While still very young in it’s origin, the 2017 class in the state of Arizona burst onto the high school basketball scene in Arizona last season without much obstruction – gaining success at a high level and emerging at it’s own will. As a result, numerous prospects in this very young class have soared very early and have gained major national attention in their recruiting efforts. Recently, Perry High School’s gifted guard prospect Markus Howard gave a huge verbal commitment to Arizona State University – a commitment that may have very lasting effects on the local basketball community. While Howard’s…
Author: Anthony Ray
While it has been an interesting road for Mountain Pointe High School 2014 graduate Chris Davis, he will now look to pick up his career and also look to develop on and off the basketball court at a prep program located in San Diego, California. The now 6-foot-7, 220-pound prep forward has decided to attend a post-graduate year at San Diego Prep Academy and will now become a 2015 prospect. Davis’ decision to head the prep school route was primarily based on his desire to qualify academically, since he was not an academic qualifier at the completion of his senior…
The Arizona Aces club basketball program is quickly becoming one of the elite club programs in the state, after a strong showing on the spring and summer AAU/club circuit this club season. The Aces have been one of the elite basketball programs in the Valley for the last five years. Austin Nelms and BJ Letcher have done an excellent job of player development and forming competitive teams from the 12u to 17u levels, on both the girls and the boys side. The Aces operate a strong player development training program in the North Scottsdale area at there training facility 360 Hoops. The 360 Hoops training staff consists of…
Two of Arizona’s elite overall prospects from a dominant 2014 class in the state will be furthering their high school careers, if you will, this season at different top-rated prep schools in the country. 6-foot-3 senior guard Lyrik Shreiner and 6-foot-9 post Andre Adams will be passing on heading to the division-I ranks this season, and attending a year of post-graduate work at different prep schools of their choice. Shreiner had many offensive and defensive outbursts last season, but none was more impactful than his scoring explosion where he exploded for 65 points – breaking the Arizona high school state scoring record on 26 for 27 shooting from the field in the…
One of the elite prospects in Arizona’s 2016 class is already off the recruiting board, as the first member of Arizona’s talented 2016 class has pulled the trigger on his college recruitment after taking a visit to a Mountain West Conference program this weekend. After venturing to the University of New Mexico this weekend with his family, Gilbert Christian High School’s 6-foot-8 junior post Mitch Lightfoot decided that he had found his fit for the future and needed no longer to make his decision. Lightfoot decided to give his verbal commitment to head coach Craig Neal and his staff – becoming…
We continue our new Post-Summer Player Rankings with our next release – the 2016 class post-summer player rankings for centers. This position among the 2016 class has rounded into shape nicely as well, and is very top-heavy with some very talented prospects at the top of the rankings. Taking over the top spot at this position in the class is our top overall prospect in the class, Basha High School’s rapidly developing, 6-foot-10 junior post Devin Kirby. Kirby is already 6-10 and is still growing, so he could grow to be 7-feet over time. He should also be able to play as…
Copper Canyon High School’s talented 6-foot-1 junior guard prospect Terry Gates proved his worth this club season – making a case for himself among the top overall prospects in Arizona’s 2016 class. Another almost unknown prospect before the start to the spring club season, Gates came up big this off-season in preparation for his junior season of high school basketball. In a class that does not include many top-rated guard prospects, Gates showed that he is worthy of acclaim among the top guard prospects in the class. Gates is a combo-guard prospect that is capable of playing either backcourt position…
No high school boy’s verbal commitment in recent years has had or will have more of an impact on Arizona high school basketball and recruiting more than Wednesday’s announcement by 2017 prospect Markus Howard to attend Arizona State University. The sophomore guard from Perry High School made a big statement with his verbal pledge. The impact of Howard’s decision to stay close to home and play for the Sun Devils does many things. First of all, for other top-rated Arizona basketball prospects, it makes a statement that no one is too good to play for the Sun Devils. Historically, many…
In very shocking fashion, and in what is now the youngest basketball division-I verbal commitment in the state of Arizona’s long and rich high school basketball history, Perry High School’s superb 5-foot-10, 165-pound sophomore guard Markus Howard has given a verbal pledge to the Arizona State Sun Devils and head coach Herb Sendek and his basketball staff. This commitment is huge for the Sun Devils and Herb Sendek’s future at the program, while possessing the fire power to help the program now attract better basketball prospects over the next few years. The top-rated 2017 prospect, Howard, is the top-rated Arizona…
The Back To School Bash took place this weekend at the Kroc Community Center in South Phoenix. Organized by Harding Group Basketball and Arizona Elite Tournaments, and directed by Cline Daniel and Tamica Goree, this event included boys and girls basketball talent from 2nd through the 12th grade. The event was fun and had a DJ playing music at center court in the 2-day event. I was able to attend the tournament action on Sunday and observed the championship games for the boys 17U and 16U divisions, and also the girls championship game for the 13U division. The event was…