VMBC: Senior standouts

Gregg Rosenberg January 11, 2022 @ 08:29 AM

On Monday December 20th I attended the Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge at Mesa Mountain View HS in Mesa, AZ. I viewed 6 games featuring 8 AZ teams.   Here were the senior standouts on the day: [player_tooltip player_id="826998" first="Elijah" last="Saunders"] Sunnyslope (Pictured) A gifted scorer with a stronger build. He hits 3’s with range, posts up inside and can fall-away from defender. He has strong hands and is a quick second jumper to corral rebounds and then go up to score it. He is a man among boys in most games he plays. [player_tooltip player_id="827020" first="Trey" last="Phillips"] Brophy Prep Phillips arguably had the best all-around showing of all local seniors. He had 16 pts 7 rebs 2 asts 1 block and 1 steal. He can rip through and score around traffic and plays with a high motor to rebound and runs the floor with a purpose. He has good body control to make difficult shots and can make a jump stop and score. He hit a catch-3 showing his progress as a shooter. He will block shots in his area and he is a sneaky good passer. He recently de-committed from NYU and opened up his recruitment. [player_tooltip player_id="826996" first="Patrick" last="Chew"] Brophy Prep A multiple position defender who makes the correct reads and runs the court. He hits the catch-3 with some consistency and get downhill. He talks a lot on defense and is a calming senior presence. He is one of those players who consistently plays winning basketball. [player_tooltip player_id="701252" first="Michael" last="Dienes"] Rancho Solano Prep An inside outside scorer can shoot it to the 3pt line plus score it among the bigs. He moves without the ball and cuts when he should. He rebounds in his area and plays team ball. His fade away is one of his best skills and his offensive versatility makes his game go. [player_tooltip player_id="827047" first="Dillan" last="Baker"] Salpointe Catholic An offensive threat keeps improving every showing. He cuts to the basket and always moves without the ball. He can rise up and shoot it from mid-range off the dribble. He can dribble drive and score it through contact. He is a good passer and he hits catch-3’s with a quick release. He is clearly one of their team leaders and made clutch FT’s down the stretch to ice the game and get the W. [player_tooltip player_id="827034" first="Noe" last="Vargas"] Rancho Solano Prep A versatile wing can catch and shoot from the 3 and defend the 2-5 for the Mustangs. He can create his own shot and score through contact or get fouled. He has long arms and is a better then average athlete to play the passing lanes. [player_tooltip player_id="973567" first="Daylyn" last="Martin"] Desert Vista A flashy ball handler and a good passer. He is looking to facilitate more this season and become that true floor general. He has good open court speed and a shifty, tight handle. He can shoot it from mid to the 3 and burst into the lane. [player_tooltip player_id="1363791" first="Connor" last="Cook"] Mesa Mountain View A heady guard sniper has a high IQ to facilitate. He played the role of PG with their usual PG out with an injury. The lefty can pull-up but is best off the catch beyond the arc. He made one Dirk jumper with a hand in his face showing off his skill. He was the lone senior starter and will be asked to produce this year. [player_tooltip player_id="1008613" first="Julian" last="Riesgo"] Salpointe Catholic A scrappy undersized guard who is fearless. He is a pest defensively and gets into the lane with a nice handle and strong upper body. He has the floater game and will make contested layups despite his size. He is one of those fox hole type of winners.