Favorites: 3A Metro West

The 3A Metro West Region is new with Paradise Honors and Horizon Honors moving into the 3A world from 2A. With that said, do not expect them to have to do too much catching up as they shoot look to be leaders in this region. This is one of the tougher regions in 3A as Paradise Honors is the real deal and should come home with some rings. Further, Valley Christian is stout as well.

1. Paradise Honors

Paradise Honors will have more than just the top team in 3A. They will be one of the top teams in the state due in large part to some key transfers who have enrolled in the school.

Jerry Iliaya,  Roy Eze Roy Eze 6'7" | PF Phhoenix Prep | 2020 AZ ,  Matur Dhal Matur Dhal 6'10" | C Phhoenix Prep | 2021 State AZ , and  Wyatt Bell Wyatt Bell 6'2" | CG Paradise Honors | 2021 State AZ  have all transferred into the school. These four prospects are four top tier prospects for their respective classifications. The group had talent returning as it was. However, four skilled transfers coming in will spell trouble for the 3A world.

Iliaya, Eze, and Dhal are game changers for this program due to their length and athleticism. Further, Bell is a knockdown shooter who will aid in extending the floor. As if these guys were not enough, Josh Hawkins is another springy prospect who can make plays that few in this classification can make.

In addition to these guys,  Jalen Scott Jalen Scott 6'3" | PG Paradise Honors | 2021 State AZ  has improved greatly since last year. He is a lengthy point guard with a solid basketball IQ. Scott will have an array of options to spread the basketball out to this season. This group is scary and will do a lot of damage.

2. Valley Christian

If there is a team that can challenge Paradise Honors in this region, it will be Valley Christian. They have skilled guards as well as length that will offer them the opportunity to do a lot of damage. This group is balanced and has pieces at every position that will enable them to be at the top of the 3A world.

Connor Braun has received the most next level attention due to his versatility and length. He is a capable shooter who possess solid guard skills. With more and more teams looking to play positionless basketball, Braun looks to be a good fit somewhere at the next level.

Braun will be joined by one of the top point guards in 3A in Jalen Grijalva. Grijalva will facilitate for the team and get into the paint at will. Further, he is able to shoot it from deep and contribute on the defensive end.

Lastly, Zach Timmer provides the team with a solid wing who can shoot it from deep. These three will be the primary contributors for the group. With that said, they have other role players who will play key roles. This team will be solid.

3. Horizon Honors

Horizon Honors will make a huge jump up into the 3A world. Further, they will make that leap while falling into a region with two of the top teams in 3A. Needless to say, this will not be an easy transition. With that said, they bring back a good portion of a team that was battled tested due to being in the same region as Rancho Solano last year.

Stephen McCollum and Gabe Knippers are off of all-region reasons. McCollum earned first team while Knippers earned second team. With these two returning, Horizon Honors will have scoring threats that many in this region will not have. In fact, McCollum played so well that the coaches in the region voted him as the top scoring threat in the region.

Moreover, this team will have a couple of nice role players who will aid them in competing in this region. While it is a long shot that this team will challenge for a region title, they should be improved compared to last year and at least be competitive in the 3A State Tournament.