ArizonaVarsity attended Anthony Ray's 18th annual Arizona Preps showcase. The event was held this weekend at Sagu University in Phoenix (Ariz.).
60 players showed up and tried to show the scouts on hand their skills. There were some teams/players that came from out of town and it was an entertaining setting. A couple of the games were more competitive than others, but overall their were some nice players in attendance.
Here were 16 players who stood out at the event.
2017
6-foot PG/CG Virshon Cotton (Hillcrest)
-Cotton is a deep shooter who gets great lift. He sees the court well but is normally looking to score. He plays on or off the ball and he has a quick trigger and he can pull-up off the dribble. He also has the ability to get into the lane and finish through contact despite a little smaller frame.
6-foot-5 W Caleb Simmons (Desert Vista)
-Simmons is a physical wing with bounce. He can hit the deep ball and loves to drive off the dribble and create contact to score. He has an impressive frame and plays really hard. He can score with either hand and makes good reads to teammates. He can improve his handle plus creating his shot more consistently moving forward. Simmons is currently the top unsigned senior in the AIA.
6-foot PG Colten Kresl (Chaparral)
-Kresl is another top shooter. Once he is on, he can get in a great rhythm and make many in a row. He has some flare in his game and he is very confident play maker/passer. He does tend to over handle the ball at times and will need to make his move/decision quicker to be a more efficient player.
5-foot-11 PG Elijah Mead (Camelback)
-Mead is a ultra quick scorer who can shoot it from deep. He is very shifty with the ball and he can get by his man with his speed with the ball and scoring ability. He can find players in traffic but he is another player that is more of a scorer than true facilitator.
6-foot-3 SG Jacob Johnson (Casa Grande)
-Johnson is a stronger guard with a streaky jumper to the 3pt line. He competes at a high level and he happens to be the nephew of NBA player Eddie Johnson. He needs to improve his quickness and bursts but he has a high motor.
2018
6-foot-9 PF Michael Ou (Menaul HS) (NM)
-Ou is an impressive low post scorer. He is very patient and plays physical around the rim. He is very crafty to carve out space and uses the rim to shield his defenders to score. He has excellent hands to catch tough passes and shows nice footwork. He has shooting touch out to the 3pt line, albeit an elongated release but likes to score mostly in the paint. He can surprisingly handle the ball well and doesn’t ever force the issue. He is a very good rebounder in his area and he is a legit D1 prospect who should dominate New Mexico HS ball for the next two years.
6-foot-8 PF Alperen Kurnaz (Hillcrest)
-Kurnaz is a skilled thicker shooter from Turkey. He is a classic stretch-4 type with NBA shooting range. He isn’t the high riser but he can handle the ball and he uses his body/girth to his advantage around the hoop. He rebounds decently boxing his man out and plays a smart game. He will need to lean out to become a top-tier player.
6-foot PG Dominic Mooney (Buena)
-Mooney is a true PG with nice court vision and he is a tough player. The lefty has a strong upper body and a tight handle. He can bully his man into the lane or hit the deep ball. He likes the mid-range game but he is more a natural driver. He has a great feel and went toe to toe with Virshon Cotton. Mooney raised his stock this weekend and he caught many eyes.
6-foot-6 C Cory Pearson (Combs)
-Pearson is a big kid at 235 lbs and he is very good around the basket who cleans the glass at a high level with two hands. He does have big hands and can score on baby hook shots and uses his dominant hand well. He will need to improve his left hand plus he doesn’t have high skill level and struggles scoring outside of 7-feet.
5-foot-7 PG Josh Johnson (Maricopa)
-Johnson is a jet quick pure PG. He has elite court vision and had a different gear than everyone else in attendance. He can comfortably hit perimeter jumpers and he is a pesky on-ball defender using his speed and quickness. Despite his size he is a tough player who won’t back down from anyone.
2019
6-foot-6 PF/C John Price (Peoria)
-Price has a good build and he is very active around the hoop. He is a hard worker and he is somewhat skilled to 10-feet and in. He will need to extend his range and become more fluid with his movements for long term success.
6-foot-1 CG Blaise Threatt (Chaparral)
-Threatt is a scoring play maker. He can hit shots from the 3pt line consistently and find players for scores. He has a high IQ and he can hesitate to get defenders off of him. The son of Sedale Threatt is starting to turn it around and he should help out the Firebirds. His two inch growth spurt has helped his game.
5-foot-8 PG Cory Barnes (Poston Butte)
-Barnes is a smart PG with outstanding court vision. He can handle the ball well and slither into the lane to score. He can hit the 3pt shot plus from mid-range. He will need to fill in his body and get stronger, but Barnes could be a nice sleeper in San Tan Valley.
2020
6-foot-2 CG Chance Garland (Sunnyslope)
-Garland was one of the top prospects at the event. He has a long muscular build and jumps out of the gym. He can palm the ball easily and moves gracefully around the court. He drives to the hole with a nice handle and can find teammates. He plays good on-ball defense and he can hit the deep ball but is probably more of a driver at this point. He has a big family history and he is a clear top-10 prospect currently for incoming freshman.
6-foot-4 PF Anthony Garza (Shadow Ridge)
-Garza seems to go to every event but makes the best of it as he is always productive. He is very bouncy and grabs rebounds in and out of his area. He has a nice touch inside the paint and he will need to start extending his range out. He can block shots, run the floor and plays good team ball.
A few 2021’s to monitor:
6-foot-3 W Noah Simmons-The younger Simmons is a physical wing player with an impressive build at a young age. He may follow Caleb to DV or possibly play out of state.
5-foot-9 SG Zayn Kimbrough-He is a quick scorer and he can shoot it from deep. He is currently deciding between Mesa and Chandler.
6-foot-2 SF Raul Montoya-He is a long athlete with upside. He may go to Verrado.