As we near the end to the high school season, recruiting will begin to start heating up for some of Arizona’s top available senior prospects, and there are many still on the table for college coaches to take a hard look at. One prospect that has really helped himself this high school season with his strong play is Pinnacle High School’s talented 6-foot-2 senior guard Bryce Ford. While going into his final senior season as an unheralded prospect, Ford’s strong play this high school season has pushed him into the front of the minds of college programs this spring, looking…
Author: Anthony Ray
One of my favorite overall prospects to watch perform in the state of Arizona has been AZ Compass Prep’s talented and gifted 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward EJ Scroggins. A joy to watch play and a freak athletic talent, Scroggins has flown well below the recruiting radar for some time. While those close to the Arizona basketball community can have a developed understanding for this young man’s individual talent, most college programs have either not seen him or do not have a good feel for this young man’s tremendous potential as a pure athlete. Scroggins played his first three seasons at McClintock High…
The exciting Open Division Playoffs have been a hit in the valley, as this has been the first year that the AIA has instituted such a division, which allows for the state’s best teams to compete with one another at the end to the high school season. The Open Division has now completed two rounds in the Open Division, and there have been some major surprises already, although #1 seed Perry High School continues to roll. Perry has rolled through the first two rounds of the Open Division Playoffs, after defeating Cienega High School (78-54) in the opening round and…
Glendale Junior College (11-13, 6-11) has not had the season that Head Coach Ken Carrillo would have liked for his program, but a major bright spot for the team this junior college season has been the play of 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore guard Eric Blackwell. A former graduate of Corona Del Sol High School, which has produced numerous elite performers over the years, Blackwell has had a very good career for GCC. After a strong freshman season for himself, Blackwell has returned as a sophomore and is currently ranked among the top overall scoring leaders in the Arizona Community College Athletic…
Chandler-Gilbert Junior College (19-4, 11-4) is right in the thick of the Division-II race for the Conference Championship in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) this season. Head Coach Steve Silsby has done an excellent job in developing the program and keeping them in the hunt this junior college season. While the team is very well balanced offensively, a big reason for the success of the program the last two seasons has been the consistently play of 6-foot-5, 200-pound sophomore forward Isaiah Somers. Somers has had two-consecutive strong seasons for Chandler-Gilbert, and has the program looking to overtake Scottsdale…
This has been an exciting year for basketball in the AIA Division, as the organization finally added a shot-clock amidst loads of anticipation. The AIA has now also added The Open Division for the Arizona basketball community to watch and observe, which will feature (32) of the state’s best teams from the 4A, 5A and 6A Divisions – each competing for the Open Division Title. This is an amazing opportunity for us to find out who the top overall team in the state is annually, while also allowing for the best competition for each of the state’s top teams at…
The 2023 Junior College season is winding down in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC), and two junior college programs are on terrific win streaks in the conference. Cochise Junior College (21-2, 15-0) is having an excellent season this year, and has won 19-straight games on the season. Scottsdale Junior College (19-4, 11-4) has hit their stride this junior college season, and has won (13) straight games this season. Both junior college programs are in the lead for their respective Conference Titles this season in the ACCAC. Cochise Head Coach Jerry Carrillo has been known as the Godfather of…
Some of the names have changed but the game still remains the same. The rivalry between Mesa High School (18-6) and Mesa Mountain View (16-10) is one of the very best rivalries in the state, and while the coaches and players have changed over the years for both programs, the atmosphere for these match-ups remains super intense and filled with excitement. On Tuesday evening, the gym was packed with Mesa and Mountain View fans and supporters at Mesa High School – making for a tremendous battle for bragging rights for the Mesa community. The Region Championship for the 6A’s East…
In amazing fashion on ESPN this week, this year’s 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game selections were announced by ESPN personalities Jalen Rose and Malika Andrews on national television. Annually these selections are announced, but never in this format, which heightened the selections for the viewers. As the names were announced, two prospects from Arizona received their blessing, as Perry High School’s 6-foot-8 senior guard Cody Williams (University of Colorado signee) and AZ Compass Prep 6-foot-6 senior wing Mookie Cook (University of Oregon signee) were both designated as members of the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game West Team. This distinction for both Arizona…
Scottsdale Junior College (15-4, 7-4) is on fire lately this junior college season – winning their last (9) games on the season, and recently receiving a Top 25 National Ranking among Division-II junior colleges by the NJCAA. A major reason for the success of the program has been the play of 6-foot-6, 215-pound sophomore forward Cameron Faas. A bigger shooter of the basketball, Faas is having a strong season for Head Coach Mark Bunker and his staff and his consistent play has helped Scottsdale JC win enough games to be strongly considered among the top teams in the ACCAC. Faas…