It was a long summer for Arizona's top prospects, and also the Arizona Preps' staff, as we both traveled the summer club circuit throughout the busy recruiting month of July. After covering numerous events throughout the month, there were numerous prospects from the state that participated in events, and helped themselves a great deal with their play. There were also numerous prospects on the move - either coming to Arizona to play or leaving the state to play elsewhere.
Here are my top summer performers from the state of Arizona's 2019 & 2020 classes. I saw a lot of games and players throughout this summer, and these individuals proved to have the best summer performances. These are not simply the best players in the state but rather the individuals that helped themselves the most with their play (in no particular order) . . .
Top 2019 Summer Performers
Josh Green 6-5 JR SG/SF Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU Team: Earl Watson Elite 16U
Green had an epic summer, reeling in offers from numerous high major programs, and is now one of the most sought after recruiting targets in America. Green was recently rated by ESPN among the top 25 overall prospects in America’s 2019 class. Green is a high-level young athletic talent that possesses a live body and excellent body control in the open floor. A very good slasher and finisher, Green is best while creating in the open floor and while slashing to the basket where he is an excellent finisher already. A good shooter with range, Green has worked hard to stretch his ability to extend the floor - making him difficult to defend for opposing players. An active rebounder and finisher that plays above the rim and is able to attack the basket with tenacity. An excellent offensive rebounder. A very good on-the-ball defender that plays passing lanes and forces opponents to watch their passes, as he gets his hands on the basketball quite often. Great in the open floor. A big time prospect for the future and among the elite prospects in the country.
Majok Deng 6-5 JR SF Salpointe Catholic HS (Tucson, AZ) – AAU Team: Powerhouse Hoops Black 16U
Deng missed much of the spring but returned this summer, and while he was not himself fully physically, he still played very well and earned numerous offers for himself to add to his list. A special talent in the state, and has a unique ability to play the game - possessing a high motor that allows him to outplay his competition consistently. Deng is a high-major athlete with a serious motor on both ends of the floor. He is very active on both ends of the court and plays with excellent confidence - his best attributes as a player. Deng is a very good slasher and open court player, and is difficult for opposing defenders to keep off the glass. He is a mis-match for defenders at this point in his young career, as he is able to play inside and out. Deng is also a very good shooter with range on his shot, but likes to operate from mid-range where he is able to go around defenders and make plays around the paint. He is fundamentally sound and is a very good ball handler and passer. An excellent teammate, as he plays with reckless abandon and is a winner. Deng is also a lock-down defender - his best attribute as a player.
Jaelen House 6-0 JR PG Shadow Mountain HS (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU Team: Team Harden
While playing for the heavily Adidas-sponsored Team Harden team, House and his teammates struggled to win games against top-rated national competition, but House was at his best and earned an offer from Arizona State – his only offer up to this point. House is among the elite prospects in Arizona's 2019 class, and, while he is still small in stature, he is a technician on the basketball court - surveying the floor and making plays off the dribble almost at will. He has a superior handle of the basketball and an ability to create his own shot amidst some of the best talent in the country. House is an electric guard prospect with a lot in his bag of tricks - capable of putting on a show with the basketball in his hands. House is the son of former NBA sharp-shooter and Arizona State superstar guard Eddie House, and, like his father, this young man is a load.
Javon Blacksher 5-11 JR PG Shadow Mountain HS (Phoenix, AZ) –AAU Team: Compton Magic
Blacksher had a very good summer performance for himself, earning numerous scholarship offers as a result. While Blacksher is a smaller point guard prospect, he is a unique talent in the state of Arizona - a highly skilled and talented point guard with an ability to make plays for himself and others almost at will and with flare. This young man is fun to watch perform as he possesses a superb handle of the basketball, excellent court vision and body control, which allows for him to get into the lane when he wants to and make plays at a high level. He also possesses a nice shooting stroke with excellent range on his shot and a quick release - making him very difficult for opposing guards to defend. He is a high-powered guard prospect that plays much bigger than his size suggests, and is a one-man press-breaker that is difficult to defend. An excellent passer and playmaker. An excellent on-the-ball defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender at the next level. Plays passing lanes and gets his hands on the basketball often. A superb guard prospect that has a true position, which will benefit him nicely in his college recruitment over time.
Pierre Crockrell 5-9 JR PG Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU Club Team: Dream Vision
Crockrell transferred to Hillcrest Prep this summer after a strong season at Prolific Prep last year. He is what any team needs, as he is a pass-first point guard floor general that surveys the floor, and makes plays for himself and others. He is an excellent ball handler and passer that can create off the dribble, and likes to get into the teeth of the opposing defense where he can make plays. Crockrell likes to push the ball up the floor also, and he enjoys getting the basketball to the open man on the floor - in a position where they can make plays. He also plays low to the ground, making it difficult for opposing teams to defend him. He is also a very good shooter of the basketball with range on his shot, which keeps defenses honest and opens up the floor for his teammates to get off. He is a very good defender with excellent lateral quickness and quick hands and feet. He competes at a high level and loves the game. A very good, fundamentally sound guard prospect that plays to win.
Dischon Thomas 6-9 JR PF Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Las Vegas Prospects 16U
Thomas played well for the Las Vegas Prospects 16U squad, and recently earned an offer from UC-Irvine. A nice rising talent with a bright future ahead of him. A long and lengthy forward prospect with excellent upside as a player. Thomas is a skilled stretch 4-man with a solid perimeter shooting stroke, and an ability to score inside and out. He has a good length of body and a nice wingspan and is still growing into his body a great deal, which will help him a great deal over time in his ability to develop into a serious division-I prospect. Thomas has a high basketball IQ and knows how to play the post position, while also being able to step outside and make perimeter shots. He always seems to take good shots within the offense. An active rebounder and shotblocker also, Thomas utilizes his length to make plays - an excellent offensive rebounder. Thomas' wingspan also makes him a good shotblocker. He also has good timing as a shotblocker and changes shots of players around the paint. He is an active rebounder, especially on the offensive end where he is able to effectively rebound and get put-backs for his team. He runs the floor very well and finishes strong in transition at the rim. Has a huge upside.
Walter Talley 6-7 JR SF Tri-City Christian HS (Chandler, AZ) – AAU Team: Cal Supreme
Talley played this summer for Cal Supreme, and saw action with both 17U and 16U teams. Talley also competed in the Pangos All-American Camp and had a good showing for himself. He is a skilled wing prospect with an ability to play inside and out and score the basketball from the perimeter. Talley has excellent size, and while he is a little older for his class, it will suit him nicely over time as he grows older. Talley already possesses good physical strength on his frame and also excellent overall physical size. He has very good versatility as a player - allowing him to play multiple positions on the floor, although he is at his best currently as a small forward or wing. As he matures, he should be able to do much more on the perimeter. Talley has a very good handle of the basketball, so he is capable of playing in the open floor. He has a very good mid-range game, which allows him to score effectively around the paint and from the perimeter.
Andre Harris 6-6 JR PF Red Mountain High School (Mesa, AZ) – AAU Team: Arizona Power Black 16U
Harris had a good summer performance for himself and earned several low to mid major offers as a result. He is a wide-body low post player that likes to score around the basket and from mid-range. He has solid low post skills and a nice ability to use his body to draw contact and finish around the paint. He is also able to step outside and shoot the basketball out to three-point distance, although he still needs to add consistency to his shot. A strong rebounder and finisher around the basket. Runs the floor. A solid passer. A good shotblocker. Has excellent potential as a player.
Emmanuel Taban 6-7 JR SG/SF Apollo High School (Glendale, AZ) – AAU Team: The Factory
This summer, while playing for his club program, The Factory, Taban had to handle the basketball full-time in the backcourt, due to the absence of club teammate, D'Maurian Williams. Williams suffered a severe ankle injury before the summer began, and, as a result, Taban saw much time at the point position for his club team. As a long, lengthy guard prospect, Taban looked very attractive and showed excellent versatility. This young man has tremendous potential for the future, as he has exceptional upside as a basketball prospect. Possessing a long but very thin frame physically, Taban is the kind of prospect scouts and media enjoy seeing – a long wing prospect with very good overall versatility and a slashing mindset. Taban's best offensive asset is his ability to shoot the basketball with range. He is a solid defender that uses his length and athleticism to defend passing lanes and get steals, while also being able to deflect passes. He has excellent versatility as a player, and should be able to play several positions on the floor over time as he matures physically.
Jalen Williams 6-3 JR PG/SG Perry High School (Gilbert, AZ) – AAU Team: I-10 Celtics 16U
Williams had a very good summer for himself and earned a scholarship from Hofstra University in the process. I have been very impressed with this young man's ability to make plays for himself and others off the dribble. He has an excellent ability to create off the dribble and finish plays with a slick handle of the ball. He has very good body control and is able to slash between defenders to get into the lane. Williams also has an excellent shooting stroke with unlimited range on his shot, which keeps defenses honest from anywhere on the floor and sets up his drives to the basket and his mid-range game. He has a very quick release on his shot also which allows him to get his shot off. Williams has a long, lengthy and rangy body with huge feet, which suggests that he is still growing a great deal. Williams has extreme upside as a player, which suggests that he will only continue to grow a great deal and could get to be 6-5 in height when it is all said and done, which would intensify his college recruitment immensely. The amount of upside possessed by Williams is glaring and makes him a very intriguing prospect to me.
Lucas Elliott 6-9 JR PF/C Pusch Ridge High School (Tucson, AZ) – AAU Team: Arizona Powerhouse Hoops Black 16U
Elliott is a nice-looking young post prospect that is developing quickly as a college prospect. He has really improved a great deal over the past year. He runs the floor very well, and has excellent energy on both ends of the floor. He is fluid runner and gets good position on the low block, where he is able to now complete solid low post moves with developed low-post footwork. He is a solid finisher that has improved a great deal, as he is getting physically stronger these days through maturity. Elliott is a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor, through his tenacity and work ethic inside the paint, which allows him to compete for rebounds and also rebound outside of his area on the floor. Elliott still does not seem to get too many offensive touches often down the floor, so he works to get his hands on the basketball as often as he can. As he matures physically over time, that will change a great deal. Elliott is a capable shotblocker now, as he possesses a 7-foot wingspan. Over time I predict that he will grow to 6-11 in height, and will become an imposing shotblocker - a nice asset to him as a college prospect.
Trent Brown 6-0 JR PG Pinnacle High School (Phoenix, AZ) – Mid Major Prospect AAU Club Team: Arizona Power Black 16U
Brown earned several scholarship offers for himself this summer as a result of his play, and also played well in the Pangos All-American Camp. He is a sharp-shooting guard prospect that excels in his ability to shoot the basketball with excellent range on his shot, while also being able to make players around him better. Trent is a floor general with the basketball in his hands and enjoys playing on the big stage. He is a leader with the basketball and is vocal on the floor - something not seen often by young men his age. He advances the basketball up the floor with the pass, and does not mind defensive pressure of opposing guards. A very good ball handler and passer that enjoys getting teammates involved in the play. A good defender. A tough customer as well, Brown is a budding young prospect with excellent potential for the future. He is the son of an experienced college player/coach, Mark Brown.
Connor Braun 6-7 JR PF Valley Christian HS (Chandler, AZ) – AAU Club Team: Arizona Sting 16U
Braun is a nice-sized post prospect already with a very good body and an ability to run the floor nicely and make plays. He is an active low post player that can step outside and shoot the basketball with a soft touch. He needs to become more consistent in his shooting stroke, but he is aggressive and competes. An active rebounder. Capable shotblocker. With hard work this young man will develop into a serious recruiting target over time. Has a bright future ahead.
Jordan Mains 6-4 JR SG Pinnacle High School (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU Club Team: Arizona Power Black 16U
Mains also earned several offers for himself this summer and also participated in the Pangos All-American Camp. He is a very skilled and sharp-shooting guard prospect that still has a lot of upside as a player and has the potential to become an excellent basketball player over time. He has the potential to grow to 6-8 in height. A fundamentally sound prospect with an ability to stretch the defense from almost anywhere on the floor. He has a nice ability to catch-and-shoot the basketball with unlimited range. He is a good ball handler and passer, and has very good versatility as a player - capable of playing several positions on the floor. A good defender that plays passing lanes and also plays with excellent energy on the court. An active rebounder that competes on both ends of the floor. He will need to continue to focus defensively and on rebounding though over time to maximize his potential as a player. An excellent shooting guard prospect with excellent potential for the future.
J’Saan Strover 6-3 JR PG/SG Desert Vista High School (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU Club Team: I-10 Celtics 16U
Strover is a skilled guard prospect with a slick handle and an ability to slash and finish. He is very good in the open floor, and is a good finisher. Strover has a very athletic frame with nice upside for the future. An OK shooter that needs to become more consistent from longer ranges. A solid passer. Good ball handler – capable of playing both guard positions. A very good defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender over time. Has very good potential as a player.
Dana “DJ” Hawkins 6-6 JR SG/SF Arizona Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ) – AAU Club Team: Arizona Sting 16U
Dana is a good-sized forward prospect that is able to play either as a guard or as a wing on the floor. He is very skilled and has very good versatility as a player. He has excellent work ethic as well. He has good athleticism that allows him to get it done around the paint and from mid-range. He also has an ability to stretch the defense, which will benefit him nicely as a college prospect. An active rebounder and defender, Hawkins is a high-energy prospect with a good competitive spirit. A good finisher. Has the potential to become one of the elite prospects in the state with continued hard work.
Takari Fields 6-7 JR PF Arizona Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ) – AAU Club Team: I-10 Celtics 16U
Fields is a strong low post player with a strong frame and lower body. He is a strong rebounder and finisher inside the paint. He enjoys physical contact and is a good finisher inside the paint, although he is still developing a great deal physically. A left-hander, Fields has a good jump hook now and still needs to develop his low-post moves to maximize his potential as a player. He is a solid shooter out to three-point distance. Needs to get quicker defensively. Runs the floor. A solid passer. Has very good upside with long arms. Could grow to 6-9 in height.
John Olmstead 6-9 JR PF/C Morenci High School (Morenci, AZ) – AAU Club Team: Powerhouse Hoops Black 16U
Olmstead is a rare find in our state, as he possesses excellent size and length early in the recruiting process. He is also very skilled and is a good overall athlete, which caught my attention quickly in July. This young man has the potential to become a very serious recruiting target over the next year of development. While watching Olmstead play for a talented Powerhouse Hoops 16U Black squad, I was impressed with Olmstead's ability to play the post position while observing him throughout the month of July. He has a very good jump hook, which he can get off quite easily and seems to be very accurate with it, even while contested. He has good low-post footwork and, overall, has good hands and feet which allow him to run the floor quite well and finish plays around the paint. He runs the floor like a small forward, which is quite attractive for a low post player, and also suggests that he should develop nicely into his body as he continues to grow over time. Olmstead is also an active rebounder and shotblocker with good timing - keeping balls in play that he blocks. He will need to add some serious physical size to his very thin frame over time, and, as he matures physically and gets much stronger, he will see his game really develop. Because his skill level and level of mobility are already intact, as he adds strength he will maximize his potential as a player.
Josh Ursery 6-0 JR PG Liberty High School (Glendale, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Blue Chip Nation
Ursery was one of the surprises from the summer, and one of the elite overall sleeper prospects I saw. He has NBA athleticism for his size that allows him to finish plays well above the rim and over defenders. A big-time dunker. A serious scorer with the ball in his hands, although he is the size of a point guard. Will need to embrace the point guard position to maximize his potential as a college prospect. A solid shooter that will need to add range on his shot. An excellent slasher and finisher. Great in the open floor. A very good defender. A good rebounder for his size. An excellent sleeper prospect in the class.
Isaiah Wilson 6-0 JR PG/SG Desert Vista High School (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Arizona Power Black 17U
Wilson has really grown on me over the past several months, and I love this young man's potential for the future as a combo-guard prospect. He has excellent athleticism and a nice motor that allows him to make plays for himself and others. A good shooter with range on his shot, and an effective scorer that can create and finish off the dribble. Excellent in transition. A very good on-the-ball defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender. Needs to become a point guard over time to maximize his college recruitment, since he is at his best as a scorer.
Josh Baker 6-2 JR PG/SG McClintock High School (Tempe, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Arizona Power Elite 16U
Baker is the younger brother of former Tempe HS star guard and Pepperdine/San Jose State player Jordan Baker. Like his older brother, Josh has a knack for making shots and shooting the basketball with consistency and while being defended by opposing guards, able to make plays for himself and others off the dribble, although he enjoys scoring the basketball at a high rate. A high-scoring guard prospect that is also able to make plays on his own with an advanced offensive skillset that allows him to score from anywhere on the floor, and also get to the basket and finish plays with a smooth approach to the game. Over time, like many others, he will need to add physical size and strength to his thin frame to maximize his potential as a player for the collegiate level. He will be a combo-guard prospect at the next level that will be able to play as both guard positions over time.
Jackson Ruai 6-3 JR SG Amphitheater High School (Tucson, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Powerhouse Hoops Black 16U
Ruai is an electric guard prospect with a long, rangy body and excellent quickness and athleticism. He plays much bigger than his size suggests as a result of his length and bounciness off the floor. He is a good shooter of the basketball with range on his shot, and can create his own shot effectively off the dribble. He is an excellent finisher in traffic and in the open floor, an area of his game which will really develop over time as he matures physically. He is an excellent defender with good court anticipation and is able to play passing lanes effectively for steals and transition baskets. He has the ability to become a lock-defender over time. He also is capable of playing both guard positions on the floor, although he is at his best as a scorer from the off-guard position. He does like to have the basketball in his hands and make plays for his team. While he should grow still a great deal over the next two years, he should be able to play both backcourt positions over time.
Jeron Artest 6-3 JR PG Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Oakland Soldiers
Artest is a very intriguing prospect that has an excellent feel for the game and an advanced overall skillset, that allows him to make plays for himself and others off the dribble. Sees the floor very well and sees plays before they happen. Has a high basketball IQ. The son of former NBA player Ron Artest. An excellent defender that plays passing lanes. Has an excellent handle of the basketball. A good shooter that needs to improve the range on his shot to maximize his potential as a college prospect. A good overall sleeper prospect.
Top 2020 Arizona Summer Performers
Kyree Walker 6-5 SOPH PG/SG/SF Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ) – (Committed to Arizona State) AAU/Club Team: Dream Vision
Walker moved to the state of Arizona this spring to play for Hillcrest Prep Academy. Immediately after arriving, he gave a verbal commitment to the Arizona State Sun Devils. He is a big-time young talent that has already received rave reviews nationally, since he physically is stronger and more athletic than most players his size and age. He has a nice handle of the basketball and a strong feel for the game, which allows him to make plays off the dribble and finish strong at the rim, while also being able to set up his teammates for scoring opportunities. He is an NBA athlete already and is capable of making plays from anywhere on the floor. He is especially good in the open floor where he is a highlight reel. A very good shooter with range on his shot. An excellent finisher in traffic. A strong rebounder. A good defender when he focuses on that area of his game. A future pro and a top 5 overall prospect nationally in the 2020 class.
Niko Mannion 6-3 SOPH PG/SG Pinnacle High School (Phoenix, AZ) – AAU Team: Earl Watson Elite 16U
After already receiving a Top 25 national ranking among the nation's elite members of the 2020 Class, Mannion has become an extremely hot commodity for many high-major college programs across the country. Mannion and club teammate Josh Green teamed up with the Earl Watson Elite (CA) this club season, and both prospects became two of the hottest prospect combinations in America. Mannion is a very slick guard prospect with an excellent handle of the basketball and a superb overall offensive skillset. He has excellent quickness and very good athleticism, and pushes the basketball up the floor. He is a terrific shooter of the basketball with range on his shot and a quick release. A fundamentally sound performer, Mannion has a developed knack of scoring the basketball at a young age. He is also a very good passer that sees the floor and makes players around him better. A good on the ball defender with good lateral quickness. An active rebounder for his size. He is still growing a great deal and could reach 6-6 in height. The son of a former professional player. Mannion is a sure-fire prospect for the future and is among the nation's next elite prospects.
Dalen Terry 6-4 SOPH SG Corona del Sol High School (Tempe, AZ) – AAU/Club Team: Arizona Power Black 16U
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. A very good slasher and finisher at this point in his young career. Has a nice shooting stroke with range. Has good overall versatility as a player, and a good overall feel for the game. An active defender that could become a lock-down defender over time. Plays passing lanes. Runs the floor well. Has serious upside for the future.
