The state of Arizona is now absolutely loaded with basketball talent in the state - from top to bottom. As a result, while numerous prospects in Arizona's 2018 senior class have already given verbal commitments this fall and will look to sign with their respective college programs this month, there are still many top-rated basketball prospects still available in the state for college programs to take a very hard look at throughout the high school season, and this spring.
Here is Part II of a long list of top-rated basketball prospects still available in the state of Arizona's 2018 class that college coaches should take a very hard look at this high school season, in preparation for the late, spring signing period (In no particular order) . . .
Dominic Mooney 6-0 SR PG Buena HS (Sierra Vista, AZ)
Among the elite point guards in the class, Mooney (pictured) is a serious talent from the point guard position on the floor. Very tough physically with a nice, compact body, Mooney plays both ends of the floor hard and brings the fight to his competition. He is an aggressive floor general that gets into the lane almost at will - able to create off the dribble and also finish in traffic. He also gets to the free-throw line often, as a result of his aggressive style of play. He is a very good ball handler and passer, and finds the open man on the floor. He also pushes the basketball up the floor every chance he gets, while also being able to finish well in transition. He is a good shooter of the basketball with good range on his shot. He also has a good mid-range game and is able to stop and pop off the dribble. He is an excellent on the ball defender and has very quick hands and feet, and also plays passing lanes. A nice prospect.
Sam Beskind 6-3 SR SG Catalina Foothills HS (Tucson, AZ)
One of the more underrated prospects in the class, Beskind is a gifted guard prospect with a nice overall skill level, excellent toughness and very good athleticism. These attributes as a player make Beskind a definite sleeper prospect in the class that is worthy of serious college attention. Beskind is a strong performer on both ends of the floor, and is a load for opposing teams to defend. A very good shooter with range on his shot, Beskind is a very skilled guard prospect that extends the floor and is also very tough off the dribble to defend for opposing guards, as he has a strong physical frame and is very tough off the dribble. He is a very good finisher in the lane and in traffic over defenders, where he likes to draw physical contact and finish plays. Also a strong rebounder for his size that plays much bigger than his size suggests. A very aggressive prospect that competes at a high level on both ends of the floor. A good on the ball defender and team defender, Beskind is a two-way player.
Carrington Wiggins 6-0 SR PG/SG AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ)
Wiggins recently moved to the state from Flint, MI. An excellent scorer and shooter of the basketball with range on his shot and a quick release. Capable of playing the point guard position and also making plays for his teammates off the dribble - an excellent combo-guard prospect for a smaller college program. Able to get into the lane and finish strong at the rim. A very good scorer. A very good defender with quick hands and feet. Pushes the basketball up the floor. An intriguing prospect that could see division-I level recruitment late.
Steele Bennett 6-11 SR C Taylor Made Prep (Phoenix, AZ)
Bennett is a nice sized post prospect with some upside for the future. Bennett is of Morman-decent so he could elect to go on a Mormon mission over time, but he has suggested that he will not. Bennett runs the floor well for his size and has an ability to score inside, but he does not always play with strong intensity. He has solid post moves, but needs to get quicker in making his moves. Has a solid shooting stroke out to 15 feet. A good rebounder. A capable shotblocker. A solid passer out of the post. Needs to work hard to develop as a player, but has potential for the future. Has left the Desert Vista HS program and will finish his senior season at Taylor Made Prep in Phoenix.
Breven Burnett 6-5 SR SF Cienega High School (Tucson, AZ)
Burnett emerged this summer as one of the top sleeper prospects in Arizona’s 2018 class. Burnett is a skilled combo-guard prospect that likes to handle the ball and make plays for himself and others off the dribble. The younger brother of former Indiana State guard Brandon Burnett. A skilled combo-guard prospect with good size. Can score inside and out. Has good range on his shot, which allows him to set up defenders nicely for drives to the basket. Can create off the dribble and make plays for hismelf and others. Has a good overall feel for the game. A good rebounder. A good defender with lateral quickness for his size. Has the potential to develop into a low to mid major prospect over time. An intriguing player and prospect with upside.
Ajang Aguek 6-7 SR SF/PF Ironwood High School (Glendale, AZ)
Aguek is a very intriguing prospect with excellent length of body and a lot of true-upside to his frame. He is still growing a great deal physically and has excellent potential over time. Likes to play on the perimeter, where he is still developing a great deal. Can score inside and out, but is at his best now from around the basket, until he becomes more consistent from longer ranges on his shot. An active defender and rebounder, that uses his lengthy frame to make plays. A good shotblocker. Runs the floor very well and is a good finisher. Has an excellent motor. A big-time sleeper with loads of potential for the future. With continued hard work, he should develop nicely over the next 1 to 2 years.
Kyle Fischer 6-4 SR SG/SF Sunnyslope HS (Phoenix, AZ)
Fischer is a really nice talent that is now coming into his own. Led his team to this year’s 5A State Championship. A definite sleeper prospect that many will miss on. Has a unique offensive skillset, as he is very skilled and is able to create shots for himself and others almost at will. He is able to score inside and out, as a result of many years of playing in parks. A very good shooter with some range, but best from mid-range, where he is also able to set up drives to the basket. A good rebounder that plays bigger than his size suggests. A good defender that competes. A nice sleeper prospect worthy of a serious look.
Jared Perry 6-8 SR PF Paradise Honors HS (Paradise Valley, AZ)
Perry has improved a great deal over the past year, and has developed himself nicely into a serious college prospect. He has really improved his body and has gotten much stronger physically, which has benefited him a great deal. Very athletic with good length and broad shoulders. A solid shooter from mid-range and a very improved and good overall low-post scorer. Has good low post moves and a nice jump hook. An excellent finisher that plays above the rim. Runs the floor hard and is an excellent finisher while slashing or in the open floor. Has quick lift off the floor. An active rebounder and shotblocker. Has excellent work ethic. Has developed as much as anyone in the state and is now a nice sleeper prospect.
Brian Kumbi 6-4 SR SG Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ)
A native of Sweden, Kumbi is a high-wire athletic talent with a superb overall skill level. He has a nice shooting stroke with unlimited range on his shot, and is also able to score effectively from mid-range. He has a nice ability to score the basketball from anywhere on the floor. Has a nice overall repertoire of skills that will suit him nicely over time, and also an ability to play well above the rim. A good ball handler that is capable of playing both guard positions on the floor. A good passer. An excellent defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender. A nice overall prospect for the future.
Mike Rogers 6-1 SR PG CGM Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ)
Rogers is a very good point guard prospect with a nice body and size for the position. His body does need some serious trimming down, which would make him much more effective. Needs to drop 15 – 20 pounds to maximize his play. A native of New York. Rogers is an explosive scorer with a nice ability to get his own shot and create for others. As a result, Rogers is difficult to defend one-on-one. He is a very good one-on-one player with the basketball in his hands, and does a great job of making plays off the dribble. He is a good shooter of the basketball also with nice range on his shot. He is a strong ball handler and passer and pushes the basketball up the floor. A solid defender. Good overall prospect.
Ian Burke 6-4 SR PG Brophy Prep HS (Phoenix, AZ)
Burke is a bigger point guard prospect with a good overall feel for the game, and a nice shooting stroke with range. A good handler of the basketball that keeps his head up and sees the floor. Pushes the basketball up the floor to the open man. A solid defender. Good rebounder. Fundamentally sound performer with a high basketball IQ. Has a good feel. A very solid overall guard prospect for a smaller college program.
Brennen Davis 6-5 SR SF Basha HS (Chandler, AZ)
Davis is a two-sport athlete, as he is a standout baseball player as well. Could play baseball in the future, but he is also a nice basketball prospect as well. A very good athlete on the basketball court, Davis is a slashing wing prospect with a live body. A good shooter but at his best from mid-range. Davis moves well without the basketball and is very good in the open floor. He is a very good defender. A solid passer and ball handler. Great work ethic.
Miles Lightfoot 6-9 SR PF/C Gilbert Christian HS (Gilbert, AZ)
The younger brother of Mitch Lightfoot (Univ. of Kansas), Miles is still a developing prospect that has very good potential over time. He has nice length and size on his frame and has good overall toughness as a player. An okay post player that should develop nicely over time. An active rebounder and shotblocker. Runs the floor hard. Has a very nice upside.
Koby Jones 6-3 SR SG Centennial High School (Glendale, AZ)
An excellent athlete with a strong physical frame and bouncy athleticism. Runs floor well and is a good scorer in transition. A nice slasher and finisher. Has a solid shooting stroke with range. Needs to become a better mid-range player. An active rebounder. A very good defender with lateral quickness – plays passing lanes. A solid ball handler. An OK passer. Plays with a very good motor.
Jok Jok 6-6 SR SF/PF Moon Valley HS (Phoenix, AZ)
A very thin but athletically gifted combo-forward prospect with nice potential as a player. Has a good overall skill level. Left handed, which makes him difficult to stop around the basket. An OK shooter that needs to develop in this area to maximize his potential as a player. At his best in the post or from the short corner currently. An active rebounder and shotblocker. Runs the floor. Good finisher. Has excellent upside for the future.
Elijah Baldeh 6-7 JR PF Hillcrest Prep Academy (Phoenix, AZ)
Baldeh is a skilled post player with a nice overall skillset. A native of Sweden. Baldeh is a stretch four-man with a nice perimeter shooting stroke, and an ability to score inside and out. Baldeh is a good finisher around the basket and is deceivingly athletic. An active rebounder and a strong competitor. Plays with good intensity. A good passer. A solid ball handler. Has a high basketball IQ. Has good upside. Should develop nicely over the next two years. A solid overall prospect that is fundamentally sound.
Jaden Rollins 6-6 SR SF/PF Desert Vista HS (Phoenix, AZ)
A gifted wing prospect that is still soft physically but has a lot of talent. A skilled wing prospect with nice size and length. A good mid-range shooter with some range but needs to become more consistent from longer ranges. A very good slasher and finisher. A good defender and a capable shotblocker. Has excellent potential for the future.
Chris Orozco 6-5 SR PF Sunnyslope HS (Phoenix, AZ)
A big, wide-body post player with very good hands and good low-post moves. A very good low-post scorer that has a nice jump hook with either hand, and is able to score effectively in the low post. Undersized four-man. Has a good jump shot from 15 to 18 feet. Runs the floor hard. A very good rebounder on both ends of the floor. Good low post defender. Gets the most out of his ability. A solid low post prospect for a smaller college program.
Nate Cundiff 6-6 SR PF Higley HS (Queen Creek, AZ)
A strong, well built but undersized 4-man that should be capable of also playing as a small forward over time. Athletic for his size. A good low post player but spends much of his time on the perimeter. A good mid-range shooter but needs to add more range on his shot.
TJ Walker 6-1 SR PG/SG Highland HS (Gilbert, AZ)
Walker is a solid combo-guard prospect with a nice shooting stroke and very good toughness as a player. He has a nice jump shot with range and also can create shots for himself and others off the dribble. A good finisher in the lane. A good passer that pushes the basketball. Good ball handler. Solid defender.
