Bash in the Desert: Off the Radar

<!-- 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 players that are Off the Radar:&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950902' first='Ayumu' last='Lara'] Sahuaro (AZ Premier 2025) (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A true combo guard caught my eye. He has a nice pull-up from mid-range off the dribble. He has a real burst to get to the rim and cuts when he should. He will drive and kick it to a teammate often and has good size for a guard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950903' first='Cody' last='Lorentzen'] Mica Mountain (AZ Premier 2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A power forward with a physical approach to the game. He has a strong upper body and handles contact well. He is very crafty around the basket and has strong hands to catch difficult passes in traffic and scores it efficiently. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1951007' first='Keaton' last='Ort'] Fountain Hills (Steven Hunter Elite)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good sized scoring guard is a three point catch and shoot type. He can&nbsp;step back from mid-range off the dribble and but is best off the catch. He moves without the ball, he can smartly cut when needed and can score it inside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1951002' first='Wade' last='Eshom'] Vista Grande (Steven Hunter Elite 2025)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A bigger post player from a small school moves well from end to end. He challenges shots inside to rebound and block many shots. He scores it efficiently inside and plays with a chip on his shoulder as he brings some toughness.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1951010' first='David' last='Adekanmbi'] Chandler Prep (Steven Hunter Elite 2025)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long wing forward with good athleticism. He is a long strider to the basket and is a great runner. He has a clean free throw stroke and likes getting downhill and will score in traffic. He is an active defender and rebounder in and out of his area.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1035129' first='Adrien' last='Armstrong'] Carl Hayden (AZ Gremlins 2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough wing defender is a true two-way player. He can get downhill and hit the three and plays with a fierce motor to defend multiple positions with his long arms and lateral quickness. He runs the floor and is very good in transition. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1340635' first='Bryce' last='Walcott'] Eduprize (AZ Gremlins 2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A decent sized wing forward can catch and shoot from the three point line. He uses his size inside and is crafty around the rim to score and rebounds with his height and length. He makes smart decisions with the ball and plays within himself. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->