The state’s top overall prospect in Arizona’s 2015 class by our Arizona Preps’ basketball staff is Mesa Mountain View High School’s 5-foot-9 rising sophomore guard Armani Hawkins. While we have Hawkins as our top prospect in the class, it is no secret to college coaches, as the ultra-talented girls’ basketball prospect is already receiving loads of recruiting attention already. Recently, while observing Hawkins in this year’s All-Arizona Showcase event held recently at Deer Valley HS, I caught up with her father and he advised me that Arizona State University and head coach Charli Turner Thorne and her basketball staff have extended an offer…
Author: Anthony Ray
One player that saw a definite rise in his college recruitment over the past year is Poston Butte High School’s 6-foot-3 senior combo-guard prospect Jalen Richard. After a big junior season last year, Richard became one of the most sought after recruiting targets in Arizona’s 2013 class. Richard then carried over his strong play onto the spring club circuit, and raised the eyebrows of several high-major division-I programs, including Arizona State. Heading into the summer months, Richard would receive heavy interest from such programs as Weber State, Drexel, New Mexico, Tulsa, Northern Arizona, Boise State, San Francisco and Santa Clara. I…
The state of Arizona continues to have a major need for good basketball training for it’s basketball talent. With more than 6.5 million people living in the state, Arizona has yet to reach the level of basketball of many other states across the country. While the 2014 junior class of prospects in the state looks to be the most talented class of prospects ever in the state, with the top 10 prospects in the class currently receiving high-major division-I interest, the state still lacks the depth of talent many other states have. In 2010, the state of Florida posted 87 different division-I signees in…
There is a new facility in town that is changing basketball in the state of Arizona, like never before. The new Inspire Courts, located in Chandler, Arizona, is the first of it’s kind – a 52,000 square feet state of the art multi-purpose facility. The Inspire Courts recently opened its doors on June 12,2012 and has not looked back since. Inspire Athletics is owned by Mike and Greta Clark, a couple who felt that building the facility was truly necessary during this time and for the East Valley. With another facility currently located in the West Valley, the Clarks felt it made sense to bring their facility to the East…
It will be sad to see him go, but the decision has already been made for former Basha High School 6-foot-8, 220-pound rising senior post Torren Jones. Jones will be leaving the state of Arizona for his senior season – heading to the Mid-West to finish his high school career. Jones, our #1 rated power forward prospect and the #2 overall prospect in Arizona’s 2013 class, decided to transfer from Basha HS after the high school season, and also after the resignation of former Basha head coach Brad Pinter. Jones had planned to transfer to Mesa’s Dobson High School where he would team up…
Scottsdale-based basketball trainer Padraig O’Brien (OB) has worked very hard to raise the level of basketball training in the state of Arizona. In an effort to do so, O’Brien created the Give N Go Hoops basketball facility in North Scottsdale three years ago. OB brings 20 years of experience to Give N Go Hoops and started working with 7th and 8th graders in 1993. Since then he has worked with thousands of high school, college, and professional players (including 5 NBA lottery picks). Very well respected in the business, O’Brien has earned the respect of coaches and players across the country for his ability…
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…
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…