2025 Rankings: Off The Radar Newcomers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With 330 players, there is bound to be some new talent that was eventually going to be discovered.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were 55 new players and here are some of the standouts that are not top-10 for position but are very good players in their own right.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here are 8 newcomers from the last six months that are off the radar:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2470115' first='Jaden' last='Fitzhugh'] <strong>Apollo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and very tall wing forward. He moves gracefully around the court, and although he is a little lean, he can work inside to score plus shoot it from the perimeter from mid to the three. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2466079' first='Jaiden' last='Thompson'] <strong>Mountain Ridge (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A breakout newcomer at Section-7. He controls the entire game with his tight handle, scoring and facilitating. He is undersized but tough and skilled. He can score with pull-ups from mid-range and catch threes. His speed with the ball and IQ will help the West Valley team all year long. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2466700' first='Jarren' last='Carpenter'] <strong>Goldwater</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A good sized power forward with real skill. He can face-up from mid-range and even extend it out to the three point line. He has some springs to rebound well in his area and he will even block or alter shots in the paint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2466578' first='Jose' last='Fernandez'] <strong>Cibola</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An athletic wing with length and upside. He has a nice bag to score with the three off the catch, floaters, runners, mid-range jumpers and he can throw it down on the break. He really makes his money with his defense in the passing lanes and on the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2466686' first='Mouhamed' last='Khoule'] <strong>Carl Hayden</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big man who just moved in during the summer is a load to handle inside. He scores it around the basket, runs the floor and most importantly for the team, he will defend. He grabs every rebound near him and blocks shots inside the trenches. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2533435' first='Adrian' last='Taufaasau'] <strong>Florence</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high motored power forward with go-go gadget long arms. He corrals the ball off the glass at its highest point with his athleticism and effort. He scores around the hoop with put backs and dunks. He moves fluidly and will have a monster year in Florence.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2432459' first='Steven' last='Hunter II'] <strong>ALA-Ironwood</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A natural scoring guard can put points on the board from all levels. He can drive it to the basket but prefers to hit the jumper. He will catch and shoot from the three point line, get on the glass and shoot it from mid. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2533601' first='Xavier' last='Ledet']<strong> Cactus </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lefty sharp shooting combo guard who can put up points quickly. He will get hot very quickly and fire away from mid-range and definitely beyond the arc. He is very quick with the ball and has a quality handle to create his own separation to get a shot off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->