With the spring evaluation period upon us, and college programs still in pursuit of top available prospects around the country, there are still numerous prospects still available in Arizona's 2019 Class. With so many unsigned and uncommitted prospects still available in the state, here are my top available prospects still on board for the spring for college coaches to take a very hard look at (in no particular order) . . .
Chol Marial 7-3 SR C AZ Compass Prep
Chol was once regarded as the nation's top overall 2019 prospect, after quickly emerging on the national basketball scene as a mere 8th grader. Marial has been one of the nation's premier prospects for some time, but he has had nagging injuries over the past couple years, causing him to miss a lot of action on the basketball court. A native of Sudan, Chol returned to action this season at AZ Compass, although he missed a lot of action again. A super long and rangy post prospect with unlimited potential and a body rarely found among any prospects in the history of the game. Chol is a skilled post prospect with an ability to score inside and out, and also finish strong above the rim over defenders. He block shots at a high level and also rebounds outside of his area. When he is healthy, he runs the floor like a guard. Will be a highly sought after recruiting target this spring, because when he is healthy, he is tremendous. A strength and conditioning program in college should take his game and body to a new level.
Rick Issanza 7-1 SR C Bella Vista Prep
Issanza is a rare find - a long and strong basketball post prospect that runs the floor and has a variety of offensive skills. He has unique size and agility, which allows him to make plays around the basket with a soft touch and with advanced footwork. He blocks or changes almost every shot in his area, and is also able to extend and alter shots outside of his area when he decides to. Issanza runs the floor extremely well, and is an excellent finisher in transition, where he gets to the rim and finishes above it. He is a good low-post scorer that times his time in the post to make shot attempts, and also finds the open man on the floor when double-teamed. Also an active rebounder that rebounds outside of his area. Still raw but has unlimited potential.
Nicholas Elame 6-4 SR PG/SG Bella Vista Prep
The athletic combo-guard has a good overall feel for the game and very good versatility. He is a strong driver of the basketball and a very good finisher inside the lane over bigger defenders. He is also a good shooter of the basketball with range, and has a nice mid-range game for himself, which allows him to stop on a dime and make shots. He is a good ball handler and passer that sees the floor. He is an excellent defender that plays passing lanes and has quick hands and feet. A lock-down defender. Elame has the potential to play at the mid-major level and even higher. A serious injury caused him to miss much of his senior season.
Jackson Ruai 6-3 SR SG Amphitheater High School
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. Still growing a great deal physically, and he has added some serious size over the past year.
Devan Cambridge 6-4 SR SG Hillcrest Prep Academy
Cambridge is a super athletic talent that had an excellent senior season. A native of Tennessee, Cambridge is a tremendous athlete that plays well above the rim and finishes plays at a high rate in the open floor and while slashing to the basket. He is a good overall scorer that has developed a consistent perimeter shot with range. He is also an excellent defender that plays passing lanes, and is excellent in the open floor. He has serious potential as a player and very good upside. A can't miss prospect that is among the best sleepers in the country.
Emmanuel Taban 6-7 SR SG/SF Apollo High School
A long, lengthy guard prospect, Taban is coming off a very good senior season and has shown excellent versatility as a player. 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. He is very thin physically though and needs to add serious size to his thin frame over time to maximize his potential as a player. 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.
Emmanuel Kabasele Tshimanga 6-10 SR C Bella Vista Prep
Tshimanga is a large post talent with big hands and feet and a large frame that he uses to gain excellent inside post position inside the paint. He has good low-post footwork and a nice jump-hook, which he uses effectively to score inside the paint. He has a good overall skill level and is able to step outside and make shots out to three-point distance. Has really improved a great deal over the past several years. His best quality is his size. He runs the floor very well for his size, but needs to trim his weight some to become much more fluid running the floor. He plays hard and competes at a high level. A good low-post prospect that should continue to develop nicely. A very good student with a good personality.
Otis Frazier 6-5 SR SF Buckeye HS
An athletic and skilled wing prospect with an excellent motor and a knack for scoring the basketball. Very good in the open floor where he is an excellent finisher. A good shooter with range, but at his best shooting from the standstill position from three, and scoring of off the dribble. A good mid-range player as well. A good ball handler for his size. A solid passer. An active rebounder. A good defender with good lateral quickness, capable of defending several positions. A very good sleeper prospect.
D’Maurian Williams 6-4 SR PG Westview HS
Williams is very impressive in his ability to play the game of basketball and make plays for himself and others. Williams is a larger guard prospect that likes to have the basketball in his hands and make plays for himself and others. Williams is a pure-point guard prospect that has excellent size at 6-foot-4 and an excellent body. This young man is a very nice floor general with an ability to make plays off the dribble. He has a strong handle of the basketball and is able to handle defensive pressure, while making players around him better - a valuable asset. There are very guard prospects with his combination of size, strength and skill level. A solid shooter although he needs to be more consistent in his shooting stroke, but he is streaky. Has an excellent mid-range game. A very good post-up player and finisher. Gets to the free-throw line quite often. Pushes the basketball up the floor and sees the floor well. A good on-the-ball defender. A very good sleeper prospect.
Trent Brown 6-2 SR PG Pinnacle High School
Brown 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. 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.
Carlos Ramsey 6-4 SR SG AZ Compass Prep
A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A tough and gritty defender that has also has a good overall skill level and ability to make plays. A good shooter from mid-range, and has a solid perimeter shooting stroke from longer ranges, and he is capable of making several shots in a row when he catches fire. A good rebounder for his size and plays athletic. A very good on–the-ball defender that is capable of becoming a lock-down defender over time. A very good slasher and finisher and is a good overall scorer in the open floor. A good ball handler that is capable of playing several positions on the floor with good overall versatility. An OK passer. His toughness as a player makes him a very intriguing prospect.
