One prospect that has emerged in Arizona's 2015 class since the end to the high school season has been Perry High School's 6-foot-4 rising senior guard prospect Coby De Laveaga. The son of former basketball standout Steve De Laveaga and the nephew of legendary coach and player, Jeff De Laveaga, this young man has developed at his own pace, but is now beginning to come into his own.
On Thursday afternoon at this year's Double Pump Summer Tip-Off event in Anaheim, CA, De Laveaga continued his strong play - leading his club team to a nice victory by more than 20 points over their opponent. In the victory, this young man proved why many basketball enthusiasts in the state have began to regard him among the top overall performers in the rising senior class.
After developing as a college prospect this past season and aiding his Perry team in their state playoff run, De Laveaga has grown physically and now has become a serious recruiting target for many smaller college programs. Several division-I college coaches commented to me on Thursday that they believed him to be a possible division-I prospect, after watching him perform.
Coby comes from a long family bloodline of serious basketball prospects, and while he has not received the press of other members of his family before him, his time has now come to be regarded as another top-rated member of the family. Coby's cousins, Tate De Laveaga and Kye De Laveaga will both suit up for Northern Arizona next fall.
Coby is a nice-looking combo-guard prospect with an ability to play both guard positions on the floor - able to make lays for himself or others off the dribble and possessing a nice ability to make players around him better. He has a very nice feel for the game and sees plays often before they happen. He has an excellent basketball IQ. He is also ambidextrous and is able to score, pass or dribble the basketball with either hand - making him very difficult to defend. De Laveaga is also an excellent shooter with a nice release and unlimited range on his shot.
Defensively, he is very long for his body-build, and his length allows him to make many pass deflections and cue problems for smaller guards. He also has good lateral quickness and is able to recover effectively, as a result of his reach.
Natural maturity and physical development will only continue to benefit Coby over time, and as he adds physical strength and size to his thin frame he should really blossom as a player.
This young man has developed a great deal since I first saw him as a freshman prospect, and now looks to be headed in the right direction at the right time in his young career. It will be very interesting to see how his college recruitment continue to develop. Currently, he is hearing from numerous smaller college programs.
I will be keeping a close eye on this young man throughout the summer and next high school season, as he has become one of the better overall performers in Arizona's 2015 class.