Bash in the Desert 17U 1st Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>May 2nd-4th I attended the annual&nbsp;<strong>Bash in the Desert</strong>&nbsp;at the Phhacility and Cortez HS locations. It had exactly 60 teams total and I watched almost every team in 17U and 16U and some of the 15U teams to form a good opinion of the field.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched 23 of the 25 17U teams and</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here is my 1st team&nbsp;<strong>All-Individual Teams</strong>&nbsp;for 17U:&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Qusai Azem F 6'4 2026 Arnold O Beckman (MPIRE Basketball Club 17)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A thicker frame forward has some strength and skill. He rebounds in his area and he is a good passer. He scores with offensive rebound put backs and plays with a good motor to stay with it on the glass. He is very patient in the post and will go up to score. He will score thru contact and works well from the high post, he will hit the three and has a nice floater.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2605518' first='Avtandil' last='Bakhtadze'] Dream City Christian (Peak 17 National)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most talented forwards at the event scored it every single way possible. He had multiple drop steps into dunks, offensive rebound put backs and can face up to the three point line. He will also rip thru into a layup with his super long strides with euros and can fall away or shoot it from mid-range. He will rebound and block shots in his area.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1736172' first='Keegan' last='Colter'] Liberty ([program_tooltip program_id='2144495' first='Team' last='Elevate'] 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough two-way combo guard with some size and skill. He will score with perimeter jumpers, quick spin moves in the lane and drives to the basket. He is a very good passer and rebounder. He made some great reads this weekend showing he can play on or off the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2855887' first='Wisdom' last='Fode'] Bella Vista Prep (Team Supreme 17) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The MVP of the event had his own dunk party on the break during stretches of games. He is a three level scorer with a thicker frame and build and he can shoot it from mid to the three and then get downhill and finish off powerful dunks. He is a great rebounder and he hit a game winning FT to go undefeated on the weekend.&nbsp;He is already hearing from multiple D1 schools. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jevon Guess PF 6'6 2025 (Morgan Dawgs 17)&nbsp;(Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the better frames of the entire event was a force to be reckoned with. At six-foot six he scored it with mid-range jumpers and occasional threes but does most of his damage inside. He is a physical rebounder with good patience and scores thru contact better then arguably anyone as he lives on the glass or gets to the free throw line.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2856727,"width":"290px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_9953-crop-3226x2118-1746480815.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_9953-crop-3226x2118-1746480815.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2856727" style="width:290px;height:auto" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Guess was dominant all weekend long.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2039505' first='Braylon' last='Haman'] Phhoenix Prep (Steelers Elite 17)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring lead guard plays easily on or off the ball. He will score with blow by's and get paint touches at will. He puts so mich pressure on the defense with his speed with the ball and tight handle. He has a nice mid-range pull-up and he hit a clutch three in the last two minutes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950104' first='Jonathan' last='Mercado'] Chandler (Team Supreme 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring point guard is an easy scorer from all three levels. He is a deep ranged three point shooter off the catch or pull. He has a polished floater game and he changes speeds super well to get to the basket. He is a great passer and he is always in control to find a teammate. He had an easy 25+ point game when I viewed him.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jaylin Reed SG 6'3 2026 Pinole Valley/CA (Team Rampage 17 New Balance)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An athletic three level scorer with some size and strength. He will score it mostly with acrobatic takes to the basket using his frame and bounce with advanced body control in the air. He will score with put backs and he can hit the three. He is great in the passing lanes and is super active on defense. He will rebound and block shots out of his area with a motor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":2856773,"width":"273px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_9928.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/IMG_9928.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2856773" style="width:273px;height:auto" /></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The NorCal guard was a tough cover all game long.</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1598402' first='Johnny' last='Rios III'] Centennial (AZ Select 17 James Bronze)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An undersized point guard had his way all weekend long from scoring to facilitating. He arguably had the most assists of anyone on 17U shredding defenses with his pinpoint passing and timing. He plays at a great pace and makes players better around him. He keeps his dribble alive versus heavy pressure. He will go on his own personal scoring runs too with floaters, mid-range pull-ups and threes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->