Sunrise Mountain High School (14-4) and Centennial High School (14-6) are among the top programs in the West Valley, so when the two teams faced off on Friday evening it was sure to be an action-packed event, as both teams were looking for bragging rights, as well as looking to improve their chances for a 5A State title run. For Sunrise Mountain and Head Coach Gary Rath, the time is now, as the Mustangs have a very talented lineup and also have some maturity in their lineup – primed to make a state playoff run this season. For a very…
Author: Anthony Ray
The Grind Session is widely known for producing top match-ups between prep programs, and this weekend’s Latitude Longitude Classic @ St. Mary’s High School did just that, as the event featured an exciting contest between AZ Compass Prep and Dream City Christian, a game and a match-up between two of the state’s elite prep programs, and a game that has not happened to date, until this past weekend. The fact that the Grind Sesssion was able to make this game happen between program organizers meant a great deal to scouts like myself, who simply want to see the best play…
Eastern Arizona and Scottsdale Junior College are at the top of the ACCAC Conference standings, tied for the conference lead overall. Eastern Arizona’s 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Nathaniel Pollard, Jr. and Scottsdale JC’s 6-foot-5 sophomore wing Xavier Fuller have both been the catalysts this season for their respective team’s success. For their performance this season, both prospects have been named repeat ACCAC Players of the Week by the ACCAC for the fourth time this season. Xavier Fuller has been named the Division-II honoree after he averaged 24.7 points over (3) different SCC wins, which included a big 34-point performance in a…
One of the top young prospects in the state has quickly emerged this high school season, and is definitely one prospect to watch closely for the future. St. Mary’s High School’s 6-foot-3 freshman guard prospect Jason Fontenet Jr. is one of the elite freshman prospects in the state, and has a name that Arizona basketball enthusiasts know very well. Jason Fontenet Jr. is the son of former Arizona basketball star guard and St. Mary’s High School basketball product Jason Fontenet. Fontenet Sr. graced the Arizona basketball hardwood in the late 1990’s and very early 2000’s, and went on to play…
When Hillcrest Prep landed the services of nationally top-rated 2021 prospect, 6-foot-9, 220-pound junior forward Michael Foster during the off-season, it was widely known nationally amongst the basketball community what they had received. Rated by every top scouting service in America among the elite overall prospects in the country, Foster immediately took the Hillcrest Prep program to another level. Hillcrest Prep has been consistently known for producing elite-level basketball talent in America. After producing such top-rated talents as DeAndre Ayton (Phoenix Suns, #1 overall NBA Draft pick), Marvin Bagley (Sacramento Kings, #2 overall NBA Draft pick) and also 2020 prospect…
In mid-December, we learned of the recommendation for termination of Desert Vista High School’s Head Coach Gino Crump – a decision by the program and the school district that shook the Arizona basketball community, as well as the student-athletes currently on the team. Such a decision, such as this one during the middle of the season, was unparalleled in Arizona basketball historically, but Crump was suspended by the program while the district carried out their investigation. The recommendation by Desert Vista was also to terminate Crump’s employment as the head coach at the completion of the investigation. A very emotional…
With the holidays now over and a new year beginning, Scottsdale and Mesa Junior College stand at the top of the ACCAC basketball standings, as each of the junior college programs look to prepare for a strong finish to the junior college season. With numerous tournaments taking place this holidays season and individual games, Scottsdale and Mesa both had strong performances through the first half of the season. Scottsdale JC (14-1), led by Head Coach Mark Bunker, has had a terrific start to the junior college season, and is currently ranked as the nation’s #13 team among Division-II programs in…
This year’s McClintock Holiday Shootout completed earlier this week with a big final match-up between Skyline High School and Arcadia. Skyline would edge out Arcadia in narrow fashion, 70-67, for the tournament championship win. The tournament win was just another big accomplishment by the Skyline program this season, led by the play of their terrific senior guard prospect, 6-foot-2 senior guard Dayton Harris (Northern Arizona signee). Skyline High School (14-2) has had a terrific season thus far, with big wins over Buckeye HS (61-51), South Mountain (58-51), Sunrise Mountain (59-42) and Cesar Chavez (63-57) before this year’s McClintock Holiday Shootout.…
A new chapter will now unfold for former Cesar Chavez High School’s talented 6-foot-4, 180-pound junior guard Ty Ty Washington – one of the top 2021 guard prospects in the country. After a recent fighting incident that broke out between players, fans and parents after a game between Chavez and Skyline High School, Washington was suspended by the school, and found his future at the program in jeopardy. As a result, Washington has decided to transfer schools, and has enrolled at AZ Compass Prep. While it was thought that Washington and his Chavez team would compete hard this season for…
How sweet it is. It has been a rocky road over the past month for the Hillcrest Prep basketball program, but the immediate future and remainder of the season for Hillcrest is glaringly bright as the organization has made some changes and added some players. After tweaking things, after a slow start to the season, Hillcrest Prep is now completely on another level, and has won this year’s very competitive and high profile Chick-Fil-A Classic in South Carolina. The recent struggles of the Hillcrest Prep program were widely recognized and reported after a very slow start to the season, which…