Best of the West Fall League: 2024 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I am clearly backtracking here because of the state rankings but I did not want to miss some players who caught my eye at multiple events.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Saturday, September 10th I attended the <strong>Willow Canyon Fall League</strong> that has multiple locations. This day I attended the Valley Christian location where I watched four game which was had five different teams since multiple teams played twice.   </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Here were the junior standouts of the five teams:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1152187' first='Luke' last='Shaw'] Valley Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A known shooter is starting to take the ball to the rim more. He has one of the quickest releases in the state and lets it fly with flawless ball rotation. He uses a burst and hesitations to get into the lane and get passed his defenders. He has speed with the ball in the open court and he can euro his way to score.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1490881' first='Cameron' last='Rice'] NVCA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A face-up power forward plays with a huge IQ, He shoots it to the three point line and will work inside. He has good post footwork and is a smart passer.&nbsp;His shooting stroke is pure, as he is arguably a top-5 forward shooter in the junior class. He gets it out of his hands quickly and is very consistent. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1162452' first='Grant' last='Woods'] Valley Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A transfer via Gilbert Christian can shoot it. He moves well laterally to defend in space and will also defend post players with his size. He runs the court and relocates to open spots on the defense. His handle and confidence are improving. He can step back off the dribble into a jumper. A huge pickup for the Trojans in 3A.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1194266' first='Austin' last='Wallace'] Valley Christian (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very strong wing plays inside and out for the undersized team. He may only be 6'3 but plays like he is 6'6 with his longer arms and strength. He can hit the three off the catch and plays hard through contact. He hit the game winning put back at the buzzer versus a good 6A Mesa Mountain View. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119348' first='Tyler' last='Stegmeier'] Saguaro</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled combo guard is a catch and shoot shooter. He made some deep clutch shots down the stretch of the game. He gives hard ball fakes and will side step or drive by the defenders and float it in. He can score in traffic on the break with his speed and body control.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119323' first='Craig' last='Rodgers'] Horizon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong and thicker post player is tough.&nbsp;He is very physical in the paint moving his opponents but has a nice touch out to the three point line. He has definitely improved his perimeter shooting but will still use good post footwork to score closest to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->