NM Standouts at WCE Arizona Fall Invite

Ryan Silver hosted another great Showcase at the Phacility in Phoenix Arizona. The West Coast Elite Arizona Fall Invite Showcase took place October 16-18, 2020, hosting over 200 teams, 9u-17u, silver and gold division. I primarily watched the New Mexico Teams that were invited in the gold division ( D1 NM 2023 UAA and JB White Elite 17u). The 17u division had 50 teams with 1 team from New Mexico, 10 teams from Arizona and the rest from all over the west coast as far as Seattle Washington. The 16u division was packed with the same numbers as well. Here is a list of the 17u New Mexico standouts: [player_tooltip player_id="1076621" first="Tre" last="Watson"] 6’8 - Cleveland (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="1076621" first="Tre" last="Watson"] is a natural talent and his tall and stocky 6’8 frame gives him a huge advantage over the competition. Tre played excellent throughout the entire weekend against some of the toughest top level competition. He has mastered the pick and roll and is extremely hard to stop when he comes through the middle. He has great footwork which allows him to be a menace underneath the basket. The teams that were able to force him to the outside learned that he could shoot the deep three ball very well. All in all [player_tooltip player_id="1076621" first="Tre" last="Watson"] is my top standout for the weekend. [player_tooltip player_id="1076677" first="Jose" last="Murillo"] 6’9 - Highland (2022) [caption id="attachment_1074554" align="alignnone" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Jose-Murillo.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1074554" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Jose-Murillo-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Photo: Chad Groth Area Codes[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="1076677" first="Jose" last="Murillo"] is fun to watch. He is a very long 6’9 -6’10 player who can be extremely physical underneath the basket. He has strong post up moves and a nice little hook shot and floater. Jose is a major shot blocker on the defensive end. He gets to the rim effectively and plays very well above the rim because he is super bouncy. He has a major upside to his game. He is primarily a Spanish speaker but listens very well and seems to take direction very well. He still needs a little help with his footwork underneath and his free throw shooting but that will definitely come before his senior year. You could easily see why [player_tooltip player_id="1076677" first="Jose" last="Murillo"] was one of the players that is drawing major interest from D1 coaches. [player_tooltip player_id="1076622" first="Evan" last="Gonzales"] 6’0 - Cleveland (2021 [caption id="attachment_1074577" align="alignnone" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Evan-JB-W.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1074577" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Evan-JB-W-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Photo: Chad Groth @areacodes[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="1076622" first="Evan" last="Gonzales"] had one the highest basketball IQ’s I saw during the entire weekend. He was a terrific floor general leading his his team through battle the entire weekend. He shoots the long ball extremely well and can pick apart defenses pretty easily. Evan had a solid first game in which he showcased what he could do. He then rolled his ankle not once but twice in his second game against a very gritty Northern California Lakeshow Elite Team. You could tell he lost a step on driving the ball to the basket after those injuries. He continued to shoot the ball well even though he was hurt the entire weekend. It was impressive to watch a player who didn’t complain once to his coaches about his pain and continued to give it his all and work hard for his teammates. [player_tooltip player_id="1076624" first="Junior" last="Hodnett"] 6’3 - Rio Rancho (2021) [caption id="attachment_1076450" align="alignnone" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Junior-Hodnett-JBW.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1076450" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Junior-Hodnett-JBW-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Photo: @areacodes[/caption] Junior had a very nice weekend showing why he is a talent to be watched. It took him a bit to warm up but once he did he shot lights out. He moves very well without the ball and defends on both ends effectively. when it comes to shooting the ball he has no fear whatsoever. He rises to the occasion in clutch I watched Junior hit two clutch shots to put a game into overtime against a very well coached West Coast Elite National Team. [player_tooltip player_id="1076624" first="Junior" last="Hodnett"] ahs two college offers, but I’m sure after this weekend more will come. [player_tooltip player_id="1076623" first="Nathan" last="Hasberry"] 6’4 - Cleveland (2021) [caption id="attachment_1076452" align="alignnone" width="225"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Nathan-Hasberry.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1076452" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Nathan-Hasberry-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> Photo: @areacodes[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="1076623" first="Nathan" last="Hasberry"] was the tournament sleeper. He manages to get rebounds and weave through defenses very well. He has a very long frame and is bouncy. I really got to see Nathan’s defensive skills against the Lakeshow Elite Team. He was able to get multiple steals and had a couple of big blocks. He also shoots the 3 ball in high percentages and can get to the basket very fast. [player_tooltip player_id="1076623" first="Nathan" last="Hasberry"] doesn’t have any offers as of yet. He is drawing the interest from many D1 schools and If he continues to play like he did this weekend he will have many offers coming very soon.   Here is a list of the 2023/2024 Standouts: <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/WCE-standouts.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1076456" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/WCE-standouts-300x300.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a> Dylan Chavez 6’3 - La Cueva (Freshman) Another great tournament for Dylan Chavez. He shoots the ball extremely well and can get to the basket at ease. A great defender with quick hands and good judgment. Dylans floater was evident once more as he attacked the basket on multiple occasions. A true natural athlete. Judah Cassaus 5’11 - Del Norte (Sophmore) Judah was very impressive. He managed to get many steals with his quick hands. Most of the steals turned into baskets on the other end making him a nuisance to guard. A nice 3-point shot from the outside. Judah is very good at executing the play sets his coach was calling. He did extremely well shooting the ball and had his mid-range shot going for him throughout the entire weekend. Judah is one of those kids that I will definitely be watching closer.