Post-Summer Top 5 Teams

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Summer team ball has come and gone and now players and teams are recovering before the start of the school year. As teams and players alike spent the summer competing against elite competition, some teams rose to the top as others faded. With the season a few months away but most teams having their rosters set, this is a look at the top five teams entering the season following a strong month of June ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sunnyslope </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending open division champs will look much different come November once point guard Delton Prescott III is back from injury. His addition will elevate an already dominant team to another level. With [player_tooltip player_id='1555179' first='Darius' last='Wabbington'], they can beat nearly anyone and with the additions of [player_tooltip player_id='2533651' first='Bentley' last='Elrod'], Noah Ondoua, and Sebastian Ondoua coupled with two-way guard [player_tooltip player_id='3226220' first='Linus' last='Turner'], The Vikings once again have a versatile unit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Basha</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Bears are ready to take that step from contender to champion, and they feel they have the lineup to do it. In terms of guard play, it's hard to find a better trio than [player_tooltip player_id='2276223' first='Kingston' last='Montague'], [player_tooltip player_id='2249943' first='Lleyton' last='Leonard'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2552765' first='David' last='Rossling'] anywhere in the AIA. Add in incoming freshman [player_tooltip player_id='3574605' first='Isaiah' last='King'] who looks to be an impactful piece already and that unit gets deeper. With [player_tooltip player_id='2295693' first='Maddox' last='Lazor'] continuing to improving and anchoring the paint, the Bears long and lengthy lineup should be a matchup advantage versus nearly everyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Millennium</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to previous iterations of Millennium, there's no doubts about the talent they have. After all, they boast arguably the top prospect in the country in [player_tooltip player_id='1546987' first='Adan' last='Diggs'] and return his running mate in [player_tooltip player_id='2370259' first='Terry' last='McKinney III'] to pack a powerful 1-2 punch. But the biggest move was the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='2412268' first='Maurice' last='Carter II'] from Willow Canyon who'll pair with the returning [player_tooltip player_id='1555181' first='Adrian' last='Higuera'] to take pressure off of Diggs who won't need the ball always in his hands. With arguably the best offensive group in the state, they'll score in bunches from inside and out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mesa</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following the transfer of Kyi Kyi Miles to AZ Compass, there was plenty of questions as to how good could Mesa truly be. Losing a player of that caliber is a death blow for most programs, but if anything Mesa has elevated with a new balanced attack. [player_tooltip player_id='2251690' first='Innocent' last='Onwo'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2889279' first='Jace' last='Parris'] headline a duo of star sophomores who look to breakout this year. [player_tooltip player_id='2337274' first='Brig' last='Bowden'] controls the post as one of the better bigs in the AIA and [player_tooltip player_id='2146269' first='Daijon' last='Grayson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2280210' first='Josh' last='Stewart'] hold down the backcourt with a balanced and athletic scoring duo. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Liberty</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After two 6A championships in the last three years, the Liberty Lions hope that this year is the season they get over the hump in the open division. Entering the summer, there was questions to how good could the Lions look with an injured [player_tooltip player_id='2759176' first='Trevin' last='Davis'] and the graduation of multiple pieces from their championship team. But the Lions especially once Davis returned in Nevada looked like a potential semifinal team this year. [player_tooltip player_id='2345479' first='Milton' last='Phinnessee III'] anchors the paint as one of the very few traditional centers in the AIA and arguably as the best shot blocker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alongside him is a backcourt duo of seniors that have done nothing but win during their time at Liberty. [player_tooltip player_id='2282925' first='Jacob' last='Hunter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2257790' first='Nicholas' last='Topolosek'] have both played on varsity since freshman year and have made huge shots and big plays in the last three years. Davis is one of the best players in the state regardless of class and looks to build upon a strong freshman year once healthy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->