Panthers Hoop Classic: Upperclassmen Standouts

Gregg Rosenberg December 21, 2021 @ 02:00 AM

On Saturday. November 27th I attended the Panthers Hoop Classic tournament at Paradise Honors HS in Surprise, AZ.   It was a 16-team tournament and I partially viewed 10 of the 16 the teams for at least one half: Desert Edge, Estrella Foothills, Flagstaff, Highland Prep, Paradise Honors, Phoenix Christian, Prescott, Maricopa, Sabino and Trivum Prep.     Here were some of the some of the upperclassmen that stood out: 2022’s [player_tooltip player_id="827004" first="Blessing" last="Nwotite"] Paradise Honors A slashing guard is one of the top two-way players in 4A. He has plus athleticism to get into the lane easily and is a solid 3pt shooter to keep defenses honest. He will defend the 1-3, rebound and push the ball up the court. [player_tooltip player_id="827016" first="Jason" last="Parent"] Prescott A POY candidate for the Grand Canyon region backed it up big time. He may average near a triple double all year long. He scores it on deep catch-3's, euros, runners, floaters and his passing actually changed the game with some timely plays to trusting his teammates down the stretch. He is also scrappy on defense with rebounds and literally defends the 2-5 for them in a pinch. [player_tooltip player_id="1114578" first="Luke" last="Light"] Paradise Honors A skilled forward can face up from mid to the 3pt line and he will rim run and dunk the ball. He is patient in the post and he will go to work with some advanced post footwork. AJ Williams CG 6’0 Trivium Prep A natural score for the Crimson Knights. He has deep range and you can tell quickly he just knows how to play. He is a good passer, moves without the ball and finds open spots in the defense. Jasper Zamora PG 5’8 Trivium Prep A pure PG who is strong and loves getting downhill with his stocky frame. He is undersized but a tough kid who will defend you. He sees the court well and has some moxie and toughness. He controls the tempo and pace of his team.   2023’s [player_tooltip player_id="831115" first="Kevin" last="Patton Jr"] Maricopa (Pictured) A wildly athletic and long 3 and D type of wing. He also happens to be an incredible passer. He projects out as a point forward. His 3pt stroke is quickly improving. He has real range on his ball and has become very confident with it. Offensive rebound tip-in dunks were the norm for Patton Jr. He can create his own shot and step back and shoot the 3. He defends the 2-5 for his team and will block shots and rebound at a good clip. [player_tooltip player_id="1275428" first="Zander" last="Kamai"] Paradise Honors A highly skilled scoring has some shift in his handle and he can create his own shot. He can step back on his defender and let it fly from deep. He made the pass of the day where he led a teammate up the court to a spot for an assist. [player_tooltip player_id="814506" first="River" last="Bell"] Paradise Honors The presumed starter next year at the four loves crashing the glass. He is handling the ball a little better in the open court and he can make a play. He will give the Panthers extra possessions and score it inside. [player_tooltip player_id="937189" first="Cuthbert" last="Tambatamba"] Desert Edge A little bigger and stronger since my last viewing of him. He is a good passer and has next level court vision. He drives and kicks like he should, but he also makes some passes many can’t make. He can drive the lane and use his thicker frame to get downhill scoring through contact. [player_tooltip player_id="1149006" first="Weston" last="Haebig"] Sabino A quick ball handler who has really improved his jumper. His 3pt shot looks smooth and he has range from beyond the arc. He has a quick handle and good open court speed with the ball. He can get to open spots and let it fly. Jake Helton SG 6’2 Prescott A sniper from the 3pt line won’t get much attention, but he came up big during this OT contest. He has beautiful rotation on his ball and made some clutch shots down the stretch vs Trivium Prep. He runs the court and will let it fly when he is open. He can get downhill with his study frame and plays winning basketball.