Day 3 of this year’s Double Pump Best of Summer basketball tournament in Anaheim, CA was filled with much better basketball action, as this year’s event has began to wind down with tournament playoff play beginning in the afternoon. Many teams would begin to prepare to head home after losses, while the select the few would move on after wins in the playoff round. Several Arizona teams moved on in tournament play on Friday, led by the Arizona Magic Pump N Run-2014’s (4-0), coached by Jeff De Laveaga, who would continue their strong play in NCAA certified events this July. After posting a…
Author: Anthony Ray
This year’s very large Double Pump Best of Summer NCAA Certified basketball tournament being held in Anaheim, CA, has not disappointed this year, as the event has been very large. With 32 different courts going at the same time at the American Sports Complex, this year’s event looks colossal in scope and has created an atmosphere for big-time basketball. With loads of college coaches walking around the venue and taking in the basketball action, the competition has been fierce as the top basketball prospects in the West have come together in an attempt to raise their recruiting stock. Tournament organizers, David…
The last few months have been a whirlwind for Westwind Prep’s 6-foot-8 junior forward Zylan Cheatham. Since the end to the season for Westwind’s National High School team, Cheatham has seen his college recruitment and exposure begin to soar. Cheatham has also had to deal with the trials of AAU/club basketball, as loads of club coaches in the West have tried to lure the talented prospect to play for their teams in AAU/club competition. “You have no idea how many people call me,” said Cheatham. “It is crazy.” As a result, Cheatham elected to leave his club program, the Arizona…
While our Arizona Preps’ staff spent last week in Philadelphia at the Reebok Breakout Camp, there was also a lot of basketball being played in Southern California at the Double Pump Tip-Off Classic, the Fullcourt Press All-West Showcase and also the Pangos Sweet 16 tournaments. Each event gave college coaches, regional scouts and media and opportunity to see some of the top talent in the West early in the July evaluation period. Many of Arizona’s top-rated prospects were in participation last week in each of these three events. Here are some of the top Arizona prospects that have helped themselves…
It was reported last week by Chris Karpman of ASUDevils.com that Corona Del Sol High School’s 6-foot-6, 190-pound junior wing prospect Dane Kuiper was nearing a college decision. Karpman was right on target, as the ultra-talented incoming transfer from Alaska has made his college decision with a program in the Mountain West Conference. Kuiper reported recently that he would like to get his decision over with during the month of July, and he did so on Sunday – giving a verbal commitment to the University of New Mexico and new head coach Craig Neal and his basketball staff. Kuiper, while…
It could not have happened to a better kid, as Sunnyslope High School’s rapidly developing and talented 6-foot-10 senior post prospect Michael Humphrey saw his college recruitment, and even his life ultimately, change in last week’s Reebok Breakout Camp in Philadelphia, PA. Humphrey had a monster performance for himself in the annual camp – earning an all-star selection. As a result, Humphrey saw college offers begin to pour in for himself. Of the five Arizona prospects in participation for the camp last week, no player had more of an impact in the event than Humphrey. In fact, no other prospect in the…
The state of Arizona has worked hard to gain attention nationally and even regionally over the years in the sport of basketball, and each year we seem to get a step closer at raising awareness around the country about the level of basketball in the state. While the level of basketball is still not great from top to bottom, our state’s top prospects can play with anyone in the country – proven again by this year’s crop of talented prospects. Arizona’s loaded 2014 class of prospects is Arizona’s best chance to make such an impact among basketball scouts and media, as the…
The final day of this year’s annual Reebok Breakout Camp in Philadelphia, PA concluded on Friday evening with two games for the participants and the prestigious camp all-star game. The goal of many participants annually, like any camp, is to be selected for the camp’s all-star game. For campers from Arizona historically, just being invited to the camp has been enough. Very few prospects from the state have ever been selected for the all-star game at this camp. An invitation to the camp’s all-star game does wonders for a student-athlete’s opportunity to raise their overall college recruitment, national ranking and evaluation. Recently,…
Day two of this year’s Reebok Breakout Camp in Philly saw a lot more action taking place on the basketball court as each camp participant competed in three games on the day, with some training taking place in the morning. Day two is always enjoyable to watch as a scout, because the players settle down from nerves and the coaches of the event begin to gain a better feel for who the players are on their respective teams – allowing for much better team play and better substitution patterns. For each of Arizona’s top prospects in the camp, this is a welcomed…
Wednesday’s action at this year’s Reebok Breakout Camp in Philadelphia was an exciting one, as official camp games began on the evening. Also making things much more official was the fact that at 5:00PM, NCAA Division-I coaches were permitted to attend the camp’s action. It was an interesting sight to behold as hundreds of college coaches waited outside the gymnasium on the campus of the University of Philadelphia until they were permitted to enter the building to observe the campers. With such top-rated head coaches as John Calipari (Kentucky), Steve Alford (UCLA), Shaka Smart (VCU), Johnny Dawkins (Stanford), Cuonzo Martin (Tennessee),…