Desert Vista is the most dominant girl’s team in the state, led by the imposing inside presence of nationally ranked 6-foot-4 senior post Kristine Anigwe (Cal signee). But national scouts will soon figure out that Millennium High School’s ultra-talented 5-foot-6 junior point guard Raina Perez can be just as dominant from the guard spot on the floor. For her exploits on the court, Perez would earn First Team All-State honors last season by the Arizona Republic as a mere sophomore. Perez would continue right where she left off last season, and also after a strong performance throughout the spring and…
Author: Anthony Ray
For the second year in a row, Perry High School would win the Paradise Valley Invitational – one of the best pre-season Thanksgiving basketball tournaments in the state, and my favorite pre-season tournament to attend. Paradise Valley High School head coach Mark MacGowan and his staff always put on an excellent event, and it is annually filled with many of the state’s top basketball programs. This year’s event was no different as the championship game would feature host high school Paradise Valley HS and Perry HS, which features one of the state’s elite talents – 5-foot-10 superb sophomore guard Markus Howard (Arizona…
The talk of this year’s 1st Annual Hoopsgiving Tournament at Sunnyslope High School was Brophy Prep early on. The Broncos are very big and have a talented group this season, led by experienced head coach Tony Fuller. Fuller does not allow his teams to beat themselves, so this year’s group will only get better throughout the season. Host Sunnyslope High School is also very talented again this season. While the Vikings are very young, their young prospects are good – combined with the state’s top scoring guard, 6-foot-3 senior combo-guard prospect Sammy Barnes-Thompkins. Barnes-Thompkins (pictured) will put up impressive numbers…
Pima Junior College is off to an excellent start to the 2014-2015 junior college basketball season, behind the strong play of 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Ben Gershman. Recently, Gershman would make his college decision – signing with a smaller college program that is high on academics. Gershman is a big-time student that has a desire to be an engineer in the future, so he recently signed a national letter of intent with the perfect school for his endeavors – the Colorado School of Mines. Gershman is 24 years of age and returned to Pima JC to play basketball for Brian Peabody…
The 2014-2015 junior college basketball season in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) is now in full swing. Here are this week’s Players of the Week in men’s basketball in the conference . . . ACCAC Division-I Player of the Week: Jaraan Lands, Eastern Arizona Lands led Eastern to a perfect 2-0 record in ACCAC league play this past week – averaging over 25 points and 7 rebounds per game. For the week, Lands shot 65% from the field, including 60% from 3-point line, and 82% from the free throw line. ACCAC Division-II Player of the Week: Ben “Murphy” Gershman, Pima…
The 2014-2015 junior college basketball season in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) is now in full swing. Here are this week’s Players of the Week in women’s basketball in the conference . . . ACCAC D-I Player of the Week: Kandiss Barber – Central Arizona Kandiss Barber averaged 19.5 points per game in wins over Tohono O’Odham JC and Arizona Western last week. She scored 26 points in the win over the Matadors (AWC). Barber also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block per game in the two victories. ACCAC D-II Player of the Week: Melody…
Indian Hills Junior College (IA) has been consistently rated among the nation’s elite junior college basketball programs for many years now, so when they traveled to Mesa, Arizona on Wednesday evening to face host Mesa Junior College (MCC), it seemed as though the Mesa Jackrabbits would be outmatched significantly on the basketball court. The difference though for Mesa was the coaching style and ability of long-time veteran, Arizona coaching legend Sam Ballard. Ballard has been highly successful as a head coach at many different levels and for many years. Ballard comes from a long line of highly successful coaches in the state, which includes…
With the stage set for two of the top teams in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) to meet on Tuesday evening, rather than on their normal Wednesday match-up (due to the Holiday week), it made some an exciting game of junior college basketball at Phoenix College in front of a terrific home crowd. Phoenix and South Mountain are two of the conference’s elite division-II teams this season, and with Phoenix College, the defending national division-II champions, coming off a recent loss to Pima Junior College, head coach Matt Gordon and his staff would look to get their team…
In case you didn’t know, there is some exciting basketball action taking place at Sunnyslope High School for this year’s 2014 Hoopsgiving Basketball Tournament (what a great name for a tournament). At Sunnyslope High School, they certainly understand the game of basketball and know how to play it. With such teams as Brophy Prep, Thunderbird, Sunrise Mountain, Mountain Pointe, Greenway, Peoria, Moon Valley, Buckeye, Maryvale, Tolleson, Shadow Ridge, Liberty, Ironwood, Verrado, Sierra Linda, and, of course, Sunnyslope in action for this year’s event, it makes for some exciting basketball and an opportunity for me to see some players I may…
The 2014-2015 high school girls basketball season kicked off on Monday at Marcos De Niza High School for this year’s Marcos De Niza Thanksgiving Pre-Season Tournament. Featuring many of the state’s top girls programs in this year’s event, day one was filled with many blowout vicotories. I was able to catch the final game of the evening, as host, Marcos De Niza High School (0-1) faced visiting Casa Grande High School (1-0) in the first round of this year’s tournament. With very few fans in the gymnasium, Casa Grande stormed out to an early 15-9 first quarter lead, behind the…