Tucson High, Sunnyside and Cholla Standouts.

I had the privilege of attending the JV and Varsity match ups between the Tucson High Badgers and the Tolleson Wolverines. The game was played at Tucson High. Coach Eric Langford has built a powerhouse here since taking over the program. Below are the boys who stood out for the Badgers who have a great team with incredible depth. I also attended Sunnyside at Cholla and have included those standouts as well.    Buchler is a force and tough to stop once he gets momentum. In the first half he went 5-5 from the field in the paint. Knows his spots well and strong enough to make sure he gets to them. Defensively he showed good shot blocking ability and rebounded very well. Great post footwork, moves around setting screens and cutting. Great off ball movement. Has good speed getting up and down the court in transition.     Noriegas game has developed a lot since I last saw him play. Skilled and patient dribbler who didn't get rushed by his opponents pressure. Made high level reads and great passes to his teammates. High percentage shooter from beyond the arc. Can drive and finish with either hand at the rim. Noriega shows great ability and could be a player we see raise his stock. Can run the offense very well and was vocal. A player who is showing strides in his development.     Flores is an all around guard who impacts the game in all areas. Has a strong presence on the defensive end. Forces turnovers and disrupts opponents offensive schemes. A floor general who allows plays to develop. Will make the defense pay for any mistakes. High percentage scorer especially from three where he got hot and made three in row in the second quarter. Sees the floor at a high level and connects on tough passes.     Okougbo was the tone setter to start the game. Defensively he was a nightmare for his opponents. Picked up 4+ steals in the first quarter and helped account for 8 of 14 points for the Badgers. Showed off his vision in the game as he found his teammates throughout the game for scores. Forced many turnovers. An impact player who thrives in the physical part of the game.     An athletic wing who had some electric dunks in this game. A strong player on both sides of the ball. Has good size and lengthy arms that made it extremely difficult for his opponents to get shots or passes off when guarded by him. Blocked and rebounded well. Strong feel for the game and reads well. Intercepted passes and showed he can guard every position. Malaki is arguably the top Southern Arizona prospect regardless of position. High impact player and plays well in all areas of the game.     Knight is the top overall Southern Arizona prospect and this game was just another showing why. Knight went for 20+ points shooting the ball at a very high percentage. Showed the skill to score the ball in many ways. Had a very nice dribble move step back mid range that showed his control and footwork. Hit a couple deep threes as well. Defensively Knight was terrific on the ball. didn't give up anything as he suffocated his man and forced turnovers. Knight is very consistent and plays at a high level.     The freshman when he was on the court for the looked and played like the best player for the Blue Devils. His overall IQ for the game, hustle and shot selection stood out. Johnson is a confident shooter. He has a very nice mid range shot that he scores a lot from. Has a good three ball that he uses to then set up a pump fake then dribble into his high percentage mid range shot. I've seen Maddox a couple times now this season and he is definitely separating himself as a top freshman guard in the Southern AZ 2029 class.     Mendoza is a highly overlooked guard in the 2026 class. In their match up against Sunnyside Mendoza was the difference maker. After scoring fifteen points in the first half Mendoza lead Cholla to a one point halftime lead. Then Mendoza went off, shooting 6-8 from the field putting up 17 points in the third quarter including back to back threes well beyond the college line. He finished the game with 38 points and 8 rebounds (unofficial) This was his third straight game with 38 points or more.     Schofield had a great game for the Blue Devils and showed he can score in a variety of ways. Very skilled with the ball on the move. Attacked the paint with a jump stop then finished with a reverse lay up with his left hand. Attacked the basket aggressively finishing with either hand for the score. Rebounded well getting some tough second chance opportunities through contact. Schofield hustles and plays with a strong motor. Finished the game with double digits.     Wilson was dominant in the paint on both ends of the court. Strong rebounder and finished close shots nicely off the glass. Had some good blocks including one he sent to the stands. His presence kept the Blue Devils shooting from the outside. Handles the physical part of the game extremely well. Set strong screens and showed good post footwork. Wilson still has a lot of room for growth and is still dominant at his position.

I had the privilege of attending the JV and Varsity match ups between the Tucson High Badgers and the Tolleson Wolverines. The game was played at Tucson High. Coach Eric Langford has built a powerhouse here since taking over the program. Below are the boys who stood out for the Badgers who have a great team with incredible depth. I also attended Sunnyside at Cholla and have included those standouts as well.