Here's Don Manning-Fuimaono, a Sacramento AAU coach and trainer, with a listing of Sacramento's best young prospects as well as his thoughts on each player.
Eric Alston, 5-foot-8, West Campus, 2019 - "A dynamic scoring guard who is super explosive and can score in bunches. He is moving over from Burbank High where he started several varsity games as a freshman."
Levelle Bailey, 6-foot-2, Burbank, 2018 - "High energy, super athletic and a hard worker, he has the ability to defend all five positions. He was playing safety for Burbank football and now will play quarterback due to an injury. USC, Georgia Tech, Arizona and Washington State have shown interest in football."
Rick Barros, 6-foot-4, Capital Christian, 2018 - “Rick is an athletic shooting guard. He averaged 17 points per game at Sac Country Day last year. He has a complete game and he’s highly efficient.”
Jordan Brown, 6-foot-11, Woodcreek, 2018 - "The best player in Sacramento. A high major D1 prospect and a consensus top 5 prospect nationally. Competed on the Adidas Circuit with PHPS and won a gold medal as a member of the USA U17 team."
Cade Hoppe, 6-foot-8, Oak Ridge, 2018 - "He's 6-foot-8, a strong finisher and physical. Cade's good around the rim and really good rebounder."
Fred Burton, 6-foot-2, Capital Christian, 2020 - "Originally out of the Los Angeles area, Fred's very strong, super athletic and he can jump out of the gym. He uses his length and athleticism to bother people defensively.”
Chris Cagle, 6-Foot-6, Woodcreek, 2018 - “He’s long, athletic and very fundamentally sound. Chris crashes the boards hard and throws great entry passes in high-low situations. He’s a good shooter with three-point range.”
Zach Chappell, 6-foot-4, Capital Christian, 2018 - "One of the most gifted players in Sacramento. He's a heady point guard who is strong and physical. He has all the intangibles to be a high major D1 point guard. I think he’ll emerge as one of the best lead guards on the west coast this season."
Isaiah Crocker, 6-foot-2, Inderkum, 2018 - "He led Inderkum in scoring last year at 18 points per game and has a 35-inch vertical leap. He’s very good in transition with explosive dunks and acrobatic finishes."
Seth Dawson, 6-foot-4, Inderkum, 2020 - "A powerful 190 pound lead guard with great vision. He’s a lefty who can get in the lane and create easy shots for himself and other players. Seth will be one of the top players in the region in years to come."
Mason Forbes, 6-foot-7, Folsom, 2017, “Super bouncy with great balance and pretty good footwork. He’s relentless on the glass. Mason is receiving interest from several D1 schools.”
Chris Gray, 6-foot-5, Burbank, 2018 – “Chris has unbelievable athleticism. He impacts the game with monster dunks and by rebounding out of his area. He’s an improved shooter with three-point range.”
Dom Johnson, 6-foot-1, Sheldon, 2018 - "He just transferred to Sheldon from Pleasant Grove. A two-year starter at PGHS, he's very athletic and a very physical, an under control scoring guard."
Nate Karren, 6-foot-9, West Campus, 2018 - "A skilled big with great size. He has a good IQ, shoots the ball well and plays with a pretty good motor."
Elias King, 6-foot-8, Christian Brothers, 2019 – “A natural scorer who can take over games with his versatility. He averaged 25 points per game last year. Elias is a good outside shooter but he has the ability to put the ball on the floor and create easy shots for his teammates. He’s a mismatch nightmare as he is also able to operate in the low post."
Earvin Knox, 6-foot-0, Burbank 2019 - "A dynamic leader and a natural point guard with possibly the best IQ of any point guard in the region. He is also a great on-the-ball defender. Earvin is a returning starter at Burbank."
Jayce McCain, 6-foot-1, Folsom, 2018 - "He transferred from Sacramento Country Day and has a good handle and nice shooting touch. With a high IQ and feel for the game, he makes the right decision with the ball in his hands and can also facilitate off the ball."
AJ McGee, 5-foot-9, Grant ,2020 - "A solid point guard and the younger brother of Tre'shon Smoots. He’s a solid point guard who can get to the necessary spots on the floor. He will play a key role at Grant this year."
Greg Milton, 6-foot-2, Consumes Oaks, 2018 - “Greg is strong creative guard who can get to his spots on the floor. He can score and distribute and plays at a relentless pace. He has good length and athleticism. He’s a hard worker who spends a lot of time perfecting his craft.”
Kendall Munson, 6-foot-8, Capital Christian, 2020 - "He's going to be very special. He plays extremely hard and physical. Kendall's a great rebounder and shot blocker and already has a good IQ and great footwork. He’ll be an impact player from day one.”
Stephen Richardson, 6-foot-5, Grant, 2019 - "A long wiry point guard, Stephen is a good ball handler who is also a very good shooter with deep range. He has great footwork and a good natural feel for the game.”
Isaiah Rutherford, 6-foot-2, Jesuit, 2019 - "He started on the varsity last year and has high-level athleticism combined with a complete offensive package. He’s very good defensively. Isaiah already has D1 interest in both football and basketball."
Chris Simpson, 6-foot-5, Jesuit, 2018 - "A great shooter who can rebound, he has better than average athleticism and should have a breakout year this season."
Tre'shon Smoots, 5-foot-11, Grant, 2018 - "Offensively, he's the best guard in Sacramento. He has an advanced handle and can get wherever he wants to on the floor. He’s an above average shooter with deep range. He’s also a very skilled passer. A tough kid who loves to play and compete. He can take over games."
Jake Virga, 5-foot-11, Jesuit, 2018 - “Jake can break his man down off the dribble and get to the basket and finish. He can also knock down open shots. He gets above the rim and dunks with authority.”
Chris Wreidt, 6-foot-9, Capital Christian, 2018 - "Long, with good athleticism, he runs the floor well and can shoot from 15-20 feet. A good rebounder and shot blocker.”
So why the Sactown bonanza? According to Manning-Fuimaono, "We have more kids playing in national level tournaments before they even get to middle school. A lot of these same players were 10-11-year-olds traveling and playing against the best competition in the country. They’ve been training two to three hours a day and playing 50-60 high level games a year since that time. Youngsters in this area are being groomed to contribute at the varsity level the day they step on the campus. You have great trainers and coaches in Sacramento who are providing the resources for young athletes to develop and compete at a high level."
Manning-Fuimaono is focused on the futures of these talents. "It's about the kids for me. I’d like to see the kids in this area get the recognition they deserve which hopefully results in more scholarships."
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