Elite PG Training: Prospect Analysis

Twelve players spent six hours over two days being trained by for Cal Poly Head Coach Joe Callero. The players in attendance were taught the physical skills required to be a point guard, how to read defenses and make decisions and what it means to be a team leader. Players ranged from the class of 2021-2025 but all were held to high standards as they learned from both Joe and Marc Callero- current assistant coach at Pierce College. Both coaches were excellent point guards themselves and have spent multiple years training, coaching, scouting and recruiting players from across the nation. [player_tooltip player_id="940526" first="Jerry" last="Hayes"] 5-11 2021 Point Guard Emerald Ridge High School- Team Supreme The veteran high school playmaker showed both days why he has already been locked up by Skagit Valley College. Hayes values every possession. He does not turn the ball over. He has the ability to both patiently wait for openings to appear and to create openings for himself and most importantly he knows when to do both. He plays with a winner’s attitude and was a pass-first player who did not over-dribble. He enjoys the assist more than the shot but is a more than capable scorer.   [player_tooltip player_id="1070493" first="Kyle" last="Carlesimo"] 6-1 2021 Point Guard Seattle Prep High School Carlesimo has added 20 pounds of good weight since I last saw him play. He is healthy now after suffering through a few a variety of injuries that had limited his playing time in the last year and half. A year of prep school may be in his future and he has many tools that will allow him to be successful beyond high school. His greatest asset is his confidence and comfort level while handling the ball under pressure. He has big, strong hands and uses his frame well to shield defenders. He always has a plan when attacking the basket and consistently made the correct decisions in transition situations.   Michael Steimle 6-4 2021 Combo Guard Fife High School Steimle is a true combo guard because he has the physical tools to defend positions 1-3 at the collegiate level. He enjoys setting solid screens, welcomes contact on direct line drives to the basket and is quick to dive on loose balls. This is the second point guard training he has attended and showed an improved ability to pass with his weak hand. His focus and coachability allow me to see him as a player with a bigger upside than I first anticipated. He is drawing lots of interest from NWAC schools and says he is close to making a commitment. He still has an abbreviated WIAA season to play this spring   [player_tooltip player_id="1120395" first="Sten" last="Rasmussen"] 6-6 2022 Wing Bellarmine Prep High School- Team Lavine Rasmussen came to camp to work on his leadership skills and ball handling and by the end of day two convinced me he could be a good high school point guard. A high academic student, Rasmussen is an intriguing prospect. He is an excellent floor spacer and capable three point shooter but does not yet have the explosiveness or strength to be an impact 2/3 at the college level. He has no glaring weaknesses in any area and is above average in all the fundamentals. He quickly meshed well with a variety of new players was a team-first, vocally positive communicator or “glue-guy” during 5-on-5 scrimmages. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Sten-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1172642 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Sten-225x300.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id=" width="225" height="300" /></a> Ben Brink 6-1 2022 Point Guard Charles Wright High School Ben worked hard for six hours and showed marked improvement from day one to day two. He has a high release on his drives to the hoop, sticky feet on defense, and an ability to make snappy passes. While playing off pick and rolls he needs to be able to pivot in both directions and to face the basket even when being pressured.   Zxaiver Patterson 5-10 2022 Point Guard Clover Park High School Henry has experience running the point as a starter at CP and came into camp fearless. He is quicker than all would- be defenders and he knows it. He can put his head down and get past his own man at will. His footwork on his three point shooting form needs small adjustments to be more consistent. His finishing package after attacking his defender needs to evolve to more than just trying to score over help defenders. He is a fearless, very quick competitor who already possesses many hard to teach attributes. This was my first time watching him play and he is definitely a player I will follow. What level he ends up after high school is much more dependent on his approach to the point guard position mentally than it is physically. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Zxavier-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1172639 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Zxavier-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Braxton Dizon 5-9 2023 Point Guard Fife High School I had the opportunity to coach and evaluate Dizon at the previous point guard training and at this most recent event he again showed a willingness to play within himself. Against the other 2023, and 2024 prospects he was the champion of the 1-on-1 offensive competition and the 1-on-1 defensive competition . Against players his own age he was a bully. He absorbed contact in the air and made shots after being bumped hard. He is really growing into the role of team leader and floor director. With three high school seasons ahead of him under the guidance of Coach Marc Schelbert, he is sure to gain valuable game experience and will showcase the traits that make him a next level player.   Jacob Montgomery 6-3 2023 Wing Hazen High School Jacob has a thick frame paired with good hands and a willingness to use his body when screening and rebounding. While likely not a point guard for his high school team and not yet quick enough to handle the ball consistently against good pressure, he is likely a future high school varsity player. With continued added conditioning and improvement of his shooting range, he could develop into a match-up problem for smaller, lighter guards.   Isaiah White 6-2 2024 Point Guard Everett Rotary Select Tremendous upside for this young athlete. He is growing so fast he doesn’t even know how tall he is! He claimed to be 6-0 but is taller than that- also his long extremities allow him to cover a much larger area of the floor defensively than most players his height. Offensively, his long legs allow him to bound past defenders in a single stride and is capable of getting to the basket from beyond the three line in just two long, smooth strides. Isaiah will continue to be pushed by equally talented, older, and stronger players while playing for his high school and grassroots teams. Isaiah is the most intriguing of the “new” players I saw this week-end.     Johan Cruz 5-10 2024 Point Guard Manson High Cruz is a sturdy, high energy player who wants to win. He competes for loose balls against older, bigger players. He does not quit after facing adversity and his willingness to seek out competition and opportunities to get better proves he loves the game and wants to keep improving. It is really hard to coach “toughness” into a player and he has that. Skill-wise he is not profoundly lacking in any area but will be a more valuable player once he develops a “go to” move and counter to get past defenders and increased accuracy on his long range shooting- both of which I am sure he is working hard to improve.   Jalen Hyppa 6-0 2025 Kopachuck Middle School As a developing player, Hyppa was a sponge absorbing all the information being presented. He was open to suggestions and worked to complete each drill just as instructed to do so. During 1-on-1 competitions, he quickly learned from mistakes and made adjustments to avoid being beaten by the same players the same way. He has a solid weak-hand and has good length for a young point guard.   Isaiah Falby 5-7 2025 point Guard Bonney Lake/Sumner Middle School Falby is a developmental level point guard who is light on his feet. Like many younger players, he needs to learn the difference between driving the basketball and dribbling the basketball. He is open to correction and has a decent shooting form. His attendance at the camp shows he is serious about getting better and has enough base-knowledge and skills that he could mature into a prospect.