Prep Hoops Top 250: Top Commuters
The Prep Hoops Top 250 drew in kids from across the state who wanted to come and compete. Below are prospects who traveled nearly two hours to compete at the event and played at a high level.
JT Elder 6’6 SG/SF 2021 Cienega (Powerhouse Tucson)
Elder stole the show at the event. Plan and simple: When the next 2021 rankings come out, expect Elder to be much higher. He is the real deal. He is long, athletic, and skilled. His upside is tremendous, and he loves to compete. It is rare to find a mixture of his size and skill set to go along with a competitive nature. Elder could end up being one of the top 2021 prospects in the West Coast.
Zach Morgan 6’7 PF 2020 Pueblo (Powerhouse Tucson)
Morgan has been featured in a couple of our articles since the conclusion of the Top 250 Expo. It is with good reason. He is long and athletic which enabled him to make an impact on the glass as well as on the defensive end. Offensively, he showed that he still needs to improve his shot. However, he took opposing guards off of the dribble and finished well around the rim.
Richie Dowse 5’11 PG 2019 Ironwood Ridge (Team Prep)
Dowse was pointed out to me by one of our newest staff members, Michael Dominguez. Sure enough, he fit the bill due to his tenacious on-ball defense. While he did not necessarily do anything that would end up on a highlight reel, he did all of the little things and made the right passes.
Jaren Hunziker 5’11 PG 2020 Sahuaro (Powerhouse)
Do not sleep on Sahuaro as Hunziker is the real deal. There were moments where he looked like one of the shiftiest guards at the event. He does a great job of lulling the defender to sleep and then exploding out of the move. This aids him in creating separation that puts a lot of pressure on help side defenders.
Jacob Leslie 6’5 PF/C 2020 MALC (Voltage)
Leslie has improved a great deal from last year to this point. He was a monster on the glass and seemingly had his hand on our got every rebound for his team. On the block, his footwork was improved and he demonstrated good patience. Further, he finished it well and played with a tenaciousness that few prospects showed at the event.
BJ Burries 5’9 PG 2019 Globe
This young man might have had the most to prove out of any of the prospects at the event. He did just that as he left everyone in awe of his shooting and scoring abilities. Moreover, he showed that he is a more than capable passer as well. Burries has Globe on the map.
Brady Ramon 6’0 SF 2021 Salpointe
Ramon attended this event last year as well, and he stood out to me both times due to his work ethic. He plays extremely hard and has a high basketball IQ. At events like this, so many guys want to dominate the basketball and show what they can do. Ramon does not do that. He competes on the glass, sets screens, and tries to find a way to make the guys around him better.
Matthew Hernandez 5’9 PG 2020 MALC (Voltage)
Hernandez got overshadowed by the skilled guards at the event at times. However, he had a solid event as he rarely turned the basketball over and put his teammates in spots where they could be successful. Defensively, he competes at a high level as well. MALC looks to be solid at their level with Hernandez and Leslie running the show.