This weekend at Inspire Courts, Westwind Prep Academy and Tournament Director Jeff De Laveaga hosted the Southwest Prep Showcase - a prep team tournament filled with the majority of the top prep school programs in the West. With such programs as Rise Academy (PA), Athlete Institute (CANADA), High Desert Prep (CA), Prime Prep Academy (TX), IMG Post Grad-1 (FL), IMG Post Grad-2 (FL), LA Prep (CA), Impact Basketball Blue (NV), Impact Basketball White (NV), Future College Prep (CA), La Jolla Prep (CA), CCSE Prep (CA), Planet Athlete (AZ), On Point Hoops Academy (OK), Beacon Prep (TX), Spire Institute - White (OH), Spire Institute - Blue (OH) and Middlebrooks Prep (CA) each in attendance for this weekend's event, it was an exciting tournament filled with loads of talented prospects.
Numerous college coaches were also in attendance throughout the weekend for the event, as assistant coaches from such programs as Arizona, Arizona State, Memphis, Washington, Wyoming, Texas San-Antonio, Drake and Louisiana Lafayette. Arizona Preps was on hand for much of the weekend, as were top-rated scouts Jerry Mullens (Mullen Sports) and Frank Woodford (The Recruit Scoop).
With Westwind Prep's Post-Graduate and National Teams in participation this weekend, Westwind's National Team of high school juniors and seniors would win this year's tournament, led by the play of 6-foot-7 junior guard/forward Zylan Cheatham. Cheatham would earn Tournament Most Valuable Player honors with his overall performance throughout the weekend. Cheatham played the point guard position for Westwind Prep for the majority of the weekend - a move by head coach Jeff De Laveaga that allowed the talented and athletic prospect to make plays for himself and others.
In the championship game of the event, Cheatham finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, while 6-foot-3 junior combo-guard Tate De Laveaga (Northern Arizona commit) scored a team-high 18 points, and 6-foot-4 top-rated unsigned senior guard Josh Braun poured in 17 points in the victory.
Westwind also got excellent production this weekend from 6-foot-2 senior point guard John Marshall (Southern Utah signee), top-rated unsigned 6-foot-4 senior guard Glenn Baral, rapidly developing 7-foot senior post Namdi Okonkwo and 6-foot-3 sharp-shooting senior guard Kye De Laveaga.
The Westwind Prep National Team has had an excellent season in their first year of operation, now improving to 21-7 on the season amidst top-rated prep and junior college competition. Congratulations to these young men on a fine performance this weekend and making Arizona proud.
