Arizona Preps began our coverage of the April evaluation period this weekend with a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, where we were able to catch much of the action from day two of this year's exciting Pangos Spring Spectacular event - held at Bishop Gorman High School. While we were following each of the Arizona teams in the event, and since there are only a few Arizona teams participating (with the majority of Arizona teams competing in the Double Pump Hoop Fest in LA) in this weekend's event, it made for an easy day of coverage for our staff.
We were able to catch games by the Arizona Magic Elite, The Magic (Compton Magic) and the Arizona Stars Elite on the day and saw several players that stood out from the competition on the day. With hundreds of college coaches attending the events in LA this weekend, there were still a nice number of division-I college coaches in attendance in Las Vegas this weekend.
With the spring evaluation period just getting underway this weekend, and with two open periods (weekends) for college coaches to evaluate players, each of the players participating in these events will look to kick-start their college recruiting. For many of the unsigned seniors in action, this is an opportunity to hopefully land a college opportunity, while for the underclassmen in participation, this is a chance to define one's college recruitment going forward.
With a number of Arizona prospects in action on Saturday, there were several Arizona prospects that we saw on the day that impressed me with their play on day two of this yer's event. Here are the players that improved their recruiting situations the most on the day ...
TK Edogi 6-8 Prep Forward Westwind Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ) - 2013
TK played his best basketball of his career that I have seen on the day. After knocking down a game-winning jump shot on Friday evening to lead his team to an overtime victory, TK came back on Saturday with a dominant performance on day two. Edogi plays well above the rim and is a freak athlete with exemplary length. While he is still a bit raw offensively, he makes a high number of plays with his athleticism and ability to attack the rim. With TK being older than much of the competition and still unsigned at this point, he played like a young man that wants a college scholarship, and he definitely earned several of them on the day. Tulsa and Binghampton now look to be in hot pursuit, while Portland State, Western Illinois and Rider have already extended offers.
Dorian Pickens 6-4 JR Guard/Forward Pinnacle HS (Phoenix, AZ) - 2014
Pickens is one of the elite prospects in Arizona's 2014 class and one of the top regarded prospects in the country. While he didn't particularly play like it on Saturday, he is a very nice complementary player for any college program. Possessing a tremendous basketball IQ and a nice ability to make basketball plays on the offensive end, Pickens is a delight to watch, simply because he knows how to play the game. While he may not put up tremendous numbers this spring and summer, he makes players around him better and looks so smooth doing it. There were many college coaches in attendance watching Pickens on the day. It will be interesting to see how his recruitment this spring and summer continues to progress, since he is a big-time offensive talent that does not look to always score - thus allowing him to float at times throughout the game. A really nice talent that will need to pick the right college program that will be able to benefit from his unique skill-sets.
Zach Green 6-4 JR Guard Mesquite HS (Gilbert, AZ) - 2014
Green is a player that I have heard great things about over time, but had not seen until Saturday and he did not disappoint. Played as well as anyone I saw on the day and helped himself as much as anyone in the tournament on Saturday. Made some big shots and showed very good athleticism and toughness. A nice sleeper prospect among the loaded 2014 class, and after his performance on Saturday, he could begin to generate some serious college recruitment. A nice looking shooting guard prospect that looks like a player and has the game to back it up. I will be paying close attention to him in the future, as he has proven to be one of the better looking prospects in the class.
Yusef Shehata 5-10 JR Point Guard Amphitheater HS (Tucson, AZ) - 2014
Shehata continues to impress with his shot making ability and ball handling. While he still needs to play consistent for longer stretches, when he is good, he is good. Made some big shots on Saturday, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to help his team go to overtime - a game in which his team would win. Shehata is a solid point guard that makes plays when it counts and is capable of putting it all together when the game is on the line. Has the ability to develop into one of the top guard prospects in the class with continued focus.
Trey Ingram 6-0 JR Point Guard Pinnacle HS (Phoenix, AZ) - 2014
Ingram continues to impress me with his ability to run a team and his overall toughness as a player, despite in small size physically. Has very good court presence on the floor and does not shy away from competition. Made the right pass and kncked down the open shot on Saturday, while also getting to the basket effectively and finishing the play. Another very good looking point guard in a loaded class of prspects that should begn to generate some interest over time. A solid play-maker that knows how to play the game and has some upside as a player.
Notes: Westview High School's nationally ranked Top 50 prospect Andre Adams injured his right elbow on Saturday afternoon, hyper-extending the elbow. As a result, Adams was unable to play much on Saturday but played very well in limited action on the day. Nationally top-rated college scouts, Jerry Meyer and Van Coleman were in attendance to watch Adams play on Saturday.
