Summer Report: Ironwood High School
Last season, Ironwood High School surprised many as they were able to not only make it to the sectional tournament. Rather, they were able to make it to the sectional semifinals. The team took the momentum from the end of…
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Continue ReadingLast season, Ironwood High School surprised many as they were able to not only make it to the sectional tournament. Rather, they were able to make it to the sectional semifinals. The team took the momentum from the end of last season and used it to spring board into a great summer in which they competed at a very high level. In fact, they made it to the semifinals of the Skyline (Mesa) tournament and won the Arizona Christian University tournament.
This time came into the summer with a lot of question marks as their two leading scorers, 2016 Austin Haughee 6’1″ PG/SG and 2016 Tanner Forsberg 6’3″ SG/SF, graduated. In addition to leading the team in scoring, these two provided great leadership for the team and assisted in many other statistical categories. Both of these players were strong enough players to earn all-section honoree mention as well as 2nd team all-district.
With that said, Ironwood returns the majority of their team which includes standout point guard and all-section honoree 2017 5’10” PG Cody Carmichael and another all-section honoree in big man 2017 6’6″ PF/C Geoff Hibbitt. Although both of these players had tremendous summers with Hibbitt becoming one of the most solid big men Prep Hoops saw over this summer, many of their other players stepped up big in assisting them to success. Depth is no longer an issue as another thing that makes this group intriguing is that in addition to bringing most of their team back, they have a lot of underclassmen that could make an impact this season. It will be interesting to see which of these players set themselves apart next year.
Ajang Aguek 6’5″ 2018 SF/PF – His length and size are great. He has sped up his shot, improved his physicality, and is finishing well around the rim. Aguek could end up being a huge factor on this roster as he has some uncoachables that could hugely help.
Dominic Gonzales 6’1″ 2020 PG/SG – Despite having a really strong summer, he has not gotten the same amount of attention as other talented freshman in the state. His physicality for being so young is tremendous and he shoots the basketball at a very high level. He has great upside due to his length, competitive nature, and coachability.
George Lopez 6’0″ 2017 SG – Tough on the ball defense, much improved shooter, and does a really nice job of understanding his role and doing it. Lopez was at times the 6th-8th man for Ironwood. He could compete for a starting spot on this team and play a huge X-Factor role for the team.
Jordan Kafoa 6’1″ 2019 SG/SF – Kafoa is an interesting prospect as he was able to earn his way to the varsity roster as a freshman. His toughness and physical play are exactly what Coach Augustine is looking for. His ability to shoot the basketball must improve in order to make an impact an even bigger impact on the varsity level.
Marko Paravac 6’0″ 2017 SG – Paravac was unable to participate with the Eagles for the first half of the summer due to non-basketball related reasons. From what I have seen, he could be the best shooter on the roster. In the spring, he did a very nice job with this group, and he should make an impact this season.
Noah Foskit 6’6″ 2017 PF/C – Crashes the glass really well, good touch around the rim, and strong frame. His size and toughness will play a huge factor for the Eagles this season.
Trentez Scales 5’6″ 2020 PG – Scales has blazing speed and toughness. He is a strong on ball defender, a capable shooter, and a confident point guard. He does not seem rattled by pressure and looks poised to have a solid high school career at Ironwood. I would not be surprised to see Scales earn minutes this season.
Tyrese Eugene 6’0″ 2018 PG/SG – Hibbitt has improved tremendously with his physicality and ability to take players off the dribble. With that said, Eugene might compete for the most improved player on this roster. Had multiple games where he hit over 5 3’s, very strong on the ball defense, and can get into the paint at will when he decides to put his head down and go. He should be poised for a breakout Junior year.