One of the top available players from Arizona’s 2016 class has made his college decision, as 6-foot-4, 185-pound SG/SF J.J. Rhymes of Shadow (Phoenix) Mountain H.S. (Team Bibby AAU) has made his college decision - electing on a top-rated national junior college program.
Rhymes has signed with head coach Steve Eck and Hutchinson Community College, a program known around the country year in and year out for producing many high-major division-I basketball players and going very deep into the NJCAA tournament.
Rhymes has been at the top of the 2016 class in Arizona since him and fellow teammates Michael Bibby Jr. (undecided) and Carlos Johnson (Findlay Prep/ University of Washington commitment) stepped onto the scene, and produced at a very high level during their time at Shadow Mountain High School.
Our staff here at Arizona Preps wishes Rhymes nothing but the best on his next steps in his career at Hutchinson CC for the next two years, and hopes to see him playing division-I basketball after that - a level which he can surely compete at.
Rhymes received offers from such schools as Utah State, Grand Canyon University, Murray State, Texas-San Antonio, Louisiana Tech, San Jose State and Northern Colorado, while many other schools also expressed interest in him during his time playing for Shadow Mountain H.S. and the Team Bibby aau/club program.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Rhymes is one, if not the toughest player in Arizona’s 2016 class. A very physical driver of the basketball, Rhymes uses his body and muscular frame very well to bully defenders and get to the basket, where he converts at a high rate due to his relentless effort to score the ball. He is also a very underrated athlete, as he can finish many transition opportunities with an acrobatic finish or uses his superior athleticism to finish over defenders. Rhymes also contains a consistent shooting stroke from 23 feet and in, and is capable of putting the ball on the floor and pulling up from anywhere in the mid-range area. He is a solid defender as he again, uses his frame and feet to cut off offensive players from getting into the lane or getting by him. His overall toughness on both ends of the floor and attitude to do whatever it takes to win alone puts him among the elite prospects in the class. Rhymes had a big 26-point outing during the high school season vs. nationally-ranked Findlay Prep.
