The top featured game of this year’s recent Hoop Hall West event at Chaparral High School was the best high school basketball game of the year, as undefeated Shadow Mountain faced off with top-rated Sierra Canyon (CA). The gym was packed. The atmosphere was alive. There was trash talking. There were multiple ex-NBA players in the gym cheering on their kids, as they went into an absolute dog fight. This game proved the age-old saying to be true, “save the best for last.” It was an absolute treat to be in attendance with everybody hanging on to every play. It…
Author: Anthony Ray
One player to watch this high school season is getting off to an excellent start for himself in his young high school career. While he is only a mere freshman, Vista Grande High School’s 5-foot-10 frosh guard prospect Raishun Wilson will be one of the better guard prospects in this state for the next (4) years. I caught my first glimpse of Wilson this fall while he was participating in the Area Codes Frosh/Soph Camp. In the event, Wilson was among the elite overall performers – proving that he can play with the elite talent in his age group in the…
We are now focusing on some of Arizona’s top basketball products to come from the state over the years, and taking at look at what they have done to help Arizona basketball, as well as what they are doing now. One of the best to ever lace them up in the state of Arizona on the basketball hardwood was former Washington High School 1991 graduate Carlos Artis. Not only was Artis one of the elite basketball prospects to ever come from the state, Artis was simply one of the best overall athletes ever to come from the state. At one…
In surprising fashion on Friday afternoon, the Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bob Hurley and his staff received a nice Christmas gift before the holiday, when Shadow Mountain High School’s 6-foot, 165-pound junior guard Jaelen House gave an early verbal commitment to the Sun Devils. The commitment was a big one for the surging Arizona State program that has shocked the college basketball world this season – becoming the hottest basketball program in the country. As the only college program currently in the country that has commitments and/or signings in the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 classes, House joins other top-rated prospects…
With the Christmas holiday approaching us very soon, and everyone focusing their attention to their families this week, there was still a little time for some quality basketball, as the state’s top two teams in the 5A Division faced off again. In a highly anticipated rematch between 5A defending state champion, Sunnyslope High School (10-2), and surging Deer Valley (11-1), the excitement was definitely in the air, as these two teams matched up to gain an edge on one another for bragging rights. The last time these two teams met was in the pre-season, in the Hoopsgiving Basketball Tournament held…
The 11th annual VisitMesa.com Basketball Challenge will once again be held at Mesa Mountain View High School on December 27-30th, and will feature many of the state’s top high school programs, as well as some top-rated high school programs from the West. Our Arizona Preps’ staff will be in attendance next week for the action. Here is this year’s schedule for this year’s exciting event . . . Join the Forum discussion on this post
While our Arizona Preps’ staff was unable to catch Friday’s action at this year’s Desert Challenge, held on the beautiful campus of Rancho Solano Prep, we were able to catch much of the exciting action on Saturday, as each of the teams were in competition. With so much going on in the state of Arizona as of late, this event is another exciting addition to the state, that has brought some very quality, and even superior competition to the state for Arizona basketball enthusiasts to witness. These days, and over the past several years, whenever tournament organizers match-up an Arizona…
The season off to a great start in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), as numerous teams are jumbled together – competing for a strong position among conference leaders. Cochise College (9-1, 4-1) is in first place among division-I junior colleges, while Pima (8-1, 4-1), South Mountain (8-1, 3-0) and Phoenix College (7-3, 4-1) are each tied for first place among division-II juco’s in the league. Here are the Players of the Week in the ACCAC, as selected by the league . . . ACCAC D-I Player of the Week: Ezekiel Alley – Freshman – Arizona Western College Averaged 20 points, shooting…
Tri-City Christian Academy is coming off another very successful season that ended in a trip to their fifth consecutive state championship game at the Suns Arena. Over that span, the Warriors have posted a record of 103-10. This season the guys will look to get back to the state title game to handle some unfinished business after losing in overtime last year. The Warriors will have a lot of new faces on the roster this season, but it could be the most talented group from top to bottom in the school’s 45-year history. Tri-City graduated five seniors last year including…
Sunnyslope (8-2) came into Tuesday night’s game ready to start a new win streak, after a narrow loss this past weekend in the Hoop Hall West to top-rated Lone Peak HS (UT). The Sunnyslope team is one of the best and most efficient teams in the West, and have been together for (4) years in high school, for the most part. This team has also been to the state’s championship game for consecutive seasons, and was the winner of last year’s 5A State Championship. The Vikings will now look to return to the state’s championship game for a third consecutive season, and…