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…
Author: Anthony Ray
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…
Today, our Arizona Preps’ staff learned of the passing of our close friend Bob Gottlieb of Branch West Academy in Southern California. It saddens my heart to report this news, as Bob has been a close personal friend of mine for more than 16 years. Bob consistently supported my efforts here in Arizona of creating a basketball culture in the state, and supported many of our events. He was a consistent supporter of the annual Arizona Preps Fall Showcase (pictured) and travelled to the event for many years – promoting his recruiting services to each of the participants. The Gottlieb…
Glendale Junior College has the best line-up of former players as college coaches probably in the country, led by head coach Damin Lopez. This group of talented coaches and former players could not hold off a surging South Mountain ball club on the road on Saturday afternoon though, as the conference’s leading scorer, 5-foot-9 sophomore guard Kevin Kelly, scored 26 points to lead his team to a come-from-behind 79-70 victory at home on Saturday afternoon. Glendale would lead at halftime, 36-32, behind the play of 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Emery Range and 6-foot-6 sophomore wing Vomba Donzo. Glendale would frustrate South…
With high expactations for herself this season, her final senior season, Horizon High School’s gifted 5-foot-9 senior point guard prospect Noelle Kellers will not get the opportunity. Recently, after deciding to transfer schools from Desert Mountain HS to Horizon HS, the AIA ruled her ineligible for her senior season, due to AIA transfer rules. Since then, Kellers began the appeal process and lost the appeal process, as the AIA ruled that her transfer was for athletic reasons – causing Kellers to now have to sit out her senior season. I caught up with Kellers today and she advised me that…
Central Arizona Junior College 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Torrian Epps is now officially off the recruiting board after signing a national letter of intent this week with a program in the Big Sky Conference. Epps decided to end his college recruitment this fall – signing with Portland State University and head coach Tyler Geving and his basketball staff. Second year assistant coach Jase Coburn, a native of Arizona and former McClintock HS head coach. Coburn spent some time as an assistant coach at Howard JC (TX) before joining the Portland State staff, where he coached Epps. As a freshman, Epps played…
With the beginning of the 2014-2015 junior college basketball season upon us, we will be looking at the players to watch for this up-and-coming season, as well as each of the teams in the conference as well. Here are my top sophomore prospects in the ACCAC this season to watch for . . . Brandon Brown 6-0 SOPH PG Phoenix College – This season, Brown returns as a heralded sophomore prospect in the country – ranking among the top prospects nationally in the junior college ranks. Brown is a very skilled and jet-like quick point man with a variety of…
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: Jordan Martin, Cochise College Jordan Martin averaged 23 points per game in leading the Apaches to a perfect 5-0 start – including a huge 88-80 victory at Arizona Western JC. On the season, Martin is shooting 41% from the 3-point line and 80% from the free throw line. ACCAC Division-II Player of the Week: Kevin Kelly, South Mountain Kevin Kelly…
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: Jazmin Horne – Eastern Arizona Jazmin Horne scored 26 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished 2 assists and had a steal in the Gola Monsters’ win over Tohono O’Odham. ACCAC D-II Player of the Week: No Nominee Join the Forum discussion on this post