Now that each of our other scouts have completed their player evaluations from this year's 16th Annual Arizona Preps Fall Showcase, here are my player evaluations for the top prospects I watched from our recent, exciting event for boys . . .
Sammy Thompkins 6-3 SR PG Sunnyslope HS - 2015 Class
- No player in the event impressed more than Sunnyslope High School’s superb 6-foot-3 senior guard Sammy Thompkins – earning Thompkins this year’s Tournament Most Valuable Player Award. Thompkins played with superior confidence in this year’s event, while also displaying terrific sportsmanship and a great attitude in the event. His play on the court was advanced and he showed his continued development as an elite prospect. Thompkins shot the basketball extremely well, and also finished extremely strong at the basket. After mulling over his current recruiting options, Thompkins decided to forgo the fall evaluation period, and move to signing during the late signing period.
Devin Kirby 6-10 JR PF/C Basha HS - 2016 Class
- Kirby was the talk of this year's event by the scouts, as a result of his length and promise for the future. Kirby's unique and lengthy frame stands out like a sore thumb, as he has excellent potential and serious length of body. He is now also putting it all together as well, and looks to getting much more done these days. Kirby is quickly beginning to realize much of his potential as a college prospect – blocking shots, rebounding, running the floor hard and finishing strong at the rim over defenders. Kirby’s recent performances have been a nice preview to just how good this young man will become over time. Unfortunately for his opponents, Kirby seems to be realizing his potential much sooner than expected. With continued hard work and development as a player, Kirby should develop nicely into an elite high-major prospect, as a result of his size, length and overall skill level as a college prospect. Look for Kirby to continue his development as a prospect over time, and become one of the more sought after recruiting targets in the country over the next two years. The future looks very bright for this younger Kirby.
Lomaus Brown 7-0 Prep C Planet Athlete Academy - 2015 Class
- Brown is a developing talent with a rare combination of size and athleticism. He is still very raw overall as a player, but he has a unique ability to run the floor and finish strong at the rim – often times, high above the rim over defenders. As Brown develops his offensive skills in the post and also low-post footwork, he will become a formidable post prospect. Many high-major division-I programs will be in hot pursuit of him this spring – the state’s top available post prospect. While he is still very raw offensively and defensively, his tremendous size and length are rare finds. Many high-major programs will be knocking his door down, if he can qualify academically this spring.
Chris Bowling 6-6 JR SF Gilbert HS - 2016 Class
- Bowling is a long and very rangy wing prospect with a deadly shooting stroke with unlimited range. He has a very quick release on his shot and is able to make shots with defenders draped all over him or while left unattended from the wing. He also can put the ball on the floor and make plays for himself off the dribble. He will become a much better finisher inside the lane as he gets stronger physically, which he still needs to improve over time. More physical girth and strength will allow him to become a better overall finisher over time. An active rebounder. A good defender that uses his length to make deflections and contest shots. A good ball handler and passer. Has a very bright future ahead of him, and he continues to impress each time he steps on the basketball court.
Kwintin Williams 6-7 Prep SF Planet Athlete Academy - 2015 Class
- Williams is a native of Alaska and has a lot of potential as a player. He has a very good body and nice athleticism - intriguing aspects that make him very attractive as a college prospect. Williams is a strong and athletic wing prospect with excellent overall size – possessing a college-ready body. He has a variety of offensive skillsets with nice range on his jump shot and an ability to play well above the rim. A very good finisher. Will need to develop his mid-range game to make him much more effective offensively, and a better handle to raise his overall offensive ability. An OK defender. Strong rebounder. Very good in the open floor. An intriguing prospect.
Nick Allen 6-7 SR PF Willow Canyon HS - 2015 Class
- Allen was the top four-man from this year's event, and continues to impress with his ability to get a lot done inside the paint. Allen has good footwork in the post and a nice jump hook, which allows him to score over bigger defenders. He also possesses a very good mid-range shooting stroke and is able to make shots from the wing position on the floor. A strong rebounder and a very good offensive rebounder. Runs the floor very well and scores effectively in transition. He is a little undersized to play at a high-major program, and would be best at a strong mid-major or mid-major plus program. If he can qualify academically this spring, he will see a nice amount of college recruitment.
Malik Ondigo 6-10 JR C Dysart HS - 2016 Class
- Ondigo just seems to get better each time we see him play, suggesting that he will only continue to improve and could develop into a potential high-major prospect over the next year. Gets a lot done inside the paint and is now attempting to dunk everything he can around the rim when left unattended. Has good footwork and a relentless ability to score when he gets in position down low. As a he continues to get physically stronger, look out, as he will then be able to finish plays more often against bigger low-post defenders. In Arizona this season, there will be few post players that will be able to match his athleticism, length and activity inside the paint. Runs the floor very hard and is a very good shotblocker with excellent timing. Has a bright future ahead of him.
JJ Rhymes 6-3 JR SG Shadow Mountain HS - 2016 Class
- Rhymes is an athletic guard prospect with a nice motor and a strong ability to score basketball off of slashing drives to the basket. He has very good body control and finishes effectively against bigger defenders. Plays much bigger than his size suggests. An excellent finisher and open court player. Has a good shooting stroke with range. His left-handed prowess makes him difficult to defend for opposing defenders. A strong rebounder. Excellent defender with very good quickness of feet and hands. Good ball handler. Solid passer. Already hearing from a number of division-I programs for his services. It will be very interesting to see just how high he gets recruited, as he has already had a terrific high school career and is ready for a huge junior season.
Brock Brunkhorst 6-3 JR PG Brophy Prep HS - 2016 Class
- Brunkhorst continues his strong play with another very good showing for himself. Brunkhorst shot the basketball extremely well in this year's event, as he always does, and also has shown a superior confidence against his opponents, which allows him to do what he wants to on the floor. This young man is coming off a very good performance this spring and summer, and looks to be headed for a strong junior season at Brophy Prep. What level of college Brunkhorst will eventually land at for the future will be intriguing, as he has the skill level and basketball IQ to almost play at any level of college, although just how much stronger he becomes physically over the next two years will help determine where he will play in college.
Amiri Chukwuemeka 5-11 JR PG McClintock HS - 2016 Class
- Amiri was the top overall true-point guard prospect in this year's event, as he has superior confidence with the basketball in his hands and makes plays with the ball that many players his size cannot. He is able to make players around him better with an advanced vision of the floor, and also is willing to make tough passes, although it can get him into trouble at times. He does try to make the big play too often, rather than the simple pass, but I like his court presence and confidence with the basketball in his hands. A very good shooter with range, but shot selection can be questionable at times. Excellent in an up-tempo style of play. Very good in transition. Good finisher in traffic. Excellent lateral quickness suggests that he should become a lock-down defender over time. If he will focus more defensively, he has the ability to become a very good guard prospect for the junior class.
Chris Davis 6-7 Prep PF Phase 1 Academy - 2015 Class
- While it has been an interesting road for Davis, he will now look to pick up his career and also look to develop on and off the basketball court at Phase 1 Academy in Arizona. Davis’ decision to head the prep school route was primarily based on his desire to qualify academically, since he was not an academic qualifier at the completion of his senior season at Mountain Pointe. A long and athletic post player that plays much bigger than his size suggests, Davis has the body of a much older prospect. He attacks the rim with vigor and finishes very strong in the paint. If Davis can develop a consistent jump shot out to three-point distance, he will see his game develop for the collegiate level – making him much tougher to defend as a player. A solid prospect for a college program that does not mind an undersized 4-man. Staying focused is the key with Davis.
A.J. Elliot 6-7 JR PF Pinnacle HS - 2016 Class
- Elliot is a nice post prospect with a rugged style and very good overall toughness. He plays like a four man, as he does not mind physical contact, and is able to score inside and outside with a nice left-handed jump hook or a mid-range jump shot. A strong offensive rebounder and a good finisher inside. Runs the floor hard. Has the potential to become a nice prospect over the next year. A solid mid-major talent.
Brandon Whitaker 6-7 JR SF Campo Verde HS - 2016 Class
- Whitaker is a long, athletic and rangy wing prospect with loads of potential as a prospect and a lot of upside. Very young for his age, Whitaker is still growing a great deal into his body and has the potential to really develop as a player over the next 2-3 years - making him a nice sleeper prospect for the future. He has a good overall skill level, but still needs to get physically stronger to maximize his potential as a player. A very good slasher and open court player, and a solid finisher that plays well above the rim. A good shooter with range on his shot that should only improve over time. Still raw overall, but this young man could become one of the more sought after prospects in the 2016 class over the next year.
Seth Mason 6-8 JR SF Pinnacle HS - 2016 Class
- Mason, very similar to Whitaker, is a raw, athletic talent with loads of athleticism and potential for the future. Still very thin physically, Mason burst onto the recruiting scene after a strong performance in several Showcase events this fall. While he has yet to perform against better competition, he is a very intriguing prospect as a result of his unique bounce off the floor, which is almost surprising when you see him take off. Mason is an excellent finisher above the rim and is a highlight reel in the open floor. Mason is a very good mid-range performer that has a knack for scoring the basketball in the lane and around defenders on the baseline. He still needs to add consistency on his jump shot from longer ranges and acquire a stronger handle of the basketball to reach his maximum potential as a player. As he gets much stronger physically, his overall approach to the game will really develop. A very intriguing prospect that will have a breakout junior season for Pinnacle this year.
Kaveon Moore 6-3 SR SG Independence HS - 2015 Class
- Moore is an athletic guard prospect with a high-motor and competitive drive. While he still needs to become fundamentally sound on both ends the floor to reach his maximum potential as a player and as a college prospect, Moore's sheer athleticism allows him to make plays most players his size cannot. Moore is capable of scoring effectively from inside and out, and when his shot was not falling he plays hard on the defensive end of the floor and makes up for it. His defense is his best offense, and has he embraces that role, he should blossom over time. With continued hard work and focus Moore could raise some eyebrows this spring. Which level he eventually lands at will be determined by his continued hard work, on and off the basketball court.
Caleb Simmons 6-5 SOPH SG Desert Vista HS - 2017 Class
- Simmons is a rare find at such a young age, as he has shot up physically at an early age and already has very good size physically and also possesses very good athleticism. Simmons comes from excellent basketball bloodlines, so he is a young superstar guard in the making and should grow into becoming an elite high major prospect over time. He possesses very good body control and has a nice overall feel for the game already. As he continues to mature and develop a more consistent shooting stroke from longer ranges, he will improve as a college prospect. A big time prospect for the near future.