Section 7: Friday’s Best Players (Pt. 4)
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GLENDALE — Hundreds of teams from across the country descended on State Farm Stadium in Arizona for another installment of the highly-anticipated Section 7 high school basketball event. Friday was the opening day of bracket play and we were in…
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Continue ReadingGLENDALE — Hundreds of teams from across the country descended on State Farm Stadium in Arizona for another installment of the highly-anticipated Section 7 high school basketball event. Friday was the opening day of bracket play and we were in the gym from 10:45 am to 9:00 pm watching as many players and games as we possibly could. We weren’t able to get our eyes on every team but here are the best players we saw on Friday.
Liam Campbell, Owyhee (ID)
Campbell consistently has his hands in multiple areas of the stat sheet, and, despite defenses keyed in on stopping his every move, the 2024 wing simply makes things happen. The 6-foot-5 former Southern California guy, who made the move from Harvard-Westlake to Idaho-based Owyhee after his freshman season, is a versatile and high energy guy who can play both on or off the ball due to his combination of ball skills, playmaking and shot-making at multiple levels of the floor.
Nik Khamenia Nik Khamenia 6'7" | SF Harvard-Westlake | 2025 State #18 Nation CA-S , Harvard-Westlake
Khamenia continues to establish himself as one of the most versatile players in the country in the 2025 class and that should result in him shooting up the boards in the various national rankings. At 6-feet-8, the rising junior is an offensive threat from just about any spot of the floor. Khamenia can knock down catch and shoot three’s, mid-range jumpers off the bounce and is a high IQ playmaker in the mid-post when drawing doubles and finding cutters or shooters.
Todd Jones, Jr., Isidore Newman (LA)
As far as fluid athleticism among big men went, few were as impressive as Jones. The 6-foot-8 four/five man showed his elite rim protecting abilities as a shot changer and blocker with his anticipation, length and quick first jump off the floor. Jones is an effective rim-runner and finisher in transition who is also good as a ball screener and roller.
Trent Perry Trent Perry 6'4" | PG Harvard-Westlake | 2024 State #70 Nation CA-S , Harvard-Westlake
Perry’s overall point guard skill-set and basketball IQ have come such a long way since his days as a lethal spot shooter and college coaches have begun to take notice. The 6-foot-3 rising senior pulled all the right strings – controlled pace, distributed when needed, scored when needed, and simply played a high level floor game in the Wolverines’ first round victory.
Tyler Johnson Tyler Johnson 6'6" | SF Oak Ridge | 2024 State #175 Nation FL , Oak Ridge (FL)
Johnson is a mid-range and paint scoring maven whose size, fluid and quick-twitch athletic combo, ball skill skills and feel all come together in a package that is difficult to keep out of the paint. The 6-foot-6 wing can shift his way by defenders to elevate into a polished 15-foot jumper. But the rising senior also has a variety of floaters and finishes around the rim.