On Thursday, December 13th I went to see the Pinnacle Pioneers versus the Chaparral Firebirds at the beautiful stadium of Chaparral HS. I was expecting fireworks from these two very good teams with as many as 5 players that may play Division-I basketball in the future. The game started off fast from the tip and Chaparral would pound it down low with 6-foot-8 senior post Joe Boyd (Drake University signee) catching a beautiful pass from 5-foot-10 sophomore PG Brandon Hoffer. A few plays later, a huge fast break dunk by 6-foot-7 senior power forward Erik Conklin to tie the game at 7-7. The match-ups in this game were fun to watch as…
Author: azpreps
On December 10th I went to see the Mountainside Middle School Mountain Lions versus the Cocopah Middle School Mustangs. Former star pro-athletes Luis Gonzalez and Kurt Warner were in the house supporting their opposing teams. The game started fast as 5 quick points by 6-foot-3 forward Austin Nuessie for Mountainside MS, and then 7 points in a row with a deep 3-ball by 5-foot-8 point guard Colten Kresl for Cocopah to take a 10-5 early lead. Colten Kresl has the ability to keep his handle alive in the hardest moments and pass with either hand. Nuessie would come back and score two more buckets – cutting it to 14…
Casey Benson is a 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior PG who attends Corona Del Sol High School. In my opinion, Casey is the best PG in the state – regardless of class. The lefty has a very high skill level, where he can shoot it from deep consistently and also put it on the floor and blow by his man. He has an uncanny ability to keep his dribble alive in pressure situations. He always is looking up to find the open man on the floor, or surveying the scene to score a basket. He facilitates when he needs to or when it…
Payton Dastrup is a 6-foot-10, 225-pound junior post who attends Mesa Mountain View High School. In my opinion, Payton is the best big man in Arizona, regardless of class. He has the skill level of a true post player with a left or right hand hook inside the paint, but what separates himself with other big men, is his shooting touch out to the 3-point stripe. He also is an excellent passer out of the double-team and an amazing rebounder. He still has potential left; only being a junior. Dastrup will play at a high-major division-I program and will improve each year. When college is over,…
This matchup between Corona and Dobson (7-2) attracted college coaches and scouts from all over. With elite players all over the floor, it was expected to be a good one. The game opened fast-paced and high speed. Corona Del Sol (7-1) came out in a man-to-man defense and were switching on all screens to keep the shooters covered. Because of Dobson’s lack of size, everybody on Corona could matchup with all of Dobson’s players size wise. Both teams matched each other early, going back forth, as Corona’s 6-foot-2 junior guard Casey Benson of Corona and Dobson’s 6-foot-5 senior guard Jaron…
Thursday, December 6th I went to see the Paradise Valley Trojans versus the Shadow Mountain Matadors. It was a great atmosphere as former NBA players Mark West, Mike Bibby and Eddie House each supported their family members – plus Channel 3 sports was covering the game. Paradise Valley got off to a quick 9 to 1 start as 6-6 senior SG Paul Watson (Fresno State signee) had 4 early points. Shadow Mountain’s 6-foot-2 senior SG Keegan Hansen made an “and-1” to cut it to 9 to 4. Then a few baskets were exchanged for a 12 to 9 PV lead at the end of the 1st…
On Tuesday, December 4th I went to watch the Desert Mountain Wolves versus the Mesa Mountain View Toros. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 in preseason. Desert Mountain’s 6-foot-6 junior post Mark Andrews was rewarded the job of starting on Mountain View’s star 6-foot-10 junior post Payton Dastrup, and Payton immediately scored a tip-in for a quick 2-0 lead. Desert Mountain would then score 15-straight points for an impressive 15-2 lead with 2 minutes left in the quarter. Finally Mountain View starting hitting some shots – cutting it to a 17 to 9 first quarter lead for DM. In the second period, Payton Dastrup…
Richaud Gittens is a 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior SG who attends Marcos de Niza HS and committed to Weber State University this fall. In my opinion, Richaud is one of the best seniors in the state overall. He is an elite athlete with a smooth lefty jumper out to the 3-point stripe. He also has a mature body and is very good at anticipating passes and picking up steals. He still has room to grow in his overall game for the future. The scary thing is, Richaud is also one of the youngest seniors in the state – still only a mere 16…
Timothy Kempton is a 6-foot-9, 235-pound senior PF who attends Brophy Prep and committed to Lehigh University, which is in Pennsylvania. In my opinion, Kempton is the best senior power forward in the state. He is an extremely skilled offensive player with shooting range out to the 3-point line. He is your classic “stretch 4” for college ball, but with actual post moves. He can go left or right with his inside jump hooks. Once he develops more handles and focuses more on the defensive end, he will become an amazing get for college. Here is a recent conversation he had with Arizona…
A college-like environment was the scene on November 30, 2012 as the Desert Mountain Wolves hosted the Chaparral Firebirds in the Wolf Den. This exciting rivalry was set to be a clash of a couple of regional powerhouses. With student sections completely full on both sides, we were ready for an exciting matchup. From the opening tip, the game was fast-paced and fun to watch. Chaparral jumped out to the early lead – taking a page out of Desert Mountain’s playbook and hitting a few threes quickly. A mix of defense and shooting had the Firebirds up ten in no time.…