Saguaro High School's sharp-shooting 185-pound unsigned senior combo-guard Ryan Berg has become a very hot target among unsigned senior prospects in the state. The much improved and hard-to-guard guard prospect has flat out put on a shooting exhibition this spring, and, as a result, has seen his college recruitment begin to take off.
Berg is as much improved a player as I have seen in recent years, as he went from simply a pure shooter of the basketball, to now being almost unguardable with the basketball in his hands. Berg's quickness off the dribble, ball handling prowess, court vision and ability to make shots from anywhere on the floor have made him as fun a player to watch as I have ever seen play the game. It is enjoyable watching Berg perform, as it seems that he can score every time he has the basketball in his hands - a rare quality not seen too often among prospects today.
"Last year I felt like I could shoot with anybody out there," said Berg. "With the strength and quickness that I have gained from working out, I feel like I can score every time I have the basketball."
Berg put on a show on Saturday in Las Vegas, on day two of this year's Double Pump Spring Classic at Bishop Gorman High School. While leading his Arizona Magic Pump N' Run-2013 squad in this year's event, Berg filled it up in front of numerous college coaches - one of them Boise State head coach Leon Rice. Berg's performance in an evening match-up with the San Diego All-Stars (CA) was enough to warrant an offer from Boise State for next season.
Berg has become one of Arizona's hottest unsigned senior targets of late, recieving several different scholarship offers for himself from such schools as Cal Baptist, Minnesota-Deluth University, Hillsdale University and Chadron State. He is also receiving heavy interest from Seattle, Saint Mary's and Northern Arizona.
Began will take an official recruiting visit this week (Tuesday) to Cal Baptist, and is hopeful that his performance the past two weekend's during the evaluation period will be enough to garner him much more recruiting interest. The offer from Boise State is a nice step in the right direction for Berg.
Berg is among the best pure basketball players the state has seen in some time. While not possessing superior athleticism or size, Berg dominates games with precision shooting, passing and ball handling. A prospect that is capable of playing at any level as a result of his court awareness and fundamental approach to the game.
This past season, Berg ranked among the top overall scorers in the state - averaging 23 points, 3 assists and 3 steals per/game. Berg scored 24 or more points in a game on 13 different times this season, and amidst double-teams and defense designed to slow him down. Berg’s best effort of his career came in a game against Paradise Valley High School; a game in which Berg scored a game-high and career high of 43 points. Berg actually scored 43 of his team’s 62 total points in the game. In the game, Berg shot an amazing 16 of 23 from the field, and also made 11 of 16 three-pointers. Berg’s point total was the second most points scored in a game all-time at Saguaro High School.
Berg’s tremendous production has not come by accident, as Berg is a gym rat that works on his game daily. This past summer, Berg also worked out hard on his body to prepare himself for the collegiate level – shedding some pounds and toning up his body a great deal.
Berg ranks 2nd all-time in career points at Saguaro HS and 2nd all-time in career 3-pointers.
Berg is a very good student and carries a 3.2 CUM GPA. He is also the son of a former coach and a long line of coaches in his family. Ryan’s father, Michael Berg, coached for 25 years before deciding to call it quits.
Arizona Preps will continue to follow the recruitment of Berg closely this post-season and into the spring evaluation period – bringing you any recruiting updates as they begin to develop.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Berg is a strong and fundamentally sound basketball prospect with a high ability to score the basketball in a consistent manner. He is the state’s best shooting threat – capable of scoring the basketball in bunches and shooting with precision from anywhere on the floor. He can catch and shoot from the standstill position or while on the run -a throw-back shooter of the basketball. He is also able to get his shot off against bigger and quicker defenders, as he is very crafty with the ball in his hands and has an excellent feel for the game. Berg is also a strong ball handler that is capable of playing either guard position on the floor. His excellent feel for the game allows him to find the open man on the floor, and even see plays before they happen at times. Berg makes other players he plays with better because of his scoring prowess and his ability to find the open player on the court. Pushes the basketball up the floor. A solid rebounder that plays bigger than his size suggests. A solid defender that has improved a great deal in this area, and has good court anticipation and quick hands. Among the top sleeper prospects in the West, and a player that will help the program of his choice a great deal.
