Hustle Region Preview: The Legion of Hoops
The start of grassroots basketball season is right around the corner so it’s time to to look ahead to what’s coming up on the AAU circuit. We are taking a look at the teams that will be participating in the PrepHoops Circuit Hustle Region and here’s a look at The Legion of Hoops.
The Legion of Hoops will have teams in the 17U, 16U, 15U, and 14U divisions of the Hustle Region. They will be participating in the #HustleSzn Kickoff, Bash in the Desert, and Hustle Region Finals.
Here’s a transcript of a conversation we had with director Antonio Darden.
Why did you start your program? How long have you been around?
I started the program to help develop the skills and IQ of kids in Arizona and provide opportunities for them to showcase their talents. We started as a youth program in 2015 and have grown into a program that has teams from 2nd grade through high school.
What is the goal of your program for 2019?
To provide opportunities for our high school athletes to play at the next level as possible.
What is your program’s mission every year?
Every year our goal is to further develop our young athletes minds, character and skill set at an advanced rate. We feel that if we can develop all of these they can have an opportunity to play at the next level.
Do you know of any players that will be back in your program this year? Who should we have our eye on?
Returning Players to keep your eye on:
17U
SG Deven Franks (Casteel High) High Volume Scorer, 5A San Tan Valley All Region
SF Caleb Alonso (Desert Ridge High) 6’6 shooter who has a great range and can get what he wants in the post as well
PG TJ Tigler (Mountain Pointe High) Quick and shifty point guard who prides himself on tenacious D
16U
PG Drey Sherwood (Casteel High) Drey will lead this group of 16’s again. Scrappy kid that comes up big in big moments
New Players to look out for:
17U
PG 2019 Donavan Williams (Mcclintock) 5A North East Valley All Region
PF 2019 Jalen Calvert (Mcclintock) Reigning 5A defensive player of the year and 5A North East Valley All Region
G Tanner Crandall (Highland High) 6A Central All Region
G Cameron Snyder (Tempe High) 4A Skyline All Region
16U
PG Jimari Grayson- 4A Black Canyon All Region. Strong, physical point guard that gets to the basket efficiently.
SG’s Eric Holsey (Skyline), Josh Sims (Highland) and Marcus Harmon (Basha) can all shoot the ball extremely well from long range.
Why did you choose the Prep Hoops Circuit?
We chose the Prep Hoops Circuit for the opportunity for even more exposure for our program.