Nike Extravaganza: Under-the-Radar Wings/Forwards

Devin Ugland January 29, 2024 @ 07:00 PM

<p>SANTA ANA — We spent the day inside the Meruelo Athletic Center at Mater Dei high school for the 29th installment of the Nike Extravaganza. While there was plenty of ranked teams and players in action Saturday, we wanted to highlight some under-the-radar guards who played well.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Baron Bellamy | 2024 | Campbell Hall</h4>   <p>The 6-foot-5 wing is versatile both in his game and the roles he serves for the Vikings' squad. Bellamy can be utilized as a two guard and all the way up to a small ball five-man when needed. His athleticism on the break makes him an effective slasher/finisher and he has the ball skills to rebound, push the break and initiate offense when needed. Bellamy finished with a game-high 20 points in Campbell Hall's win over Anaheim Canyon.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Eneasi Piuleini | 2025 | Mira Costa</h4>   <p>Piuleini jumped on our radar earlier this season in a nonleague showcase we attended at Mira Costa and he's continued to build upon his strong junior campaign. The 6-foot-6 wing is a long, rangy athlete who can really get downhill and to the rim where he can elevate and finish over rim protectors. Piuleini has also become a viable threat off the catch from three-point range and finished with 20 points to lead the Mustangs to a win over Orange Lutheran.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Jay Keys | 2026 | Aliso Niguel</h4>   <p>Keys is a hard-playing sophomore who is really crafty with the ball in his hands. The 6-foot-2 sophomore has a great first step out of triple-threat situations, can punch quickly through tight spaces and has a variety of ways he finishes around the rim. Keys scored 14 points in the Wolverines win over St. Margaret's.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2111477' first='Mansur' last='McClain'] | 2025 | Foothill</h4>   <p>McClain has the size, strength, athleticism and skill to play both the three and four spots at the high school level. The 6-foot-5 forward has a sturdy and well-built frame that allows him to finish through contact inside and impact the offensive and defensive boards but he's also light enough on his feet to take advantage of mismatches on the perimeter with his straight-line drive ability. McClain finished with 10 points in the Knights loss to nationally-ranked Harvard-Westlake.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1119284' first='Marcus' last='Washington'] | 2024 | Modesto Christian</h4>   <p>Washington is an active, tough and high motor four-man whose willingness to rim-run in transition opened up a ton of easy scoring opportunities. The 6-foot-4 senior finished with 25 points in the Crusaders win over Lynwood, and while his offense was efficient and impactful with paint finishes, his rebounding was just as impressive. Washington snatched 11 boards on the game, many of them of the offensive variety, to give himself and his team second-chance points.</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1630669' first='Trent' last='Minter'] | 2025 | Los Alamitos</h4>   <p>Minter is a high IQ and versatile high school wing/forward because of his combination of size, skill and efficiency. The 6-foot-6 junior can knock down catch-and-shoot three's with consistency, find open teammates out of the mid-post or in face-up situations on the wing when they are moving without the ball. Minter is also a better athlete than one would expect on first glance and does a few crafty things around the basket.</p>

SANTA ANA — We spent the day inside the Meruelo Athletic Center at Mater Dei high school for the 29th installment of the Nike Extravaganza. While there was plenty of ranked teams and players in action Saturday, we wanted to highlight some under-the-radar guards who played well.