The Stage: Five Points of The Top Prospects Part 2

The top prospects at The Stage. Do you want to know more?  Of course you do!  We dive in and give you five points of the prospect once again of another group!  Get to know these names!

Damani Barley Damani Barley 6'5" | PG Rochester East | 2023 State #158 Nation NY (6’4 Guard 2023) of NEBC

• One of the toughest players to keep in front at The Stage was Damani Barley Damani Barley 6'5" | PG Rochester East | 2023 State #158 Nation NY .  His quick change of direction had players confused consistently throughout the weekend. 
• Love his touch around the basket.  That one hand finish with the off arm getting a feel was made a high rate of times and when the help closed Barley got two hands on the ball and finished in those situations as well. 
• Barley got his team high percentage attempts in situations where no play looked to be available.  It was like one of those movies in Fast N the Furious when everybody is chasing Dom and he somehow finds a place to go, that was Barley attacking defenses in Indy.
• His second and third move were so good the defender never seemed to know which way they should move.  Opened Barley for consistent offense. 
• With feet set Barley hit a good percentage of his threes in the games I looked on at or looked in on post event. 
   

Victor Cullors (6’2 PG 2022) of Texas Impact AE

• One of the fun stories of the event was watching Cullors put an opponent late with a score or assist on five straight possessions, and then he had to run out of the gym to catch a flight before the final 90 seconds was over!  Take over an AAU game, get your team up ten, catch the flight as your work is done! 
• Scored a dozen a game at the Stage with his high game being 16
• Good rebounder at the guard spot.  Tough player that collects and tries to push quickly
• Speaking of his fast break push, Cullors was able to beat the defense back the other way a number of times for that final game win.  Quick push that the retreating defenders struggled with. 
• Victor puts the academic elite in Tulsa Impact AE.  Has a 3.6/3.7 gpa so any of you schools out there looking for a good student that pushes the pace with toughness next year, call Victor!

Race Herr (6’10 Big 2023) of Texas Impact AE

• Rebounding wise Race was one of the best in the event.  He totaled 45 rebounds in four games which is of course high level but then he sprinted up the floor after the D-board. 
• Herr looks all of 6’10 but what is also interesting is that he moves the way they want modern day bigs to move.  Runs the floor well, comes off the screen well. Not your old school big.
• I think Race has the potential to be a guy that can be taught how to defend a ball screen really well at the high level as he’s agile enough to move with the ball handler and recover quickly. Not a stuck in the mud kind of big on ball screens. 
• Saw him move to the backside for a lob and was impressed with how he cut hard and lifted over traffic to finish.  Scored 8/9 a game in Indy. 
• Thought he used his length well in post defense and in help support on defense. 

Lincoln Palbicki Lincoln Palbicki 6'10" | C Maple Grove | 2023 State MN (6’10 Big 2023) of Minnesota Select

• Lincoln has got him self in really good condition.  He is moving with the ball screen better, gets up the floor well, and his cuts and drop steps are quicker with more lift.  
• When it comes to bigs that know how to screen, and how to move off the screen, Lincoln is one of the best.  If you are a guard that loves a big that clears people and does the job so you have space, you would like Palbicki.
• And as I just said, Palbick moves off the screen well, moves off the ball well. His cuts are to great spots on the floor in the holes in the defense. 
• I really liked Lincoln’s post position.  He gave the guard a great target and when they actually moved the ball to him he finished a high percentage the two games I watched.  Wished they would have given him a few more touches actually because he controlled his spot so well and gave a good target. 
• Speaking of post position, Palbicki is a quality low post defender that is tough to score over the top of.  Guys that did score on Lincoln this weekend had to do it at tough angles because Lincoln is very tough to score over the top on, and tough to turn on as he knows leverage. 

Nick Sanchez Nick Sanchez 5'11" | PG Artesia | 2023 State NM (5’9 PG 2023) of D1 New Mexico

• He loves to go left and get into that right handed jumper.  It looks so comfortable and because Nick is such a good passer the main defender seems to take that defensive lateral step to protect that baseline angle and when they do Sanchez is deadly hitting the jumper. 
• Really liked his reads in the halfcourt set.  Did a nice job catching a return to enter into the high post, good reversal guy, passed into the post well, quality halfcourt reads.
• Came off screens firing with hands up ready to shoot.  Both games I saw, I recall a baseline screen where he sprinted to the corner to catch and hit that nice jumper.
• Consistent?  He was last weekend.  And when you lead your team to a district title as the MVP that usually spells consistent as well. First team all state player.
• Liked his chatter with teammates after the play, walking to and from the sideline.

Devon Woods Devon Woods 5'10" | PG Pike | 2023 State IN (5’10 PG 2023) of EG10

• Woods scored 22 points with 8 assists in a win over DMV Stags 40 of his team’s 86 points and that doesn’t include the passes he had that went to teammates who were fouled.  Basically he accounted for half of his team’s 86. 
• Loved his concentrated, deep stance ball pressure defense.  He forced turnovers and forced a lot of wing entry passes to bad spots
• Deadly first step and once he has the guy on his hip, used that off arm to feel/control very well. 
• His quickness makes him really hard to screen and he had two steals showing quick hands that really shocked me.  Quick in all ways
• Love his runner in the lane.  High percentage for him and he gets to space with that quickness