Bash in the Desert: Newcomers

<!-- 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:paragraph --> <p>I also caught some 15 and 16U games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were some of the top Newcomers I viewed:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950100' first='London' last='Haskell'] Mesa (Grassroots 15) (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long power forward runs the floor and gets off the ground easily. He scores on put backs and blocks shots out of his area, as he is one of the best in the class. He is also a rebounder chaser and will grab the ball at its highest point. The lefty isn't a huge offensive threat yet but calmly made a big free throw down the stretch to win the 15U Chip.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950101' first='Kai' last='Sharpe'] Mesa (Grassroots 15)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long wing can defender can shoot the three plus hit from mid-range. He moves really well in space and is effective in transition. He can score on euro moves to the rim with longer strides and him and Haskell form a nice 2026 duo for the Jackrabbits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950104' first='JT' last='Mercado'] Chandler (Grassroots 15)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong combo guard who can score in bunches. The lefty has a good feel and toughness. He has deep three point range and can use a crow hop or euro move to score or get fouled. He made a huge and-1 down the stretch of the 15U Chip and has a clean shooting stroke. He could be a rare incoming freshman getting varsity minutes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950118' first='Jeremiah' last='Robertson'] Casteel (The Legion of Hoops 16 Navy)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A power forward with a live body works inside well, runs the floor, has decent post footwork and shows upside. He is very crafty around the basket and can hit the catch three. He is another real space mover on defense and a nice glue guy who hustles all over the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950115' first='Alex' last='Taylor'] Desert Vista (The Legion of Hoops 16 Navy)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long wing forward who defends. He plays the passing lanes well and can rebound then push it up the court. He can catch and shoot from the three point line with a little unconventional release but it goes in more times than not. He scores on give and go's and looks to be a bright spot for a young rebuilding former powerhouse program. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950137' first='Dylan' last='Stanley'] Cibola (The Legion of Hoops 16 Navy)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough combo guard is the younger brother of Derek. He is a natural slasher with his left or right hand and has some strength and is a tough on-ball ball defender. He plays fast and aggressive and is a sneaky good passer with a good feel for the game.&nbsp;He earned the 2nd team all-region this year and looks to have another good year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950138' first='David' last='Rodriguez'] Mingus (New Mexico D1 2024-1)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A combo forward who rebounds well in his area. He has some pop to his step to dunk the ball. He can hit perimeter jumpers from the elbow and the three point line, albeit a little streaky. He brings energy, he is a very good passer and has an IQ for the game.&nbsp;He is a perfect glue guy for the talented team. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950128' first='Michael' last='Robertson Jr'] AZ Compass Prep (Team RHJ 2024)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The lone underclassman of the 17U roster for RHJ has some tools to like. He is a scoring guard who shoots the three fairly consistently. He has a very quick trigger and looks dead eye on every attempt. He uses his long arms to play the passing lanes and he is another talented player on the Dragons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950116' first='Ethan' last='Hayes'] Horizon (Arizona Firestorm 2026 Hunter)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good sized freshman shooting guard is a catch and shoot sniper from the three point line. He runs well in transition and can score inside with players around him.&nbsp;He has a good sense of awareness and according to his coach, he is one of the most improved players in the program. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->