Arizona TOP-250 EXPO: 2022-23 Standouts

<p>On Sunday October 10th I attended the <em>Prep Hoops</em> <strong>Top-250 EXPO</strong> at Inspire Courts in Gilbert, AZ. </p> <p>There were about 80 players from five states (NM/CA/CO/NV/AZ) who played three games each with 10 teams of 7-9 players on each team.  </p> <p>I thought there was good depth at every age group and adequate competition on every court. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Here are some more 2022-23 standouts: (A lot of players in this group truly play hard!)</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1128443" first="Kameron" last="Bender"] <strong>Higley </strong></span></p> <p>A long scoring guard is tough on defense. He rebounds well for his position and you will see him on the glass with offensive put backs. He can get to the rim with a burst and he will finish in traffic. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1066488" first="Alex" last="Manning"] <strong>Pusch Ridge</strong></span></p> <p>A high motored power forward does his best work inside. He can defend multiple positions from inside and out. He uses athleticism, effort and length to rebound the ball at a high level.  </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1306010" first="Cash" last="Callaway"] Chiawana/WA</strong></span></p> <p>A natural shooting guard can pull-up off the dribble from mid to the 3pt line. He is active on the glass and will score inside on crafty reverse layups. He is definitely best off the catch but he can create some as well. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1066518" first="Lucas" last="Leslie"] <strong>Mohave (Pictured)  </strong></span></p> <p>A steadily improving junior from Bullhead City. He does many things well and plays the right way. He does a lot of his work in the paint and is very strong and tough. He can also stroke it from the perimeter from mid to the 3. He moves smartly without the ball to the open spots on the court. He is improving his handle, as it looks more fluid, plus improving his defense in space. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1160999" first="Devin" last="Miller"] <strong>Desert Ridge</strong></span></p> <p>An attacking scoring guard loves scoring it inside with his toughness and strength. He can drive by his defenders and finish off difficult layups with his left or right. He wants to defend and is a plus rebounder for being undersized and plays hard throughout a game. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1239569" first="Jaylen" last="Lee"] <strong>Valley Christian </strong></span></p> <p>A versatile wing forward has many traits to like. The first thing that stands out is how hard he plays. He is an out of area rebounder and he will defend multiple positions from inside and out. He gets downhill easily and will score through contact with plus strength. He can hit the 3 plus pull-up from mid-range. The Canadian should have a big year for the Trojans. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1306033" first="Samuel" last="Chabala"] <strong>Verrado</strong> </span></p> <p>An improved guard had a big day and turned some heads. He broke the backboard showing his bounce on the break. He can hesi and get into the lane and then dime a teammate. He hit catch-3's plus was a tough on-ball defender using his athletic gifts.  </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="1066516" first="Jordan" last="Voorhees"] <strong>Pusch Ridge</strong> </span></p> <p>A defensive pure point guard played well. He defends with good lateral quickness and a strong upper body. He is also a fast ball handler and can make 3's plus rebounds well for his position. He will hit tough contested shots in traffic with his left or right hand and he is another that understands how hard you need to play. </p>