The Southwest Showcase Exposure Showcase took place this weekend on the campus of the Kroc Center. Organized by tournament director Ron Coleman, the event was filled with some of the state's top young talent. Coleman is known for producing many of the state's top events over the years, and this weekend's event was excellent as it included many top teams from some of the top programs in the state in action just after the ACCAC JUCO Jamboree - allowing for college coaches, scouts and media to stick around and catch a glimpse of some of the state's top talent.
Arizona Preps was on hand for the day's action this weekend, and was able to catch many of the games on the day. There were numerous top performers on the day, however I was not able to see every game or every top performer on the day. Here are the top individual performers that caught my attention from this weekend's action (In no particular order) . . .
Top 2018 Player Prospects
Lahad Adeim 6-7 SR Peoria HS
What stands out about Adeim is his nice work ethic, and high-energy motor that he plays with on both ends of the floor. His high motor allows him to play all over the floor, and also make plays for his team on both ends of the floor. He rebounds outside of his area, which makes him very valuable for his team. Offensively, Adeim is still a work in progress. He has a solid left-handed shooting stroke and is a solid mid-range shooter. He does not take many shots beyond the arc, but rather gets scoring opportunities primarily while slashing to the basket and in the open floor. Adeim is a very good finisher and has a long, rangy frame which allows him to make plays at the rim. He plays above the rim, so as he adds more physical girth to his thin frame, he should see his ability to finish develop. While Adeim still needs to develop his offensive skills to make himself a complete player, his activity on the floor is so glaring that he can help any team that he competes for and is an asset to his team. He is a very good sleeper prospect and has the potential to become a nice recruiting target late.
Khot Anyieth 6-5 SR SF Peoria HS
Anyieth had a breakout performance in this weekend's event. He is a prospect that has really developed over the past year - growing in size a great deal and also growing physically. As a result he is now a good looking young prospect that has the potential to become a serious player over time. He is an active defender and finisher that is capable of defending several positions on the floor. I was very impressed with this young man's ability to play the game, and also his ability to make plays on both ends of the floor. He is still growing a great deal, so look for him to begin to develop nicely over time. This is definitely a good sleeper prospect in the 2018 class, that most college programs have not heard about as of yet. A very good target for a smaller college program looking for a prospect with excellent upside for the future, and very good versatility.
Top 2019 Player Prospects
Jasaan Strover 6-3 JR Desert Vista High School
Strover is a good athlete and has good potential to play the game. A recent transfer to Desert Vista HS, Strover is a nice talent that is capable of playing both guard positions on the floor. This weekend he showed a nice ability to make plays off the dribble, but also showed an improved jump shot, although it is not yet consistent. Strover has the ability to become a nice prospect over time, but he will definitely need to develop his perimeter jump shot to maximize his potential as a player.
Elijah Trice 6-0 JR Sandra Day O'Connor HS
Trice is a nice combo-guard prospect with a lot of potential. He is at his best though as a point guard, but is capable of playing both guard positions on the floor. Trice is a nice prospect with a good overall feel for the game. He plays with excellent confidence on both ends of the floor, but is at his best when making plays off the dribble and getting to the basket, where he is a good finisher. Trice is a good shooter of the basketball with a nice overall feel for the game, and is able to make plays for himself and others off the dribble. A solid overall guard prospect that will make a program happy. He is among the better 2019 guards in the class, even though the class is absolutely loaded with talent. It will be very interesting to see what level of college that Trice eventually lands at, since he is coming off a strong showing this spring and summer.
Top 2020 Player Prospects
Dalen Terry 6-4 SOPH Corona Del Sol HS
Terry (pictured) is a big time talent with a nice overall feel for the game and an ability to play multiple positions on the floor. Terry played the point position all weekend long, which was very impressive to see. Terry showed a very nice handle of the basketball and showed that he can make plays for himself and others almost at will, when he wants to, which was very impressive to me. Terry is a very unselfish prospect that I really enjoy watching perform, and he enjoys making passes to his open teammates - even though when at times they don't even know they are open. Terry is a long, rangy prospect with huge upside and a bright future ahead of him. He has excellent length of body which allows him to make plays, but he will need to get much stronger over time and fill out to maximize his potential as a player. He is fundamentally sound and has a nice overall skillset and feel for the game. A very good slasher and finisher, that will only improve over time as he gets physically stronger. He has a nice shooting stroke with range. Has the potential to become a flat out star over time, and the potential to become one of the state's most sought after recruiting targets.
Kimani Holt 6-3 SOPH Rancho Solano Prep
Holt is a high-energy guard prospect with an advanced offensive skillset that allows him to make plays for himself and others off the dribble. He has a good shooting stroke with range, although I did not see him take any perimeter shots on the day. A superb athlete, Holt is an elite finisher at the rim for his size and a strong slasher in the open floor, where he thrives. A very good ball handler that can create for himself and others off the dribble. A good passer, although he needs to continue to develop this area of his game to make players around him better. An active rebounder. Pushes the ball up the floor. A good defender with very good lateral quickness and quick hands. A capable lock-down defender over time, if he continues to focus on this area of his game, which would suit him very nicely as a college prospect.
Trent Hudgens 5-11 SOPH Moon Valley HS
Hudgens had a very good showing and performance for himself. I was very impressed with this young man's ability to get it done, as he scored the basketball effectively, and also defended very well - a two-way player. Hudgens is a point guard prospect that has a very good ability to shoot and score the basketball, making him difficult to defend for opposing guards. He does not much upside as a player/prospect, but he does have a nice overall skillset, that should only continue to improve over time as he matures and develops. A solid all-around guard prospect.
Zeke Thompson 6-1 SOPH Apollo HS
Thompson is the younger brother of former star basketball prospect Sammy Thompkins. Zeke, however, is much different of a player and college prospect than his older brother. This young man is a true point guard prospect that likes to pass the basketball and makes plays for himself and his teammates off the dribble. Zeke has grown a great deal over the past year, and has matured physically but still needs to develop his ability to make shots from the perimeter consistently to maximize his potential as a player. I will keep a close eye on him over time to see how he continues to develop.
Top 2021 Player Prospects
Ricardo Sarmiento 5-10 FR Cesar Chavez HS
Sarmiento is very poised well beyond his years as a player. Each time that I have seen him over the past several months, I have been very impressed with this young man's ability to play the game. Sarmiento again shot the basketball very well in this event, and also showed an ability to run a team that is well beyond his years. I expect Sarmiento to have a huge freshman season for himself this year. Looking forward to watching this young man over the next (4) years of high school basketball, as he should develop into one of the state's premier guards over time.
Carter Van Hammond 6-9 FR Perry HS
Van Hammond is a very nice talent with excellent potential for the future. This young man has excellent size and an advanced skillset that allows him to play inside and out. He also has a nice ability to run the floor and make plays in transition. He has a nice jump hook for himself and also is capable of scoring the basketball from the perimeter, which is a very nice asset for himself. I enjoyed watching Van Hammond the last two times that I have seen him play, and look forward to watching him much more over time. A really nice prospect for the future and quickly becoming one of the state's elite young prospects.
Daron Holmes 6-7 FR Millennium HS
Holmes is a big time young post prospect with nice overall length and a nice future for the post position in the state. Already possessing excellent length for himself and nice ability to run the floor and make plays, Holmes is a sure-fire talent for the future. Each time that I have seen Holmes play the game, I have been very impressed with his talent. He has a very high ceiling for the future and limitless potential, suggesting that he should develop into a high-major recruiting target over time. A very good looking young man that should blossom over time, and will make an immediate impact this high school season for a Millennium team that is absolutely loaded with young talent.
John White 6-2 FR SG Ironwood HS
White was a nice find this weekend, as he is very talented and has the potential to become one of the better guard prospects in this class over time. He is a tough young man that plays with excellent confidence and accepts challenges on both ends of the floor. He has very good versatility as a player and is capable of playing both guard positions, making him a valuable piece for any team that he plays for. A good ball handler and passer. An all-around good prospect that should develop nicely over time.
Top 2022 Player Prospects
Dylan Anderson 6-9 8th Grader (Middle School)
Anderson is the next big thing in the state. A mere 2022 college prospect, Anderson is already an amazing 6-foot-9 in height and has very good athleticism, versatility and mobility on the floor. He is very fluid in his approach to the game, and has a very advanced skillset as well. It will be very interesting to see just how much he continues to grow in height, since he is so tall early, but, whether he ever grows even another inch, Anderson already has excellent size and length, and also a high-major skill level already. Anderson is a superb talent for the future and it is very exciting to see just how good he will actually become over time. I really enjoyed watching this young man play this weekend, and will continue to follow him closely over the next (5) years, and so will just about every college program across the country.
