The Stage Act I: Best Do-It-All Players
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ANAHEIM — The Stage Circuit’s first act of hosting club basketball events in Orange County featured a strong contingent of teams and prospects from the west coast and beyond. The three-day live period event took place at Open Gym Premier…
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Continue ReadingANAHEIM — The Stage Circuit’s first act of hosting club basketball events in Orange County featured a strong contingent of teams and prospects from the west coast and beyond. The three-day live period event took place at Open Gym Premier in Anaheim and The Draft Sports Complex in Corona with teams from California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Canada and North Carolina represented. In this piece we take a look at the guys who do a little bit of everything for their squad.
Alier Alier, SF Rebels – The 6-foot-7 wing was one of the biggest stock risers in this event because of his ability to impact the game in multiple ways. Alier is a multi-level scorer in the half-court setting, an athletic slashing finisher in transition and can guard multiple positions on the defensive end due to his length, athleticism and lateral speed. Alier showed off his offensive and defensive rebounding prowess and flashed some playmaking skills on the break.
Christian Brown Christian Brown 6'5" | SF La Costa Canyon | 2023 State CA-S , Gamepoint – Brown is one of the glue-guy type of players who can also turn into a primary scorer to lead his team to victory. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior is a knock-down shooter off the catch who can also put the ball on the floor, attack the basket, and finish through contact with his strong frame. Defensively, Brown can keep ball handlers in front, but also poses a physical interior presence if he needs to switch in ball screen action. One of the most important aspects of Brown’s game is his willingness to sacrifice his body by diving on loose balls, crashing the offensive boards or taking a charge.
Ian De La Rosa, Veritas – De La Rosa is as high motor and active as they come on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot-3 sophomore has good downhill speed and body control which allows him to get into the paint at-will and create shots for himself or teammates. De La Rosa is also a consistent three-point shooter off the catch whose off-ball movement and ball skills allow him to play both on or off the ball.
Jaden Matingou Jaden Matingou 6'3" | CG St. Augustine | 2023 State CA-S , Gamepoint – Matingou was one of the best pure athletes in the gym and it’s good to see him adding some playmaking skills to his game during the spring club season. The 6-foot-3 guard/wing is known for his springy-like athleticism and finishing ability in transition, but the junior out of St. Augustine high school had a good showing when tasked with taking on more point guard/playmaking duties. Matingou has the potential to be a knockdown pull-up jump shooter because of his ability to elevate above the defense and stay on balance.
Nikolas Khamenia, BTI – Khamenia’s performance in a Sunday championship game had him looking like the best long-term prospect in the gym at The Stage: Act I. At 6-feet-7, the sophomore wing can literally do it all – dribble, pass, shoot, play-make, defend, rebound, make high IQ decisions and lead a team to a hard-fought victory. Khamenia’s basketball acumen, combined with his advanced skill-set at his size, will make him a guy that high major programs track for the next two seasons.