Section 7: Top AZ Seniors

Gregg Rosenberg June 24, 2019 @ 03:10 AM

This weekend I attended the new Section-7 HS Live Period at various high schools all over Phoenix. The main viewing area was at the beautiful Brophy Prep. They recently remade the back gym and added a brand new weight room, which looked like a college campus. It was impressive to say the least. All the bracket finals ended up there on Sunday. Multiple AZ players received D1 offers and heavy interest this weekend showing the West Coast how much more talent there is then possibly ever before in the state.   Here were some seniors who shined when I viewed their teams: Evan Nelson PG 6’1 175 Salpointe Catholic -Nelson keeps being one of the most productive players in his class from AZ. He steadily scores 20+ every game with a couple 30+ mixed in. He can pull-up seemingly from anywhere on the court and can use the floater. He has top-end speed and when he is engaged, he is a tough on ball defender. He tends to coast a little more in HS to not get in foul trouble. He’ll never be that pure PG but can make plays for others when needed. Brycen Long CG 6’2 180 Gilbert -Good weekend for the rising senior shooter. He has one of the more pure strokes with perfect ball rotation. He has become noticeably stronger and a little more athletic. He plays on or off the ball and will most likely be a two in college. He can make plays for others with a high IQ and is a very good positional defender. All that being said, coaches like him for his scoring. He can pull-up off the dribble and is a top-notch catch deep shooter. Paul Hayden SF 6’5 190 Sunnyslope -Physical wing forward does many things well. Good rebounder in area who can get downhill and finish or rise up from mid-range. Can use body to score. Straight line driver mostly, as he isn’t too shifty and can tighten his handle but always seems to get to his spots. Smart player who is unselfish and a physical defender and rebounder. Senior is definitely on the rise and a few D1 coaches were looking in on him this weekend. Jorden Josephs SF 6’4 185 Chaparral -High motored wing is improving his skill level every year. Good body control in traffic to finish through contact. Great on the break to throw it down above the rim. He plays with a high motor and always seems to be in the correct spot on defense and rebounds out of his area. If he can improve on his perimeter shooting percentage, he will be even more valuable. Grant Weitman PG/SF 6’3 185 Salpointe Catholic -Strong downhill scorer with a high IQ. Likes getting contact and scoring a variety of layups in the lane. Uses his tight handle and good frame to accomplish most of his tasks. He can make a deep 3 but is best driving and kicking it out to open shooters. He plays multiple positions for the undersized Tucson team and will be invaluable for their possible 4A title run. Jaqwaun Myles PG 6’0 175 Gilbert -One of the stronger lead guards is a tough on-ball defender. Son of a coach plays hard, the right way and loves getting downhill using his sturdy frame/build. He is a capable perimeter threat but prefers to take the contact in the lane and score it. He is a good passer with a top notch motor. He is one of their many pieces to the puzzle returning to try and defend their 5A title. Robbie Devries CG 6'4 165 Millennium -Bigger combo guard can do many things effectively. He makes plays with his IQ and passes it well with either hand. Can shoot it from deep and uses his bigger body to get in the lane and finish. Smart defensive player that seems to always be in the correct position. A big piece to try and get back to the 5A State Chip. Michael Batchelor SG 6'3 170 Millennium -Another huge player that the Tigers need to produce to win it all. He did just that versus a talented Desert Vista. He scored 12 points on an efficient 6 shots. He can hit the deep ball plus loves to drive the lane and finish in traffic. The cerebral floor spacer plays perfectly off of Jackson and Holmes.