BIBSI: Sleepers

Gregg Rosenberg June 22, 2022 @ 01:08 PM

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 some of the top Sleepers from the weekend. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1483934" first="Awan" last="Kueth"] Kellis (Pictured) One of the most improved big men in the state. He actually may of made the most growth of any rising senior over the last 1-2 years. He struggled running up and down the court and now moves swifter from end to end. He has massive hands to catch passes and he can flush it down fairly easily. He also blocks shots and rebounds at a good clip. [player_tooltip player_id="1483967" first="Jordan" last="Irving"] Higley A high motored power forward who is a true glass cleaner. He is an out of area rebounder and is becoming a supreme shot blocker. He has great length with quick twitch bounce. He will score it around the basket but his defensive presence will be invaluable to the teams success. [player_tooltip player_id="1483968" first="Ty" last="McDowell"] Campo Verde One of the tougher kids in the state plays every front court position for the Coyotes. He can get downhill and score through contact with his strength and physical presence. He plays with a high motor, he has athleticism and keeps plays alive. He will defend the 3-5 for them and is the glue to the talented roster. [player_tooltip player_id="1136425" first="Ethan" last="Faas"] Arcadia He may not get the love as some of the bigger schools but just plays hard, He can shoot and knows how to play. He has a thicker build at the four-spot for the Titans and will shoot it to the 3pt line plus gets tough rebounds in traffic. He is smart player and his toughness and skill will be much needed this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1380783" first="Dallas" last="Marker"] Valley Vista A bigger sized guard/wing is the sharp shooter of the team. He squares to the basket like you should and he can also get downhill. He will finish with left or right hand and rebound in his area.   2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1216999" first="Jaylen" last="Wollangk"] Mesquite A strong framed lead guard will take command of making plays this season. He makes up the court passes and he is a tough on-ball defender. He has a stronger upper body and a tighter handle to get up the court despite heavy ball pressure. He makes good passes to teammates but it was his shooting that stood out. He is not known as the knockdown shooter, but he hit many triples over the three days. He looks more confident and comfortable from distance. [player_tooltip player_id="1312333" first="Kenny" last="White"] St. Mary’s A skilled undersized combo guard can catch and shoot from the 3pt line. He will give a hard shot fake and go finish through contact. He surprisingly rebounds the ball well for his position. He won’t get the limelight like his teammates but he will be very important to their success next season. He is also quick on the ball defensively with other guards.   2025 [player_tooltip player_id="1379908" first="Avery" last="Osyczka"] Phhoenix Prep A highly skilled power forward with huge feet and length. He is one of those players who you think will keep growing. He has good post footwork with his left or right hand. He rebounds anything near him and he never takes a bad shot and plays like you should. He just transferred over from Valley Christian. [player_tooltip player_id="1306047" first="Jack" last="Egginton"] Catalina Foothills The lone underclassmen starter for the Tucson based team. He is a physical burly forward who carves out space inside to score. He uses his girth to his advantage and handles it fairly well for his position. He can step out occasionally to the 3pt line and makes good reads. [player_tooltip player_id="1483958" first="Ty" last="Solomon"] Phhoenix Prep A quick and fast ball handler who is very tough on the ball defensively. He shoots it decently and can step back on his defender off the dribble from the 3pt line. He has a real burst to the rim and can score it with either hand. [player_tooltip player_id="1483970" first="Jordan" last="Parrish"] Kellis A transfer from La Joya is a beast. He has a that football type of body and frame. The lefty is a back to the basket scorer who can bang with anyone. He is primarily under the rim but he is a strong two-handed rebounder and will move his opponents for position. Wilson and others will get the press but he will do the invaluable dirty work.   (I will talk about the All-Freshmen team in the final article from the BIBSI.)