The Classic at Damien (Sleepers)
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LA VERNE, Ca.–The Classic at Damien continued to show it’s the ultimate holiday tournament on the West Coast due to its plethora of quality teams and stellar players, led by Tournament MVP Brayden Burries Brayden Burries 6'4" | SF Roosevelt…
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Continue ReadingLA VERNE, Ca.–The Classic at Damien continued to show it’s the ultimate holiday tournament on the West Coast due to its plethora of quality teams and stellar players, led by Tournament MVP Brayden Burries Brayden Burries 6'4" | SF Roosevelt | 2025 State #13 Nation of Roosevelt.
In the following days, there will be numerous breakdowns of prospects ranging from High-Major Division 1 talents to junior college prospects under a bevy of categories. The next category is a group of players that continued to surprise us with their consistent high-level play each game out.
John Mattingly John Mattingly 6'0" | PG Sunnyslope | 2026 State AZ (Sunnyslope,AZ)
2026, PG, 6-foot-1,170 pounds
Joel’s take: When you venture through the rosters at this great event looking for players who are true gamers, look no further than Mattingly. The broad-shouldered point guard “shouldered” the load for his teammates in clutch situations as he knocked in timely jump shots and snapped passes to open shooters. He plays with his head up, is a solid defender, and isn’t afraid to grab rebounds in traffic. He is one of the better leaders we witnessed this week.
Easton Hawkins (Lehi, UT)
2025, WF, 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
Joel’s take: Hawkins has a nice looking frame that should fill out nicely going forward as he matures. He’s an athletic wing that can get to the rim off the bounce or nail the pull-up jump shot. His pull-up exhibits good balance and his release looks tight. He’ll get in the paint and rebound and get some put-backs as well. One of the better looking sleepers as well at this event.
Elias Gish (Clovis North)
2026, WF, 6-foot-6, 185 pounds
Joel’s take: Gish is a rangy young prospect who is just scratching the surface of his impressive potential. The gifted left-hander didn’t get a whole lot of opportunities in the games we watched, but he showed enough to warrant his potential. He’s a quality athlete who runs well, has solid ball skills, and knocks in the occasional jump shot. He can post up as well and exhibited a nice up-and-under move for the finish. Going forward it will be how much he works on his overall game and continue to gain confidence.
Eli Garner Eli Garner 6'6" | SG Damien | 2026 State (Damien)
2026, WF, 6-foot-5, 170 pounds
Joel’s take: Garner looks to be one of the better-looking sophomores in the Southern California area. He has a solid-looking frame with good length and he plays the game at a good pace, as he makes sound decisions most of the time. He does a nice job facing up his opponent as he gets into his triple threat position and he can get to the rim off the drive. His jump shot looks solid as well as he showed good balance and his release looks tight. Look for his game to evolve as Damien presents one of the better “developing staffs” in Southern California.
Jalen Stokes Jalen Stokes 6'5" | SF Dublin | 2025 State #281 Nation (Dublin, CA)
2025, SG, 6-foot-5, 190 pounds
Joel’s Take: Stokes has an ideal frame for the next level and projects to be one of the better wing-type prospects on the West Coast. He has solid ball skills, can create his own shot, and can get to the rim in transition with ease. His jump shot has evolved in the past year and he is becoming a solid scorer from all three levels. Defensively, he slides his feet well and has a knack for getting into the lanes.