Underclassmen put on a show in Vegas.
Kicking off SLAMonline’s AAU coverage out West, we decided to shoot out to David and Dana Pump’s Double Pump Spring Classic in Las Vegas. The twin brothers founded the Double Pump AAU program, an adidas flagship team that has placed squads from a half dozen states under its umbrella. With alumni such as Gilbert Arenas, Trevor Ariza, Jrue Holiday, James Harden, Nick Young and more, it’s easy to see how Double Pump Elite has established itself as one of the legendary grassroots programs on the left coast.
As part of the Pump’s Best Buy Tournament Series, the Double Pump Spring Classic was home to just about every Pac-12 and West Coast team that one could dream of in the final weekend of the April evaluation period. In what proved to be a pretty unique matchup, Aim High Pump N Run battled new kid on the block Cali Style in the 16U title game.
Cali Style is a California-based AAU team that boasted the No. 1 seventh grader in the country to go along with a number of the top eighth graders in the US. Playing two and three years up, they have proven to have no problem holding their own against their elders. After rolling through pool play, Cali Style ultimately met their conqueror in Aim High, due to the dominant 33-point showing hung on Cali Style by Derick Newton.
With talent like that rolling around Vegas, here are a few of the youngsters who showed out:
Cody Riley, 6-7, PF, Cali Style 16s, 2017
The No. 1 seventh grader in the country played three years up… and dominated everyone he went up against. Riley has the body of a grown man and an emerging perimeter game, making him a problem for HS dudes, regardless of age. The lefty prefers to face the basket, yet also has the power and moves down low to do damage in the pivot. As wild as it may sound, he can do a little bit of everything already despite still having a year left before he even hits high school. As the video shows, the kid has a chance to be really special and remember, you heard it here first.
Derick Newton, 6-5, SF/PF, Aim High 16s, 2014
He’s not the biggest dude, doesn’t really fit a position, and isn’t an insane athlete. All Derick Newton does is get buckets and win. After playing the previous weekend in the EYBL with the Oakland Soldiers, he opted to stay on the West Coast and run with Aim High out in Vegas. There were a number of times when he made a play on the defensive end, started the break, then finished or got fouled at the other end. The level of productivity that this dude has will surely make him a hot name on the left coast this summer.
Chase Nomaaea, 6-4, SG/PG, Dream Vision 15s, 2016
With Dream Vision having just five players for their first game, Nomaaea was forced to play point, and was mighty impressive doing so. At 6-4, he can play the 1, 2 or 3 with his vision and also has the size to finish in the paint among the trees. After they caught their initial L, Nomaaeaa helped give Dream Vision the 15U chip in the consolation bracket. Word on the street is that he may even relcass to 2017, but either way, he’s going to be able to step in and put in work right away as a freshman.
Trevor Stanback, 6-10, C, Cali Style 16s, 2016
Having not even played a high school game and already standing 6-10, Trevor Stanback is an easy target to find. The baby bro of UNLV swingman Chace Stanback is already taller than his older bloodline and doesn’t appear to be stopping growing any time soon. He’s much more of a defensive presence at this point with his ability to block shots, but the glimpses of growth he showed offensively leave plenty of room for optimism. Any time you see a kid who just turned 14 do an up-and-under series then hit you with a jump hook with either hand, you know you’ve got one who’s got a chance to be special down the line.
Bryan Alberts, 6-4, PG, BTI Select 17s, 2014
Going in and watching another game, I caught a big point guard out of the corner of my eye shoot a picture-perfect three. As I walked closer to the guard, I saw him isolate someone at the top of the key and kill them with a crossover en route to the cup. Upon watching him further, we saw that the slick guard also had some really nice court vision and could break down the D whenever he wanted. Alberts is at a new school and as the summer goes on and more college coaches see him, expect him to receive hella offers.
Derryck Thornton, 6-0, PG, Cali Style 16s, 2016
While Riley was a man child offensively and Stanback controlled the paint on D, it was Thornton who was the engine that kept Cali Style running. He started off by shooting daggers from beyond the arc, then finished by showing a blazing quick cross and ability to finish at the cup with either hand. The son of Grammy award-winning producer Derryck “Tank” Thornton has a chance to be the second big name in his fam, provided he keeps working the way he is now.
Ryan Murphy, 6-0, PG/SG, Dream Vision 15s, 2016
A tough and gritty point guard playing up for Dream Vision, Murphy will be heading across country to do his thing at the high school level in Connecticut. Adept to play both on and off the ball, Murphy brought a consistent three-point threat and sense of toughness to the championship-winning Dream Vision squad. In fact, he wound up the team’s leading scorer and best finisher in transition. There definitely needs to be some improvement on his defense, but the total package that this young cat gives you will be enough to make him a name in recruiting circles quickly.
Devearl Ramsey, 6’0, SG/PG, Cali Style 16′s, 2016
The final member of the “big 4″ that Cali Style has is Ramsey, an explosive combo guard. He played on the same middle school team with Stanback, Riley, and Thornton…and now dominates the AAU circuit with him. He’s drawn comparisons to Ty Lawson and the similarities can definitely be seen with his explosiveness, as seen here with this dunk. He’s a two guard now but should ultimately transition to the one, making it super scary to begin to imagine how good he’ll be at Sierra Canyon HS next season.
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