The Stage Top Performers: Part I
The Stage was a goldmine for prospects that played their way into the spotlight for the first NCAA Live Period. Let’s take a look at some of the top overall performers from our point of view.
We thought he was one of the legit, must-see prospects from the first NCAA Live Period in the West. Gumwel continues to put good days together and he’s playing like a young man ready to seize his opportunity as a college prospect. He’s all kinds of long and lean and present in the middle of the paint on the defensive end of the floor. There were, at times, when he reminded us of Mouhamed Gueye of Washington State at the same stage. Gumwel runs like a deer with speed from end-to-end. He’s a real problem for teams that like to play fast. On offense, Gumwel is good with a lob and knows what to when the ball comes his way. You don’t find him doing more than he’s capable of and his good moments are better than most of his peers.
For me, he was one of the best revelations from the Adidas Gold event in Anaheim. He’s a big guard with big speed and big open floor ability. Matingou has terrific body control and can thrive in fast break offense. From end to end, he was one of the fastest players in the field. He was so good in this category, in fact, that he looked like a guy who could do it at the high-major level. Matingou also did a great job of setting up his big men in the half court for easy scores at the bucket. There was a lot to like about him in this setting and the Gamepoint team is rich with college prospects. He has weapons around him and that bodes well for him moving forward. If you’re looking for a deep cut sleeper, he’s your guy.
Like a great defensive back on the football field, Riley will let you know it will be a long day against him. He’s a stout defender with confidence anchoring his approach. On the ball, he’s as pesky as you’d want your lead guard to be. It wouldn’t shock us if he is a league leader in steals at the collegiate level. Better yet, he could be the league leader. On offense, he is a floor general in every way you would want him to be. He plays off of two feet, always looking to set teammates up, while also getting downhill to get to his spots to finish at the rim. Riley to hit ahead in transition to always keep pressure on opposing defenses. He controls the pace, knowing when to speed things up and slow things down. - Todd Zollinger
He was, without question, one of the best guards in the entire field for the event. Thomas played with speed, poise, sharp decision-making, scoring and passing. He brought the full game at The Stage. The sub 6-footer for Project Excellence was effective in the four games during the NCAA Live Period. Thomas carves his way through a defense without any trouble. His controlled pace allowed him to speed up and slow down to create the right opportunities to score or pass in both half court and in transition. Thomas can score at the rim and finish in traffic with ease. He put up 28 points a game in the event, tops in the 17U division. What a weekend and should be a riser to watch and further see into the remaining recruiting opportunities this travel season.
When it came down to it, no other guard dominated the backcourt to front court attack like Washington. His attack mode is hard to match in the class of 2023. Few guys drive into the lane better than him. There is a physicality to him that takes you back to peak Big East basketball. He won’t be denied entry into the lane. Washington just finds a way to get there, thrive as a foul line resident and tough scorer at the rim. How can you not love him as a rebounding guard, too? There are second chance opportunities with him. He keeps plays alive throughout the action. Washington has a motor that doesn’t turn off. We've seen him quite a bit over the last year and a half and the narrative never changes with him - all gas, no brakes.
