Now that each of our other scouts have completed their player evaluations from this year's 16th Annual Arizona Preps Fall Showcase, here is Part II of my player evaluations for the top prospects I watched from our recent, exciting event for boys . . .
Billy Jordan 6-5 SOPH SF Desert Ridge HS - 2017 Class
- Jordan comes from excellent basketball bloodlines, as his father, Billy Jordan Sr., was a big-time prospect back in his day. Jordan is a skilled and tenacious wing prospect that competes at a high level and has great energy on the floor. Jordan has an ability to make plays for himself and others with the basketball in his hands, suggesting that he could develop into a serious point-forward over time. He has good size and length already, and his left-handed skillset makes him difficult to defend for opposing defenders. Has very good versatility. Very good mid-range shooter and a capable shooter from longer ranges. As he adds more consistency to his jump shot he will be able to open up his game, making him even more difficult to defend. A good defender as a result of his length and aggressive style of play. Has the potential to become a nice division-I prospect over the next 1 -2 years.
Randy Bronner 6-4 JR SG Pinnacle HS - 2016 Class
- Bronner is a nice guard prospect with a left-handed shooting stroke and good range on his shot. He also has a very good mid-range game, which allows him to make plays off the dribble and finish strong at the rim. He has very good length of body and is able to make plays most cannot his size, as a result of his wingspan and feel for the game. Capable of playing the point guard position on the floor as well. Could develop into a full-time point guard over time with more maturity, making him a very versatile prospect. A good defender with quick hands and good court anticipation, allowing him to play passing lanes. A nice guard prospect that will only get better over the next 1 -2 years.
Terry Gates 6-1 JR PG Copper Canyon HS - 2016 Class
- Gates has developed nicely into a very good guard prospect for the future. He is an excellent defender with quick hands and court anticipation. He is quick off the dribble and is a good finisher as well in the lane against bigger defenders. Gates is at his best in an up-tempo offensive style of play. A solid shooter, although he still needs to add more consistency from longer ranges to reach his full potential as a player.
Avonte Nelms 6-4 SR SF Arcadia HS - 2015 Class
- Nelms is a skilled wing prospect that has emerged as a good looking prospect for Arizona’s 2015 class. Nelms has also become a two-way player, as it is referred to these days. He takes pride on the defensive end in stopping his opponent. As a result, Nelms has improved his lateral quickness and overall approach towards defensive principles. He has also developed a serious shooting stroke with range that allows him to make plays from almost anywhere on the floor. Nelms should see his future at the shooting guard or small forward positions in college.
Dakota Kordsiemon 6-3 SR SG Catalina Foothills HS - 2015 Class
- Kordsiemon is a strong, well-built physical guard with a nice shooting stroke with range and excellent work ethic and physical toughness. A great teammate, Kordsiemon has an excellent feel for the game and helps teams win ball games, as he will defend the opposing team's top offensive player, and will provide the intangibles to help he and his teammates be successful. A winner. A good ball handler and passer with excellent court vision and a willingness to find the open man on the floor. Strong rebounder and finisher inside the lane. A very good defender that takes pride on the defensive end. A solid college prospect for a smaller college program that is proven.
Riley McKinis 6-0 SR PG Chandler HS - 2015 Class
- McKinis was this year's Surprise Performer, as he played very big in this year's event - helping his team upset a loaded group from Planet Athlete in the evening game. McKinis plays with loads of confidence and plays much bigger than his size suggests. McKinis is a combo-guard prospect that can either either guard spot on the floor, and has a knack for scoring the basketball off dribble-drives and strong finishes at the basket. He is able to finish strong at the rim against bigger defenders, and uses very good body control to finish plays inside the lane. A good shooter with range on his shot. Also a very good defender with excellent lateral quickness and toughness as a player. McKinis emerged in this year's event, and I am looking forward to seeing just how big a senior season this young man produces.
JJ Catchings 6-2 SR PG/SG Phase 1 Academy - 2015 Class
- Catchings was another nice surprise performer from this year's event. He has good size for the point guard position and has a nice overall feel for the game, which allows him to make plays off the dribble and make players around him better. He has a very good overall skill level and gets a lot done with the basketball in his hands. A very good ball handler and passer. A very good on the ball defender. Slasher and open court player that pushes the basketball and thrives in an up-temp style of play. A nice surprise from this year's event that could generate some recruiting interest this spring. He just needs to be seen by the right college program.
Connor Nichols 6-5 SR SG/SF Arcadia HS - 2015 Class
- Nichols continues to impress with his ability to makes plays with the basketball in his hands and also get a lot done on the basketball court. Nichols is a skilled guard prospect with a nice overall feel for the game, and an advanced basketball IQ. An old soul, Nichols plays well without the basketball in his hands, which is a lost art that many players do not possess. A very good shooter with range on his shot and a nice mid-range game to go with it, allowing him to get to the basket and finish strong or score from the wing position on the floor. A good open court player and slasher. Solid defender. A good ball handler which allows him to be very versatile and play several positions on the floor. A nice looking prospect that should have a big senior season.
DJ Lujan 6-3 SR SG Moon Valley HS - 2015 Class
- Lujan is a nice-looking guard prospect with a high-motor and a nice, athletic frame. A left-handed shooter with excellent range on his shot, Lujan is able to score inside and out. He uses floaters and mid-range jump shots to free himself up from defenders, and is able to knock down perimeter shots consistently as well. Lujan plays with a chip on his shoulder and also superior confidence, suggesting that he will raise his level of play depending on the level of competition. A good slasher and open court player. A very good finisher with nice body control. Very good defender. Lujan is a nice sleeper prospect for a smaller college program looking to add scoring and athleticism.
Trevin Crider 6-6 SR SF Mesa Mountain View HS - 2015 Class
- Crider is a very intriguing prospect with nice potential for the future. My kind of player and prospect, Crider has very good size and a nice overall skill level. He plays with a purpose and is a nice competitor that makes basketball plays. A definite sleeper prospect with a strong, athletic frame. One of the best sleeper prospects from the event, as he is tough and an excellent defender and also deceivingly athletic. This young man is a nice find for a smaller college, and could play at the division-I level for the right program. Will have a strong senior season and should make the right college program very happy this spring. A very underrated prospect in Arizona's 2015 class.
George Faull 6-5 SOPH SF/PF Flagstaff HS - 2017 Class
- Faull is a throw-back prospect that plays with excellent toughness and a nice, athletic frame. He is a tough, physical rebounder and finisher inside the paint and is also able to score from the wing position on the floor. Active on both ends of the floor. A good defender. OK ball handler. A good passer. Plays bigger than his size suggests, and could still be growing a great deal. I really like this young man's potential for the future, and am looking forward to seeing him play again soon. Now regarded by me as one of the top prospects in Arizona's 2017 class.
Bryce Cheney 6-6 JR SF Moon Valley HS - 2016 Class
Cheney is a very good sleeper prospect that has emerged as of late, and has very good size and a good overall skillset, which allows him to play inside and out. A good low post offensive threat that is also capable of stepping outside and making shots from the perimeter. Has a high basketball IQ. Will see the majority of his time inside the paint for Moon Valley, but he should be able to blossom into a small forward at the next level. Still needs to get quicker laterally to defend wings, but he has time. A good offensive rebounder and finisher inside the paint. Definitely one to watch this season and a player that could make a nice jump in our next rankings.
Cameron Centers 5-10 JR PG Desert Vista HS - 2016 Class
- Centers was one of the guards many scouts were taking notice of in this year's event, as he played with very good toughness and was a lock-down defender on the court. Centers is a floor general point man that gets others involved on the floor and makes players around him better. One of the top surprise performers from this year's event. A quality guard prospect that does not stand out initially, but after you observe him play, it is simple to see his value on the basketball court. One of the better pure point guard prospects in Arizona's 2016 class.
Rod Springer 5-11 SR PG Buena HS - 2015 Class
- Springer is a well-built physical guard prospect with good court presence and a nice feel for the game. He has an excellent handle of the basketball and a nice mid-range shooting stroke. He is a solid shooter from longer ranges, but still needs to improve his range on his shot. A very good passer that sees the floor. A very good looking guard prospect that can run your team, and also has very good lateral quickness defensively. A leader on the floor.
Nick Johnson 6-4 JR SG Boulder Creek HS - 2016 Class
- Johnson was another surprise performer from this year's event, as he proved to be one of the best shooters of the basketball in the event. He has very good length and size as a shooting guard prospect and has a nice understanding of how to move without the basketball and get open, where he then uses a quick release on his shot. Johnson is able to knock down perimeter shots from deep on flair moves, or from mid-range on curl moves with defenders draped all over him. A solid defender. A solid ball handler and passer.
Stephen Williamson 6-4 SR SF Mountain Pointe HS - 2015 Class
- Williamson is a nice athletic talent with a nice body and good length. He is still trying to figure out who he is as a player, but if he stays focused he can be a very good prospect for a smaller college program. He has excellent length and nice bounce off the floor. He is a good finisher inside the lane and is capable of scoring inside and out. He is an OK shooter from longer ranges, and seems to be at his best inside the paint. He still needs to become tighter fundamentally in his overall approach to the game. This young man has the potential to really be a player over time with a lot of hard work and dedication to his craft.
