Damien Classic: AZ Standouts: 2023-24

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On December 28-30 I attended <strong>The Classic at Damien</strong> HS. Some of the top West Coast teams challenged themselves for four days. I watched all three Arizona teams who made the trek to California. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Here were some of the standouts for the three teams:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='937197' first='Jordan' last='Jones'] Ironwood</strong> <strong>(Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A two-way player is one of the best bench players in all of Arizona. He is a tough on-ball defender, he makes shots from mid to the 3, competes hard and moves the ball. He seamlessly plays on or off the ball and he is very smart to set up his opponent and get in position quickly to take a charge. He was pivotal in their first round win versus Rancho Verde. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1723629' first='Sammy' last='Roberts'] Trivium Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong upper bodied power forward who works best in the paint. He scores on ball fakes and up and unders. He can score thru contract or get fouled. He cuts when he should and will block shots in his area. He will sprint the court and score on put backs or layups with good hands to catch tough post feeds. He is a sneaky good passer and plays with a motor.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1723630' first='Zeph' last='Powell'] Trivium Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A senior scoring guard can score multiple ways. He can straight line drive to the rim and shoot the catch three with a very quick release. He can also shoot it from mid-range and he is very competitive to rebound and block shots on defense.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='814531' first='Adonis' last='Thomas'] Ironwood&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A jack of all trades bigger guard defends multiple positions and scores it. He can shoot the catch three, he can rip thru and score with layups and has a floater game. He is a plus rebounder for position and does little things to help the team win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='936910' first='Jordan' last='Kuac'] Ironwood&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good showing for Kuac. He made three triples off the catch (and most were clutch), he leaps up higher then most in state to block shots or board and plays with energy.&nbsp;He runs the floor like a guard and he is a real athlete. I think opponents are usually surprised how explosive he is when he leaps up so high. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1723631' first='Dominic' last='Simmons'] Trivium Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A defensive two-way guard is the son of one of their coaches. He definitely knows the game like you would expect. He has quick hands and feet to be a pest on the ball defensively. Offensively he likes to get downhill and score it in the paint. He uses euros and has a burst. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='831120' first='Seydou' last='Tamboura'] <strong>St. Mary's </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big man knocked knees on one of the first plays of the games and almost screamed in pain. He checked out immediately but showed his toughness and went back in the game about 10 minutes later and did his man's work on the glass and protected the rim. He scores on dunks and put backs but with an undersized team, he is critical to their teams success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->