Scott Shaver graduated from Galesburg HS in 1979. He was a very successful high school player. My last year coaching boys basketball, he was brought up to the varsity as a sophomore at the end of the year. He turned out to play an important role in helping the Streaks advance to the Sectional. That team lost to Peoria High in OT, and the Lions went onto win the State Championship. Scott's senior year, the Streaks again won the Regional Championship. It was an exciting time to be a Silver Streaks because the gym was packed most nights.
I began to notice Scott several years ago thru Facebook. He would post pictures where he was with these famous players and coaches. Through time I came to realize that Scott was coaching at a high level basketball school. Coach Shaver spent most of his career as a JH teacher and coach. His teams were highly successful, they even won a State Championship. In retirement, he connected with Dream City Christian, which is one of the top basketball schools in America.
Massey- Tell me about your college career at Monmouth College?
Coach Shaver- After HS I went to Monmouth College and played for 4 years. I scored over 1000 points and led the conference in scoring my Sr year. We won 4 straight South Division Championships. I ended up in the top 5 for scoring and rebounding in Monmouth history. I majored in Education/Phys Ed and made the Dean’s List my Sr year.
Massey- So how do you go from Galesburg, and end up living in Arizona?
Coach Shaver- I had two aunts and uncles who lived in AZ and had visited them, and I visited the Grand Canyon my Soph year of college. I enjoyed the warm weather and was able to get a teaching/coaching job and have been here ever since.
Massey- What was your teaching and coaching position?
Coach Shaver- I taught primarily at Marshall Ranch Elementary School in the Peoria District for 20+ years. At the time there were 32 schools in our district, and my teams won 15 district championships. I coached both of my sons at Marshall Ranch, their AAU teams and at HS.
Scott's State Championship team posing with Shaq.
Massey- So you retired from your teaching position, how did you get connected with Dream City Christian?
Coach Shaver- I first heard about Dream City Christian when a former player, who played at ASU, invited me to a basketball showcase at a local HS. I met Marjon Beauchamp, who had just signed with Dream City that year, and found out that the school was 10 minutes from where I lived. I knew the head coach, Kyle Weaver, because my older son, Scotty, had practiced with him at Hillcrest, where future first round pics Deandre Ayton, Josh Green, and Marvin Bagley attended. Scotty later had an internship with Dream City when Kyle opened the National program there.
Scott with Calvin Murphy and his grandson. His grandson played for Dream City last season.
Massey- What is Dream City Christian?
Coach Shaver- DCC is a preK-12th grade private Christian school with around 700 students. The National team attends school there, abides by all school rules/dress code/academic requirements etc., practices and has home games in their gym.
Massey- How do you get the players to compete on a national level?
Coach Shaver- All of our players are on scholarship and live in the team house as they represent countries/states such as (this year) Puerto Rico, Nigeria, Canada, Republic of Georgia, Bahamas, New Mexico, Oregon, and AZ. Players contact coaches with video through social media, and we are in constant contact with many basketball scouts. The basketball world is small and kids are suggested to us all the time.
Massey- Your league is the Grind Session. How many games do you play and where do you play?
Coach Shaver- We usually play between 35-40 games in a season. We start practicing in September and usually end our season in March. Travel this year has included Salt Lake City, Kentucky, Atlanta, LA, and Napa. In past years, we have played in NYC, Daytona Beach, Chicago, and Puerto Rico.
Dream City at this writing was ranked #10 in the nation.
Massey- Obviously with all of this talent, your games are going to be a lot different than the typical high school game. Could you describe your games?
Coach Shaver- The Grind Session uses a 24 second shot clock. We use almost all of the NBA rules including 6 fouls per player, you can review a disputed play, less than a minute in the game you may call a timeout and advance the ball, 8 seconds to advance the ball past half court.
Massey- What is your role with Dream City?
Coach Shaver- My role as an assistant coach includes working with skill development with players, typical coaching duties, supervision when flying (mostly helping the big guys get upgrades!) and then driving to our tournaments. I talk to parents and have zoom calls with kids during the recruiting process, have gone on college visits with players, reviewed NIL contracts, taken kids to receive medical treatment, watch taken kids to watch college games, and I have picked up the loose ends for players who are very far from home. Kids who have not been able to go home for Christmas have come over to celebrate traditions with us and our family.
Scott with Tacko Fawaz on visit to USC. He later committed to Colorado.
Massey- Obviously your games have to be impressive, but your practices must be something!
Shaver- All of our kids are extremely goal oriented and driven. They are like sponges and take in every piece of coaching we provide. They are very receptive to everything we introduce them to and encourage them to work on. They have self-discipline and put a lot of time into the weight room with our conditioning coach. During the college recruiting process, we have many D1 coaches who attend our practices and are actively recruiting our kids. For example, John Calipari, Tommy Lloyd, Bill Self, Tad Boyle, and many others have been to our practices.
Massey- Tell me about some of your players.
Coach Shaver- Players from DCC who are playing in the NBA: Shaedon Sharpe-currently the leading scorer for the Portland Trailblazers, Marjon Beauchamp-Milwaukee Bucks.
Players for D1 schools: Milos Uzan- University of Houston, Arthur Kaluma- University of Texas, Jayden Nunn- Baylor, Emmanuel Stephen- University of AZ, Shawn Philips and Jayden Quaintance (Youngest player in D1 basketball and leads the nation in blocked shots) play for AZ State, David Tubek- Seton Hall, Gabe Pickens- New Mexico State, Nate Pickens- Cal Riverside, Yohan Traore-SMU, Christian Hammond- Santa Clara, Arne Osojnik-Eastern Michigan, Jamari Phillips- Oregon.
Players who have committed to D1 schools: Ifaola “Tacko” Fawaz and Jalin Holland- University of Colorado, Alejandro Aviles- University of San Diego, Brayden Boe- Utah State. We have a top 10 rated Jr—Ikenna Alozie, a 7 ft Jr- Atuka Bakhtadze, and one of the top sophomores in the country-Chris Brown who is 6’ 10”.
Here is a list of the top players in Grind Session- where they rank nationally and what college they are committed to attend.
Seniors:
#1 AJ Debantsa Utah Prep BYU
#2 Darryn Peterson Prolific PrepKansas
#11 Mikel Brown DME FL Louiville
#28 Niko Bundalo Prolific PrepWashington
#48 JJ MandaquitUtah Prep Washington
Top 100 Seniors
Tacko Fawaz Ifaola Dream City Colorado
Jalin HollandDream City Colorado
Juniors:
#4 Muurinen Az Compassnot committed
#9 Ikena AlozieDream Citynot committed
Sophomores:
#7 Paul OsaruyiBella Vista
#10 Obinna Akezie Prolific Prep
#39 Chris BrownDream City
Massey- Obviously you don't have to beg college coaches to watch your practices or your games. That has to be quite an experience for the players. And it certainly has to be a great opportunity for you as a coach to meet these coaches.
Coach Shaver- College coaches visit regularly during the open recruiting season. We have head coaches and/or assistants come by during practices and ask what kind of a student they are, if they are coachable, if they get along with teammates, are they leaders, and they are interested in off the court information, as they already have an idea of their basketball skills. In addition, we have NBA scouts and occasionally agents attend our practices as well. Some notable ones for me are John Calipari—I’ve always admired him and his programs, Tommy Lloyd from AZ—we have a good relationship as he signed Emmanuel Stephen, Bobby Hurley, Bill Self. We have coaches who will send video with the breakdown of our games and what our players need to work on to make it to the next level and how our kids would fit into their program, with positives and highlights for those kids.
Massey- Has your pass crossed with GHS alum, Jason Shay?
Coach Shaver- I enjoy establishing relationships with the coach and his staff as we cross paths from time to time. Jason Shay from Galesburg, asst coach at Wake Forest, has been recruiting Ikena Alozie, and we talk occasionally. Many of our kids don’t have a parent or an agent here in the US, and it’s often Kyle Weaver (head coach) or myself who can answer questions for the coaches and for the kids.
Massey- Thanks for taking the time to share about your work and your team. You are living every coach's dream- working with the best players in the world!!
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