Highland High School had a very strong campaign during the 2011-2012 high school basketball season – finishing with a stellar 29-5 overall record on the season. The Hawks reached the Division-I State Quarterfinals last season before falling to Dobson HS at Wells Fargo Arena. While this year’s version of the Hawks will have lost 7 different seniors from last year’s team to graduation, Highland will return a pair of twin sisters that will look to do their part in helping the Hawks get back to the level they were last season. 5-foot-11 senior forward Rebecca Rudd and 6-foot-1 senior post Elizabeth Rudd will return…
Author: Anthony Ray
One of the lesser known prospects in the state resides in Tucson, Arizona. Like many of Tucson’s top prospects over the years, Catalina Foothills High School’s 6-foot-3, 165-pound rising junior guard Austin Nehls has flown well below the recruiting radar until this summer when Nehls showcased his ability to play the game in front of numerous college coaches. While playing for a talented Arizona Magic Pump N’ Run-2014 squad, Nehls was able to prove that he is quite able to compete with the best talent around and against tough competition. While traveling with the team to NCAA certified tournaments in Los Angeles,…
One of the top prospects in Arizona’s 2014 class of rising junior prospects is on the move. After having a very good sophomore season for himself last year, former Mountain Pointe High School 6-foot-1, 160-pound shooting guard prospect Austin Witherill has decided to transfer schools for the up-and-coming high school season. Witherill now will take his game to Highland HS this season where he will look to team up with another talented 2014 prospect – 6-foot-7 rising junior forward Jake Toolson. Witherill and Toolson also competed for the same club program this spring and summer, as they traveled the country with…
Dobson High School’s 5-foot-8 senior guard Katherine Hamilton is among the state’s best talents – regardless of class. After an impressive junior season where she led her Mustangs to a 24-9 overall record on the season, and a semi-final finish in the Division-I state playoffs, Hamilton became one of the most sought after recruiting targets in Arizona’s 2013 class. According to Dobson HS head coach Tyler Dumas, he recently reported that his talented guard prospect has decided to end her college recruitment – giving a verbal commitment to the University of San Diego and head coach Cindy Fisher and her…
The 1st Annual All-Arizona Girls Showcase was held at Deer Valley High School on Saturday – organized by tournament director Ron Coleman of Southwest Showcase and Arizona Girls Report. The event was the first event of it’s kind by Coleman, and was a very nice event for girls’ basketball in Arizona. Coleman and his staff worked very hard to put this event together and did an excellent job, as the event was filled with some nice Arizona girls basketball talent. While I was unable to catch the full day of events on Saturday, I was able to catch four of the…
Westwind Prep Academy 6-foot-2 junior point guard prospect Tate De Laveaga is coming off an excellent showing for himself this spring and summer, as he raised his level of play a great deal this off-season. De Laveaga’s performance this spring helped his club team, the Arizona Magic Pump N’ Run-2014, to receive consideration among the nation’s elite 16U teams in the country, while his performance this summer raised his own recruiting stock considerably. On Saturday, as a result of his performance this summer, Tate received his first official scholarship offer from a Big Sky program, as Northern Arizona head coach Jack Murphy…
Shadow Mountain High School’s 6-foot-2, 175-pound senior point guard prospect Keegan Hansen emerged on the recruiting scene during the spring evaluation period. Rather than slow down or continue the same pace throughout the summer months, Hansen poured it on and raised his recruiting stock this summer. While playing for the Arizona Rebels club program throughout the summer, Hansen took his game to another level and led his 17U team to numerous wins and several big finishes – including a consolation championship in this year’s Pangos Sweet Sixteen tourney in LA. Hansen came up big in each tournament this summer, scoring at a high…
Westwind Prep International 6-foot-5, 220-pound unsigned prep guard Gary Williams is now officially off the recruiting board, after having a big summer performance on the AAU/club circuit. This week, Williams decided to sign with one of the nation’s elite junior college basketball programs – signing a national letter of intent with Indian Hills Junior College in Iowa. Indian Hills JC head coach Barrett Peery attended several of Williams’ games this summer and reeled in the ultra-talented guard prospect. Still looking to get cleared by the NCAA’s Clearinghouse very late, Williams had planned to accept one of the many division-I offers that he…
Many prospects in Arizona develop later than sooner. This has definitely been the case for Chaparral High School’s 6-foot-6 graduated senior forward Zach Tolson. Tolson has seen his game develop rapidly throughout his senior season, and then through the spring and summer months – enough that the talented wing prospect will head the prep school route this fall in an effort to develop much more before taking his game to the collegiate ranks. As a senior starter for former Chaparral HS head coach Damin Lopez, Tolson caught fire late in the high school season and began to show excellent potential as…
Phoenix Country Day talented 6-foot-6 graduated senior forward prospect AJ Hess is still looking to make his final decision on a college home. After having a big senior season and winning a state title, Hess has taken his time on deciding on a college program. Recently this summer, it looked as though Hess was headed to Colorado College, a nice academic division-III program. But after mulling over his options for the future, Hess decided to continue playing on the AAU/club circuit for an opportunity to continue his college recruitment and land something bigger for himself. With so few prospects still available this summer…