WCE AZ Spring Preview: ’26 Forward Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On April 13th I attended the&nbsp;<strong>WCE AZ Spring Preview</strong>&nbsp;located at the Phhacility in Phoenix. I watched 15-17U and found some incoming talented freshmen plus some good unsigned seniors looking for college homes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were the top soph forwards I viewed:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2297971' first='Hale' last='Hansen'] Brophy Prep (AZ Select 16 UAA) (Pictured)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A hyper athletic wing forward had some eye popping moments. He is very good around the rim and will spin into layups. He is an out of area rebounder in and he pulled off of a rare 360 degree dunk on the break. He plays like a point forward and he is a very good passer and moves the ball unselfishly. He gets a lot of deflections with his active hands and he will take a charge.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1323295' first='Brayden' last='Barrett'] Millennium (AZ Select 16 UAA)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled wing can play the 2-4 for his club and high school team. He scores it from the perimeter and can ball fake into a runner. He has plus post footwork with really good hands to catch difficult passes. His on-ball defense is definitely improving and he will rebound and block shots.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1633050' first='Sebastian' last='Hatsakorzian'] St. Mary's (AZ Select 16 UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A jack of all trades wing forward moves the ball better then many point guards in the class. He will pass up the court and throw a perfect bounce pass in stride plus opposite side passes look easy. He scores it on the break with high flying dunks elbows above the rim and will cut off the ball and drive it to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1917869' first='Ethan' last='Sobik'] Notre Dame Prep (AZ Select 16 UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A post player with some size and length. He will score with offensive rebound put backs, jump hook shots and smartly keeps the ball high. He uses the pick and roll to his advantage and will catch the ball high and finish in one motion to score.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1735379' first='David' last='Mans'] Pinnacle (Peak 16 Gold)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good sized power forward is strong around the basket. He can rebound in and out of his area with two-hands, as he uses his big mitts effectively to corral the ball. He will score on put backs with a nice touch and dunk it.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1875481' first='Isaiah' last='Smith'] Pinnacle (Peak 16 Gold)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A wing forward is a two-way player. He can score with euro steps and can rise up and shoot the three off the catch or dribble. He can use the floater game and takes long strides to the basket. He has good lateral quickness and will even block shots out of his area.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1746197' first='Malakhai' last='Moore-Neal'] Phoenix Christian (Level up Sports Academy 16) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high flying wing is one of the top athletes in the class. He is a star in space to defend opposing guards or forward and will defend inside to block shots and rebound out of his area on the norm. He will score near the hoop, dunk it and brings energy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->