Bash in the Desert: Unsigned 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 Unsigned Standouts I viewed: </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='937184' first='Brayden' last='Gant'] Coolidge (Steven Hunter Elite)</strong>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and versatile wing forward. He uses his wingspan to defend multiple positions and scores it inside and out. He rebounds in and out of his area and will block shots inside. He likes working from elbow and in and will hit the mid-range jumper plus score around the basket. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1580060' first='Jackson' last='Lusk'] North Thurston (Team Anderson Elite 2024)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top shooters I viewed on the weekend. He can fall away from his defender but is best as a catch and shoot three point type. He can create a little for himself off the dribble to get in the paint and has counter moves to score.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1124722' first='Jaden' last='Acuna'] Gilbert (Legion of Hoops 17 Navy)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong lefty guard can shoot it from mid to the three point line. He uses his stronger upper body to get downhill. His pull-up off the dribble is tough and has a quick release. He has strong hands to rip some pockets on defense and brings some physicality and skill to the court. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1580111' first='Dimitri' last='Cleric'] Bella Vista Prep (AZ Firestorm 2024 Black)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big bodied post player runs the court well, rebounds and will score around the hoop. He uses his wider shoulders, long arms and girth to corral out of area rebounds. He handles it decently, he can step out and shoot it from the perimeter but scores it best in the paint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Connor Bailey CG 6'0 Cienega (Tucson Trojans 2024)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A newcomer for me is a long combo guard who can shoot the three, facilitate and get downhill. He has a good frame to rebound well and is not afraid to mix it up inside and will take charges. He can step back on his defender to shoot it but is probably best off the catch. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1275429' first='Yarell' last='Greer'] Higley (Team RHJ)&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A fast two-way point guard. He loves getting downhill to score and is a pit bull on-ball defender. He can score it a variety of ways as he can race down the court using his speed, score thru contact, use the runner, he can actually post up with hook shots and makes difficult shots in traffic look easy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1160999' first='Devin' last='Miller'] AZ Compass Prep (Team RHJ 2024)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the tougher guards that is unsigned. He likes touching the paint and making a play or scoring. The lefty can hit the three and scores thru contact easily with a stronger upper body and natural toughness. He competes very hard on the defensive end with good lateral quickness and a high IQ. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1486124' first='Kameron' last='Ricks'] Desert Pines</strong> (<strong>Las Vegas Olympians) (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long wing forward is a deep shooter who is extremely athletic. He had one of the best blocks of the event and moved well in space. He handles it better than you realize and can create a little of his own offense off the dribble. He is a classic glue guy and works hard.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->