Early Season Report: 4A Who’s Hot?

<p>It is January 31 and we are talking about Early Season Reports. In a typical year, regular season play is wrapping up in the next couple of weeks and play-in games are starting. However, that is not the case this season. </p> <p>In the 4A world, many were aware of <strong>St. Mary’s</strong>, however, there have been some teams off to surprisingly hot starts. Below are 5 teams off to hot starts early in the season:</p> <p><strong>St. Mary’s (3-1)</strong></p> <p>As mentioned earlier, this was expected. They have a lot of talent and they are well coached. They had a close lose to Sunnyslope but were about to rebound and get a big win against 6A Brophy. This group is loaded with players who will play at the next level, but early in the year <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="701238" first="Garrison" last="Phelps"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="826995" first="Jeremiah" last="Cherry"] </strong>have been solid.</p> <p><strong>Paradise Honors (5-0)</strong></p> <p>Paradise Honors is loaded and is making a successful transition from 3A to 4A. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="885820" first="Jalen" last="Scott"] </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="703850" first="Wyatt" last="Bell"] </strong>are obvious reasons why. However, this team has plenty of talent does not need to rely on just these two playmakers. Their schedule ramps up greatly in the next couple of weeks - it will be intriguing to watch this talented team play against Sunnyslope and St. Mary’s.</p> <p><strong>Estrella Foothills (4-0)</strong></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="814038" first="Noah" last="Amenhauser"] </strong>has been terrific in the early goings of this season and is a vital part of the success that Estrella Foothills has had. This group is well balanced, but Amenhauser will demand the majority of the touches and will play a key part of whatever success this team has.</p> <p><strong>Deer Valley (4-0)</strong></p> <p>After losing players to prep schools, Deer Valley didn’t bat an eyelash. Led by one of the best guards in the class of 2021 in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="941627" first="Jackson" last="Leyba"]. </strong>While Leyba sets the tone for the group, <strong>Greg Giles </strong>has provided the team with additional support. This group has a number of players who can make an impact. They will continue to be a force.</p> <p><strong>Salpointe Catholic (2-0)</strong></p> <p>Salpointe has continued their winning ways after winning a state championship last year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958982" first="Brady" last="Ramon"], [player_tooltip player_id="1008613" first="Julian" last="Riesgo"], </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958983" first="Tommy" last="Irish"] </strong>have led the way early on. Salpointe is extremely well coached and will play a brand of basketball that will always give them a shot.</p> <p><strong>Other Hot Teams: American Leadership Academy (4-0), Tempe (4-0)</strong></p>