Fresno, CA – This past Friday and Saturday (June 9th and 10th), I attended the Clovis West Nike Summer Shootout at Clovis West High School. The event was held over three days, Friday through Sunday, but I left on Saturday afternoon. The event was a showcase format, which featured high school teams from the Central and Northern Sections of California playing in four games each. There were some intriguing match-ups that I wanted to see before this upcoming weekend’s first scholastic live period event held in Orange County, CA at various locations. I was able to see Central Section teams Clovis West, Clovis East, Bullard, and Central, as well as Whitney of Rockin, Folsom, Sheldon of Sacramento, and El Capitan of Merced. There were plenty of other teams in the shootout but these were the teams, or players from these teams, that I attended the event to see for various reasons.
This article takes a look at 15 players that had standout performances in one or more games. The list of players is not in ranked order but in alphabetical order. There were other players that performed well that either I did not see live or just missed making this list. The following information is provided for the players below: a brief evaluation of each player’s skill set and strengths of their games, how they performed in the event, as well as all relevant player information. We begin this article with rising junior and new kid on the block Chris Baudreau.
2025 6’10 Christopher Baudreau (Clovis West/Fresno CA)
Baudreau is a lengthy and rangy forward/center that alters shots, controls the glass, and has nice touch on finishes around the basket. Baudreau recently transferred to Clovis West from Bishop Gorman of Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be a welcomed interior presence that was missing last season for the Golden Eagles. Baudreau, in his first weekend of play with Clovis West, gained confidence and continuity with the flow of the system, as he would have multiple games with 12 points and multiple blocks per game to show his ability to protect the rim. He has good footwork, nice touch on shots in the paint, and runs the floor well to keep pace with the quickness of the Golden Eagles’ offense. Impressive young prospect that will make his debut in my updated player rankings coming soon.
2024 6’3 Zach Chauhan (Clovis West/Fresno CA)
Chauhan is an athletic and physical guard/wing that can score from 3-levels effectively, is a versatile defender, and plays with a relentless motor on both ends. Chauhan looked to be the aggressor scoring the ball for the Golden Eagles, as he would have games of 26 points, 23 points, and 20 points in the first 3 games played at the Nike Shootout. Chauhan has the moves and handles to create off the dribble, the strength to finish through contact when attacking the basket, moves well off the ball to get open for catch-and-shoot opportunities, is accurate with the 3-ball, and gets good lift on his stop and pop mid-range shot. Chauhan has the lateral quickness and footspeed to stay in front of perimeter players, the physicality to switch off on bigger defenders, does a solid job on the boards to push the ball in the open court, and has good court vision to make nice reads to open teammates when on the drive.
2026 6’1 Ja’Vance Coleman (Bullard/Fresno CA)
Coleman is a skilled and strong lead guard that can create his own scoring opportunities or make plays for others when attacking the defense. Coleman is one of the top players in the Central Section for the class of 2026, and he had his all-around game on display at the Nike Shootout scoring 15 points and 13 points in the two games I watched, as well as countless assists and solid on-ball defensive play. Coleman keeps the ball on a string while surveying the floor, has the court vision to find open teammates in tight windows when on the attack, has good bounce to rebound and push the pace of play, and makes great use of the hesitation to keep his opponent off balance. As a scorer, Coleman has the moves and handles to create separation from his defender, takes and makes difficult shots from the perimeter, can score it from 3 levels off the dribble, and has the strength to finish through contact at the cup. Defensively, Coleman has good lateral quickness, active hands to get into his opponents’ dribbling space, and generates perimeter turnovers that lead to transition points. Plays with a great motor, improving leadership skills, and handles the pressure as the focal point of the offense for a rising sophomore.
2026 6’5 Lydell Farmer (Clovis East/CA)
Farmer, a lengthy and athletic wing/forward, is a Swiss army knife on the court and leaves his imprint on both ends of the floor. Farmer does not dazzle scoring the ball at this phase of his game, but his impact on the glass, ability to protect the rim, the handle to push the ball up the court, and the versatility on defense make him a key piece for Clovis East. Farmer has great touch on finishes around the basket, uses his length to control the boards, has the footwork and agility to stay in front of perimeter players, as well as the length to switch on bigger players in the paint, and alters shots around the cup and on the wing. Farmer is effective from the 3-point line to space the defense, runs the floor well in transition to be the recipient of passes up the court, and has enough handle and moves to attack off the wing. Farmer is one of the better long-term prospects in the 2026 class, as he has all the physical tools that college coaches are looking for and plays with a great motor.
2026 6’2 Dalen Felder (Clovis East/CA) – featured in picture (top)
Felder is a combo guard that has one of the purest shots in the Central Section and can score the ball in countless ways from 3-levels. Felder was impressive putting the ball in the basket and had one of the better scoring performances of the Nike Shootout against Folsom, where he would score 28 points connecting on 4 threes. Felder has a tight handle on the ball, plays with good pace and control, makes great use of the hesitation to keep his defender off balance, has the moves to create separation from his opponent, is efficient from the 3-point line, and has great body control and fluid movement when attacking the basket. Felder takes and makes tough perimeter shots off the bounce, has good court vision to make plays when getting into the teeth of the defense, and has a pretty stop-and-pop mid-range jumper. Felder led the TRAC in scoring as a freshman and will look to keep that momentum going for the young but talented Timberwolves. Very impressive shot-maker that plays with poise far beyond his grade.
2024 6’6 Kyshawn Johnson (Bullard/Fresno CA)
Johnson is a lengthy and agile forward that controls the glass, protects the basket, and has improved his overall confidence operating in the paint. Johnson was all over the glass on both ends and was finishing everything around the basket, as was evident by his 20-point showing against Clovis West. Johnson has the length and wingspan to block and alter shots in the key, has enough handle to put the ball on the deck and attack the basket, and is effective from with the mid-post jumper. Johnson is dominant on the boards, has enough handle to clear the ball out, and can space the floor with the 3-ball. He played very well off of teammate Ja’Vance Coleman and that could be a solid duo this upcoming season for the Knights. Johnson has made great strides over the past year and has the build that coaches like at the next level.
2026 6’ Jace Kellogg (Clovis West/Fresno CA)
Kellogg is a shifty lead guard that keeps the ball on a string, zips the ball around to make plays, and can create his own offense. Kellogg played solid at the lead guard spot and his moves off the perimeter break the defense down and create open looks from beyond the arc for teammates, which fits right into the Golden Eagle’s style of play. Kellogg has dynamic handles, keeps the ball on a string to survey the floor, makes great use of the hesitation move to freeze his opponent, and is capable of making tough shots from the perimeter or around the basket. Kellogg has good court vision, finds open teammates in tight windows or the skip pass, and with his accuracy from the 3-point line, defenders have to overpursue, which opens up driving lanes for him to exploit. Good body control and has the ability to play flashy but under control.
2024 6’3 Luke Vanden Akker (Whitney/Rocklin CA)
Vanden Akker is a physical and high-motor wing/forward that controls the glass and stays active around the basket for buckets. Vanden Akker had a strong showing for Whitney at the Nike Shootout, with games of 10 points and 14 points in the 2 days I was in attendance. Vanden Akker runs the floor well in the open court, controls the boards on both ends, gets to the open spot on the low block or short corner, and gets plenty of points off of passes from driving teammates with his low post positioning. Vanden Akker has nice touch on the mid-range shot and plays with a great motor with the capability of defending bigger players in the post with his strong build.
2024 6’2 McKay Olsen (Clovis East/CA)
Olsen is a strong and athletic guard/wing that can score from various spots and does a solid job on the glass with the ability to push the ball up the court, Olsen has to play out of position at times in the post for Clovis East but he has the physical build and tough mindset to hold his own against bigger players and is able to bully smaller, weaker perimeter players. He had a solid game scoring the ball against Folsom, as he put up 14 points and connected on a pair of threes. Olsen has good handles, can create off the wing, gets downhill and does not waste dribbles, and has the strength to finish through traffic in the paint. Olsen moves well off the ball, gets to his shot spots for catch and shoot opportunities, and can knock down shots off the dribble as well. Tough player that can lock up on the defensive end and can guard the 1-3 position effectively,
2025 6’1 Mohammed Singleton (Sheldon/Sacramento CA)
Singleton is a combo guard that makes quality decisions with the ball in his hands and knows when to look for his own offense. Singleton had a string showing against Clovis West on Friday night, as he would get cooking in the 2nd half and ended with 16 points en route to an upset of the host team. Singleton has solid handles to weave through the defense, the moves to create space from his defender, and the ability to hit tough shots from the perimeter, as well as being a creative finisher around the basket. Singleton has active hands on defense, good instincts to jump passing lanes, which leads to open-court scoring opportunities. Singleton moves well off the ball to get open looks and can play on and off the ball with the same level of effectiveness for the Husky offense.
2025 6’5 Jaden Spears (Sheldon/Sacramento CA)
Spears is a lengthy and wirey wing that impacts the game in numerous ways and can space the floor from beyond the arc. Spears was dominant on the glass, showed his versatility as a defender, and had a team-high 18 points in Sheldon’s win over Clovis West. Spears has nice touch on finishes around the basket, controls the glass with the handle to push the pace of play up the court, the court vision to make reads when on the attack, and the wingspan and toughness to finish through contact. Spears alters shots in the paint and on the perimeter, has enough handle to attack off the dribble downhill, and is effective on the mid-range jumper. Big wingspan and agility to defend perimeter players, and the size to defend bigger players on switches or straight up.
2025 6’1 DJ Stickman (Clovis West/Fresno CA) – featured in picture (left)
Stickman is an athletic and lengthy lead guard that leaves his imprint on all aspects of the game. Stickman did not put up crazy scoring numbers, but his impact on the glass, protecting the rim, hitting teammates in stride on pin-point passes, and acrobatically scoring around the rim taking flight in the air was on full display at the Nike Shootout. Stickman has a large wingspan and is a superior athlete, which allows him to defend the 1 through 4 positions effectively. On the perimeter, he is a top-tier on-ball defender with active hands to disrupt the opponents dribbling space, the instincts to read and jump passing lanes, and overall generate turnovers at a high clip that lead to easy transition points. Stickman’s elite bounce allows him to alter or block shots around the basket amongst players taller in stature, and he has enough handle with the moves to create off the dribble to get into the teeth of the defense and either make plays or score. In my opinion, outside of national prospect Tounde Yessoufou of St. Joseph, Stickman is the 2nd best pure athlete playing basketball in the Central Section, and it does not take more than a few minutes of live-viewing to see what I mean.
2025 6’3 Ely Willis (Whitney/Rocklin CA) – featured in picture (bottom)
Willis is a guard/wing that has the moves and skill to create his own offense and can play in the post, as well as off the perimeter with equal effectiveness. Willis led Whitney in scoring all weekend and showcased his ability to punish smaller defenders in the paint or create off the bounce to shake bigger, less mobile defenders with games of 16 points and 14 points I saw in person. Willis has solid handles, the moves to create space from his opponent, uses his physical build to muscle through contact at the rim, and has good footwork and a fluid fadeaway mid-range jumper. Willis is able to defend the 2 through 4 positions effectively, does a solid job on the boards, pushes the pace of play off the glass, and plays with good pace and feel for the game and minimizes mistakes when the ball is in his hands.
2024 6’3 Jaden Woodard (Sheldon/Sacramento CA)
Woodard is a wing/forward that can space the floor with the 3-ball, and can put the ball on the deck and attack the basket. Woodard was one of Sheldon’s leading scorers at the Nike Shootout with a high of 16 points against Clovis West on Friday night. Woodard has a solid handle, moves to get by his initial defender, uses his size to back down smaller defenders, and has a nice pull-up jumper off the bounce. Woodard is a solid rebounder, looks to push the pace of play, and when going at the basket he uses his physical build to enforce his will through contact.
2024 6’1 Jackson Young (Clovis West/Fresno CA)
Young is a shooting guard that can light it up from beyond the arc off the dribble or the catch-and-shoot, where he is tough to defend as he is constantly running off screens and getting to his shot spots. Young had a solid showing against Sheldon, as he would connect on 4 threes and scored 14 points to give the Golden Eagles the double-digit lead at the half. Young reads the defense well, has the court vision to make plays when attacking the defense, but is at his best when he is playing off the ball and able to move freely where the ball finds him often for 3-point looks. Young is an underrated perimeter defender and has good instincts to jump passing lanes and deflect passes that lead to transition points. Young will be a key factor for the Golden Eagles this season and will be one of the biggest beneficiaries from the arrival of the big man, as the team will be able to play out of the post more this upcoming season, similar to Young’s sophomore season with Tyus Parrish-Tillman.
