The Area Codes Super 80 Phoenix took place on Friday evening on the campus of Arizona Christian University and included some of the top prospects in the state from each class. Organized by tournament organizer and local basketball scout Chad Groth (Area Codes), this event is one of my favorite events to attend each year, as it gives me a chance to see some of the top basketball talent in the state in one venue. The atmosphere is always exciting, as the event takes place the night before the annual ACCAC Junior College Jamboree and, as a result, is attended by many smaller college programs looking to catch a glimpse of top-rated high school talent before the junior college prospects in the state take the floor on Saturday.
Chad Groth did an excellent job this year of getting the college coaches to attend, while also having such scouts as myself, Gerry Freitas (The Hoop Review), Jeff Meadows (The Hoops Report) and Gregg Rosenberg (Arizona Varsity) in attendance to view the action. The games were also broadcast live on the internet by www.azgamecast.com
While I was unable to attend the first game on the evening, the Frosh/Soph game, which I really wanted to see, I did, however, attend the final 3 games of the evening. Here are my top performers on the night from the Junior Game - the 2015 Class. This game was loaded with many of the top-rated prospects from Arizona's 2015 class and was an enjoyable game to watch.
The game was led by the performance of Corona Del Sol High School's gifted 6-foot-6 junior transfer forward Dane Kuiper (University of New Mexico commit). While Kuiper missed two transition dunks in the game, his superior ability to play the game proves why I have regarded him as the best overall prospect in Arizona's 2015 class - and he just moved to the state from Alaska less than 6 months ago. Kuiper surprised the state of Arizona's basketball enthusiasts with an early commitment to New Mexico this summer, and it looks to have been a perfect fit for him. Kuiper proved in Friday's night game that he is a nice talent with some very good potential for the future.
Sunnyslope High School's 6-foot-3 junior combo-guard Sammy Thompkins played very well in the game as well. While being on a team in the game which was overmatched by the opposing team - filled with many prospects from the same club program. Thompkins however still competed hard and attacked the paint consistently and finished strong. Thompkins is a tough and hard-nosed guard prospect that enjoys competition.
Chaparral High School's 6-foot-4 junior guard Kenzo Nudo looked much stronger physically on the evening, a much needed addition to his body and a quality that will serve him well in his college recruitment, which has already been impressive. Nudo shot the basketball well and showed some of the promise that has him being rated among one of the elite prospects in the class.
Chaparral's 6-foot-6 junior Ryan Bayster and 5-foot-11 junior point guard Brandon Hoffer both showed very well in the game also. Bayster was a nice bright spot in the game - running the floor very hard and finishing plays at a nice clip. Bayster has developed into one of the better prospects in Arizona's 2015 class in a short period of time. Bayster has also really develop his body a great deal since the end to last high school season.
Hoffer also looked very good on the evening, making shots from the perimeter and making the right pass to the open man. Hoffer plays with a very good sense of urgency on the basketball floor and provides excellent leadership for his team. A lesser version of Duke's Steve Wojohowski, Hoffer is a floor general that will make a college program proud in the future.
Tucson's Sahuaro High School's talented 6-foot-7 junior forward Nate Renfro is a very unselfish prospect that still needs to figure out just how good he can be, but the long, rangy wing prospect has excellent potential for the future and definitely looks the part of a nice young talent. Still developing offfensively, but Renfro has very good versatility and superb overall athleticism. A young man that is just scratching the surface of how good he can become.
