Palo Verde vs Pusch Ridge Standouts

The much anticipated 3A state championship rematch from last season took place Friday night. #6 Pusch Ridge and #1 Palo Verde matched up with the Lions on the road. One of the best action packed games this year so far in my opinion. Palo Verde would eventually win 54-53 but Pusch Ridge definitely gave them a scare and almost won it at the end. Lets recap some of the top performers from this matchup.    Ortiz continues to elevate himself as one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2027 class. Hes a high percentage scorer (shooting 54 percent from the field and 55 percent from the perimeter and averaging 21.5 ppg) He knocked down an early three and then later had one of the top dunks on his defender that I've seen this year. He has a smooth and consistent shot. Uses his athleticism to his advantage on the defensive side getting steals and intercepting passes. Elevates high for his jump shot. Plays at a high level every possession. Passionate player who impacts the game in all areas. A prospect coaches need to start looking at.     Pippen is an exceptionally good point guard. His ability to handle the ball and get his teammates involved is unmatched. He is yet again leading the state in assists with 7.6 per game which also ranks him 33rd nationally in that category. Pippen has elite vision. Muscles his way to the basket and can hit the difficult lay up or find his teammates for the score. Opponents defensive pressure never seems to phase Pippen. Gets to the paint consistently and is extremely dangerous when he has the iso matchup regardless of the defender. A true point guard who is highly under recruited who is a high impact player.     Physical and relentless defender. Covers the length of the court and made it very difficult for his opponents to advance the ball. White forced many bad passes with his pressure. White has great lateral movement when guarding on ball. Made some momentum shifting dunks on the offensive end. Made some clutch plays down the stretch helping to keep a Titans lead. Hustle player. Wasn't afraid to get to the ground to secure the ball for the Titans. White is one of the more electric players to watch in Southern Arizona.     Graves has improved tremendously in the last year. His post footwork has taken his game to another level. A disciplined shot blocker who moves well in the paint and uses his stride to cover the floor effortlessly. Was able to dribble and back down opposing forwards to get the look he wanted. Has a nice hook shot and knows how to use the glass the get his shot to fall. Was effective on the boards hitting his average of 7 rebounds. Graves has a high ceiling and as effective as he is the room for growth makes him a very intriguing prospect.     McKinney came out of the gate hit. He was scoring in just about every way putting up twelve points in the first quarter. Elevates high and knocks down his shots. Attacks the rim with confidence and his a highly skilled player. Highly effective rebounder and was hustling all game. Finished the game with a team high of 20 points for the Lions. A strong player in transition and made plays through a lot of contact in tonight's game. Made some great tough passes finding his teammates for scores. Another player who's is raising his stock in the 2027 class.     Lambe as been one of the top if not the top rebounders in all of Southern Arizona so far this season. His shot blocking ability also makes him one of the top post defenders as well. I unofficially had him for 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks in this matchup. He had some big momentum shifting blocks late in the game that game the Lions a much needed spark. Scores well in the post and helps space the floor with his three point ability. A highly under recruited player who is a difference make on the floor. He is currently second in the state in blocks per game with 3.2 and that puts him 77th nationally and currently averages 12.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.     Almazan has very good speed and can handle the ball extremely well. He put his three point shooting on display in this game. The few looks he got he took full advantage of. He went 3/5 from the perimeter helping keep the game close. A very effective defender who can guard the length of the court. Knows how to impact the game with and without the ball. Plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. Has the vision and hustle to play at the next level.

The much anticipated 3A state championship rematch from last season took place Friday night. #6 Pusch Ridge and #1 Palo Verde matched up with the Lions on the road. One of the best action packed games this year so far in my opinion. Palo Verde would eventually win 54-53 but Pusch Ridge definitely gave them a scare and almost won it at the end. Lets recap some of the top performers from this matchup.