One of the better prospects in Arizona's 2019 class is Chaparral High School's 6-foot-6 junior forward Alec Bryan. Bryan recently announced that he will be playing this high school basketball season for CGM Prep Academy, a newly-developed prep program in North Scottsdale.
Bryan is enrolled in classes at Chaparral High School still, and will continue to take his classes this year at the school and throughout the remainder of his high school career. Current Hillcrest Prep Academy junior wing prospect Josh Green did the same thing last year, when he decided to play for Hillcrest Prep, while still taking his classes at Mountain Ridge High School.
This process is still new to the state of Arizona's top-rated basketball talent, but could become an epidemic in the future, as new prep schools continue to develop in the state and look to attract top-rated talent to compete against national competition.
Bryan would have played this season for Chaparral HS, and would have looked to have been prepared to have a breakout junior season for head coach Dan Peterson, but, instead, Bryan will look to earn playing time for a loaded new CGM Prep team this high school season.
Bryan is a skilled and mobile 4-man prospect that can play as a stretch 4-man, and will develop over time into more of that, but currently he is much more of a strong rebounder and low-post defender. He is active on the glass and capable of rebounding outside of his area. He is a good finisher inside the paint and around the basket, and does not mind physical contact. He is capable of getting to the free-throw line quite often as a result. He is a solid shooter with some range on his shot, but is at his best from mid-range, where he is also able to make dribble drives to the basket and finish inside the paint. He is a good passer out of the post and also runs the floor hard on both ends.
Bryan suffered an injury last season as a sophomore (injured knee), so he would miss the spring NCAA evaluation period. He played this summer with a loaded 16U group for the Powerhouse Hoops' program, and helped the team to several strong tournament finishes.
I will continue to follow the progress of Bryan as a player at CGM Prep this high school season, and bring you any updates regarding Bryan as they continue to develop.