I went to the Full Court Press Arizona FROSH/SOPH Showcase on September 1st and 2nd at Mesa High School. There were many good players that I noticed over the 2 days, with each player playing in at least 3 games each - plus there were two all-star games. One all-star game included the Top 20 kids from the event, and one all-star game included the Top 40.
After watching all the games, I have developed a list of the Top-10 2015 prospects, and also the Top-10 2016 prospects from the event. I also have four other prospects that I thought people might want to know about since all 4 could be special from the 2017 and 2018 classes.
This 2-day event was organized by Chad Groth, Etop Udo Ema and Alex Austin. Probably the most organized event I have seen since June. The event featured guest speakers and scouts from around the country.
Here are my top 2015 prospects from this weekend's Showcase event ...
Fullcourt Press Arizona Frosh/Soph Showcase Top 2015 Prospects
Jalen Jenkins 6-4 SOPH PG Mesa HS - Jalen is supposed to be the top player in the state in his class with an Arizona State offer already on his resume. After the 2 days, he didn't disappoint anyone. Jalen, at this point of his career, has no equal athletically in the state for players in the 2015 class. With his 6-4 height, to go along with his 6-6 wingspan and a tremendous vertical leap, you can see why he is a handful. But that doesn't define who he is as a player. Two things will define him going forward - his pure vision as a true PG, which you rarely see in today's game, and his high motor. He is relentless with everything he does. He does not stop guarding you, or trying to pursue a rebound on the glass or hustling for a loose ball. The lefty is developing an outside shot to his game to keep the defense honest. Right now his elbow jumper is his best shot, but I'm sure he would love to have a 3-point shot to go along with it. His form is solid, but the ball sometimes comes out sideways. He basically can blow by anyone he wants to at will, but he has to keep improving. Off the court, he is a very humble and fine young man. He is a high major prospect.
Sammy Barnes Thompkins 6-3 SOPH SG Mountain View HS (Tucson) - Sammy was the surprise of the showcase. Most people haven't ever heard of him, coming from Tucson, but it took Sammy one game for people to take notice. In his first game, he put up 25 points. The 2nd game, he backed it up and got 20. The interesting thing about Sammy is not that he put up the points; it's how he did it. None of his points were above the rim, but he scored at all 3 levels. He first hits you with a 3-point shot. Then the next possession, he goes by you with his strong handle and lays it in. The last thing he does is his best skill - the mid-range jumper. He has a variety of mid range shots. Since he isn't a high-riser, and sometimes struggles finishing plays, he has developed an arsenal of moves before he gets to the rim. The easiest thing he does, is stop-and-pop. He can put his body on you and spin off of you, then turn around and shoot a mid-range shot. Going forward he will need better shot selection, a better use of his left hand and use his teammates a little more. A low to mid-major prospect.
Riley Mckinnis 6-0 SOPH PG/SG Brophy Prep - Riley has a true-jump shot with his left hand, and has very good vision. He can easily play the 1 or 2. Riley mostly prefers to get by his man with his hesitation dribble and go by his defender. If you lay off, he will just rise up and shoot in your face. He is also a very physical player and is not afraid to mix it up and grab rebounds. Riley also seems to love the pressure situations. At the end of the half and end of the all-star game, he made key plays on both offense and defense to put his team in position to win. In situations like this, which many kids get scared, Riley is not afraid to fail. Moving forward, it would help him to possibly switch over full-time and become a PG, and also improve on his right hand. Low major prospect.
DJ Lujan 6-2 SOPH SG Moon Valley HS - DJ plays the way it should be played. He won't wow you with anything he does, but if you watch him long enough, you truly will appreciate his game. He comes off screens, uses the pick and roll and plays the game with a high IQ. He has a nice, lefty jump-shot, when he is left open, and can use a solid hesitation move to go by his man. He plays solid defense and always gives a high effort. When the game is over and you look at the stat sheet - he does a little of everything. He is a low major prospect.
Tre Hoebee 5-11 SOPH PG Sunrise Mountain HS - Tre is one of the best shooters in his class. The special thing about his shot is how high he gets on his release. He has a very good vertical leap, which he uses to his advantage. Many of his shots are contested, but since he jumps so high, you can't block it. He has to continue to be more of a pure PG, which is not always easy when you have such an easy shot like he has. He also will have to be more consistent going left and continue to get tighter handles to make his game more versatile. He is a very hard worker, as he was the first in the gym, early in the morning, working on his game with his father. He is a low-major prospect.
Cody De Laveaga 6-0 SOPH PG/SG Perry HS - Cody isn't the fastest player in the gym, but with the use of his solid handles and very high IQ, he finds a way to get by his man. He also is a very good shooter from any distance when he is left alone. He is always trying to do the right thing during a game, which usually leads him to make a nice pass to a teammate. It seems at this stage of his career that he is very well coached. Moving forward, it would help him to switch over to the PG position since he isn't overly explosive, but his high IQ will help him immensely. He is a low major prospect.
Jacahi Cox 5-7 SOPH PG Copper Canyon HS - Jacahi is extremely fast and quick with the ball. He has a good 3-point shot and has a solid floor game. He can go by his man most of the time and finish with a floater or lay-up. Since he is so small, the floater shot is so important to have in his arsenal. He also should develop a mid-range shot. Right now, he either shoots a 3 or just tries to blow by you. Being more versatile will help him in the long run. He is a low major prospect.
Sumeet Khara 6-2 SOPH PG/SG Mesa HS - Sumeet is a very fast and athletic player that can get by almost everybody in the gym. He has nice vision in the open court, where he uses his teammates well. He also is very long and can create steals. His problem at this stage is finishing plays when he doesn't have a lay-up, and when the game has slowed down in a half-court set. He doesn't have much range on his shot, so he needs to get as close as he can to shoot. He makes mid-range shots from time to time, but doesn't look overly comfortable doing it. When his skill level catches up to his athleticism and he slows his game down, he will be a very intriguing prospect. He is a low major prospect.
Kale Abbott 6-1 SOPH SG Mesa HS - Kale has a beautiful stroke on his jumper - all the way out to the 3-point line. He never hesitates to take an open shot when he is open. He also is a sneaky, good passer when the play is there for him to make. Whether it's a mid-range or a 3-point shot, Kale will always release the shot. It's a good and bad mentality to have. It is a catch 22, where he never can be right, because if he makes the shot, he is shooting too much, and, of course, if he misses, he should of passed the ball. He isn't the best athlete, so he will have to mix in more passes than shots, to at least be a combo-guard, and to become more of a versatile player than one-dimensional. This shooter is a low major prospect.
Cameron Washburn 5-10 SOPH PG Mesa HS - Cameron is an interesting player - compared to his teammates from Mesa HS. He isn't the athlete Sumeet is, and he doesn't have Kale's pure shot, but he is a combination of both of them. He isn't elite at anything, but he is a very sound all-around player. He has solid handles and can shoot the ball well out to the 3-point line. Besides those very good attributes, he is a confident young man. He seems to almost have a small swagger about him, which is very fun to watch. He plays hard defense and has great effort throughout the game. He is a low major prospect.
