Chandler High School is absolutely loaded this season, and will look to make a lot of noise this high school basketball season in the state's 6A Division. Head Coach Jon Rother and his experienced and talented coaching staff, which includes former professional standout Will Shaw, who is also one of the best up-and-coming coaches in the state. This team is set to surprise a lot of people this high school season ,as the team is absolutely loaded with talent, and has enough to compete for an Open Division State Championship this season. They will certainly compete for a 6A State Championship. The team will be led this season by the versatile play of 6-foot-5, 195-pound senior guard Brandon Stapleton. Stapleton has a nice supporting cast around him this season as well, but this young man is on the rise and worthy of serious college recruitment going forward.
Stapleton emerged for me last season quickly at last year's Mesa Fear The Hop Tournament, when he put on an exhibition, while leading his team to a strong tournament champion runner-up finish. Stapleton went on to have an excellent junior season for himself, and emerged as one of the top prospects in Arizona's 2026 Class of prospects.
Stapleton is now coming off a strong performance throughout the spring and summer, as he helped lead his Arizona Gremlins club team to numerous strong finishes and tournament championships throughout the club season. Stapleton also recently came off an excellent showing on the USA Team, a Northwest U18 Team that competed in the London Showcase, an excellent opportunity for Stapleton to showcase his unique talent and skill level internationally. Stapleton is definitely on the rise as a player and college prospect, and I believe he is currently one of the most underrated prospects in the class - deserving of much higher college recruiting interest.
Coach Jon Rother and his staff absolutely love Stapleton as a young man and as a player, and marvel about his extreme work ethic and commitment to the game. This is a student-athlete that I am pulling for myself, as he is a fine young man. Stapleton is a soft-spoken young man with a nice personality that seems easy to talk to, an excellent quality for him as he continues to mature as a young man and as a top-rated student-athlete. Stapleton is also an excellent student and carries a 3.6 CUM GPA.
Stapleton will team up with a nice roster of gifted prospects for Chandler HS this season, which includes gifted 6-foot junior point guard JT Mercado, 6-foot-6 versatile junior Ja'mir Smith and promising 6-foot-8 sophomore Donovan Palmer. This group of talented performers can play with anyone in the state, and I believe will compete at the highest level this high school season.
Stapleton is now considered by our staff as one of the top prospects in Arizona's 2026 Class. While the class is absolutely loaded with talent, Stapleton has proven that he is among the better talents in the group. This young man is well deserving of much higher college recruitment, and is one Arizona prospect that should see his college recruitment begin to take shape throughout the high school season, if not before.
Arizona Preps Scouting Report: Stapleton is a rare prospect that once you see him perform, you want to see him again. He does so much as a player and with such versatility and finesse, that he makes the game look easy. He can score at all (3) levels on the floor, and does it in a manner where he allows the game to come to him. He is a very unselfish performer that surveys the floor first, before ultimately making a play for his team. He does not waist any movement, and is very efficient in the manner in which he scores. A left hander, Stapleton can score around the basket over smaller and bigger defenders. He likes to post of from mid-range or catch the ball from longer ranges, turn and face his defender and then make a play, which he can do as a shooter with range, or off the dribble where he can score on strong drives to the basket. He is an excellent facilitator that also makes players around him better, as he is a very willing passer that enjoys making an assist to his teammates. Stapleton is very skilled as a left hander, and is a very good ball handler in the open floor. He pushes the ball up the court to the open man, and is a good playmaker in the open floor. He can play multiple positions on the court, and is very valuable to any team he plays for, because he is capable of doing so much for a team.
