The 1st Annual All-Arizona Girls Showcase was held at Deer Valley High School on Saturday - organized by tournament director Ron Coleman of Southwest Showcase and Arizona Girls Report. The event was the first event of it's kind by Coleman, and was a very nice event for girls' basketball in Arizona. Coleman and his staff worked very hard to put this event together and did an excellent job, as the event was filled with some nice Arizona girls basketball talent.
While I was unable to catch the full day of events on Saturday, I was able to catch four of the games in the afternoon and early evening, and walked away impressed by the play of some of the girls in attendance/participation.
First of all, I must say it is always a delight to cover girls basketball prospects in the state, as the players and their families are very appreciative of the support. They enjoy the attention and the parents are much easier to deal with. While the top boys basketball players these days have much more of a sense of entitlement, the top girls prospects still lack exposure and are hungry for it.
While I will be featuring many of the top girls prospects from the day in individual stories throughout the month of August, here is a breakdown of the top performers that I evaluated from the day's action ...
Armani Hawkins 5-9 SOPH PG/SG Mountain View HS (Mesa, AZ) - 2015
- Hawkins is a big-time young talent that will only continue to improve over the next three years of high school basketball, since she is so talented and gifted as a prospect. An extremely skilled young talent with a fundamentally sound game and a very smooth handle and approach to the game. A very good shooter of the basketball with range and a quick release. Has a very good handle and is a good passer that sees the floor very well. Enjoys getting the basketball to the open teammate. Tough to defend off the dribble. Very good defender with quick hands and very good anticipation. I am very high on this young lady's future, as she makes the game look very easy for herself. An elite high-major division-I prospect.
Sabrina Haines 5-8 SOPH SG Mountain View HS (Mesa, AZ) - 2015
- Haines, like Hawkins, is a tremendous young talent with a big-time future ahead of her. A strong and well-built shooting guard prospect that shoots the basketball with consistency and with range. Strong ball handler that has a nice mid-range game. Very good finisher in traffic. Very good passer. Good in the open floor. Has excellent toughness and is a very good defender. has a tremendous future ahead of her. Another elite-high major division-I prospect.
Cecily Wilson 5-8 JR SG/SF Mesquite HS (Gilbert, AZ) - 2014
- Wilson is among the elite talents in Arizona's 2014 class, and is coming off a big sophomore season where she put up big numbers for herself. An active, high-energy prospect that plays all over the floor with an excellent motor. Has a very good skill level. A left-hander, Wilson is a good ball handler and also a very good passer that sees the floor and is able to make plays for herself or others. Very good in the open floor. Has a good shooting stroke and a nice mid-range game. Good penetrator and finisher. Excellent defender with very good lateral quickness and quick hands. Should have a big junior season.
Kristine Anigwe 6-3 SOPH C Desert Vista HS (Phoenix, AZ) - 2015
- Anigwe is a promising post talent that I have spoken a lot about over the past year, since she will develop into one of the nation's best prospects in the 2015 class over time. Still developing offensively, Anigwe has excellent size, length and mobility for her size. Runs the floor very well. An active and very good shotblocker. Good rebounder. Solid finisher inside with good footwork. As she develops her low post moves over time she will become a tremendous presence inside. Bright future ahead.
Lacey Viselli 5-7 SR PG Valley Vista HS (Surprise, AZ) - 2013
- Viselli is an uncommitted senior prospect that is worthy of much higher college recruitment. While she is currently receiving interest from a few division-I programs, her ability to play the game makes her an intriguing guard prospect. She is a tough competitor and pushes the basketball up the floor. She is able to create a shot for herself off the dribble and make plays, while also being able to distribute the basketball to the open teammate. Good shooter that has a good mid-range game. Excellent defender. Good in the open floor. Has a very good motor.
Shaylin Heredia 5-7 SR PG Tolleson HS (Tolleson, AZ) - 2013
- Heredia is still uncommitted and is worthy of serious recruiting attention. A very good point guard prospect that runs a team and is a slick ball handler and passer that pushes the ball up the floor. Good penetrator and finisher. Solid shooter. Excellent defender with quick hands - plays passing lanes. Plays with excellent intensity and confidence.
Taylor Blue 5-10 JR PG/SG Peoria HS (Peoria, AZ) - 2014
- Blue has really developed into one of the better looking girls prospects in the state's 2014 class. She is able to play the point position as she has a very good handle of the basketball and sees the floor. She is a physical talent that can overpower smaller guards, as a result of her size. She is a solid shooter of the basketball and has a good mid-range game. Also a very good rebounder. Competes hard. Will develop into one of the state's top prospects in the class.
Rebecca Rudd 5-11 SR SF Highland HS (Gilbert, AZ) - 2013
- Rebecca, the smaller of the twin Rudd Sisters, showed very well on Saturday. While she did not put up any real numbers on a loaded team last high school season, she is a talented forward prospect that has a very nice looking shooting stroke and a very good feel for the game. Shot the basketball with excellent range on the day and also showed she can handle the basketball and make plays for herself or others. Solid rebounder. Solid defender. A definite sleeper prospect in Arizona's 2013 class.
Nidja Thomas 6-0 SR PF Buena HS (Sierra Vista, AZ) - 2013
- Thomas is a nice-looking four prospect that has a good frame and is a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor. She has very good toughness and does not mind physical contact. Good finisher inside. Has good footwork and solid low post moves. Can score away from the basket. Runs the floor very well. A nice uncommitted sleeper prospect for Arizona's 2013 class.
Elizabeth Rudd 6-1 SR PF Highland HS (Gilbert, AZ) - 2013
- Liz, as she is referred to, is the post player of the twin Rudd duo. She has developed nicely over the past year and looks prepared to have a big senior season for herself. A good offensive rebounder and a capable shotblocker. Keeps the basketball up high on put-backs and gets good inside position. Runs the floor. Solid low-post skills. Good passer out of the post. Showed a nice shooting stroke out to three-point distance. Fundamentally sound prospect that, like her sister, is a good sleeper prospect in the class.
Themia Cook 5-9 SR SF/PF Valley Vista HS (Surprise, AZ) - 2013
- Cook impressed me on the day with her knack for the basketball and activity on the floor. Plays with good energy and gets her hands on the basketball quite often defensively. A good rebounder and finisher around the basket. A versatile prospect that has good toughness and is a nice asset for her team.
Christine Miller 5-8 JR SG Mountain View HS (Mesa, AZ) - 2014
- Miller is a skilled guard prospect that has a good handle of the basketball and is a good penetrator and finisher. Good shooter and overall fundamentally sound. Will have a breakout season this year for the Toros.
Savannah Bix 5-7 SR PG/SG Flagstaff HS (Flagstaff, AZ) - 2013
- Bix is a combo-guard prospect with good size. Has a good overall feel for the game and is a good passer that sees the floor. Good ball handler. Solid defender. Good penetrator and a solid finisher. Good shooter with range.
Mercedes Villa 5-8 SR SF South Mountain HS (Phoenix, AZ) - 2013
- Villa competes hard and is a developing prospect. Good rebounder that is active. Solid finisher in the paint. Needs to improve ability to shoot the basketball with better range to maximize her potential as a player. Solid ball handler. Good defender.
Paloma Anderson 5-3 SR PG Life Skills HS (Phoenix, AZ) - 2013
- A very quick floor general that pushes the ball up the floor to the open teammate and gets into the lane. Very good passer. Excellent penetrator. Very good ball handler. Quick hands and feet defensively. Solid shooter.
Lauren Ames 5-8 SOPH PF Valley Vista HS (Surprise, AZ) - 2015
- Ames is a left-handed forward prospect that scores effectively around the basket and is very productive inside the paint for a younger prospect. An active rebounder and a solid finisher inside. OK athlete. Runs the floor. Needs to develop perimeter skills to reach her full potential, but is solid. Good looking younger prospect.
Adriana Zelaya FR Millennium HS (Goodyear, AZ) - 2016
- Zelaya was one of three freshman prospects in the event and is a very nice looking young prospect. Has a good overall skill level and has good size already. Will be keeping a close eye to see how she develops, but she definitely has excellent potential for the future.
