The state of Arizona now seems to be loaded with top-rated basketball talent, as more and more prospects are moving to the state of Arizona as of late. Another gifted prospect from America's 2019 class has now relocated to the state, as 6-foot-7, 175-pound junior wing Terry Armstrong has emerged at Bella Vista Prep.
Bella Vista Prep Academy is on the rise. A charter school in the Northeast valley, Bella Vista Prep hired former Hillcrest Prep Academy head coach Kyle Weaver in the spring, and since then, Weaver has brought in loads of new top-rated talent to the basketball program. This high school basketball season, the program will have a high school varsity team that will compete locally, and also a national team that will compete nationally on the Grind Session.
Terry Armstrong will be a big piece for the success of this year's National Team. Armstrong is a four-star college prospect by ESPN and numerous other scouting services nationally. He recently moved from Flint, Michigan to enroll at Bella Vista.
"It was pretty much on him," said Tim Jones, Armstrong's personal mentor and trainer in Michigan. "He just figured it was a better situation to be playing a national schedule to get more exposure, and to really be able to focus on his academics and basketball at one time."
Armstrong currently has numerous offers already on the table for himself, as Oklahoma, Creighton, Mississippi State, Southern Mississippi, Virginia Tech, Boston College, UNLV, Georgia and Georgia Tech have each offered him a scholarship already. He is also receiving strong interest from Michigan and Michigan State.
I had the opportunity to watch Armstrong perform on Wednesday evening, as he led his Bella Vista program in a scrimmage with Scottsdale Junior College. Armstrong would come out very strong, but his team would fail to stay in the contest, falling to Scottsdale JC 97-61.
Armstrong, as his current college recruitment suggests, is a big-time prospect. He is a long, ultra-athletic and bouncy wing prospect that plays well above the rim and has good overall versatility. He likes to handle the basketball in the open floor and make plays for himself and others off the dribble. He is especially gifted in the open floor where he is a threat to make plays above the rim, and over and around defenders. He has a good handle of the basketball and is a solid passer, but still needs to add consistency to his shooting stroke to maximize his production on the floor.
In an already very loaded class of prospects in Arizona's 2019 class, Armstrong will be at the top of the list of available prospects, and makes the class look much stronger immediately. With so many high-major offers already on the table for himself, it will be very interesting to see where he ultimately lands over time. He has not indicated any leaders at this point in his young career.
I plan to watch Armstrong again this weekend, as his Bella Vista Prep team will face Glendale JC and Tohono O'Odham JC on Saturday.
I will continue to follow his progress as a college prospect, and also his college recruitment closely this high school season, and bring you any updates as they continue to develop.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Armstrong is a big-time wing prospect that once was rated among the Top 25 prospects nationally in Arizona's 2019 class. He is a long, ultra-athletic and bouncy wing prospect that plays well above the rim and has good overall versatility. He likes to handle the basketball in the open floor and make plays for himself and others off the dribble. He is especially gifted in the open floor where he is a threat to make plays above the rim, and over and around defenders. His superior length allows him to catch alley-oops passes and finish from almost anywhere on the floor. He has a good handle of the basketball and is a solid passer, but still needs to add consistency to his shooting stroke to maximize his production on the floor. He does have range on his shot, but needs to consistently go straight up and down on his shooting stroke to improve his consistency. An active rebounder, but he needs to focus more in this area. A solid defender that takes plays off though, and still needs to focus on defensive fundamentals to create more scoring opportunities for himself on the other end. Plays passing lanes very well though. Has excellent potential for the future.
