Valley Christian High School is known for high-level basketball consistently in my (28) years of covering Arizona high school basketball, and today is no different as the program is coming off winning another 3A State Championship last season, after coming up just short the previous two seasons. Under the strong leadership of terrific Head Coach Greg Haagsma, the program has also produced many good players for college programs around the country. 6-foot-2 rising senior guard Luke Shaw is the next in line. Shaw has had a very good high school career for himself thus far, and is coming off an…
Author: Anthony Ray
Arizona’s 2026 Class is very talented and will only continue to get much better over time. As we prepare to release our new Individual Player Rankings for Arizona’s 2026 Class, one prospect that is clearly rising up the ladder in the rankings is 6-foot-9 rising sophomore wing Cam Williams. Williams is simply different as a college prospect, as he is an impressive young talent with elite high-major upside for the future. This young man made a nice splash on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer, and now projects as one of the elite overall prospects in the state.…
There have been numerous prospects in Arizona’s 2024 Class that have made a strong case this spring and summer for a rise in our Individual Player Rankings. One of these prospects is Highland Prep’s athletic 6-foot-4, 185-pound rising senior guard prospect Presley Ibeh. Ibeh has soared well below the recruiting radar for some time, although he has had a terrific high school career up to this point, and is set to have a big senior season for himself. Ibeh has taken his college recruitment into his own hands, through producing at a high level on the spring and summer club…
The spring and summer is an excellent opportunity for players to develop and gain maximum exposure to the recruiting process. Paradise Valley High School’s 6-foot-5, 180-pound senior guard Noah Sowunmi had a strong junior season for high high school program, and has really seen his game develop through the spring and summer, while leading his club program. Sowunmi has become an excellent sleeper prospect for the 2024 Class in the state, and has taken his game to another level – in preparation for a very big senior season. Recently, Sowunmi was selected as the Tournament Most Valuable Player after a strong overall…
Eduprize Prep’s talented 6-foot-3 junior guard AJ Thomas is a problem for opposing guards to defend. After another terrific high school season for himself last year, Thomas has flourished this spring and summer on the Nike EYBL circuit while playing for his Arizona Unity 17U EYBL team. Thomas previously made the decision to change graduating classes – moving from the 2024 Class to the 2025 Class. He has still played at the 17 & Under level this spring and summer, and recently received a nice honor at the amazing Nike Peach Jam event held earlier this month in Augusta, South…
One of the top overall prospects in Arizona’s talented 2025 Class is St. Mary’s High School’s 6-foot-7 rising junior forward prospect Caspian Jones. Jones has been regarded among the top prospects in the class for some time, and now college programs are beginning to take notice of Jones in the recruiting process. This weekend, Jones received his first Division-I offer to his credit and now will look to continue to gain more recruiting interest for himself over time. This weekend, while playing for Belmont Shore (CA), Jones received his first offer from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Top-rated tournament organizer…
In amazing fashion this past weekend, The Factory Arizona-based club program would win the exciting and competitive annual Pangos Sweet 16 event – winning two divisions in the event, both the 17U Invitational Division and the 16U Select Divisions for the event. Both 17U and 16U teams for the Factory excelled this weekend – winning both divisions for the event and bringing home the tournament titles, an amazing accomplishment by Factory Club Director Kenny Mullin’s program. The Factory 17U program won the top overall division of the event, the Invitational Division – defeating Riverside Matrix (CA) in the tournament final,…
The Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) will look a little different next season, as several programs in the conference have seen major changes to the leadership of their programs moving forward. With the departure of a few coaches in the league, there will be some new faces in leadership at the head coaching positions in the ACCAC next fall. The biggest change included the departure of Scottsdale Junior College Head Coach Mark Bunker, after he accepted a head coaching position at Western New Mexico University. In (9) seasons as the Head Coach @ Scottsdale CC, Bunker produced a 136-114…
Arizona’s 2027 Class will be entering the high school ranks this fall, and there are numerous prospects to keep an eye on, as they begin their new high school careers this high school season. One prospect that is coming off an excellent middle school career for himself, and has a bright future ahead of him is St. Mary’s High School’s gifted young 6-foot-1 freshman point guard prospect Kolby Barnes. Barnes is a superb young talent that will look to make a splash in the high school ranks in his first varsity season, but is sure to have an excellent high…
Sunnyslope High School’s talented 6-foot-7, 185-pound senior forward Jai Anthoni Bearden is on the rise again in his college recruitment – receiving several nice Division-I offers for himself. Bearden was once regarded as the top overall prospect in Arizona’s 2024 Class after an illustrious middle school career in the state, and also received loads of national attention early on in his playing career. After seeing his recruiting stock drop after his first two high school seasons, Bearden has now soared again while playing for a well-coached and very talented Sunnyslope program, that was a runner-up for this year’s Open Division…