NOVA Players To Watch Going Forward From The Champions Classic

There were a lot of new names that impressed me at the Champions Classic. It is always interesting in these early-season tournaments to see what kind of role players will have, whether they are on a new team or have now been given a bigger role. Here are some NOVA players that are new to me that could take leaps into the rankings soon, or some high-potential ceiling raisers.    Kaden Golston is a high-energy glass cleaner who impacts the game with his effort and athleticism. Kaden is undersized height-wise to play in the paint, but he's well built, and he constantly seems to be around the ball on misses. He is a little reckless as a driver sometimes, but he has a lot of tools to be impactful at this level. Stone Bridge has a few nice underclassmen, and they could be a sneaky team this year.     Westfield's defense was the reason they beat St. Andrews. [player_tooltip player_id='2918960' first='Malachi' last='Lee'] got the start today with his brother out, and he did an amazing job. Malachi battled defensively, and there were a few times early in this game where he was switched onto the almost 7-foot Steven Huan, and he held his own. He fought to keep his position, and he was able to jump an entry pass. His effort on the glass on both ends was noteworthy, and he did an amazing job attacking the rim hard, even though he wasn't able to finish some of them. It's fitting that Malachi is a talented football player with his ferocity and tenacity. He's only a sophomore, and he's definitely one to watch going forward.     [player_tooltip player_id='1963548' first='Colin' last='Stemberger'] is going to be massively important to what Westfield does in the postseason. He handles the ball a lot, and he acts as the ultimate glue guy for this talented roster. I felt like Colin over-dribbled a lot last year, and that was something he cleaned up today. He looked more comfortable shooting the three-ball as well. I loved his defensive intensity, and he did a lot of great work as a POA defender. He was outstanding on the glass and put in an all-around shift.     Riverside lost almost all their production from last season, and they are looking for another offensive weapon alongside [player_tooltip player_id='2780090' first='Max' last='Lawson']. Balmeet Sandhu showed real potential that he could be that. Balmeet is a good spot-up shooter and does well putting the ball on the floor. I thought Balmeet was excellent on defense and had a few great finishes in transition. Balmeet has gotten off to a great start this year, and he's only a sophomore with multiple 20-point games.     Yorktown was down a lot of offensive production due to players being out, and them beating Riverside is a testament to their depth. Garon Carcillo was one of the players who stepped up, and he has the physical profile and skill to make him an intriguing prospect going forward. He is a knockdown shooter, which is where he did most of his work in this game. He has great size and moves really well. He is only a sophomore, and he is going to play a big factor in what should be a team that could make noise in the postseason in Yorktown.

There were a lot of new names that impressed me at the Champions Classic. It is always interesting in these early-season tournaments to see what kind of role players will have, whether they are on a new team or have now been given a bigger role. Here are some NOVA players that are new to me that could take leaps into the rankings soon, or some high-potential ceiling raisers.