One of the only underclassmen to take the floor on the night, Stanton understandably took a bit to get going in his debut under the Palestra lights. He made his presence felt with a key second half spurt that helped spell a Bonner run and keep the Saints in position to vault ahead. Sharing the backcourt with a slew of other ballhandlers, he was most effective as a floor-spacer, showing a compact stroke off the catch while knocking down a pair of third-quarter 3s. Stanton also stood out as a transition playmaker and drew contact on a key third quarter drive to work his way to the foul line. While he’s still biding his time behind a deep core of seniors, Stanton was able to show why he presumably is next up for the storied Neumann program going forward.

Stanton’s is an intriguing freshman prospect with significant upside. During Neumann-Goretti’s victory over Hershey in the 5A title contest, Stanton contributed 11 points. His quick first step, end-to-end speed and elusive handles enabled him to drive past defenders and get into the paint. Once he was in the lane, Stanton scored at the rim, dropped passes to the dunker spot and kicked out to open shooters. Stanton exceled in the open court too. 

The only freshman contributor for the Saints, Stanton has gradually worked his way up the pecking order and has now been thrust into the starting unit for the state playoffs. A natural lead guard, Stanton shows an advanced ability to thrive within a multiguard alignment while playing in Neumann’s four-guard attack. His biggest impact tonight came as a floor-spacer, showcasing a smooth and consistent stroke off the catch while knocking down four 3s en route to his 13 points. The future appears bright for Stanton, who we look forward to evaluating more thoroughly against his age group once he hits the grassroots circuit this spring.