Feast Week: Stock Risers
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The week of Thanksgiving I watched 50 teams play (48 from AZ) from Monday-Saturday at five different tournaments. I attended the Coyote Classic at Central and Camelback on Monday and Tuesday. I was at Mesa HS for the Fear the Hop tournament on Wednesday,…
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Continue ReadingThe week of Thanksgiving I watched 50 teams play (48 from AZ) from Monday-Saturday at five different tournaments. I attended the Coyote Classic at Central and Camelback on Monday and Tuesday. I was at Mesa HS for the Fear the Hop tournament on Wednesday, The Valley Christian Tournament at Seton Catholic, Welcome to the Jungle at Gilbert HS on Friday and lastly I attended the The LV8 Invitational at Chandler-Gilbert CC on Saturday.
Here are some stock risers I viewed:
Jackson Hunter Jackson Hunter 6'5" | SF Liberty | 2025 State AZ Liberty (Pictured)
A true breakout performance with 37 points. He has grown almost three inches and filled in his frame. He is a natural scorer with quick pull-ups from mid to the three. He has an ultra quick release on his perimeter jumpers and gets hot very quickly and will rattle them off one by one. He has floaters and is very confident in his ability to score/shoot.
AB Mendoza AB Mendoza 6'6" | PF Catalina Foothills | 2024 State AZ Catalina Foothills
The power forward leaned out and got taller over the last year. He uses his left hand well and attacks with dribble drives. He is a very good rebounder and his athleticism is improving as he threw a couple down on the break. He has very good post footwork to utilize.
Patrice Mpouli Patrice Mpouli 6'2" | SG Hamilton | 2026 State AZ Hamilton
One of the top two-way players in the sophomore class. He is a top of the food chain on-ball defender and is great in transition. He is a good passer with an unselfish attitude. He impressively takes very few strides to get to the basket and is good on the glass. He can hit the three, hesitate and get to the basket or make a play.
Diego Sarabia Diego Sarabia 6'6" | PF Queen Creek | 2026 State AZ Queen Creek
A somewhat breakout game for Sarabia. He showed off his full repertoire. He can get downhill using his thicker frame and has good hands to rebound and footwork to utilize. He will score on offensive rebound put backs and can step back off the dribble and hit the three. He will dribble drive to the basket and even flush it down with some running steam. He handles the ball well and is a very good passer for position.
Isaac Sdobnev Isaac Sdobnev 6'3" | SG Cienega | 2024 State AZ Cienega
A scoring guard is another two-way player. He can hit the catch three, get downhill with euro steps and tough drives in heavy traffic. He is quick on defense to cut off his opponents. He played well down the stretch hitting shots and got downhill with ether hand.
Gage Bartlett Gage Bartlett 6'2" | PG Shadow Ridge | 2025 State AZ Shadow Ridge
A scoring PG has a high feel to make plays. He can create his own offense off the dribble and will score thru contact and almost plays with a chip on his shoulder. He plays with a good pace to his game and will find teammates in stride often. His ability to have a tight handle while changing speeds makes him a tough cover. He can get downhill and will throw up the court passes.
Nazir Richardson Nazir Richardson 6'2" | SG Gilbert | 2024 State AZ Gilbert
A scoring guard who is polishing up his shooting. He can pull-up from mid-range and cuts often. He has a good burst of speed to get to the basket and will rise up off the dribble. He can get hot from the three point line with a quick trigger with step backs. He is a good passer in transition and shows next level body control in the air.
Jase Kooima Jase Kooima 6'4" | SG Williams Field | 2024 State AZ Williams Field
A strong framed scoring guard can get downhill and absorb contact. He can pull-up off the dribble from mid-range with good size for position. He can throw it down on the break and is a good up the court passer to hit a teammate in stride. He hit a game tying shot at the buzzer to send the game to OT.
Lamar Anderson Lamar Anderson 6'3" | SF Dysart | 2025 State AZ Dysart
A long and fluid wing forward seems to glide around the court. He can take it coast to coast and score thru contact. He will catch and shoot from the three with confidence and pull-up from mid-range off the dribble. His skill is superior from last year this time. Stock way up!
Kenneth Hill Kenneth Hill 6'4" | SG Sunrise Mountain | 2025 State AZ Sunrise Mountain
A strong upper bodied guard who is a natural at getting downhill. He can post up with toughness and has drastically improved his shooting. He can hit the three off catch with more consistency then last year and is also a physical defender.
Caden Hammond Caden Hammond 6'4" | SF Sunrise Mountain | 2025 State AZ Sunrise Mountain
A wing forward who grew three inches since my last viewing of him. He is sneaky athletic and very good downhill. He plays the passing lanes well with a huge IQ and smartly knows how to change speeds. He can shoot it from mid-range and is good on the glass and will score on put backs using his length and timing.
Brayden Hatcher Brayden Hatcher 6'4" | SF Higley | 2025 State AZ Higley
An improving scoring wing forward plays with real energy on defense to rebound and block shots. The lefty can hit the catch three in the corner and runs the court well for easy transition points.
Gabe Hill Gabe Hill 6'0" | SG Pinnacle | 2025 State AZ Pinnacle
A scoring guard who can dribble drive to the basket with a burst and will score thru contact. He will hit the three off the catch and uses his quickness to defend. A few players were not playing and he came in and shined and will be a player they can lean on more next year.