The Stage Act 1: First Five

<p>I spent much of the first spring live period in three years at Open Gym Premier’s facility in Anaheim for The Stage, Act 1, a collaboration between OGP and the Compton Magic. </p> <p>The event also served as the first session of the Adidas Gold series, with those games all happening in Anaheim. </p> <p>With a solid turnout of coaches and prospects, the event proved to be a good opportunity to evaluate prospects that might be hovering below major college radars. In this report, I’ll list my Top 5 standouts overall. </p> <h2>The Stage, Act 1: First Five  </h2> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7579-crop-3704x2432-1649788179.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1427761" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7579-crop-3704x2432-1649788179-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>Jannoy Thomas, 2023 PG, Project Excellence </h3> <p>Thomas was the star of stars this weekend among a group of very good guards in the 17u Adidas Gold Division. The 5-11 lefty playmaker possesses elite burst, flashy court vision and the ability to get into the paint and finish with either hand. He also had a knack for hitting timely jump shots from midrange and out to the college three. An area where he can improve is his consistency on defense, where his effort level vacillates. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7570-crop-3837x2519-1649788259.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1427765" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7570-crop-3837x2519-1649788259-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994949" first="Jaden" last="Matingou"], 2023 G, Gamepoint 17u Elite </h3> <p>Matingou was Thomas’ rival for best guard at the 17u level. A long, wiry combo guard, Matingou’s athleticism is eye-popping and effortless. After primarily playing off the ball during the HS season, he showed that he can play on the ball, displaying high-level court vision and improved pace and feel. His offensive improvement complements his high-level defensive abilities. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7564-crop-3898x2560-1649788343.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1427770" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7564-crop-3898x2560-1649788343-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>[player_tooltip player_id="994931" first="Martin" last="Gumwel"], 2023 C, Gamepoint Elite </h3> <p>Gumwel’s improvement from when I saw him earlier this year against Torrey Pines was fairly dramatic. The 6-11 post pursues boards in and out of his area with a ferocity you rarely see at the HS level, plus he is an active and engaged rim protector and rim runner. His offensive game is also coming along, as he displayed improved hands and finishing ability, while also hitting a couple of jump shots from short and mid-range. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7746-crop-989x649-1649788449.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1427775" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7746-crop-989x649-1649788449-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>Nikolas Khamenia, 2025 W, BTI 16u Select</h3> <p>Khamenia was arguably the best rising sophomore on hand this weekend. At 6-7, he has impressive ball skills and feel. He’s an extremely efficient scorer and playmaker, can score it from all three levels and has the ability to defend 1-5 at the high school level. His upside is high major. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7584-crop-958x629-1649788529.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1427777" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG_7584-crop-958x629-1649788529-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <h3>Nigel Hylton, 2022 W, Project Excellence</h3> <p>The unsigned Canadian prospect was impressive all weekend with his scoring from the wing. A long, rangy prospect, he covers a lot of ground with his strides attacking off the wing, and finishes through contact. Additionally, he’s a solid shooter with range out to the college three from the wing and corners. Hylton is also a high academic prospect with a reported 1400 SAT score. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>