I spent the day at Glendale Junior College on Saturday, and I mean the entire day watching this year's annual ACCAC Junior College Jamboree. My favorite event of the year, as I get a chance to watch each of the teams in the conference before the season begins - in a pre-season format. While there are never any guarantees that the players I watch on the day will necessarily be all of the top prospects to watch for during the season, this event is always very exciting and gives a very good glimpse into who to watch for the up-and-coming junior college season.
This was the first time in many years, since the 1990's, that this event was held at Glendale Junior College, and it brought back great memories for me when I actually played in this event - don't laugh. Glendale JC head coach Damin Lopez and his wonderful staff did an excellent job in preparation for this event and also worked very hard on the day to make my sure I had what I needed to cover this year's event.
Each of the team's played two games on the day in a scrimmage format, providing a glimpse of what to look for this season. There were loads of players to observe on the day, and I will be providing a team preview of each of the teams in the conference with a more in-depth look into each of the teams and the players to watch for this junior college season.
Here are the top overall individual sophomore performers/prospects that I witnessed on the day - the day's very best prospects to watch this season . . .
Ronald March 6-5 SOPH SG/SF Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2014
- March was the top overall performing prospect on the day. A transfer from Houston Baptist University after a freshman season that resulted in a poor academic performance and a transfer from the program after one season. After sitting out last season at Glendale JC (academics), March will make his introduction this season, and immediately becomes the conference's top performing basketball prospect. Many college programs will want to wait and see if he is serious about the game and his academics before extending an offer to the talented wing prospect, but be assured, March will garner loads of division-I recruiting interest this junior college season - becoming one of the hottest juco prospects in the country. A long, athletic and skilled wing prospect with a nice overall feel for the game and a knack for scoring the basketball at a high rate. March is capable of scoring the basketball almost anytime he wants to, and can become almost bored on the basketball court at times, which can result in poor shot selection. When he is focused, he is a sure-fire scoring machine. Will lead the conference in scoring this season and can become as good as he wants to become, with continued focus on his craft. Currently has offers from Saint Mary's College, Eastern Kentucky and Florida Gulf Coast.
Lanerryl Esters 6-1 SOPH PG Central Arizona JC (Casa Grande, AZ) - 2014
- Esters was among the elite performers on the day - scoring the basketball at a high rate and seemingly almost scoring every time down the floor in transition. A very athletic, quick point guard prospect that thrives in the open floor. Has excellent body control and is a terrific finisher in traffic. A very good shooter with range on his shot and a quick release. Excellent on-the-ball defender. A division-I transfer. A very nice talent from the guard position that should rank among the top individual scorers in the conference this season, and was my top point guard prospect from the day.
Darrious Hamilton 6-8 SOPH PF Arizona Western JC (Yuma, AZ) - 2014
- Hamilton is a long, broad shoulder post player with a nice left-handed jump hook and solid post moves around the basket area. He has very good post moves on the low block and is a good finisher around the paint. A good finisher inside and an active rebounder that keeps the ball up high. Very good offensive rebounder. Gets good position inside the post. Solid athlete that runs the floor. An immediate impact post player for a mid-major plus program.
Ivan Uribe 6-11 SOPH C Arizona Western JC (Yuma, AZ) - 2014
- The biggest post player in the conference this season. A good rebounder, runs the floor and is a solid finisher. Solid post moves. Uribe is a good-sized post player that takes up a good amount of space on the floor, and will make it difficult for opposing teams to be effective inside the paint. A capable shot-blocker, Uribe has improved a great deal from last season and now looks the part of a serious division-I college prospect. What level of college basketball he plays at in the future will depend heavily on his continued improvement as a player. His size alone suggests the mid-major plus level - minimum.
Shyheim McClelland 6-0 SOPH PG Mesa JC (Mesa, AZ) - 2014
- Very strong point guard prospect with a nice overall feel for the game. Capable of getting anywhere he wants to on the floor and is a strong finisher at the basket. Bounces off defenders and takes physical contact very well. Good shooter from mid-range and a solid three-point shooter, although he is at his best when attacking the lane. Has good toughness. Good on the ball defender. Floor general, sees the floor and pushes the basketball. Among the best point guard prospects in the conference this season.
Sami Bzai 6-3 SOPH SG Mesa JC (Mesa, AZ) - 2014
- Bzai was the best pure shooter of the basketball in the state of Arizona's high school ranks two years ago, and again will be the best pure shooter in the Arizona juco ranks this year. Bzai put on a shooting exhibition on Saturday knocking down three-pointer after three-pointer in the two games he played in. Will be among the best junior college three-point shooters in the country this year. Does not waste dribbles or movement - simply gets it done on the basketball court. Should develop into a solid division-I prospect this season. Posted a game-high 19 points as a freshman at Nebraska-Kearney while playing against the University of Florida.
Shakir Smith 6-1 SOPH PG Pima Junior College (Tucson, AZ) - 2014
- Smith is a division-I transfer from the University of Wyoming. He will look to regain the form that had him being recruited by many mid-major programs after high school. A slick ball handler, passer and scorer that is a nice talent. Good shooter with range and is able to finish plays off the dribble. Good defender. Did not play on Saturday in the Jamboree due to ineligibility academically. Will be cleared to play in the spring.
Dominique Hunter 6-0 SOPH PG Eastern Arizona JC (Thatcher, AZ) - 2014
- Hunter is a strong point guard prospect with a nice overall fell for the game. A very good shooter with range on his shot. Has a good mid-range game and is a good finisher at the basket and over bigger defenders. Good floor general and passer of the ball - pushes the ball up the floor. Good defender. Good competitor.
Denocchio Pierce 6-4 SOPH SG/SF Tohono O'Odham JC (Sells, AZ) - 2014
- Pierce is an ultra-athletic wing prospect that competes at a high level and excels in the open floor. Has excellent work ethic and plays with very good energy - fun to watch compete. Showed a nice ability to score inside and outside, also thrived in the open floor - finishing several monster dunks on the day over defenders, and in the open court. Showed a very good ability to shoot the basketball from the perimeter with range, and also scored from mid-range nicely. A very good on-the-ball defender. A native of Waukegan, Illinois.
Jordan Didier 6-9 SOPH PF Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2014
- Didier, a division-I transfer from Texas A&M Corpus Christi, helped his team to perform strong on the day - providing rebounding, shot-blocking an setting good on-the-ball screens. Looked a bit out of shape on the day, but is a good prospect with size and versatility. Didier is a skilled post prospect that needs to take the game seriously to reach his maximum potential as a college prospect. When he does, he will flourish. Will have a good season with a very athletic, high-scoring group from Glendale, and will provide consistent post play for a team that does not have much true post size.
Vincentas Aleksandravicius 6-3 SOPH SG Central Arizona JC (Casa Grande, AZ) - 2014
- The lone returning top prospect from last year's conference championship team. Vincentas is a steady performer that shoots the basketball at a high level and does not do anything that he can't do, but rather helps make your team win. Plays with a high level of confidence. Capable of playing both guard positions on the floor as needed. Good ball handler and passer. Solid defender. Solid fundamental guard prospect.
Camyn Boone 6-6 SOPH PF Mesa JC (Mesa, AZ) - 2014
- A transfer from Grand Canyon University, Boone is exactly what he is - a strong post player that scores around the basket and does not do much away from the basket. Very strong physically and athletic off the ground, Boone is an excellent finisher around the basket and over defenders. Relishes physical contact. Excellent rebounder. Runs the floor hard and is a good finisher in transition. Limited offensive skills. Needs work on his perimeter shooting to raise his offensive repertoire.
Brandon Pineda-Morales 6-4 SOPH SF/PF Phoenix College (Phoenix, AZ) - 2014
- Pineda is back after running track last season and playing as a freshman at Mesa JC. A well-put-together physical talent that is capable of playing both forward positions on the floor. Very athletic and versatile on both ends of the floor. A good scorer and an aggressive prospect in the paint. Plays with good tenacity. Good overall defender and can defend multiple positions. A very good sleeper prospect that is worthy of serious college recruitment.
William Marshall 6-8 SOPH PF Tohono O'Odham JC (Sells, AZ) - 2014
- Marshall is a gifted post prospect that has a lot of talent and just needs to realize his potential. A good low-post scorer with solid low-post moves and a nice touch out to 15-18 feet. Good athlete for his size. Active rebounder and a capable shot-blocker. Runs the floor well. Good sleeper prospect.
Booker Washington 6-3 SOPH SG Scottsdale JC (Scottsdale, AZ) - 2014
- Washington is an electric athlete with super spring in the open floor. A terrific finisher in the open floor. The best overall athlete in the conference. Had the best dunk of the day in Saturday's Jamboree where he wind-milled a dunk on the break. A high-volume shooter of the basketball with range on his shot and an excellent motor. Questionable shot selection at times. A very good defender.
Christian Thompson 6-7 SOPH SF Tohono O'Odham JC (Sells, AZ) - 2014
- Thompson had a good freshman season and will be one of the more productive prospects in the conference this season. A rail-thin wing prospect that has good versatility and a nice overall skill level. Capable of playing several positions on the floor. Runs the floor well and is a solid finisher in transition. Good shooter that has some range. Solid ball handler and passer. Capable shot-blocker. A solid overall prospect that has benefited a great deal from his time in the junior college ranks.
Joel Fegler 6-10 SOPH C Phoenix College (Phoenix, AZ) - 2014
- Fegler is a developing post prospect that has a rail-thin frame. He has shown very good promise over the past two years, as he possesses good athleticism and is capable of blocking or changing shots. Runs the floor very well and is a solid finisher inside the paint, although he needs to add some serious weight to maximize his production on the floor. Good looking prospect for a smaller college program.
Kevin Bowman 6-2 SOPH PG Scottsdale JC (Scottsdale, AZ) - 2014
- Bowman is a sharp-shooting point guard prospect that has a good handle of the basketball and a nice overall feel for the game. Gets other involved and knows how to play the game. Has excellent range on his shot. Solid defender. Fundamentally sound prospect. Excellent student.
Todd Pink 6-7 SOPH PF South Mountain JC (Phoenix, AZ) - 2014
- After spending a season at another out-of-state juco, Pink now resurfaces at South Mountain. An athletic, high-energy post player that is raw offensively and defensively, but has serious bounce off the floor. Needs to understand the game better to become more complete on the basketball floor. OK post moves. Solid mid-range shooter, but has questionable shot selection. Active shot blocker. Runs the floor well.
Cesar Solis 6-3 SOPH PG/SG Tohono O'Odham JC (Sells, AZ) - 2014
- Solis is a combo-guard prospect that has an excellent feel for the game and knows how to play. Looked a bit overweight on Saturday, but when he is at his best, he is a very good guard prospect. A very good shooter with range and also able to score from mid-range off the dribble. OK penetrator. Good ball handler and passer that sees the floor.
More Top-Rated ACCAC JUCO Prospects to Watch This Season
Anthony Hendrix 5-9 SOPH PG Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2015
Demitrius Balark 6-1 SOPH PG Cochise JC (Douglas, AZ) - 2015
Michael Barry 6-1 SOPH SG Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2015
JT Estrada 6-1 SOPH PG South Mountain JC (Phoenix, AZ) - 2015
Cameron Isreal 6-2 SOPH PG/SG Phoenix College (Phoenix, AZ) - 2015
Tre Ogles 6-2 SOPH SG Mesa JC (Mesa, AZ) - 2015
Mohamed Sobh 6-2 SOPH PG Mesa JC (Mesa, AZ) - 2015
Enoch Rhemadji 6-2 SOPH SG Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2015
Alex Johnson 6-2 SOPH PG Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2015
DJ Hurd 6-2 SOPH SG Chandler-Gilbert JC (Chandler, AZ) - 2015
BJ Rogers 6-3 SOPH SG Chandler-Gilbert JC (Chandler, AZ) - 2015
Alex Eddy 6-4 SOPH SG South Mountain JC (Phoenix, AZ) - 2015
Ryan Hintze 6-5 SOPH SF/PF Mesa JC (Mesa, AZ) - 2015
Calvin Carr 6-5 SOPH PF Phoenix College (Phoenix, AZ) - 2015
O'Teese Johnson 6-5 SOPH SF/PF Pima Junior College (Tucson, AZ) - 2015`
Jeremiah Harris 6-6 SOPH SF Eastern Arizona JC (Thatcher, AZ) - 2015
Jonathan Makkar 6-6 SOPH PF Glendale JC (Glendale, AZ) - 2015
Casey Lenz 6-7 SOPH PF South Mountain JC (Phoenix, AZ) - 2015
Melvin Orji 6-8 SOPH PF/C Chandler-Gilbert JC (Chandler,AZ) - 2015
Dalvin Brown 6-8 SOPH PF/C Pima Junior College (Tucson, AZ) - 2015
