Feast Week: Newcomers: PF’s

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thanksgiving Week I ran all around the city to many events. I attended the Sunnyslope&nbsp;<strong>Hoopsgiving Tournament</strong>&nbsp;at Deer Valley,&nbsp;<strong>Hilcrest Prep vs Over Time Elite</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Millennium Nike Tournament, Fear the Hop</strong>&nbsp;at Mesa,&nbsp;<strong>Welcome to the Jungle</strong>&nbsp;at Gilbert and&nbsp;<strong>Black Hawk Thanksgiving Classic</strong>&nbsp;at Williams Field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2><strong>Here were some of the Newcomers that stood out:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674510' first='AJ' last='Ajawin'] Deer Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long newcomer with huge hands and a big wingspan. He can score around the cup with basic layups but he's there for his size, rebounding and interior defense. He maybe had three offensive rebounds to give the team another opportunity to score. He runs the floor well and could be a breakout player next season with a year of experience under his belt.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674512' first='Mason' last='Tippett'] Cienega</strong> <strong>(Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A power forward with some quick springs. He rebounds the ball at a high rate in his area and will block shots. He has plus length and is impressively defending guards on the perimeter with his lateral quickness and fluidity.&nbsp;He also is a stud volleyball player and is deciding what sport he will play in college.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674511' first='Kaelum' last='Brown'] Casteel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A physical post player came in off the bench and held his own versus the talented Perry team. He can block shots, score inside, runs the court and is not afraid of contact. He will rebound in and out of his area and has good hands to catch passes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674513' first='Luke' last='Balazantis'] Gilbert</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A power forward who is good inside the paint to score and he can step out and shoot the three. A newcomer who sat out last year and will be very pivotal to the Tigers success this season. He has a stronger upper body to bang inside and he is a sneaky good passer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674508' first='Ryan' last='Hale'] Desert Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A baseball player showed some physicality inside the paint. He rebounds well in his area and is not afraid to throw his body around. He scores on put backs and handles it decently to get his own shot off.&nbsp;He covers ground on the perimeter defensively and is a fluid athlete.&nbsp;He was brought up by need and he played so well that they will keep him on varsity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674514' first='Fredrick' last='McCoo'] Mesa</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A raw post player who can run and jump with the best of them in the AIA. He has a chiseled build/frame and he has only been playing organized ball for three years. He moved over into Mesa from Mohave HS. He can explode up and dunk the ball with his frame and bounce and he will leap up to rebound with his girth. He has some basic moves, but he looks like a perfect junior college fit after HS.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1676240' first='Garrett' last='Ahern'] <strong>Campo Verde</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A face-up four-man who can step out and hit a three plus rip through to the rim. He runs the court and his lateral quickness is advanced with his volleyball background. He has become a little better each season and this team will need him for a deep playoff run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1674509' first='Austin' last='Falkenborg'] Chaparral&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong framed power forward who can get to the rim with ripping through in traffic. He can shoot it from elbow and in and has a nice free throw touch. He will rebound in his area and shows upside for the undersized team.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->