On Wednesday, January 16th we had the Mountain Pointe (MP) Pride (9-8) visiting the McClintock Chargers (6-16). Two very interesting teams with potential, but just haven’t consistently put it together just yet. The return of 6-foot-6 junior PF Chris Davis and 6-foot-3 junior SG Jalen Brown had Mountain Pointe liking their chances the rest of the season, while the emergence of two McClintock freshmen have helped the Chargers in many games this year. Mountain Pointe 6-foot-3 junior forward Emmanuel Butler started it off with an offensive rebound/lay-up for a 2 to 0 lead for MP. Then 5-foot-9 junior PG Malik Sanders scored on a driving lay-up…
Author: azpreps
This week, Marcos de Niza (14-4) hosted Corona del Sol (17-2). Both teams were coming in red-hot, with Marcos having won 10 of their last 11 games, and Corona having won 14 of their last 15 games. The electricity in the house was crazy. This huge rival game had all of the Corona students in the stands at the Marcos gym. The principal for Marcos was handing out “terrible towels” to all the Padres’ fans. The anticipation of #2 Corona versus #6 Marcos was tremendous. You also had my two personal favorite guards in the state going against each other – 6-foot-3 junior PG Casey Benson of Corona against 6-foot-4 senior SG Richaud…
The Scottsdale Preparatory Academy Spartans hosted the Salt River Eagles in this matchup. Scottsdale Prep came in with an 11-4 record while Salt River held a 15-4 record coming into this game. Scottsdale Prep would be without talented 6-foot-2 sophomore Nick Smith for the game. The game would start out competitive, as both team would go back-and-forth – resulting in a 14-10 Spartan lead after one quarter. However, the second quarter would bring a Salt River run, which gave them a small lead throughout the quarter. Scottsdale Prep called a timeout at the three minute mark, down 24-20. The timeout gave the Spartans…
On Wednesday, January 9th I watched the Desert Vista Thunder (9-10), who had lost 4 in a row and were desperate for a win, versus Marcos de Niza (13-3) who have won 4 in a row and were feeling really good about their playoff chances come February. Desert Vista’s 6-foot-3 senior SG Avery Brunson, who had transferred from Marcos De Niza during the summer, got things going with a 3-pointer for a 3 to 0 lead early. Then 6-foot-4 senior SG/SF Richaud Gittens (Weber State signee) would hit a lay-up for a 3-2 DV lead. Two free-throws were then made by 6-foot-3 senior SG Kyle Pittman to take a 5…
On Tuesday, January 8th the #1 Mesa Jackrabbits (14-3) took on the #2 Desert Mountain Wolves (DM) (13-2). Two very balanced teams came into the game with Mesa having five players averaging more than 8 + points per/game, and DM having six different players averaging more than 7 + points per/game. The game started off real slow, as both teams might have been a tad nervous for the “big game.” Almost every player on both teams had attempted a shot and missed, until 5-foot-10 junior PG Rolando Rhymes made a 15-foot jumper for a 3 to 2 Mesa lead. A quick steal by 5-foot-8 senior guard Zach Bullock…
Zylan Cheatham is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound junior SF who attends Westwind Prep Academy. Zylan has all the physical tools to play at the next level or maybe even the NBA. He is one of those rare, true point-forwards who can handle the ball and facilitate with the best guards in the state. His speed, athleticism (won the ARIZONAPREPS DUNK CONTEST) and defensive prowess make him one of the most unique and sought after prospects in the state, as Cheatham probably has the most upside for the future of anyone in the state. Once his skill level catches up to his athleticism, the…
On Friday, January 4th the Basha Bears (6-10) took on the Highland Hawks (12-4). It was a tale of two teams going in two different directions, as Basha HS had lost 6 of their last 7 games, while Highland has won 9 in a row – including a big holiday tournament championship at the McClintock Holiday Shootout last week. Both teams boasted star players who will play at the Division-I level in college. Basha has 6-foot-9 senior center Maurice Kirby (Virginia Tech signee) and Highland HS has 6-foot-5 junior wing prospect Jake Toolson, who has multiple division-I offers currently. The game started with Toolson on Kirby – a huge…
Mountain View versus Lexington (South Carolina) Game Recap Mountain View had looked very good and awful all at the same time in this tournament, from half to half. You are not really sure what to expect from their guards, which has led to the inconsistency from their team. One thing you know for sure is that 6-foot-10 junior PF/C Payton Dastrup will play well every single game. That was the case in this game, as Dastrup was extremely efficient from the field and was a willing passer to his teammates when Lexington doubled-teamed him. In this match-up, his teammates played well and almost seemed…
Red Mountain vs WCI (Canada) Game Recap The final day of the VisitMesa.com Basketball Challenge had Red Mountain versus WCI from Canada. The game started with a very slow-paced game and a defensive struggle. No one player on either team could find their groove with their shot. It was a very competitive game though, as it was going back and forth. That is until Red Mountain’s 5-foot-9 freshman Desi Ethridge came off the bench and scored 6-straight points with his aggressive play of taking the ball to hole. Ethridge would get three buckets in a row to give Red Mountain a 32 to 27 halftime lead. He would…
Dobson versus Churchill (Oregon) Game Recap Game 4 on the day figured to be very exciting, as Dobson boasted three different Division-I players, and Churchill has the fastest team in the event – playing with four fast guards and one fast big, similar to what Cesar Chavez HS does. The game started fast paced like the Suns used to do with “7 seconds or less.” The game was extremely fun to watch for any avid basketball fan. 6-foot-5 junior SG Ryan Richardson continued his hot shooting with 5 quick points, and 6-foot-5 senior SG Jaron Hopkins (Univ. of Colorado signee) also scored 5 points for himself. Churchill also came out hot though, as all 5 starters…