9-point deficit to pull out a 55-48 victory. The game showcased one of the better centers in the country in 2023 <b>[player_tooltip player_id="992478" first="Jazz" last="Gardner"]</b>, but <b>[player_tooltip player_id="748761" first="Jack" last="McCloskey"]</b> and 2023 <b>[player_tooltip player_id="994920" first="Zack" last="Davidson"] </b>caught fire in the 2nd half to catapult the Monarchs to victory.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2"><b>2nd Half Surge</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="748761" first="Jack" last="McCloskey"] (Mater Dei)</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, G, 6-foot-4, 170 pounds</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> After a slow start in the 1st half, McCloskey was the catalyst to get the Monarchs going as they came back from a 9-point deficit. He did a nice job attacking off the dribble and finishing in the paint exhibiting a nice touch. As a result of his attack mode mentality, he got to the line and shot and efficient 6-of-8 from the free throw line. His jump shot wasn’t flowing (1-of-5 from beyond the arc), but his stroke solid with a nice release.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2"><b>“Big” with touch</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="992478" first="Jazz" last="Gardner"] (Los Altos)</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2023, C, 7-foot-1, 240 pounds</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> Gardner has improved steadily through the years and his skill set is noted. He keeps the ball high while releasing his shot, exhibits an impeccable touch from the 3-point line, and his passing acumen is impressive. Despite grabbing 14-rebounds he still needs to improve his strength in his hands as there were a number of times he lost control of the ball in the paint. Overall, he is one of the more intriguing prospects in the country due to his size and touch.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Point Guard with Moxie</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="748742" first="CJ" last="Bellamy"] (Los Altos)</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2022, PG, 5-foot-11, 170 pounds</b></span></p>
<p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/IMG_2785.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1304933 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/IMG_2785-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take: </b>Bellamy (pictured) spurted out of the gate as he lead Los Altos to a 9-point game, but then foul trouble found its way into his game, and he had to sit. However, throughout the game, his moxie spoke volumes as he drained five deep 3-pointers on seven attempts and attacked the Monarch defense with reckless abandon.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Monarchs next stud</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Tee Bartlett (Mater Dei)</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2025, C, 6-foot-10, 245 pounds</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take:</b> The Monarch's next future stud could be Bartlett. He is a skilled “big” with good feet, solid hands, and a soft touch. He had a modest stat line (9-points and 6-rebounds), but the frame, length, and skill speak to a promising future.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Continuing to work on his conditioning, post moves, and face-up skills will elevate his game considerably. </span></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>The Next Step</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Zach Davidson (Mater Dei)</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>2023, F, 6-foot-7, 230 pounds</b></span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>Joel’s Take: </b>Davidson was yet another Monarch who got off to a slow start as he missed an unusual amount of put-backs in the paint area. However, down the stretch, he finished with some clutch buckets and rebounds. He has a big frame with good length and his hands are solid. His overall game is quite versatile as he showed the ability to knock in a deep jumper beyond the arc. He has a nice feel for the game, especially while operating in the paint and he has a knack for being around the ball as noted by his eleven rebounds.</span></p>
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