Observations from Valley Vista at Desert Vista

On Monday February 15th I attended the 6A Valley Vista Monsoon at the 6A Desert Vista Thunder.   Here were some observations from the two games I viewed: #1 Both programs have good younger and older prospects. #2 Three sophs stood out from Valley Vista in the JV game. Dallas Marker SF 6’3 2023 Valley Vista -A long wing shooter can score it many ways. He can score it from the 3 plus can drive it to the cup and uses the floater well. He uses his length to rebound and runs the court for layups. Tarvis Edwards PG 5’6 2023 Valley Vista -A very fast undersized PG is hard to keep in front of him. He can pull-up from mid-range. He does have 3pt range and he uses his speed to defend on the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="1029809" first="Tarik" last="Spencer"] Valley Vista -One of the fastest guards end to end in the state. He is a true athlete and he plays 6 qtrs with 2 on JV and 4 on varsity. He had impressive stretches in both games. He is making better reads with the ball and he is very good on defense. He collects steals in bunches, blocks shots and has supreme lateral quickness. He can score it using a tight handle getting into lane but his play-making and defense translate on varsity.   Varsity game: #3 Valley Vista will be a dangerous team in the 6A playoffs. #4 Desert Vista may make playoffs this year and be a tough out, but next year they could be a top-5 team with only one senior this year.   #5 Here were the Varsity standouts: Valley Vista 87 Desert Vista 61 (unofficial stats)   Valley Vista [player_tooltip player_id="703839" first="Elijah" last="Thomas"] Valley Vista (21 pts 2 rbs 2 asts 1 stl 1 blk) -Thomas had somewhat of a breakout game shooting the ball. He shot the ball at a high level with four 3’s plus hit one from mid. His release is very quick and he got out on the break as well and showed off his body control in the lane. He is very active on defense making some wow plays at the rim. [player_tooltip player_id="809723" first="Dwight" last="McKnight"] Valley Vista (10 pts 3 asts 1 stl) -A downhill fast guard loves getting into the lane. He is very quick laterally to defend his position and makes other ball handlers lives difficult. He made some nice passes during the win and brings energy. David Ayosho SF 6'3 2021 Valley Vista (12 pts 8 rbs 5 asts 1 blk) -Their 6th man came in and did some major damage. His energy was exactly what the Monsoon needed. He hit 3’s, made a mid-range jumper and scored off of put-backs. His rebounding and play-making was the difference in the game. He was playing like his life depended on it and if he can keep it going, they will be a tough out come playoff time. [player_tooltip player_id="809708" first="Demari" last="Hackett"] Valley Vista (11 pts 6 rbs) -A rugged post player did what does. He battled the opposing bigs and used his strong hands and wider frame to gain position and rebound. He plays with a good motor and will be needed vs every big team in 6A. [player_tooltip player_id="814521" first="Aadem" last="Isai"] Valley Vista (20 pts 3 asts 3 stls) -The consummate professional at a very young age. His feel for the game is very high and has that inner confidence. He changes speeds with the best of them and his hesi is hard to stay in front of. He keeps changing his cadence and even the fastest of players can’t seem to figure him out. His left hand is just as good dribbling as his right and his shooting makes his game. Once he hits that first deep one, he can then give shots fakes and go to work. He has range and passes with either hand as well. His on-ball defense is also improving as the season goes on.   Desert Vista [player_tooltip player_id="826999" first="Andrew" last="King"] Desert Vista (20 pts 3 rbs 4 asts 1 stl) -The RICE commit started slow but got better as the game went on. His pull-up off the dribble is crisp but his passing stood out in this contest. The Thunder doesn’t have a pure PG and King is being asked to score it plus make plays for others. For this team to go to another level, he will need to shoot it better from beyond the arc, which is what he is widely known for. He seems to be tweaking his shot a bit and is starting slow on the season. He did drive the lane well with some bully layups and he rebounds well in his area. He followed up his 20 pt performance with a 25 point outing vs Sunnyslope. [player_tooltip player_id="1006964" first="Terrance" last="Dixon"] Desert Vista (1 pt 7 rbs 1 stl) -One of the more athletic forwards in the entire AIA. He explodes up to rebound the ball with two hands way above the crowd. He can face-up from elbow and in but is still a little raw on offense. He has stuff you can't teach with his length and athleticism, so if he can make some growth with his skills and IQ, watch out. [player_tooltip player_id="827010" first="Tayan" last="Thompson"] Desert Vista (12 pts 5 rbs 1 ast) -A highly skilled face-up 4-man has a pretty stroke. He can hit from mid to the 3pt line and his stroke is looking good early on this season (33% from the arc). He uses length and sturdy frame to battle inside to rebound. He is a sneaky good passer with a good IQ for the game and will challenge shots. [player_tooltip player_id="814532" first="Brandon" last="Trilli"] Desert Vista (9 pts 2 rbs 1 stl) -Every time I watch him play, he is very effective and efficient. That was the case once again. He was 4-6 from the field and the cerebral forward just knows exactly where to be. He moves without the ball, cuts to the basket and can shoot it. He is most comfortable working from mid-range and in and will finish with his left hand about as good as his right. He is technically their 6th man but gets good minutes. He is shooting almost 50% from the field.