Section 7 Standouts: Five West Coast Prospects Who Turned Heads

<p>No event on the West coast creates as much of an opportunity for high school prospects quite like Section 7. For the seventh year, college coaches and high school teams from throughout the country descended upon Arizona for the largest scholastic showcase. This event allows top prospects to show off against elite competition while also giving under the radar prospects a chance to play in front of high level college programs. Many prospects showed out, but these five prospects turned heads from both college coaches and opposing teams alike</p>   <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956217' first='PJ' last='Nowlin Jr'] - Canyon View</h4>    <p class="text-gray-700">A two-way standout led the way for Canyon View who had a strong showing in a tough bracket for the Jaguars. In four games, Nowlin averaged 21 points and showcased his ability to space on the perimeter in the catch-and-shoot game but also drive downhill and finish inside the paint. Defensively, Nowlin shows length for the position and the upside to defend both inside and out.</p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2533594' first='CJ' last='Johnson'] - Desert Edge</h4>    <p class="text-gray-700">Another west valley prospect that has taken a jump is Desert Edge's [player_tooltip player_id='2533594' first='CJ' last='Johnson']. As the young leader of the Scorpions, he continues to showcase an ability to takeover the game offensively with an improved jump shot. This ability to score in both the midrange and on the perimeter adds another element to his game. As an already talented finisher with some of the best leaping ability in the 2029 class, Johnson's finishing has continued to improve as well. On the defensive side, Johnson has shown the ability to be a strong on-ball defender. </p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">Elijah Ricks - St Anthony</h4>    <p class="text-gray-700">One of the top under-the-radar standouts on the West coast is Elijah Ricks. Standing at 6'7' and still growing, Ricks has guard-like ability which was his first position and has used that to blossom on the wing as a power forward. His strength for his size allows him to be physical inside the paint crashing the glass and finishing at the rim. He shows high upside as a rebounder with quick bounce and recovery to jump multiple times for rebounds. His length allows him to easily contest shots and guard both on the perimeter and inside the paint.</p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2386978' first='Jaydon' last='Hayes']<strong> </strong>- Willow Canyon</h4>    <p class="text-gray-700">There's no doubt anymore, Willow Canyon is [player_tooltip player_id='2386978' first='Jaydon' last='Hayes']' team. The combo guard stepped into the point guard spot and showcased a much improved ability to run the offense and create shots for his teammates. He averaged six assists per game for the Wildcats at Section 7 and showed off his skills as a gifted rebounder for the position. Hayes continues to show off his scoring bag as an inside-out scorer and can takeover the game at any moment as soon as the first shot goes down for him.</p>    <h4 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2532089' first='Darren' last='Ford'] - AZ Compass Prep</h4>    <p class="text-gray-700">One prospect at Section 7 that truly turned heads was AZ Compass Preps' [player_tooltip player_id='2532089' first='Darren' last='Ford']. The Louisiana prospect continues to dominate on both ends of the court as one of the top guards on the West coast. Facing off against Bella Vista Prep with dozens of high major programs watching, Ford knocked down deep three point shots and finished at the rim with physicality and skill. Meanwhile on the other end of the court, Ford used his long wingspan to disrupt the opposing guards and create turnovers for the Dragons.</p>    <p></p>

No event on the West coast creates as much of an opportunity for high school prospects quite like Section 7. For the seventh year, college coaches and high school teams from throughout the country descended upon Arizona for the largest scholastic showcase. This event allows top prospects to show off against elite competition while also giving under the radar prospects a chance to play in front of high level college programs. Many prospects showed out, but these five prospects turned heads from both college coaches and opposing teams alike