Hoop Life: 2024 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On July 29th I attended the <em>Hoopers On1y</em> <strong>Hoop Life</strong> tournament located at the Phhacility and the Kroc Center in Phx, AZ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I focused most of my attention on the younger groups of 15 and 16U but saw a couple 17U games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were the senior standouts that caught my eye: </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2107071' first='Dasio' last='Gonzales'] Eduprize (NDO) (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A newcomer for me is a long and lean shooting guard. He has deep three point range and can stop and pop from mid to the three with a very fast release. He has a little wiggle to get to the basket but is best off the catch. He uses his long arms to play the passing lanes. He has one of the prettier strokes in the state with good size for position and already holds a NAIA offer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036000' first='Khalon' last='Johnson'] Eduprize (NDO)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A two-way scoring guard is an explosive athlete. He can catch and shoot it from the three point line and throw it down way above the rim. He uses his thicker body to shield off defenders with next level body control in transition. He cuts smartly in the half court set and is a very physical on-ball defender ripping some pockets of his opponents. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1305184' first='Ja'kwon' last='Jordan'] Coolidge (ODG Elite)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hyper athletic wing forward who loves getting downhill. He can dunk the ball in heavy traffic and play really hard. He has a great motor to defend guards and then get inside and defend post players. He can shoot it from the perimeter but is best closest to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1781819' first='Blake' last='Jones'] Coolidge (ODG Elite)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another athletic defender with decent size and plus length. He runs the floor like a deer and can be that rare top of the box shot blocker or rebounder, He rim runs, defends multiple positions and is impressive in space. He flushes it down on the break and gobbles up rebounds and scores on put backs.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1128215' first='Jason' last='Higgins'] Sunrise Mountain (AZ AIR)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and improving defensive post player. He walls up with his stronger frame, build and great length making it difficult to score on inside the paint. He can grab a rebound and take the ball coast to coast and seems to glide in the air to dunk the ball. He blocks shots and is a sneaky good passer for position. His play will be pivotal for the Mustangs success this upcoming season.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Trevor Yazzie SF 6'1 2024 Centennial (AZ AIR)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another newcomer for me is a physical downhill wing with a sharp burst. He has a stronger upper body who often cuts for quick layups. He is very good on the ball defensively and gets out quickly on the break. He will give the Coyotes some needed depth of a long season off the bench. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->