The Arizona Preps Basketball/Recruiting Academy (Featuring Arizona Preps Basketball Scout Anthony Ray) will start up again around the valley @ local high schools, beginning on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 from 10AM to 12PM @ 9030 Florentine Road, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 @ Canyon View Prep Academy (changed venue from the Boys and Girls Club). This weekend's Guest Speaker will be former Boise State University Head Coach and longtime Division-I coach Greg Graham.
The Basketball Academy will be provided for individual prospects (Boys & Girls), and will be limited to 50 Prospects per/session for boys and girls (Ages 13 to 18). The Basketball Academy is the first academy of it's kind in the state - designed to provide players and parents invaluable information on how the college basketball recruiting process operates, and how to understand the unknown recruiting process, while teaching advanced skills training in the process.
Each Academy will be operated by a past or present NCAA College Coach, and will be held at various high schools around the valley by request of the high school program.
Arizona Preps is proud to announce that former North Carolina A&T Head Coach and MEAC Coach of the Year, Jay Joyner, will be joining the Arizona Preps' staff to participate in the monthly Arizona Preps Basketball Academy's that will now be taking place around the state. Joyner will be a featured guest speaker and skills trainer for future Academy's.
Joyner was named interim head coach for North Carolina A&T in 2016 after the resignation of Cy Alexander. Under Joyner, the Aggies closed out the 2015-16 regular season with a 5-4 record overall and a 5-3 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. After a tough season in his first full season as the Aggies' Head Coach, Joyner first spearheaded one of the best turnarounds in Division-I history, before following up with a 19-win season that included a second-place finish in the MEAC during the 2018-19 season.
The Aggies 13-3 record in the MEAC in 2018-19 marked the first time the program has finished second since the 1992-93 season, and it was the most conference wins the Aggies have accumulated since the 1987-88 season. Joyner also led the Aggies to 39 wins from 2017-2019. Those are the most wins over a two-year period since the Aggies won 50 games from 1986-88.
Joyner accomplished another feat that had not been achieved in a long time when he was named Coach of the Year in the MEAC Conference, following the 2017-18 season. He became the first N.C. A&T men’s basketball coach to earn the award since Don Corbett received it after the 1987-88 season. He was also named the National Association Basketball Coaches District 15 Coach of the Year.
He was rewarded because the Aggies improved 17 games from the 2016-17 season to the 2017-18 season coming one game shy of tying UTEP’s 18-game improvement in 2003-04. The Aggies finished 20-15 (.571) in 2017-18 marking the Aggies first 20-win season in five years and just the third in the past 30 years. The Aggies also put together their best winning percentage since the 1991-92 season. Their 18 regular-season wins were the most since ‘91-92.
Joyner led the Aggies to their first MEAC tournament win in five seasons when the Aggies won twice in the 2017-18 conference tournament. Their No. 4 seed in the tournament was the school’s highest seeding since 2009. Joyner also led the Aggies to their first undefeated season at home in 30 seasons, as the Aggies went 12-0 at Corbett Sports Center. In fact, the Aggies have won 17 straight games at home against conference foes under Joyner’s leadership.
Arizona Preps is proud and pleased to have Coach Joyner join our staff, which add tremendous value to the Arizona basketball community.
