The Arizona Club Basketball League (ACBL) concluded this weekend on the campus of Arizona Christian University. Organized and operated by Kenny Mullins, the league is an excellent opportunity for club programs locally and abroad to get quality games and experience in an organized setting. The league is always well attended by local basketball enthusiasts, different scouts throughout the season and included statistics and video of each game. Mullins has done an excellent job in creating this league format, and has organized it to perfection to maximize the exposure and opportunities available to each of the participants.
The league finally concluded this weekend with The Factory 17U winning the league title with a big 89-56 championship victory over the Salt Lake Rebels (UT). In the victory, Westview High School's talented 6-foot-4 unsigned senior guard D'Maurian Williams poured in a league scoring record, scoring 41 points in the championship game. Williams, who remains unsigned, proved his value as a college prospect with his championship performance this weekend.
I was on hand for the majority of the action throughout the weekend, and was impressed with numerous prospects from this league. Here are my top Arizona prospects from this weekend's action . . .
D'Maurian Williams 6-4 SR PG/SG Westview HS - 2019 Class
Williams' performance this weekend was a strong glimpse into just how good of a guard prospect that he can become, especially in the right college program where he will able to facilitate the offense, but also score the basketball at a high level from the off-guard position. A lead guard prospect, Williams is very talented and has ultimately improved a great deal as a player and college prospect over the past year. While maintaining a very humble persona throughout the recruiting process, as he remains unsigned, Williams has developed a great deal as a player - mentally. He is a very strong driver and finisher of the basketball that absorbs contact effectively, and uses physicality to thwart his opposition. A very big and strong guard, Williams is an efficient scorer of the basketball, but really enjoys facilitating with the basketball in his hands, and making plays for others off the dribble. He shot the basketball well thsi weekend also with some range on his shot, which will continue to improve over time. Scored a game-high and league record 41 points in his team's league championship victory. A guard prospect that has a very bright future ahead of him, even though he has hit a bump in the road in his recruitment.
Colin Carey 6-6 SOPH SG/SF Sunrise Mountain HS - 2021 Class
Carey led this year's league in scoring and solidified himself as one of the state's elite young talents as a result. A very big and skilled 2/3 prospect that is a very good shooter with excellent range on his shot and an ability to score from anywhere on the floor. He can score inside and out as a result of his competitive spirit and desire to create scoring opportunities for himself. A proven scorer of the basketball that will become a much better facilitator over time for his steammates, as he matures. A good scorer in the post and from mid-range also, as he has a soft touch around the basket. Does not mind physical contact and has good toughness. A good ball handler and passer. Fundamentally sound. A solid defender. A good finisher in the lane. A strong rebounder and finisher. Has a bright future ahead of him, and has become one of the state's top overall young prospects.
Xzavier Lino 6-6 JR SG/SF Sunnyslope HS - 2020 Class
Lino was among the top overall prospects in this year's league. A taller and lengthy wing prospect with a very smooth shooting stroke with nice range on his shot. His strong ability to knock down perimeter shots with regularity make him a serious threat from the perimeter. He then sets up his drives to the basket or mid-range jump shots as a result of his performance from the perimeter. A good athlete that is also a good slasher and open court player. A good ball handler and passer that is funamentally sound. An active rebounder. A good defender that plays passing lanes. A very good sleeper prospect for Arizona's 2020 Class, and one that should see a good level of college recruitment over the next year. Has a bright future ahead of him.
Dominic Gonzalez 6-3 JR PG/SG Irownwood HS - 2020 Class
Gonzalez has played very well every time I have seen him play, and that really means something. This young man is one of the best scorers of the basketball in the state, even though he does not receive the accolades. A nice scorer of the basketball that makes the game look very easy with the efficient manner in which he puts up numbers. A very good shooter with unlimited range on his shot and a quick release. Able to score from anywhere on the floor, as a result of his shooting prowess, and strong ability to put the basketball on the floor and finish from mid-range or after drives to the basket. A very good ball handler and passer. A strong defender that has quick feet and hands and plays passing lanes. A very good sleeper guard prospect that will continue to improve a great deal over time with natural maturity physically.
Timmy Johnson 6-3 SR SG Westwood HS - 2019 Class
A tough and gritty guard prospect that competes hard and attacks the lane every chance he gets. A strong driver of the basketball, able to get into the lane and create scoring opportunities for himself and others. A left hander, Johnson is difficult to defend, and he can score from all threee levels in an efficient manner. A good shooter of the basketball with range, and also has a strong mid-range game as a player. A strong finisher that does not mind physical contact. Has good versatility as a player. Capable of playing both guard positions on the floor very well. A good ball handler and passser that sees the floor. Has very good overall toughness. Has a bright future as a result of his competitive spirit and work ethic. Signed with Mesa JC.
Devon Brooke 6-7 JR SF ALA Queen Creek HS - 2020 Class
Brooke is a big-time talent that does not realize just how talented he is and can become yet, and once he figures it out fully, this young man will blossom. A superb talent that has good size and a nice overall skill level - able to make shots from deep with a pure shooting stroke and also put the basketball on the floor and make plays toward the basket. A very good slasher and finisher also. Scores well in the open floor. A skilled, bigger wing prospect. A good ball handler and passer. An active rebounder. A good shotblocker. Has serious upside and will develop a great deal over the next two years. A very good sleeper prospect with division-I potential.
John Sunday 6-3 JR SG Willow Canyon HS - 2020 Class
Sunday is an ultra-athletic guard prospect with a very strong motor and a passion for attacking the rim. He is a scorer and a very good slasher and finisher in the lane. A left-hander, Sunday has a nice shooting stroke with range, and is able to score inside and out, as a result of his ability to create shots for himself. A good ball handler that can share some time at the point position, at times. A solid passer that needs to contineu to focus on making players around him better. A strong defender that plays passing lanes, and is a capable lock-down defender over time. Very good in the open court where he is a big-time dunker. An excellent sleeper prospect for a smaller college program.
Doc Self 5-10 SR PG Gilbert HS - 2019 Class
Self is a winner and is coming off leading his Gilbert HS program to a 5A State Championship. A strong floor general point guard prospect that knows how to play the position, and makes a team run efficiently. Puts pressure on opposing defenses consistently with his strong drives to the basket and ability to finish, while also having a nice shooting stroke with range. Sets up his man, draws the defense and then enjoys making the pass to the open man, driving and dishing or kicking it out to the shooter. A very good on-the-ball defender with excellent quickness laterally and quick hands and feet. A very good passer. A sure-fire pure point guard prospect with toughness and leadership skills.
Kevin Kogbara 6-6 SOPH SF/PF Peoria HS - 2021 Class
A bigger 3/4 prospect with a large frame for his size with big hands and feet that is still growing a great deal. Has a nice overall skillset as a player and is able to score inside and out, as a result of a fundamentally sound offensive skillset that he possesses. Has a nice shooting stroke with range from the perimeter, and is able to score in the post as well with advanced footwork. Has a very good jump hook. A strong finisher aroudn the basket and competes hard for second-chance points. A strong rebounder. Competes hard around the basket. Runds the floor very well and is a good finisher in transition. A solid defender that will blossom if he can get into better shape physically, making him quicker on the perimeter. An intriguing prospect. A good sleeper prospect in the class that has some upside and very good potential.
Dyson Lighthall 6-7 JR PF ALA Queen Creek HS - 2020 Class
Lighthall is a bigger and skilled stretch four-man prospect that can score inside and out. He has a nice variety of offensive skillsets that make him a difficult cover for many opposing post players, as a result of his ability to make shots from the perimeter. He can score inside and out, and plays with his back to the basket, or is able to catch and face te basket out to three-point distance. Scores effectively aroudn the basket with patient post moves, where he likes to find cutters and open teammates on the wing or weakside. Not overly athletic, but runs the flor very well and is a good finisher around the basket. A good rebounder that takes up good space on the floor. Starts the break with outlet passes, and finishes on the other end. A good low-post defender. An excellent sleeper prospect for a smaller college program.
Zeke Thompkins 6-6 JR PG Apollo HS - 2020 Class
Thompkins has grown a great deal over the past two years, and he has becoem a very intriguing pure point guard prospect as a result. A very long and lengthy point guard that loves the position, and is an excellent facilitator of the basketball that enjoys getting the basketball to the open man on the floor, and also looks to gets his teammates off with crisp perimeter passes and excellent court vision. Plays the game the right way. A good shooter with range but he enjoys setting up defenders for floaters and mid-range jump shots. A good penetrator. A solid finisher that will improve with natural physical maturity as a player. A rare find for his size and skill level as a point guard. A good defender with quick hands. Pushes the basketball up the floro to the open man. Has serious upside as a player. Younger brother of Sammy Thompkins and son of the late Gary Thompkins.
