Northern Arizona Head Coach Shane Burcar is a product of Arizona high school basketball. So it is only fitting that he and his staff have done an excellent job in reeling in some of the state's top overall talent over the past two years. Now the Lumberjacks have received another big commitment - their biggest commitment to date from the state, as they have received a nice verbal commitment from one of the state's top overall prospects - Brophy Prep 6-foot-7 senior guard/forward Arman Madi.
Madi made his announcement on Monday on social media , which was a nice surprise to the Arizona basketball community and an excellent get for the NAU staff. It had been unclear as to whether Madi would decide in the fall or wait until the spring to make his college decision. Madi made the right decision for himself and his family early, as scholarship offers for top-rated high school prospects have been very hard to come by over the last few years, due to the effects of the pandemic.
Madi decided to pull the trigger with NAU over offers from Nevada, Portland, Dartmouth, UC Davis, Eastern Michigan and Portland State. Madi received offers from Datmouth and UC Davis this spring and summer, while the others came previous to that.
Last season, Madi helped lead his Brophy Prep team to a 25-3 overall record on the season, and in the state's top 6A Division. Brophy was a favorite to win it all late in the season, especially after a big blowout victory over eventual 6A State Champion Perry High School late in the season, 61-46. Brophy and Perry would meet up again in a very memorable contest that resulted in (3) overtimes, and a low-scoring, narrow 49-47 6A State Semi-Final victory for Perry HS. Perry would go on to win the state title, leaving Madi and his teammates to focus on next season.
Brophy will be very talented again this season, even though they did lose a lot to graduation. The combination of Madi and 6-foot-3 junior guard Braeden Speed this season, will be one of the state's best one-two punch combos. Madi is set to have a big junior season, especially with his recruitment behind him and his sole focus on winning a state championship.
Madi is also an excellent student-athlete and a high academic prospect.
I will look forward to covering Madi all season long. Congratulations to him and his family, as well as the Brophy Prep program on this accomplishment.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Madi is a good looking prospect with a nice overall offensive skillset. He has good size at 6-6 in heigth and is athletic and mobile as a wing prospect. He has good versatility as a player. He is very skilled and fundamentally sound. A very good shooter with a quick release and nice form on his shot - his best asset as a player. He has a good mid-range game as well, which should develop as he gets physically stronger over time. He is a good ball handler that can handle the basketball in the open floor, and make plays for himself and others in the open floor. He is also a good passer that sees the floor well, and is a very willing passer. He is a good finisher at the rim and around the basket, and he plays with good intensity - a competitor. An active rebounder. He runs the floor hard and finishes well in transition and in the secondary break. Madi is a nice overall talent that is a team and system player that will adapt well to the right college program.
