Bash in the Desert: 2024 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On May 5th-7th the&nbsp;<em>Prep Hoops Circuit</em>&nbsp;was in town. We have the&nbsp;<strong>Bash in the Desert&nbsp;</strong>with teams around the West and even some from the Midwest. Two locations with the Phhacility in Phx/AZ and Inspire Courts in Gilbert/AZ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched as many as the 31 17U teams as I could and ended up seeing 26 of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were some of the top 2024 Standouts I viewed:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1152192' first='Hunter' last='Wales'] Scottsdale Christian Academy (D1 Nation AZ 2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A cerebral power forward can face up to the three point line and rip thru to score. He scores on hook shots and is a very good passer like many of his teammates. He made some important rebounds down the stretch of games.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1127080' first='Nazir' last='Davis'] Hamilton (New Mexico D1 2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A super athletic scoring guard is long and plays with energy. He can dunk it easily on the break and can euro to the basket showing off his athleticism. He made some important plays down the stretch with huge steals with 5 seconds to play. He can catch and shoot it with real range past the three point line. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1578210' first='Realiti' last='Smith'] Coronado (Colorado Minors 2024 Elite) (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hyper athletic forward with some serious springs. He flies in the open court and will block shots, rebound and do many little things to affect an outcome. He is a very good passer and plays like a point forward. He is a star in the transition game and brings his hard hat to each game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1633016' first='Aidan' last='Rampley'] Thunderbird&nbsp;(AZ Firestorm 2024 Black)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled combo guard can play on or off the ball. He has a high feel for the game and is a good passer with skill. He can shoot the three, he has a quicker burst and can score on layups.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1444282' first='Ryan' last='Calcaterra']</strong> <strong>Thunderbird&nbsp;(AZ Firestorm 2024 Black)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A bigger point guard is a natural scorer. He can euro to the basket, shoot the three, pull-up off the dribble and get to the rim. He is a good passer who plays with a huge IQ and a scorers mentality.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bobby Woolfolk PG 5'10 Rampart ([program_tooltip program_id='2100026' first='7070' last='Athletics'] 2024 Elite)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A thicker guard is a tough on-ball defender. He has a quick burst of speed to get downhill and uses his strength to absorb the contact.&nbsp;He can shoot it from the perimeter but definitely prefers to score in the paint using his gifts. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1933789' first='Braydan' last='Bowling'] Pine Creek&nbsp;([program_tooltip program_id='2100026' first='7070' last='Athletics'] 2024 Elite)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good sized combo guard who plays on or off the ball. He handles some of the point guard duties but can score. He is strong, tough and skilled. He can rise up off the dribble and shoot the three and plays hard the whole game despite the scoreboard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1679996' first='Isaiah' last='Maldonado'] Albuquerque (New Mexico D1 2024-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A very quick combo guard can get to the basket to score. He moves the ball well like a lead guard and makes good reads and is a smart defender who reads the play. He has deep three point range with a nice arc on the ball. He can get hot quickly and play with confidence. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ah-Zion Applewhaite SF 6'4 Del Norte (D1 SoCal)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A wing forward who is a long defender. He gets downhill and uses his long wingspan to play the passing lanes. He takes unusually long strides to the rim and has a nice runner game. He defends multiple positions and can step into a three showing his versatility. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->