BIBSI: 1st team All-Invitational

On June 9th-11th I attended the 15th annual Best in Basketball Summer Invitational at Mesquite HS. 24 teams from around the state competed for the three days. There were 22 AIA teams with two prep teams. 

In this article we look at the 1st team All-Invitational from the weekend.

Isaiah Bronson Isaiah Bronson 6'2" | PG Bella Vista Prep | 2024 State AZ Gilbert 

One of the top pull-up kings from mid-range in the class. He works well off of the pick and roll game and is playing more of a true lead role for the team this year. He is finding a happy medium of distributor and scorer. His 3-ball is clean and he is making good decisions with the ball.  

Cohen J Gonzales Cohen J Gonzales 5'8" | PG Mesquite | 2023 State AZ Mesquite 

One of the most dynamic scorers in the AIA. He is a true three level scorer. He starts off with his volleyball line range and works off of that. He has pull-ups from mid-range and makes difficult shots in the lane despite his size. His main weapon besides his shooting is his speed and elite stamina. He is going full throttle down the stretch of a game when most are getting tired. 

Aadem Isai Aadem Isai 6'1" | PG Valley Vista | 2023 State AZ Valley Vista 

He is all feel, shooting and passing. He is one of the best left hand passers in the state that you will see. He whips it into a teammates shooting pocket off the dribble impressively. He has deep volleyball line range and knows how to change speeds to get passed his defenders and get downhill. He is crafty scoring around the rim but his shooting sets up the rest of his scoring. 

Isaiah Kai Isaiah Kai 6'2" | PG Campo Verde | 2023 State AZ Campo Verde

Kai has gone to the next level and will be one of the better guards in the AIA. He has put on maybe 10 lbs of  muscle and grew at least one inch. His court vision, tight handle and skill stand out each game. He has a nasty pull-up off the dribble with high elevation to make it difficult to block. He makes passes many don’t try as he will often thread the needle to make his teammates open, which is very hard to do. He has deep 3pt range and his on-ball defense looked better with his stronger hands and always quick feet. 

KJ Perry KJ Perry 6'2" | SG Hillcrest Prep | 2024 CA-S McClintock 

Perry is getting better. His handle is tighter, and although his go-to move is his mid-range pull-up, his three ball looked better. He rises up super high on his mid-range and he can still get downhill. He has euro moves to score in traffic or he will just rise up and flush it down. He is a very good rebounder for a guard and has incredible court speed. He is also a very disruptive on-ball defender using his athleticism.   

Erenzo Scroggins Erenzo Scroggins 6'4" | SF AZ Compass Prep Black | 2023 State AZ McClintock 

EJ is a freak dunker and athlete with a football build/frame. He took off from the FT line one time showing he may be the most exciting AIA player next year. His passing and rebounding are some of the best in state from his class. His rebounding in a crowd is special. He leaps up quickly and shields himself with his thicker frame and corrals it at its highest point. He can shoot it with fall-aways or pull-ups off the dribble. He will even throw in an occasional deep-3.  

Styles Phipps Styles Phipps 6'1" | PG St Mary's | 2024 State #148 Nation AZ St. Mary’s

His pace to his game is the top of the food chain in his class. He understands how to change speeds at a high level thrown in with his tight handle. He can seemingly pull-up off the dribble whenever he feels like it with his tight handle. His added strength and athleticism allows him to score in traffic and rebound better then before. He made a few jaw dropping up the court passes in stride to teammates sprinting down the court. 

Brigg Wolfe Brigg Wolfe 6'3" | PG Mesa Mountain View | 2023 State AZ Mountain View Mesa

A bigger lead guard who is in full command of his teams offense. He has a nice blend of physical strength, elite size, court vision, skill and a huge IQ. He lives off of the pick and roll game. I viewed him two-three games and he probably did the pick and roll over 10 different plays. Most of the time he rises up from mid and scores it. Or he will dime his cutter or take it to the basket and score through contact with his strong frame.

(I will talk about the 2nd team All-Invitational in the next article.)