Fresno, CA – This past weekend I made the trip up the 99 freeway to one of my favorite summer high school events in the month of July, the Clovis West Nike Summer Shootout. This event always provides a platform to see the top teams from Fresno and surrounding areas up to Sacramento and the new additions to next season’s rosters in the Central Section. Day 1 and 2 were pool play and Day 3, Sunday, was single elimination bracket play with multiple divisions (platinum being the top division).
Defending Division 1 Section Champs Clovis North would defeat Clovis West in the championship game and despite the loss of seniors Connor Amundsen and Jordan Espinoza, the Broncos rolled to a 4-1 record and looked like it hadn’t missed much of a beat since the end of this past season. Clovis West played some quality ball as well behind new head coach Nicholas Podesta (former Weston Ranch coach) and the players seemed to be adjusting well and playing a bit more freely, especially rising junior Jace Kellogg and rising senior DJ Stickman. Rising Sophomore Asher Thompson of Clovis East was one of the more impressive prospects over the weekend and led the Timberwolves in scoring and likely rebounding as well. Jackson Scarborough has transferred from Clovis High to San Joaquin Memorial but this move, along with the talented but young roster, will take some time to piece together but the future looks bright for the Panthers. Bullard was missing all its key guys but I anticipate the Knights being a contender for the CMAC again this year and a threat in Division 1 Sectional Playoffs. Sanger has two post players that will make it tough for most teams to defend, as there is not much height on most teams in the Section and Sanger had some impressive wins.
This article takes a look at 20 standout players from Days 2 and 3 at the Nike Summer Shootout regardless of class. I was in attendance for Saturday and Sunday’s games and my focus was the main gym with the top teams and match-ups located on those 2 courts. Consequently, there are various players that performed well but I did not see them play live in the old gym, which means they would not be included in this write-up. Below, I provide a brief description of how each player performed in the games I watched, along with any relevant statistics I gathered, a short description of each player’s skill set, and all relevant information for each player. Although this is a list of my top performers, the names are listed in alphabetical order and not in ranked order. I begin this article with rising junior lead guard McKae Amundsen.
5’8 McKae Amundsen | 2026 | Clovis North (Fresno CA)
Amundsen led the Broncos in scoring for the weekend, and took it up another level on championship Sunday, with games of 25 points in a win over Amador Valley, 17 points in a win over Folsom, and capped the weekend off with a team-high of 26 points connecting on 5 threes to win the Clovis West Nike Shootout championship in the top division. Amundsen has shifty handles, the moves to create off the dribble and get into the core of the defense, and the court vision to find the open teammate when on the attack. Amundsen has proven to be capable of leading the Broncos in scoring and will look to fill the stats left void by his older brother, Connor, who recently graduated. Amundsen is pesky on defense, generates steals and perimeter turnovers frequently to get out in the open court. Amundsen lets the perimeter shot go with confidence and is accurate with the 3-ball. Tough minded lead guard that leaves it all on the court each game.
6’1 Nick Andreotti | 2027 | Destiny Christian Academy (Sacramento CA)
Andreotti opened up Saturday play showcasing his ability to score it from 3-levels, as well as operate as the lead guard in a win over Clovis High. Andreotti finished with a game-high 17 points and connected on a pair of threes. Andreotti keeps the ball on a string, his head on a swivel to survey the floor, makes good use of the hesitation to keep his opponent on his hip, and the court vision to find open teammates when on the drive and kick out. Andreotti moves well off the ball to get open looks, has the moves to create space off the dribble, is efficient from the 3-point line, and is capable of making tough shots from the mid-range in a variety of ways. High IQ and plays with great pace and feel.
6’1 Aidan Beechler | 2026 | Clovis East (CA)
Beechler had a solid weekend of hoops for the Timberwolves, which was highlighted by his best single game performance in a tough loss to Destiny Christian Academy, where he would lead Clovis East in scoring with 14 points. Beechler has the handles and court vision to play the lead guard spot, but when he has the hot hand Beechler can score in volumes from 3-levels. Beechler has the moves to create separation off the bounce, gets good lift on his jump shot, and is accurate with the 3-ball off the dribble or the catch and shoot. Beechler does a solid job on the boards, can push the pace of play, and plays with relentless effort and good pace.
6’4 LJ Bridges | 2025 | Folsom (CA)
Bridges had a stellar showing in the Bulldogs quarterfinal win over Fresno-based San Joaquin Memorial, as he would lead all scorers with 19 points while knocking down 3 threes in the process. Bridges has a solid frame, is lights out from beyond the arc off the dribble or the catch and shoot, has the moves to create off the bounce with good lift on the jumper, and has the physical build to finish through contact around the basket. Bridges is a good rebounder, has the handles to push the pace of play or gets the ball out to get to the 3-point line for the transition 3-ball. Bridges has good body control and footwork to get open for his mid-range jumper. Big guard that can play the 1 through 3 positions effectively.
5’10 Pablo Celaya | 2025 | Clovis (CA)
Celaya did all he could to keep the Cougars close against Destiny Christian, as he would score a team-high 16 points and was cooking from the mid-range. Celaya has shifty moves and handles to create separation from his defender, makes great use of the pivot on the perimeter to get open looks, has good body control on off-balance shots, and is a creative finisher over size around the basket. Celaya can stop and pop on dime and gets good lift in his jumper, and has nice touch on the floater. Celaya will likely be the leading scorer, along with Matthew Williams, for Clovis High this upcoming season.
6’7 Micah Cole | 2025 | Sanger (CA)
Cole is an athletic and lengthy wing/slasher that had one of the plays of the weekend at the Clovis West Nike Shootout, as he would have a monster dunk attacking down the lane that got the fans on their feet and the social media posts followed shortly. Cole had 16 points and a pair of blocks in Sanger’s win over Weston Ranch and provided the dual threat in the post with teammate Caleb Ramirez, which looked like a recipe for success as many teams in the Central Section lack real size on their rosters. Cole controls the boards, has the length to defend the cup in the post, as well as the lateral quickness to switch off and alter shots on the perimeter. Cole has enough handle to push the ball up the court, makes good use of the crossover to create off the wing, and can accelerate quickly when getting down hill for some dazzling finishes like we saw this past weekend. Cole is effective with the 3-ball off the catch and shoot and is dangerous in the open court with his long strides and bounce.
6’4 Lydell Farmer | 2026 | Clovis East (CA)
Farmer is a lengthy and athletic wing/slasher that leaves his imprint on various aspects of the game, and is emerging as one of the better two-way players in the Section as a rising Junior. Farmer had his best offensive game in a two-point win over San Joaquin Memorial, as he would score 10 points and knocked down a few mid-range jumpers, which is his best shot when he is looking to get buckets. Farmer has long arms that allow him to defend bigger players in the post and alter shots, as well as the lateral quickness to stay in front of smaller perimeter players. Farmer makes good use of the crossover to create space, gets to his shot spots from about 15 feet, is accurate with the jumper from the middy to the 3-point line, which opens up driving lanes for him to attack, and is a good finisher around the basket. Farmer is solid on the glass and with growing confidence in his offensive skill set, he will be relied up to fill the points void from recent graduate Jeremy Pierro.
6’5 Elias Gish | 2026 | Clovis North (Fresno CA)
Gish was serving buckets on Day 2 of the Shootout from all 3-levels, as he would lead the Broncos in scoring with 14 points and 12 points, along with a pair of threes in the Broncos 2nd game. Gish has range and accuracy with the 3-ball, the moves and handles to create off the perimeter when defenders are forced to close out, has nice footwork to create separation from his defender in the interior, and was deadly with the fadeaway jumper with great body control when spinning away from his opponent. Gish is an effective rim protector, can defend the 1-4 positions, and looked much more aggressive in scoring the ball, as his role as a scorer will enhance dramatically for Clovis North with the departure of the teams two leading scorers in Connor Amundsen and Jordan Espinoza. Despite having to play the 5 for Clovis North when on the floor, Gish is at his best when operating from the perimeter, as he pulls bigger players away from the basket and with his shooting accuracy, exposes defenses with the ability to attack driving lanes.
6’3 Loukas Jones | 2025 | Clovis North (Fresno CA)
Jones has been one of the better shooters in the Central Section since entering high school, and that was on display all weekend at the Clovis West Nike Shootout. Jones had 12 points and a pair of threes in a pool play win over Sheldon, 18 points in a win over Amador Valley, 14 points in the championship game win over Clovis West, and a personal weekend high of 25 points in the semifinal win over Folsom connecting on 6 threes. Jones does a solid job on the glass, can push the ball up the court off the rebound, has the court vision to make good reads in the open court or the half court setting, and is a solid on-ball perimeter defender. Jones can light it up from beyond the arc with limitless range, and can make jumpers at a high clip off the catch and shoot or off the bounce. Jones will take another step this coming season and will be one of, if not the leading, scorer for the Broncos next year.
6′ Jace Kellogg | 2026 | Clovis West (Fresno CA)
Kellogg was cooking on Day 2 at the Clovis West Nike Shootout to help lead the Golden Eagles and was a key reason why Clovis West earned a spot in the championship game before losing to Clovis North. Kellogg had games of 12 points and 7 assists, followed by an 18 point and 6 assists performance, while playing with much more confidence and fluidity as his role will increase for Clovis West this next season. Kellogg has elite handles, shifty moves to shake his defender, one of the quickest bursts of speed off the bounce in the Section, and a super creative finisher around the basket. Kellogg gets good lift on his mid-range jumper, can light it up from beyond the arc either off the catch and shoot or off the dribble, and is capable of making tough shots with great court vision to find open players when the defense collapses on him. Tough defender and a player that will take a big step in his game this next year and should land on more college coaches’ radar after the 2 scholastic live period events this month (Section 7 and California Live).
6’1 Cade Krueger | 2026 | Amador Valley (CA)
Krueger, a physical and crafty combo guard, kept relentless pressure on the defense in a tough 2-point loss to host-team Clovis West, as he would lead his team with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Krueger has a physical build, the moves to create separation off the dribble, the strength to absorb contact and finish at the rim amongst size, the court vision to make plays when on the attack, and is effective with the jumper from the mid-range to the 3-point line. Solid on-ball defender and makes great use of the hesitation to keep his defender off balance and produces open looks on the jumper.
5’10 Spencer Kubit | 2027 | Clovis West (Fresno CA)
Kubit was one of the best long-distance shooters at the Clovis West Nike Shootout, as he knocked down 10 threes in total in the 3 games I watched live. Spencer saw limited time as a freshman, but with the graduation of the likes of Jackson Young, the need for a 3-point marksman has opened up and Kubit looked more than ready to fill that void for this upcoming season. Kubit has nice handles to push the pace of play, moves fluidly off the ball to get to his shot spots, has a quick release on his jumper, and is lights out from beyond the arc with range from deep. Kubit is a creative finisher around the basket and forces opponents to close out, which opens up the paint and driving lanes.
6’3 Lawrence Moore | 2027 | Clovis West (Fresno CA)
Moore has a massive wingspan and the emerging skill set to be a high-level wing/guard by his junior season, but already making a big contribution for the Golden Eagles, as he would have games of 13 points against Amador Valley and 11 points against Destiny Christian. Moore makes nice use of the long crossover to get separation from his defender, uses the hesitation effectively to get his defender off balance, and looks to get down hill with good touch around the basket. Moore can hit the 3-ball to keep his opponent honest, has the wingspan to alter shots on the wing and in the paint, has active hands to disrupt his opponents dribbling space, and turns defense to transition offense routinely. Great motor and plays with relentless effort, as his ceiling is high as his game develops over the next few seasons.
6’3 Abram Potts | 2025 | San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno CA)
Potts, known as one of the best pure shooters in the Central Section, led the Panthers with 16 points and a pair of threes in a pool play overtime loss to Clovis East and displayed his ability to score in volume quickly. Potts uses the crossover effectively to create separation from his defender, has a quick release on his jumper that does not take away from his smooth stroke on the shot, and gets great lift on the mid-range jumper when defenders over pursue at the 3-point line. Potts has good court vision, the moves to create off the dribble, and the awareness to find open teammates when the defense collapses. Potts moves fluidly off the ball and is at his best when getting to his shot spots and firing when the defense is behind on rotations.
6’3 Caleb Ramirez | 2025 | Sanger (CA)
Ramirez showcased his ability to be a force in the post, as well as space the floor with the 3-ball in a quality win for the Apaches over Weston Ranch of Stockton, 66 to 54. Ramirez had a team-high 18 points and 9 rebounds, as Ramirez put up a near double-double, which has become the norm for him at Sanger going back to last season. Ramirez has nice footwork in the post, makes good use of the pivot to create space in tight windows around the basket, and has the physicality to finish through traffic at the cup. Ramirez controls the boards, has the moves to create from the perimeter, gets down hill, makes good use of the spin moves to separate from his defender, and is effective from the perimeter to pull bigger players away from the basket. Ramirez will be a key piece for Sanger and will put up the numbers to be in the mix for league MVP depending on how the Apaches fare in league play.
6’6 Chase Rawlins | 2025 | Folsom (CA)
Rawlins is a lengthy wing/guard that can create his own shots and is accurate with the 3-ball, as was evident with his 16 points scoring performance in a win over Fresno powerhouse San Joaquin Memorial, connecting on a pair of threes in the process. Rawlins makes great use of the crossover to create separation from his defender, uses his long strides to get by his initial defender, and uses his long wingspan to finish around the basket in a variety of creative ways. Rawlins can create his own jump shots off the dribble, moves fluidly off the ball to get to his shot spots on the catch and shoot, and is solid on the glass to push the ball up the court. Rawlins alters shots in the perimeter, has the length to switch off on bigger players and defend effectively, and jumps passing lanes to create turnovers and transition offense. Rawlins has good court vision and finds open teammates routinely when he is on the attack.
6’1 Damien Rease | 2025 | Weston Ranch (Stockton CA)
Reese carried the bulk of the scoring load for the Cougars in a tough loss to Sanger on Day 2 of the Shootout, as he would go for 20 points and showed his ability to score in a variety of ways and find open teammates when on the attack. Rease has smooth handles, shifty moves to attack off the perimeter, gets down hill and into the defense, and can either score it or find open teammates off the drive and kick. Rease has a smooth shooting form and can heat up from beyond the arc quickly with range on the deep ball. Rease plays with good pace and makes good use of the hesitation to get by his initial defender.
6’7 Parker Spees | 2026 | San Joaquin Memorial (Fresno CA)
Spees did all the little things for the Panthers leading up to Sunday but stepped up as a main scorer once rising senior Julius Olanrewaju went down with an ankle sprain in the quarterfinals, where Spees would score 10 of his team-high 14 points in the 2nd half. Spees has the length, height, and skill to play the 2 through 5 positions but is a natural wing/stretch 4 at the next level. Spees has the handles and makes nice use of the crossover to create off the perimeter, good footwork and nice touch on shots within 15 feet of the basket, is effective with the mid to high post jumper, and is accurate with the 3-ball to open up the court. Spees controls the boards, alters shots in the paint and on the wing, has the handle to push the ball up the court, and has good court vision to find open teammates moving off the ball. Great student with a 4.0+ GPA and will be one of the hot commodities for the Panthers during the two scholastic live period events this month.
6’2 DJ Stickman | 2025 | Clovis West (Fresno CA)
Stickman displayed his elite 2-way skill set as he would help lead the Golden Eagles to the championship game going unbeaten before losing to Clovis North in the title game. Stickman filled up the stat sheet as usual with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks in a win over Lodi, 7 points, 6 assists, and 3 blocks in a 2-point win over Amador Valley, and a monster 28 point game with 7 rebounds in a semifinal win over Destiny Christian, connecting on a pair of threes in the process. Stickman is an elite on-ball defender, uses his superior athleticism to be an elite shot blocker as a guard, has great court vision to find open players when on the attack, controls the glass to push the tempo in the open court, and showed improved efficiency from the 3-point line. Stickman had some dazzling dunks & superb blocks that are typical of his style of play. Stickman is coming off an MVP season in the TRAC and will be one of the top seniors in the Section going into his final season of high school. Stickman will be the feature name for the Golden Eagles going into the 2 scholastic live period events, in Section 7 and California Live, and will likely see his stalk continue to rise as a lock-up defender and poised lead guard.
6’5 Asher Thompson | 2027 | Clovis East (CA)
Thompson was one of the best players regardless of class at the Clovis West Shootout, as he would score a game-high 21 points in the Timberwolves overtime win over San Joaquin Memorial, 54-52, with the game winner to cap-off a great game. Thompson would score 12 points in the Timberwolves loss to Destiny Christian in the quarterfinals. Thompson has great footwork in the post, the moves to create separation around the basket amongst taller defenders, can spread the floor with the 3-ball, and has the moves and handles to create off the perimeter and get downhill when the defense over pursues on the perimeter. Thompson has good court vision and makes nice reads from the high-post, controls the boards, can push up the court, and is a serviceable rim protector. Thompson made a great case to be considered the top 2027 prospect in the Section with his performance at the Clovis West Nike Shootout.
6’3 Jaylen Valdez | 2025 | Destiny Christian Academy (Sacramento CA)
Valdez displayed his all around scoring arsenal all weekend long at the Clovis West Nike Shootout, as he would have games of 16 points and 6 assists against Clovis and 22 points in a close win over Clovis East. Valdez plays with great pace, makes good use of the hesitation and redirection to keep his defender on skates, and is a creative finisher around the basket. Valdez has the moves to create his own shots off the bounce, moves well to get open catch and shoot looks, and is an effective 3-level scorer. Valdez has good court vision to find open teammates when on the attack and had 4 assists on lobs to bouncy teammate Jephte Tambala for some entertaining dunks and finishes against Clovis. Valdez has the skills to play either guard spot but is at his best when he is aggressively scoring the ball. Valdez has interest from D1 programs and will look to gain more recognition in the month of June and then in July with Clutch Elite on the PUMA/PRO16 Circuit.
