Ambrosini on his play this summer

Fortuna High's Nate Ambrosini enjoyed quite the interesting summer. The 6-foot-4 backcourter went to battle with his Play Hard Play Smart Elite teammates in the spring but July required a change in uniform. Undeterred, he joined forces with the Nor Cal Wildcats Elite and garnered attention for the impression he made on the court.

Here's Ambrosini in his own words:

"This summer I was busy playing AAU basketball with the NorCal Wildcats ELITE. Our team played in the top divisions in three tournaments in July, winning the Platinum division in Las Vegas’ Big Foot Tournament. 

I began the year playing on PHPS Elite (Sacramento) coached by Jason Jennings for the spring season and we played really well as a team, beating some top teams in northern and southern California. Our team was poised to play in three big tournaments in July but, just days before we were going to play, our team couldn't make the trips, so Jason called me and promised me that he would find another elite team for me to play on. Two days before the first tournament, he called and told me he found the perfect fit for me -- the Nor Cal Wildcats Elite team, coached by Phillipe Doherty and George Sousa Jr. He said “pack your bags and go to San Francisco…you play in two days.”

Naturally, I was really nervous going from a well-established team that I was comfortable with and being one of the main scoring options to a new team that was already established and played all spring together -- and them not knowing me and me not knowing them. I definitely didn’t know what to expect. I was just happy that Jason was able to find a team for me and that I would be playing on another high caliber elite team participating in showcase tournaments in July.

I was extremely greatful and I told myself that I would accept any role that they had for me. I knew it would be difficult for me, going from being one of the main focuses on offense to going to a new team where the coaches and players really didn't know my skills/game. Wherever they needed me…defense, offense, or whatever, I told myself that I was going to play hard, give a 100%, enjoy the experience and just be content that I was able to hook up with another elite team on such a short notice.

Our first tournament was in San Francisco and I felt like I fit right in with the team. The players and coaches made me feel welcome and it was a pretty smooth transition, even though I never played with them before and them not knowing my game and me not knowing theirs. A few coaches and parents even came up to me and congratulated me on how well I was able to step right in and that the team didn’t miss a beat.

Here's Gerry Freitas, respected scout, on my play in the July “Nor-Cal Summer Tip-Off” in San Francisco:

"G Nate Ambrosini of Fortuna HS 2014 (Nor Cal Wildcats 17 Elite)
-Tough nut who plays hard every possession, nice lift and go move, strong and can finish through contact, good vision and passer. Attracted a lot of attention from college coaches."

Our next tournament was in Los Angeles, where we faced some strong competition and did well. Our team attracted a lot of attention from the college coaches that were in attendance.

Nor Cal Preps had a post up about how the Wildcats played at the “Best of Summer Tournament” in Los Angeles and it begins talking about me:

"The first name to mention in this category is Nate Ambrosini. Ambrosini is an under the radar shooting guard out of Fortuna, California that showed off more than just a sweet stroke from deep. He defended, contested shots in the paint, mixed things up on the boards on defense and offensively, showed off an advanced mid-lane floater with either hand. He also found himself getting a few quality looks at the rim. Assistant coach Philippe Doherty said that he has a 4.4 GPA and is being recruiting by high academic schools like Denver, Columbia, other Ivy League and Patriot League schools."

Our final tournament for the summer was in Las Vegas, playing in the Platinum division of the BigFoot Tournament. Our team started off slow in pool play, loosing some close games. After pool play, all the teams were placed in bracket play. Our team played really well, winning five close and hard-fought games in a row to win the Platinum division.

Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with the Nor Cal Wildcats Elite. We had a very talented group of players and great, dedicated coaches that really cared about us. We all played well together and played unselfish as a team, not worried about who was scoring…we all just wanted to win and that’s exactly what we did…WIN! I was really appreciative of the team and coaches for giving me the opportunity to join such a strong and talented, established team on such a short notice." 

Here's Sousa on Ambrosini: "As Nate said, it was truly a last minute thing.  Jason Jennings, a good friend of mine, called to tell me about Nate two days before we played in San Francisco in July. Jason told me he would be a tremendous complement to our team.  And was right! Our team was very young last summer (four freshman, two sophomores and a junior). We are very talented and athletic, but lacked an experienced, all-around player with a high basketball IQ that comes from experience. Nate fit the bill perfectly."

He added, "Nate is able to play multiple positions, is very strong, and able to defend multiple positions. He can get to the rim, as well as knock shots.  Most importantly, he plays hard all the time, and is a very good decision maker. Nate is the type of player college coaches would love to have on their team; very good student, hard worker, dependable, and truly a coach on the floor. Nate played as if he was with us all year and was an integral part of us winning the Big Foot Open Division Platinum Level championship. He was a true joy to coach and set a great example for our younger guys."

 Doherty was just as impressed.

"Nate fit in perfectly with our young guys this past summer. He has a very high basketball IQ and can really defend. Nate is an athletic two guard who is strong and left-handed, which gives him an advantage. He can play in many different systems and will do well in college because he is tough, athletic, smart, coachable, and can do a lot of things on the floor. Nate was a pleasure to coach, a great addition to our group and helped us win the Big Foot Platinum 17U championship."