Feast Week: Under the Radar

<!-- 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 players who are Under the Radar:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1216984' first='Caden' last='Hunter'] Liberty&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong and tough power forward is the heartbeat of the team. As talented as many of their prospects are, Hunter is the most effective and efficient. His skill looks more polished from the perimeter and so does his build/frame.&nbsp;He gets off the floor easier and scores through contact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1675384' first='Antoine' last='Green'] Tucson</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very skilled wing forward with a pretty touch. He can catch and shoot from the three point line and he can ball fake and rip through to score. He moves without the ball and he is their go-to player. He has really good hands to catch tough passes inside the paint and is a well rounded player from Tucson.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1334923' first='Benito' last='Carter'] Westview</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A fast on fast ball handler with a mean pull-up from mid-range. He sees the court well and his open court speed is impressive. He breaks down defenders almost at will and is a one man press break. He had an impressive euro move going full speed.&nbsp;He is not too well known, but he will have some big games this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1128237' first='Donivyn' last='Brown'] Sunrise Mountain</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and lean point guard with advanced court vision. He has a nice burst to get into the lane and has improved his feel for the game with precise passes.&nbsp;Once he gets passed his defenders, he is looking to facilitate or he can lay it in. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='814522' first='Nate' last='Ko'] Casteel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An undersized scoring guard is tough and skilled. He rises high off the dribble from mid-range and likes to catch and shoot from the three point line. He held his own in the Chip versus Perry and led his team in scoring. The Colts had a good week and Ko had his fingerprints all over it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1345403' first='Jayven' last='Price'] Mountain Pointe</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A fast and athletic point guard is now the unquestioned leader. It will be his show this year to lead the Pride. He is a top on-ball defender and will slash to the rim with a tough mental makeup. He handles pressure well and will make plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1138592' first='Aiden' last='Price'] Mountain Pointe</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring guard who will lead the team in points this year. The lefty scorer likes attacking and loves the mid-range pull-up. He looks a little taller and has become stronger in the upper body area. He is a tough on-ball defender and has a physical presence. Jayven and Aiden form a tough duo in the back court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='831121' first='Kota' last='Benson'] Mesa</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The point guard of their team handles the ball almost the entirety of the game. His value can't go unnoticed. He makes players jobs easier around him. He will shoot the three off the catch and rattle them in once he is on.&nbsp;He will have the ball when the shot clock is running down. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996175' first='Barron' last='Silsby'] Perry&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top teams in the state has a lot of size and athleticism. Silsby allows them to have more room as a floor spacer. He has a big IQ and feel for the game. He shoots it well from the arc and can make contested shots with his left hand in traffic. He splashed in five threes in the Welcome to the Jungle Chip and got his name out there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1178338' first='Elijah' last='Velez']</strong> <strong>Desert Vista&nbsp;(Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick pure point guard with a tight handle and great speed. The Thunder lost some players to transfer but Elijah is clearly stepping up to be that lead guy. He can score it from all levels but loves getting downhill and scoring with either hand. He creates high ball pressure on the defensive end with his speed and lateral quickness and plays and thinks fast. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->