Hoophall/Nike TOC: 2026 Forward Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>January 2nd-4th I attended the annual&nbsp;<strong>Hoophall West&nbsp;</strong>located at Highland HS in Gilbert this year and also the&nbsp;<strong>Nike Tournament of Champions</strong>&nbsp;at multiple high school gyms throughout the East Valley. In the three days I viewed seven different brackets (Hoophall West, Saguaro, Sonoran, Coyote, Jackrabbit, Camelback and Sunrise) which included two championship games (Sonoran and Sunrise).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here are the 2026 Forward Standouts I viewed</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1482164' first='Desean' last='Middlebrook'] Basha (Pictured) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high energy forward defends nearly every position for the Bears.&nbsp;He rebounds at a high level in and out of his area and will score. He will shoot it from the perimeter plus spin the lane and score&nbsp;and-1's in traffic. He also rises up quickly to score in traffic. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1875718' first='Melvin' last='Stubbs Jr'] Catalina Foothills&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A versatile wing forward who defends and scores. He closes out to shooters quickly and moves his feet well laterally on the perimeter but then will block a shot off the glass. He scores with rip thru drives to the basket, lob dunks, mid-range jumpers and offensive rebound put backs. He will also defend the top player and collect steals. He is also one of the best passers on the team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2564039' first='Aliou' last='Dioum'] Bella Vista Prep CIA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top rebounders and shot blockers in the class from the junior class locally. He flies on the break to rim run and plays perfectly in the dunkers spot with his incredible length, elite size and quick twitch. His athleticism allows him to rebound out of his area. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2479867' first='Miikka' last='Muurinen'] AZ Compass Prep&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top ranked players on the West Coast is a tough cover. He has incredible size to play inside with advanced post footwork and will throw it down way above the rim with power. He will also step out and shoot the three with a nice looking stroke. He is a sneaky good passer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1741167' first='Kade' last='Snyder'] Sunnyslope</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A powerful forward will carve out space to rebound and will hustle for loose balls and dive on the floor. He will score with mid-range jumpers, fall aways from the high post and scores thru contact or will get fouled. You rarely see him take a play off with a big motor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150903' first='Rocket' last='Schwertley'] Brophy Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled power forward is cerebral and a very good passer&nbsp;from the high post or when he gets double teamed. He will score inside the paint with and-1's thru contact with his strength. He is very&nbsp;nimble for his size and will rebound and take charges.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1612468' first='Cameron' last='Williams'] St. Mary's </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the tallest power forwards in the state who is a three level scorer. He will hit the three, get to the free throw line, pull-up mid-range, fall away from his defenders and dunk it on the break. He passes the ball well and will block shots at a high level. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2131786' first='Markee' last='White Jr'] Williams Field</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A versatile power forward can score, handle the ball up the court, make plays for his teammates and block a shot. He will score thru contact and plays hard on the glass and will score on put backs and layups. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2107154' first='Cameron' last='Clayton'] Hamilton </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled wing forward keeps improving his value to the team. He will start next year when the seniors graduate and he comes off the bench and makes his impact. He is a catch and shoot three point shooter but will also score it near the basket, rebound and defend multiple positions. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->