On October 26th ArizonaVarsity attended Anthony Ray's 15th Annual AZ Preps Showcase at the JCC in Scottsdale (Ariz.). This was the last showcase of the year before the HS season starts and it was a very exciting day of hoops along with top rated Arizona prospect Zylan Cheatham announcing his college decision to San Diego State. Here were the top performers from the event in the 2015-17 classes.
6-foot-2 CG 2015 Sammy Thompkins attends Sunnyslope. Thompkins is one of the better scorers in his class and was arguably the best scorer at the entire event. He has the rare ability of getting his shot off at anytime he wants, as he knows how to create separation from his defender. He hit many long-range shots all day and also sliced up the defense and scored on some lay-ups as he bounced off his defenders to get his points. He also has the ability to pass to his teammates when he's not looking to score. He has become stronger recently, and he seems to have more bounce and more consistency with his deep ball. Thompkins just recently received his first offer from San Jose State.
6-foot-7 F 2015 Deion James attends Empire. James played real well in the two games this weekend. Besides racking up points with put-backs, face-up jumpers and down low baby hook shots, he had many assists on the day. He was one of the leaders of the event in assists with almost 10. When he would attract any defense or running the break, he would find the open man for an easy assist. He also attacked the glass on both ends of the floor and he was one of the most productive players of the entire weekend. James is getting interest from many Division-1 schools.
5-foot-11 PG 2015 Tarion May attends Cesar Chavez. May is easily the most athletic point guard in his class. He flies up the court with his natural speed and grace and can find open players for assists. His shot is becoming more consistent from long range, as he will make it harder to be guarded since he can already go by most. His defense on the ball is one of his better traits where he collects steals, gets deflections and makes it hard for his opponent to get into the lane. May is also receiving interest from many Division-1 schools.
6-foot-3 SG 2015 Kaveon Moore attends Independence. Moore was the surprise of the event and impressed many with his skill level. He has a solid body and loves to attack the basket with a solid first step. He also can hit the deep ball as he jumps very high on his release to not get blocked. He showed great timing on the glass with a few tip-ins in traffic and can find some teammates to facilitate as well. He almost plays like a Jalen Richard type of game without the serious bounce, but he had a great day showcasing what he brought to the table. He will be one to watch for next club season and will enter the state rankings for his class.
6-foot-3 SG 2015 Dakota Kordsiemon attends Catalina Foothills. Kordsiemon attacks the basket with his strength and can shoot from the outside as well. He has a chiseled body to grab boards with the big men and is very tenacious on defense. He has a very good motor to not give up on any play and is the heart and soul on every team he plays on. He still will need to get a little quicker and continue to improve the consistency of his long range shooting.
6-foot-5 F 2015 Rashaad Goulsby attends Cesar Chavez. Goulsby was another decent surprise at the event. We have seen him before, but this was his best outing thus far. He was attacking the rim with some impressive dunks on the break and hitting from long range, which isn't something he normally does. He also was handling the ball more then usual and showed off his athletic ability on the break and good body control. If he continues, he will be able to move over to the small forward position comfortably and could develop into a serious sleeper in the class.
6-foot-6 SG 2016 Brock Gardner attends Tri-City Academy. Gardner has many skills to like. He can handle the ball well, pass to his teammates, drive the lane, defend fairly well and shoot the deep ball. He will need to improve his shot selection, but he has really developed a solid all-around game. He clearly looks like he has Division-1 potential and is attracting many Division-1 schools.
6-foot-5 SG 2016 Chris Bowling attends Gilbert. Bowling is a long wing player that has a smooth stroke. He has been playing real well this month and is just climbing the state rankings. Besides his beautiful touch from deep, he can rebound well for a guard, deflect passes and block some shots down low with terrific timing. Many Division-1 schools are already on the young sophomore.
6-foot-6 SF 2016 Brandon Whittaker attends Campo Verde. Whittaker is fairly new to the scene and seems to be more impressive every time we see him. He has an easy jumper out to 15-feet and in and can throw down on the break with some solid athletic ability. He can rebound well, but feels more comfortable on the perimeter. His handle needs to get tighter, but Whittaker is someone that may break out this year. A few Division-1 schools have already figured out his talents and are interested in him.
6-foot-4 SF 2017 Caleb Simmons attends Desert Vista. Simmons is a real long and lean prospect with strong defensive instincts. He gets his hands on many balls to steal, deflect or block their shots. He has a good set shot out to the three-point line and in, but he isn't the all-around offensive threat at this stage of his career. He does have solid court vision and doesn't force anything with his high court awareness. Simmons has received interest from Denver and UCLA.
6-foot PG 2017 Jaiyer Jinwright attends Queen Creek. Jinwright is quick pass-first point guard with a fast first step. He has amazing court vision to find his teammates in the half court set. His handle is shifty enough to go by his man and find the open player. His deep ball is streaky, but that's something that will improve over time. He also needs some strength to battle with the older players and make driving to the basket easier for him. He is clearly a next level point guard.
5-foot-10 PG 2017 Colten Kresl attends Chaparral. Kresl is one of the craftiest players out there. He can shoot it from the arc and is money from mid-range. You never know when he is going to pull up and shoot or dish it off to his teammates. He needs to get stronger and improve his shot selection. He is receiving interest from Division-1 schools already.
Others who impressed 5-foot-10 CG 2017 Treyvon McCray attends Copper Canyon. McCray is a long smooth guard who can find his teammates and can score as well. He loves the runners, floaters and mid-range shots and is also a solid on-ball defender with his long wingspan.
5-foot-7 PG 2017 Andres Mayberry attends Red Mountain. Mayberry is a sturdy pass-first point guard with a solid handle. He can control the tempo of a game even at a young age. He has a streaky shot out to the stripe and can get into the lane with a nice first step.