Feast Week: Under the Radar
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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 under the radar players I viewed:
Gabriel Briones Gabriel Briones 6'2" | SG Cesar Chavez | 2025 State AZ Cesar Chavez (Pictured)
A tough downhill scoring guard is a natural attacker in traffic. He is highly competitive on defensive to rip some pockets. He can get hot from the three point line off the catch and rattle in threes. He plays perfectly off of Clontz and his toughness shines thru on both sides of the court.
Drayce Crenshaw Drayce Crenshaw 6'3" | SF Cesar Chavez | 2025 State AZ Cesar Chavez
Another skilled junior for the Champions. He can hit the catch three, he cuts without the ball and does many little things. He hustles for loose balls with rebounds and steals and will score around the basket better then most his size.
Cole Denny Cole Denny 6'6" | PF Catalina Foothills | 2025 State AZ Catalina Foothills
A highly skilled power forward can score around the basket with floaters and put backs. He is a very good rebounder using his size and girth around the rim. He has a pretty touch he uses around the rim and is very efficient with it. He runs the floor well and will crab dribble into the post and fall away impressively over the defense.
Crew Swearingen Crew Swearingen 5'9" | PG Corona del Sol | 2024 State AZ Corona del Sol
A scoring lead guard can rattle threes off the dribble. He is a sneaky good passer and times it right. He brings big confidence to the court and he will take charges showing his toughness.
Jayson Covington Jayson Covington 6'1" | PG Corona del Sol | 2024 State AZ Corona del Sol
An athletic lead guard can score and defend. He can hit the catch three and when he puts his foot down he turns the corner very quickly to get to the basket. He is great on the glass to rebound, collect steals and is very athletic and tough on the ball defensively.
Maximus Romero Maximus Romero 6'2" | CG Valley Vista | 2024 State AZ Valley Vista
A natural downhill guard is a tough on-ball defender. He has a a sneaky quick first step which allows him to get to the basket. He can also hit the catch three and has a very physical approach to the game.
Dru Carter Dru Carter 5'10" | PG Carl Hayden | 2024 State AZ Carl Hayden
A scoring lead guard can hit the catch three. He will dribble drive to score and has a polished floater game. He is a very good passer who can be unselfish. He is fast in the open court and is a more consistent with the ball then the last viewing I observed. He uses a burst to get into the lane to pass or create his own shots.
Ben Rosenberg Ben Rosenberg 5'10" | PG Chaparral | 2024 State AZ Chaparral
A tough undersized point guard. He is very feisty on the ball defensively and can play fast or in the half court set. He makes good decisions with the ball and can score. He is a good free throw and three point shooter. He has a sharp in and out dribble which he can use to get to the hoop.
Grandin Gustafson Grandin Gustafson 6'4" | SF Queen Creek | 2025 State AZ Queen Creek
A long wing with good size can catch and shoot from the three point line. He has a very clean release with a pretty touch. He runs the floor for easy points on the break and he will defend multiple positions for the Bulldogs.
Davion Harris Davion Harris 6'1" | CG Hamilton | 2025 State AZ Hamilton
The nephew of the head coach came up big when it mattered. He hit multiple clutch triples in the fourth quarter and defended his position. He rebounds unusually well, moves the ball and scores. He can play on or off the ball.