AZEA Fall Feature/ASN Web TV

By James Parker, talent scout/evaluator



What a fun event for players and spectators alike. This weekends event was hosted by AZ Elite Athletics @ Premier Courts and sponsored by Game Time DVD and Amateaur Sports Network (AZ) Web TV. Can't say enough good things about Derrick Warford and AZEA, for being such good hosts and genuine people. Also Thanks to Ron Hayes of Arizona Premier Courts for their accommodations. AZEA, still in it's infant stages hosted an event with a lot of potential and much upside. Thanks to the crew, hosts, camera men and women of Game Time DVD and ASN for making this a memorable event for the kids, programs and fans. Special thanks goes out to Switch Marketing Company. Also a special thanks to Subway, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Powerade for the VIP Accommodations.

If you didn't get a chance to come out to Premier this weekend, what made it very unique to other tournaments this year was the web tv. Where ever you were in the world by laptop, pc, Ipod, Ipad, Iphone or other cellular device via Internet you were able to see live action and interviews streamed live from the event. So family members,friends, fans who couldn't make it for whatever reason could watch from wherever. Take a look now also to see what you missed http://www.ustream.tv/channel/asn-oct-15th-tournament or http://www.ustream.tv/channel/asn-preview

12u Magic took the chip in their division, Cagers won the 14u division, and CR Suns won the high school varsity division.

Top Performers: (high school division)

Sam Jones (CR Suns) - 6'6 (SG/SF) from Gilbert Christian. Sam is the best shooter in the class of 2014. This was the first tournament for Sam since breaking his arms in a game before the summer. If he was able to participate in the Frosh/Soph combine and any other fall showcase he would have been on the top of their lists. He has decent athleticism and shows ability to score the ball from all over. Need to see more to evaluate his ability to defend.

Ben Cuevas (CR Suns) - 6' (G) . Quick explosive guard with range who can score in a variety of ways, also finds the open player on the take. Ben is capable of running an offense from the point position as well as off the ball. Needs to find mid-range game, either takes the open three or drives. Struggles against teams with good big man and good help. Take the ability to drive to the cup away and the defense is much harder on him on the perimeter to get open.

Sam Sprout (AZEA) - 6'3 (F) from Tempe Prep. Tough strong competitor on the defensive end and under the basket. Sam competes the same whether down by 20 or up by 20. Undersized forward which is where I saw him play most, but plays with a lot of energy and heart. He attacks the boards and never gives in.

Sammy Cabrera (AZEA) - 5'11 (PG) Sammy has one of the most explosive steps and he does not look to go around defenders, he blows by them, sometimes right at them. He sees the smallest of lanes but is so quick it's hard to get a charge on him. Hard to get to a spot and get your feet set. Before you know it his is already there. Can seem to be a little eratic at times.

Alasan Turray (NFL YET) - 5'9 (G) from St. Mary's. Has great freeze moves, stutter stall step, can pull up or put it back on the ground for drive. Alasan finds open players on the take and can finish with a variety of moves. Being a smaller guard he shows a lot of poise. Alasan has been playing great basketball as of late.

Other high school notables:

Michael Garcia (CR Suns)

Derek Rojas (CR Suns)

Travis Meener (CR Suns)

Zylan Cheetman (NFL Yet)

14u Notables:

Cole Kepler (Cagers) Runs lanes in transition very well. Makes great cuts and slashes to the basket with authority. Show athletic ability to finish and can pull-up for outside shot. Rebounds the ball well.

Chris Cordova (Cagers) Chris has a mature physic for his age, is aggressive and powerful driving to the basket. He also is physical great rebounding guard. Explosive off the dribble.

Chandler Solis (Dream) (6'W) Has great form on his shot, is money in that 10-15ft range. Has good body build for a shooting guard. Will be around in years to come for more evaluation. Has solid well rounded game already. Great rebounding guard.

Isaiah Wilson (Dream) (6'3/W-P) Already has great size and length. Has good hands, soft touch around the rim. Can use both hands equally, loves the left. Is a great shot blocker and presence underneath. A lot of upside with this kid as he has a lot of growing potential and is still very raw.

Devon White (Dream) Is a great match-up defender. Very active on the court. Gets loose balls.

Tyra Eull Long (NFL Yet) This young lady is a gem. She is only 11 and is locking down 14u guards in the boys division. She plays aggressive and without fear. Can beat her defender off the dribble and is great running the floor and in transition.

Johnathan Harris (NFL Yet) Has a smooth looking stroke from outside. Plays very patient. Has a great shot fake that he waits till his defender comes out or relaxes puts it on the floor for the 15ftr. Owns the mid-range shot. Knows how to keep the floor balanced and spaced.

Ronnie Ramirez (NFl Yet)

Armondo Ruiz (NFL Yet)

Sklar Lane (Cagers)

Xavier Smith (Cagers)

Sean Wood (Cagers)

Battling the Odds

By James Parker, talent scout/evaluator
Phoenix Az, 10/10-11/2010, Phoenix College
Areacodes Phoenix Fall Showcase

This year's Phoenix Fall Showcase is a wrap. Saw so much great play from a variety of players at every level. Many players atop their class seemed to struggle much with their respective high school teams as they are making the transition from summer competition to preparing for the high school season. Many marquee players that are expected to be impact players for high school only played to the level of the competition and players around them, exposing areas of their game that still need a lot of development. Prior commitments did not allow for me to attend PFS in it's entirety, therefore a full and just assessment of every player is not possible. So to come up with the "best of" or "top performers" would not be fair to all the players that competed. Although I did get a chance to follow a particular team that was tops in their class and who were by far the most competitive team of the tournament in their rightful division, Areacode's team Stanford.

Areacode's Stanford team which is mostly comprised of players from the Southwest program is unique for this feature not just because of their talent, how hard they compete on the floor, but how hard they compete in life. The Southwest program is no stranger to many of life's struggles. These kids are not just competing to win in basketball but to win in life. From single parent households, family members battling cancer, lupus, lack of resources, failed relationships, failed economy, to the different pressures that come with certain demographics, many of these kids have seen it all. And just like life throws many of them unfavorable odds, they throw at their opponents on the court every thing but the kitchen sink. I liken their up tempo style of game and pressure defense to Nolan Richardson's "40 minutes of hell". They don't just play man/man full court pressure but team to man full court pressure. Every player understood their defensive assignment was to stop ball, not just their player. As an offensive player with the ball it's never 1/1 against them, more like 1on5. There was almost no second guessing when it came to defensive rotations. If a player wasn't trapping they were anticipating immediate next pass, and if they didn't pick it off they were right there defensively in the offensive player's shirt. The trappers immediately recognized and found open players to defend. If the ball didn't move quickly enough out the offensive players hands the trap was coming again. If a teammate got beat, help was there quick. Sporting the purple "Ball-is-life" shirts they were relentless in their attack and if other teams weren't falling behind by so much they had to pull their press, they could have topped 100pts in a couple of their games. That's even more remarkable considering the average age of the players is 14-15, and the game was played by speed ball rules and a running clock.

Led by coach Dailey and coach Ramirez, here is this weekends feature team Stanford.

• Gianni Dailey (6'3)(2012) St. Mary's high school; This kid has the makings of a mid-high major prospect. He has a solid build and good frame with wide strong shoulders. He possesses a well rounded game. Has the ability to take defenders off the dribble, finish in traffic and knock down the long range jumper. He knows how to get his teammates involved. He has great court awareness, vision, and can make a variety of passes, knows how and when to get the ball to teammates. Gianni plays both sides of the court. He is very physical and possesses enough foot speed to control dribble penetration. He is best off the ball defensively reading passing lanes. He has great leaping ability and quickness to pick off passes. Though Gianni can score without the ball coming off screens and such he seems more fit as a PG at the higher level, much more comfortable with the ball, getting others involved.
  



• Jaylen Broom (6'1)(2012) St. Mary's high school; A really quick perimeter defender. This kid gets it and has some
  of the quickest hands and feet. If I had to play against Jaylen I would want to only do one of two things, pass or shoot. Because your not going to do much else, if you can manage to get a couple screens to get free enough to shoot. Jaylen also possess much athleticism getting to the basket. He is a speedster and gets up the court quick in transition. He has a great pull-up jumper that he is not afraid to use, squares his body to the basket and gets nice and vertical. I want to see him work on his release, soften his shot and get more rotation on the ball over this next year.



• Jaydarion Reagan (5'11)(2012) Ceasar Chavez: Strong, broad shoulders and athletic. JD is a great cutter/slasher to the basket. He does not have to dominate the ball to be effective. He is a great contributor on the defensive end of the court and a good rebounding guard. Jaydarion is an efficient scorer, might not put up astronomical numbers but makes good things happen every time he touches the ball.


• Joshua Isaacs (5'10)(2013) Verrado: Josh was a free-agent/individual registrant who to date probably never played with the talent and speed he found himself surrounded by on Saturday and Sunday. No worries, the players welcomed him as one of their own and got him the ball as best they could so he could contribute on the scoring side as well. Josh didn't disappoint. His confidence was on an all-time high and he showed no fear handling the ball, shooting, or playing defense against faster kids. He gave it his best and looked to be having a good time.


• Casey Benson (6'1)(2014) Corona: Casey contributes in many ways on the offensive side of the ball. He can put it on the floor and finish. He can shoot the rock from outside, pass it, and clean up the glass. If Casey puts on another 3-5 inches in the next couple years look for him to be a standout shooting guard in high school.
• Ronnie Ramirez (5'8)(2014) Brophy: The General; that's what Ronnie is and that's what he brings to the table. Ronnie is a leader. He is very unselfish, gets the ball to his teammates when and where they can score. He is very unassuming and plays within himself. As Ronnie matures and gets stronger he needs to learn to be more aggressive, take the ball to the cup, get to the charity stripe and create for his teammates. Ronnie's ultimate strength is going to be his ability to lead. It will be his bread & butter.
• Armondo Ruiz (5'11)(2014) NFL YET: Armondo plays smooth under control but can seem disengaged sometimes. He no doubtfully has ability but doesn't always seem to push himself. Armondo has some potential as a player on the wing. High school will require him to work on his speed, conditioning, and effort.
• Zylan Cheetman (6'5)(2014) St. Mary's: Zylan did not have his best outing but no doubt still showed his upside as an elite basketball player. At a long 6'5 and still growing this kid can get up and down the court, jump, handle the ball, and shoot from all areas of the court. Zylan in time is going to be a threat in his own right offensively but something he already has and will be a mainstay in his game is to defend multiple positions, block shots, and rebound. As long as Zylan continues to work hard, play hard, and enjoy the game, his potential is limitless.
• Amadou Gueye (6'2)(2014) Carl Hayden: Not very polished yet but, possess good size as a freshman and strength. His upside is his strength and size. Needs to work on his skill set and begin to identify himself at his position. Right now one can't really say if Amadou is a guard or forward. Hard to say how much more Amadou will grow. My advice would be to really sharpen his skills, to shoot the 3 and mid range jumper, and be able to put the ball on the floor with control. Amadou is a good rebounder, sets good screens and dives on floors for loose balls.
• Taylor Scruggs (6'2)(2014) Moon Valley: Like Amadou Taylor has yet to identify whether he is a guard or forward. He definitely likes to post and bang inside. I like that, because it shows aggressiveness and a willingness to be physical. Taylor has a good body and size but I want to see him focus on his conditioning, agility, and polish his perimeter skills. Taylor is going to get his team rebounds and be a scrappy, hustle type of player.

Arizona Middle School Showcase Recap

By Chad Groth

September 14, 2010

The 3^rd Annual Arizona Middle School Basketball Exposure Showcase was held September 11, 2010 at Phoenix College just minutes from downtown Phoenix.

Area Codes Basketball presented this event which featured 239 middle school basketball players from Arizona. “It’s great to see the young talent play at a high level before high school”, said Ron Coleman, writer from Arizonavarsity.com.

Special thank you to the many scouting services and websites in attendance that supported this event such as Jeff Meadows of www.hoopsreport.com, Ron Coleman of www.arizonavarsity.com, Larry Hill of www.areacodesbasketball.com, Anthony Ray of www.arizonapreps.com, Vernon Holmes of www.xdson.com and James Parker of www.TrifectaBasketball.blogspot.com.

Dozens of players made a name for themselves on this day. Let’s look at the eye catchers.

FIRST TEAM ALL-SHOWCASE (Top Prospects)

Brandon Hoffer 5-9 Explorer 2015

Top prospect in his class and makes everyone better.

Dakota Kordsiemon 6-2 Esperero Canyon (Tucson) 2015

Big - time player who can score in transition.

Ryan Stutzman 5-5 Marley Park 2015

All around crafty point guard who is becoming a leader

Ke’ von Dobson 6-2 Scottsdale 2015

Good upside and can run the floor.

Brad Viel 5-11 Cholla 2015

Blocks shots and can shot the mid range jumper.

Jim Scroggin 6-1 St Mary Basha MS 2016

Good playmaker and has great upside.

Jaylyn Juan 6-3 St Peter and Paul 2015

Best athlete in his class. Dunked in one game and has upside.

Xavier Smith 5-8 Sonora Trails 2015

All - Around performer and is one of the top in this class.

Cole Kelper 5-10 San Tan 2015

Good in transition and can get buckets in hurry. Future top prospect.

Anthony Enriquez 5-8 Verrado MS 2015

Fair player who can create in transition.

Devin Kirby 5-11 Florence MS 2016

Major upside and knows how to play. Remember his name as a top prospect.

Gennaro Silvestro 5-8 Pope John MS 2015

Goes strong to the basket and makes plays. Good defender and is one to watch.

Joshua Rhymes 5-3 Cheatham 2016

Good in transition and has a chance. Rhymes history runs in the family.

Nick Brewer 5-6 San Tan 2015

Solid player and can score buckets. Good shooting range.

Sterling Bell 5-4 Collier MS 2015

Very active on the court and has a chance. Runs the point guard with ease.

Marcus Nez 5-11 Collier MS 2015

Bouncy big who blocks shots and will grow. Good length in size.

DJ Hamilton 5-5 KMS 2016

Scrappy player and has a good understanding of the game.

Ben Arqueros 5-5 Home School 2015

Put a few nice moves on his opponents. Can make plays.

Delaney Roach 6-0 Osborn MS 2016

Has upside and must work on ball handling to adjust to the next level. Good size.

Jordan McGee 5-4 Verrado MS 2016

Top point guard prospect in his class and crafty playmaker, hit game winner in one game.

Montez White 5-7 Mountain View 2015

Good ball handler who made plays in the up-tempo game. Solid point guard.

Dominic Rhymes 5-3 Osborn MS 2016

Hard and tough player who knows how to play.

Justin Howard 4-11 Canyon Ridge 2016

Very competitive player and tough all around guard who will be a top prospect.

Aaron Allen 6-0 Luke MS 2015

Good guard skills and attacks the basket; still raw, but athletic.

John Rivera 6-0 Imagine Prep 2015

Common crafty player who really gets after it.

Frank Trujillo 6-2 Desert Sky (Tucson) 2016

Upside with size and performed well. Name to remember.

LJ Williams 5-10 San Tan 2015

Major upside and understands the game. Top prospect who makes players better.

Jacob Sosinski 6-3 Mesquite Jr. High 2015

Good size for his position. Good understanding of the game and remember this name.

Jeff Wahlin 6-1 San Tan 2015

Crafty playmaker and has a chance. Runs the floor well for his size.

Cesar Cervantes 6-3 Atkinson 2015

Can rebound well and plays center at this time and turns it up in transition.

Isaiah Barajas 5-4 Verrado MS 2015

Competes very well and is active on both ends of the floor. Has a chance.

Adam Turner 6-0 Mountain Sky 2015

Athletic wing and defends well and finishes in transition.

Duke Cobb 5-1 Centennial MS 2015

Good competitor who can shoot and runs the point guard position.

Jake Hatfield 6-1 Stetson Hills 2015

Nice post moves and runs well for his size. Upside!

Jeremiah Barkley 5-3 Desert Thunder 2015

Point guard who runs a team well.

Terence Johnson 6-1 Desert Sky (Tucson) 2015

Super scorer and knows how to get buckets.

Keaton Harris 5-6 South Valley MS 2015

Defends the ball well; good man on man skills and is a solid player.

Juan Rascon 5-11 Miles (Tucson) 2015

Made players better around him. Can do it all on the floor. Passes well.

Kenny Arrick 5-2 Connections Academy 2016

Tough guard with skills. Upside.

Keenan Walker 6-1 Madison 2015

Good size and takes up space. Learning; how to read defenses on the floor.

Sumeet Khara 6-0 Highland Jr. High 2015

Has speed and attacks the basket.

Riley Mckinnis 5-9 Chandler Academy 2015

Never took plays off, good prospect.

Sean Wood 6-1 Stapley 2015

All – around performer who can lead a team is a hard worker.

Thailand Gatling 5-8 Payne 2015

Hard nosed player who is good in transition.

BEST OF THE WEST! (Prospects making the grade)

Jarrod Diamond 5-10 Western Peaks 2015

Ben Hebert 5-8 Saint Thomas Aquinas 2015

Miguel Rosales 5-11 Sun Valley 2015

Kevin Nudo 5-8 Scottsdale 2015

Ryan Bayster 6-2 Copper Ridge 2015

Nate Grass 5-4 Sonoran Trails 2015

Evan Winje 5-6 Mountain View 2016

Brett Morrow 6-0 Mount Elden (Flagstaff) 2016

Andrew Wass 5-8 Osborn MS 2016

Alejandro Elias 5-6 South Valley Gilbert 2016

"WE ARE FROM TUCSON!"

By James Parker, GSB talent scout/regional evaluator
Phoenix, Az, 9-11-10, Phoenix College
Areacodes MS Showcase

"We are from Tucson!", exclaims Frankie Trujillo looking over at the Aces bench, as he sprints back on D after hitting a BIG shot from the opposite corner that changed the momentum of otherwise a close game against the Aces. Team Prep of Tucson was not having it, not on this day, not in this town, on this court. They came to make a statement, to prove a point. The sense of camaraderie amongst this small group of boys out of Tucson Az. is off the charts. They play for each other. They seem inseparable, together as one. They are finite definition of team, Team Prep. Prep (P.R.E.P) is an acronym which stands for Preparing Respectful Educated Players. Well on Saturday, 9-11-10 they came prepared, respected the game and each other, showed knowledge of the game, educated on team principles/concepts and they came to play. Often big brother Phoenix overshadows the smaller city of Tucson. With a larger talent pool to pull from and more resources, playing against the larger metropolitan teams can sometimes seem like an uphill battle but Team Prep came armed with not only matched talent but something there is no substitute for, determination.

In a day when majority of aau and club teams largely depend on defensive tactics like zones, half-court traps, three quarters traps, full-court zone presses, Team Prep chooses to play "mano y mano" (man to man). As a result I saw some of the best defensive fundamentals I have seen all summer. I think that is a big compliment considering during the month of July I was at AAU Nationals in Florida and every major showcase in the southwest region, boasting some of the countries highest touted NCAA prospects and elite club teams. On coach O's cue to "lock it down", thats what they did. Juan Rascon's on ball defensive slide is text book teaching material. I watched Dakota Kordsiemon lock down Brandon Hoffer (voted #1 top performer at the MS Showcase) and render him ineffective. Jaylan Juan, a small forward who plays with a defensive energy like that of football great Ray Lewis, played out of position as a center and completely dominated the paint, blocking shots and grabbing boards. Nothing came easy to opponents as Team Prep played passing lanes tough and kept constant pressure on the ball. Every player plays ball and jumps passes, always staying on ball side. Every cut was met with a bump and strong forearm, not allowing any face cuts. Every player on ball is solid limiting penetration to a minimal. The one place I felt teams could have exploited Team Prep was through screens on and off the ball. Often times I saw defenders out to far from the help area, hugging their players on the weak side. Some simple screens and curl cuts could have compromised their defense. Also a good pick & roll action would have been a nice option because the non-existent help and sometimes lack of hedging on screen. Then again, if that would have happened I would suspect coach O'Brien would have had the kids make the necessary adjustments. They are a well coached team.

Though I've mostly talked about their defense, which is obviously their strength as a team, their offense is not far off. All of them show great form on their shot mechanics and can hit the mid-range jump shot as well as shooting from beyond the arc. Dakota gets great lift on his shot. With a little more height and sharpening of his ball handling abilities Dakota looks to be a top SG in high school. Juan Rascon already has the makings of a great hs PG. Experience and time will only help him. Terence Johnson's shot might be a little unorthodox but makes it work for him, also shows great athleticism. Jaylyn Juan arguably the fiercest competitor in the showcase has great athleticism and good form on his shot. Jaylyn knocked down the mid range jump shot with ease. Can use a little more consistency from 3 but I didn't see enough of it because his game was greater inside for this tournament. Frankie Trujillo is a competitor, might not show elite athleticism but hits big shots, runs the floor and spaces well. KeKoa Chi Du's footwork and skill is still very raw, but he has a lot of length and height. He is still in growth years, potential possibilities if he keeps at it. Team Prep's offense is very fluid as well. They run great lanes, space in transition and don't force anything. If they don't get anything in transition they are seamless in their early flow offense. They recognize and make reads well. Offense tends to flow that way and rarely gets stagnate.

I believe Team Prep made their point and their statement, "we are from Tucson", resonates in the ears of their opponents as a team to be taken seriously.

For full roster and more information visit http://www.teampreptucson.com/

3rd Annual Az. Middle School Basketball Exposure Showcase

First Team All Areacodes 2010 (class of 2015)

1. 
   
   Juan Rascon 5'11 - Miles middle school (2015) Team Prep (Tucson)


2. Brandon Hoffer 5'9 -Explore middle schoool (2015) Aces


3. Kenzo Nudo 5'8 -_______________________Aces


4. Jaylan Juan 6'3 -St. Peter & Paul middle school (2015) Team Prep (Tucson)


5. Ceaser Cervantes 6'3 - Atkinson middle school (2015) PHX Soldiers

Second Team All Areacodes 2010 (class of 2015)

1. Montez White 5'7 - Mountain Veiw middle school (2015) A.P. Elite


2. Dakota Kordsieman 6'2 - Esperero Canyon (2015) Team Prep (Tucson)


3. Jon Rivera 6'0 - Amagine Prep (2015) A.P. Elite


4. Miguel Rosales 5'11 - Sun Valley middle school (2015) Az Breakers


5. Keenan Walker 6'1 - Madison middle school (2015) Aces

All Areacodes Defensive Team 2010 (class of 2015)

1. 
   
   Hunter Arnez 5'5 - Mesquite ms (2015) Free Agents


2. 
   
   Dakota Kordsiemon


3. 
   
   Nick Allen - Kingswood ms (2015) A.P. Elite


4. 
   
   Jaylan Juan


5. 
   
   Keenan Walker

Honorable Mentions 2015:

• Nick Brewer (Free Agents)
• Ryan Stutzman (Free Agents)
• Colten O'brien (Aces)
• Matt Houser (Aces)
• Marcus Nez (Az Ball Dawgs)
• Brad Viel (Az Breakers)
• Nate Grass (Cagers Elite)
• Cole Kepler (Cagers Elite)
• Chris Cordova (Cagers Elite)
• Tristian Horn (A.P. Elite)
• Josh Pittman (Gorillas)
• Jeff Whalin (Gorillas)
• Terence Johnson (Team Prep)
• Adam Turner (Az Storm)
• Tommy Hill (Az Storm)

First Team All Areacodes 2010 (class of 2016)

1. Jordan McGee
2. Devin Kirby
3. Jordan Vigueria
4. Delaney Roach
5. Jim Scoggin

Thanks to Chad Groth of www.areacodesbasketball.com for sponsering and putting on the 3rd Annual Arizona Middle School Basketball Exposure Showcase. For player profiles on 1st and 2nd teams or questions about any other player please email ultimatebasketball2@gmail.com

SWS Frosh/Soph 2010 Showcase Combine

By James Parker,GSB talent scout/regional evaluator
Gilbert, Az, Labor Day, 2010 (Mesquite HS)

The future shines bright like the hot Arizona sun in Gilbert, Az, as the First Annual SWS Frosh/Soph Showcase Combine takes place at Mesquite high school. With 170 players of the 2013 and 2014 classes the combine was a huge success. Thanks to Ron Coleman of SWS Basketball Tournaments & all the staff that helped make this event happen.

2013 Checklist

Torren Jones, 6'8 Forward, (Basha): Dynamic, strong, fierce competitor. The kid has a strong athletic build, is explosive around the rim and finishes well. He is very mobile for his size and plays a great transition game offensively and defensively, sprinting every possession. His defensive transition recognition is superb for a kid his age. He is a great open court player who is virtually un-stoppable attacking the basket. He sets good screens and knows how to seal and open to the ball. His release on the jumper is a little pro-longed, not releasing at the climax of the jump, leaving it flat and short many times. I would like to see him create more room clearing with the ball while facing the basket, opening up his drive. Smaller players seem to give him trouble by crowding his space. With more work on his jumper and fakes this kid is a top level DI product.
Maurice Kirby, 6'9 PF/C, Poston Butte: Smooth, finesse player with beautiful footwork. Kirby is in a way a polar opposite of Jones, in the sense Jones is brute strength, Kirby is refined and finesse. He favors the turnaround jumper around 10ft, plays well with his back to basket, and has great footwork. It’s not easy to double him because he has some of the best hands and is the best passing big seen all summer. He keeps his head up and is patient with the ball. He struggles if his opponents can control the pace and they prefer an up-tempo game. Doesn’t possess explosiveness or step to finish big around the sauce pan.
Jaron Hopkins, 6’5 W, Basha: Jaron possess great size and athleticism on the wing. Can knock down the big shot as well as put it on the ground and finish above the rim. His length and athleticism enable him to be a great defender that can defend multiple positions. He is a guard that will secure rebounds for his team. I would like to see Jaron play with a greater sense of urgency and energy. A different forum might have suited him better. He seemed content with coasting at times.
Joe Boyd, 6’8 SF, Chaparral: Joe can shoot the ball from virtually anywhere on the floor. He possesses great court sense and vision. Shows a lot of maturity and basketball IQ for his age. He might struggle against stronger forwards that can post and having to defend quicker guards and forwards. He is still young and will no doubt become more agile and add more strength to his frame.
Drew Bender, 6’4 SG, Pinnacle: Drew is a technician of sorts with his positional skills. He moves great without the ball. With the ball he knows how to get the shot off and set up his defender to drive. He picks the right course of action, right or left depending on floor balance and defender’s deployment to get the lane for shot or finish. He has great upsize, and possesses prototypical shooting guard body. He shows experience, poise and leadership qualities. What I would like to see more from him by next summer is a stronger frame that can finish better, and quickness using more economy of motion.
HM’s: Jalen Richard, Damian Mendoza, Joshua Braun, Devante Walker, Devin White.

2014 Checklist

Roberto Reyes, 6’3, Gilbert Christian: Extremely athletic cutting, slashing guard who can create his own shot at will, get to the basket and finish. He has great body control and an incredible explosive step. He has been playing high level basketball for as long as I can remember but while others are fizzling out, He has consistently improved, no doubt a tribute to his work-ethic and coach ability. I want to see him get a stronger frame while remaining agile. He can shoot but seems hesitant to pull the trigger from beyond the arc at times. He possibly looks to drive too much rather than take the shot if that is what the defense is giving. I want to see better ball pressure defense from him.
Zylan Cheetman, 6’4, Saint Mary’s: Zylan has a long wiry frame, and appears to have several more inches of growth. He has point guard ball-handling abilities, and ok shooting form but can use some work and more repetitions. I would have preferred to not see him walk the ball up so much and look for his own isolation. Want to see if he can efficiently run an offense and create for others. Look for this kids play to rise if his work-ethic matches his natural abilities. I believe his potential is just being tapped.
Dorian Pickens, 6’4, Pinnacle: Dorian possesses a very silky smooth stroke from 3 and off the dribble, which has been a missing art all summer. As well, Dorian shows a lot of ability to efficiently run a team’s offense from the point position. I would like to see Dorian work on his foot speed and quickness over the next year, and his ability to pressure the ball. He shows leadership qualities and I want to see that become a formidable part of his game.
Rolando Rhymes, 6’, Saint Mary’s: Rolando has some of the quickest handles and is a hard guard. He can get to the rim at will but fails to finish at times making much more difficult shots than needed. His defense is antagonizing and extremely frustrating for dribblers. With all his skill, his jumper is light years away from the rest of his game. He tends to dribble too much and must put in work on his jump shot. With his ability to beat players off the dribble I would especially like to see him develop the pull-up jumper.
Pablo Rivas, 6’4,Cesar Chavez: In basketball, length equals strength, and this kid has lots of it and no doubt will add more inches to his frame in years to come. He doesn’t mind doing the dirty work, from grabbing boards, setting screens, and snuffing out shots. He needs some refinement with his basketball skills. His game is still very raw but shows lots of promise.
Gino Littles, 5’6, Chaparral: This little man put in work. He is pure joy to watch, plays with a lot of good energy. Has a great ability to lead and run a team. He possesses an“AI” like killer crossover. He makes good decisions up the court and when penetrating, knowing to dish, kick, shoot the pull-up or leaner. He can knock down the three but has a slight lean and push in his shot that needs to be corrected for consistency and next level. Also, because his lack of height needs to obtain a more smothering on-ball defense.

HM’s: Pete Leroy (Chavez), Chaz Mack (Tucson), Christian Harris (Mesa), Alasan Turay (Saint Mary’s), DeRon Kyle (Deer Valley), Chris Mclemore (Chavez), Jamarius Claiborne (Chavez),

The Threee's: Energy-Efectiveness-Efficient

As a coach there are three things I always ask of my players:


As a trainer there are three things I always ask of the athlete:


As a coach I look at my practice plan in three ways:


As a father and employee I try and supply three things:





What are the three things:

ENERGY-EFFECTIVENESS-EFFICIENCY

ENERGY- As a coach I love bringing energy to the table. It's a must. I'm fiery, intense, on the verge of spaz sometimes, lol, but its the passion inside me. I can't contain it. I try and keep it moving in my practice plans. Maintain the player's focus. On the same note, I expect the kids I train, and my teams to match my energy. IT'S A MUST! As a technically oriented perfectionist, the best advice I can give anyone I'm working with is, 'Go Hard!'. I always tell others that most mistakes, flawed skills can be fixed but the mistake is being made not because of a lack of knowledge or ability but lack of desire or intensity.

For example a poor defensive stance can be taught but to be done right you have to DO IT, and that takes energy. Another example is I continually fight with young shooters to get more extension and higher release point on their shot. Well now that I have told you what I want- energy, energy, energy. That is the only way to accomplish it. Driving to the hole and layups, sure there is some technique but go hard and half the time you will get it on your own. Then we can teach where we need to but just do everything as hard as you can and I will have to correct less. When working on an athlete's 1st and 2nd step, or dribbling attack moves I can tell them what they are doing well and not doing so well to be more effective, usually its being to high, steps aren't big enough and, or dribble is not being extended beyond the defense. How to correct it, GO HARDER!

EFFECTIVENESS- Players, cover all areas of the game but also learn to specialize in the type of player you are, the position you play, and the offense your team runs. Do all ur drills as real as possible. Tighten up all your moves and learn to quicken your shot.

Coaches, build your shooting drills and such around what kind of offense you will run. If you run a high-post/UCLA cut in your offense, run it as a lay-up drill. If screens are set out on the perimeter for ball handlers, have the perimeter players practice shooting off of screens, splitting the D, finding the screener, cutting back on the cheating D. Screeners should practice rolling and finsihing, popping and shooting after setting screens. BE EFFECTIVE!

EFFECIENCY- NO WASTED TIME, NO WASTED MOVEMENT! From where you set without the ball, how you catch set up your shot, and shoot to how you cross between the legs and attack, make what you do concise, quick, as little movement as possible to accomplish the task. Dribble hard, low, & quick. Keep your shot high, straight in your delivery, as little movement as possible that isn't N-S.

As a coach, keep practice moving, as little standing around as possible. Make points clear and precise. Don't waste time doing things in practice that aren't working towards your goals. Finally I am so surprised how many coaches that coach elite AAU teams never refer to a practice plan. A practice plan is like the chief cornerstone to a succesfull practice. Practice plans help maintian focus. Things are already thought out freeing your mind to teach rather than making stuff up on the fly and being concerned with what is next. PRACTICE PLAN, simple as that.

Even when I do 1/1 with individuals I know what I'm doing before I walk in the gym. I don't wait till I get there to figure it out.