Arizona Fall Invite: AZ Standouts

October 16th-18th I attended Ryan Silver’s West Coast Elite Arizona Fall Invite. I primarily watched the 17U Gold division at the Phhacility in Phx, AZ. There were 50 teams with only about 10 teams from Arizona. in the 17U Gold division since most players locally are involved in the ABCA league for their high schools. I only viewed 3 AZ teams. Two were actually one team but they split their squad to get more playing time (Phh Prep Fire Grind Session team) and watched the 17U PAL Elite team.   Here were the senior standouts: [player_tooltip player_id="809672" first="Jason" last="Elder"] Phhoenix Prep -Elder is a true point forward who handles the ball well and is very athletic. He makes great reads and runs the floor like a guard. He is a high level rebounder constantly crashing the glass. He moves his feet well on the perimeter and was impressive defensively. He can hit 3’s off the pull and catch. He can rip through and can post players up and play a little bully ball, making him the most versatile player on their team. [player_tooltip player_id="703805" first="Kiran" last="Oliver"] Phhoenix Prep -One of the better athletes on the West Coast. A highlight reel ready to explode on someone He can hit the deep ball but is best getting to the cup. His shooting was inconsistent this weekend but his defense was incredible. He seems to hang in the air for a minute scoring it in traffic with supreme body control. As fun as he is to watch on the break athletically, it’s his defense that makes him the prospect he is. He uses his athletic gifts and high motor to defend inside and out. He is an incredible shot blocker and rebounder for his size plus smartly takes charges. https://twitter.com/WCEBball/status/1317864189633863680 [player_tooltip player_id="530994" first="Javon" last="Ruffin"] Phhoenix Prep -Ruffin has dramatically improved his shooting. He has deep range on his catch-3 to go along with his strong build/frame. He bounces off of his opponents and scores through contact. He is a physical defender with strong hands and he is a underrated passer. [player_tooltip player_id="809688" first="Brett" last="Hardt Jr"] Phhoenix Prep -His feel for the game is really high. He comes off of pick and rolls like a college vet. He makes the right decision seemingly every time. His catch-3 is one of the best in state and he has a good shot fake and pull-up from mid-range. He is also a way better athlete than last year. [player_tooltip player_id="809679" first="Matur" last="Dhal"] Phhoenix Prep -He can face-up and hit the 3 and scores on mini hooks or rips through with long strides to get to basket. His best skill is his shot blocking or altering shots and he closes out well to shooters. He made two 3’s in one game and is getting more and more comfortable from the arc. [player_tooltip player_id="809680" first="Ricardo" last="Sarmiento"] Phoenix Prep -A high motored PG had a great weekend. His ability to play hard for the entirety of a game is impressive. He pesters other guards with good lateral quicks and is all in to defend. He made many next level passes in the tourney and he hit shots. He is definitely known as the mid-range king, which he hit many, but he hit multiple 3’s in both games viewed. Making the 3 more consistently now definitely makes him more attractive to college coaches. [player_tooltip player_id="1041371" first="JJ" last="McCain"] Phhoenix Prep Red -Straight dog of a defender and loves contact in the lane. He gets downhill with the best of them with his thicker build. He uses his stronger frame to his advantage and he does have deep 3pt range but prefers to get inside the paint. [player_tooltip player_id="827006" first="Lareon" last="Ginnis"] South Mountain (PAL Elite 17) -A two-way pure PG was terrorizing one of the WCE teams with his speed with the ball, yo-yo handle and on-ball defense. He has an incredible burst to get into the lane and either scores it or kicks it out to an open shooter. He may be undersized but rebounds and is a nuisance defensively. His shooting keeps making strides and when he has the ball in his hands, you have a chance to win. [player_tooltip player_id="1029812" first="Anderson" last="Wilson"] South Mountain (PAL Elite 17) -A well-rounded player checks many boxes. He defends multiple positions, hits the 3, he can pull-up off the dribble from mid-range, he can drive it and makes plays for others like a point forward. He uses his thicker body and tight handle to get into the lane. He has plus athleticism and plays a cerebral type of game.