Arizona Prep League Pass: 6A (Part 1)
NBA basketball is in full-throttle, and hoops fans finally have an outlet to watch their favorite sport. Beside just a fan’s favorite team, hoop heads can quench their basketball thirst in finding teams to follow throughout the league with League Pass.
Are you a basketball fan in Arizona? Are you looking for a new outlet? Try heading to a high school gym this fall when AIA play starts. Consider it just like flipping the channel and watching a variety of styles.
Here is Part 1 of some Class 6A exciting teams to watch and, and a few players to keep an eye out for (in no particular order):
Pinnacle:
The defending 6A champs appear re-loaded again, and will be hungry to take another shot at the title. The team is led by guard Nico Mannion, who scores as well as anybody in the state, and has a great shot to be the player of the year. The line-up is filled with some more shooting and rebounding, despite losing senior Spencer Rattler, who quit hoops to focus on football. Senior Jordan Mains does a lot of good stuff all-over the floor. Tosh Baker has gotten bigger, and will gobble up rebounds. This will be a fun team to watch.
Desert Vista:
The Ahwatukee-based team was the only squad that gave Pinnacle much of a fight in last season’s playoffs. The Thunder lost to the Pioneers by ten, but had a buzzer-beating shot before overtime that would have won the semifinal game. The Thunder lost three of their top seniors, but return top-scoring senior guard Tyrek Chambers, who competes really hard on both ends and has already made a D-1 commitment. He is joined in the backcourt by Isaiah Wilson, who played valuable minutes as a sixth-man last season, and has shown much improvement in his passing and scoring abilities. Osasere Ighodaro, just a junior, has started piling on offers to impressive programs. The other players compete extremely hard on defense, and have some great chemistry.
Mountain Pointe:
The other Ahwatukee-based team is also re-loaded with a lot of players with experience. The Pride lost by double-digits in the state final last season, and look to make a run back there again. Mountain Pointe has some real length with DeAndre Henry and Jonah LaBranche lining the front court with defensive ability, size and post moves, and Jalen Graham is regarded one of the best post players in the state. Senior Khalid Price, who gave Mannion his full effort in the full-court press in last season’s final, will utilize his drive-and-kick abilities to get the ball to plenty of scorers. He’s also more than able to get to the rim himself. First-year coach Kirk Fauske has a lot of talent to work with.