Prep Hoops Sweet 16: Top Half

<p>The Prep Hoops Arizona Sweet 16 is officially back. This year, it will be held at Ironwood High School and Apollo High School on October 4th and 5th. Below is a breakdown of the top half of the bracket which takes place at Apollo High School at 6:00.</p> <h2>Apollo vs. SCA</h2> <p>Scottsdale Christian Academy is always stout and well coached. Life without <strong>Reed Myers </strong>and <strong>Ethan Spry </strong>will be interesting for the group. However, during the four years of Myers and Spry, the two were only able to play together sparingly due to injuries. With that said, the team found other leaders and contributors with <strong>Jordan Moody </strong>being one of them. In addition to Moody, who is a knockdown shooter, <strong>Matthew Fan </strong>showed that he can run the team, get them into sets, and manage the tempo of a game. Lastly, <strong>Darius Whitson </strong>provides the team with toughness and an ability to get into the paint to create for himself and others.</p> <p>On the other side of the spectrum, Apollo will be led by two guards who have plenty of experience in big games: <strong>Paris Woods </strong>and <strong>Zeke Thompkins. </strong>Both prospects have demonstrated that they can contribute at a high level in high profile varsity games. In addition to these two highly skilled guards, <strong>Ahmed Mohamed </strong>can shoot the basketball as well as any prospect in the event. Apollo is definitely one of the favorites to make it out of this side.</p> <h2>Thunderbird vs. Peoria</h2> <p>Thunderbird is one of the most intriguing teams in 4A this upcoming season. <strong>Jahon Lethridge </strong>had a huge summer after a really strong sophomore season. The guard is a lockdown defender who can score the basketball from all three levels. In addition to Lethridge, <strong>Waylon England </strong>and <strong>Landon Higgins </strong>provided the team with key contributions as well. This team will be much improved this upcoming season.</p> <p><strong>Isaac Monroe </strong>is one of the best shooters in the state. Not only can he shoot the basketball at a high level, but he has improved his ability to create off of the dribble. Further, he plays the game with a confidence and swagger to him. <strong>Kevin Kogbara </strong>is ready to have a huge season as well. He is lengthy, strong, and skilled. He will have a huge impact on the team's success this upcoming season. Further, <strong>Andrew Camacho </strong>has played extremely well for Peoria this off-season despite only being a freshman.</p> <h2>Sunrise Mountain vs. Eagles</h2> <p>Sunrise Mountain was highly competitive last year and brings back their core three who were paramount in the team's success. <strong>Colin Carey </strong>is the most recruitable prospect on the team due to his length and skill set. He is a highly skilled shooter who can let it fly from deep or off of the dribble in mid-range situations. <strong>Tanner Mayer </strong>was a handful for opponents last year despite being undersized. Moreover, he improved his ability to shoot it from deep toward the end of the season as well. Further, <strong>Brandon Taylor </strong>runs the show for the team and adds another shooter to the mix.</p> <p>The Eagles are participating in the tournament as a club team which will feature <strong>Darien Masi</strong>, who is a constantly moving up the recruiting rankings due to his athleticism and improved skill. He brings good length and a terrific motor. Moreover, he has been working on his game to expand it to becoming more of a small forward.</p> <h2>Williams Field vs. Camelback</h2> <p>Williams Field will have some new faces, but will expect similar results: Be a top tier team in 5A. This group has a lot of talent and added a couple of key pieces this off-season as well. With that said, <strong>Montez Taylor </strong>played a huge role for the team last year and will run the show for the team once again. In addition to Taylor, <strong>Ti Cochrane </strong>will be in the backcourt with Taylor to form one of the best duos in 5A.</p> <p>Camelback has a nice balance of talent as well. They have <strong>Jacob Helean</strong>, who provides the team with a big man presence. In addition to Helean, the team brings back <strong>Prince Nshuti </strong>and <strong>Zion Johnson </strong>who provide the team with capable scorers and playmakers. While this group had success last year, they should have confidence that they will be even better this upcoming season due to the number of ways they can beat teams.</p>