Tribal Athletics is working extremely hard to raise the overall exposure of Native American born prospects in the country, as Event Organizer Jon Yarrow Jr. has organized some of the top prospects from the state and around the West for numerous events. On Saturday, Yarrow brought together some of the top middle school prospects for girls and boys together. Here are the top individual boys performers that I observed on Saturday (In no particular order) . . .
Dogka Nephi Fort McDowell, AZ 7th Grader 2026 Class
Nephi is a sure-fire talent with a good overall skill level and a pure shooting stroke with range on his shot. Has a fluid shooting stroke and a nice release on his shot. Has a very good handle of the basketball and can create his own shot off the dribble and finish in the lane. An excellent passer that has great court vision and is a willing passer. A very good looking prospect also. Has a bright future. High school still undecided.
Mattias Blackbird Boy Elder, MT 8th Grader 2025 Class
A big, strong well built physical talent with a nice overall offensive skillset, that allows him to score inside and out. Can post up effectively or score from the perimeter. Has a nice shooting stroke with range on his shot. A strong rebounder. Runs the floor hard. A good ball handler. Solid passer. Has good potential for the future.
O'Shea Bonner Scottsdale, AZ 8th Grader 2025 Class
A very skilled guard prospect with a good overall feel for the game. A very good ball handler and passer that sees the floor. A scorer that can create, and is a strong driver to the basket and can finish strong in the lane. Has good change of speed and plays at a good pace. A good shooter with range and also has a good mid-range game as well. Good in the open floor. A slick defender that plays passing lanes. A good looking prospect.
Darwin Gambler Alberdeen, SD 8th Grader 2025 Class
A guard prospect with excellent length of body and a rangy frame that suggests that he is still growing a great deal. Has great upside. A skilled guard prospect that can play multiple positions. Has very good versatility. A good shooter with range and has a nice mid-range game as well. A good finisher and slasher. Thrives in the open court. A good defender that plays passing lanes.
Israel Loring Mesa, AZ 8th Grader 2025 Class
A skilled guard prospect with a a nice overall skill level - fundamentally sound. Has a nice, pure shooting stroke with a nice release on his shot, and excellent range. Also to get his shot off quite well. Can also create his own shot off the dribble, and has craftiness to his game. A very good ball handler. Has really good upside as a prospect. As he continues to grow and get stronger physically, he will progress nicely into a serious college prospect.
Jayden Kinlecheenie Greasewood, AZ 8th Grader 2025 Class
Jayden is a serious guard prospect with an athletic frame and serious quickness off the dribble and good explosiveness. He is a very good ball handler and passer - a floor general with the ball in his hands. Capable of playing either guard position. A good shooter from mid-range and able to get into the lane and make plays. A good finisher. Good in the open floor. Pushes the basketball. A very good defender with quick hands and feet. A good looking guard prospect.
Kaimana Levy Pala, CA 6th grader 2027 Class
Levy is a quick ball handler and strong driver of the basketball that gets into the teeth of the defense, and can finish strong, or find an open teammate for an assist. Also a very good shooter with nice form and good range on his shot. A good ball handler. A good passer that sees the floor. Pushes the basketball up the floor. An OK defender. Has excellent potential for the future with continued hard work.
Luca Walema Mohave Valley, AZ 8th Grader 2025 Class
Walema is a wide-body post player with excellent size on his strong frame. He is a true-post player that does not play much on the perimeter, but rather goes to the low block and looks to muscle his defensive opponents and overpower them around the basket. A strong finisher around the paint and does not mind physical contact. Gets to the free-throw line quite often. Runs the floor hard. A strong rebounder. Solid low-post defender. A good shotblocker with a good wingspan. Has good potential for the future with continued work ethic.
Nashoba Redhouse Scottsdale, AZ 7th Grader 2026 Class
A very skilled guard prospect with a serious knack for scoring the basketball. An excellent shooter with range on his shot and a quick release, but he also has a strong mid-range game that allows him to make plays off the dribble, and also catch and shoot from mid-range over defenders. Can also get into the lane and finish quite well. A ver ygood ball handler that can also create his own shot. Very thin physically, and will see hsi game progress a great deal with some added size over time.. Fundamentally sound. Plays passing lanes. A walking bucket.
Nicholas Amador Winterhaven, CA 8th Grader 2025 Class
Amador is a very skilled prospect with a nice feel for the game and an excellent shooting stroke with unlimited range on his shot. Has a quick release and does not need much to get his shot off. Made numerous shots on Saturday. A good ball handler also, although he is not overly athletic or quick. Makes up for it with a high basketball IQ. Can create his own shot. A very good passer that sees the floor. An OK defender. Solid rebounder. A specialist over time.
