Seliga's Summer Underclassmen Standouts - Pt. 3

<p>June has come and gone and with it goes arguably the most important and valuable time on the recruiting calendar for college coaches and high school prospects alike. Arizona has become a recruiting hot bed during June with events such as Section 7, but other events such as the yearly Best In Basketball Summer Invitational in Gilbert or out of state events such as Nevada Live attract the top teams and players alike.</p>   <p>However often overlooked is how impactful June is for underclassmen prospects who don't really pick up offers but rather get on the radar of colleges and media. Most are stepping into new roles whether it's their first year of starting or taking over as the star for their program.</p>   <p>Throughout the next couple of weeks, I will be releasing the top underclassmen performers I observed during the June live period.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2194805' first='Marquice' last='Pless'] - Higley</h2>   <p>The most dynamic sophomore in the AIA is Pless who depending on whether or not he stays at Higley could swing the balance of the 6A conference. A three-level scorer that has continued to get better seemingly from game to game. His handle and ability to score while stepping into a true point guard role has been a nice development to his game. </p>   <p>His shot from deep was already an asset to his game same with his ability to take care of business in the mid-range. But his force at the rim has gotten better. Pless has long been able to finish at the rim and finish strongly, but now he's punching it with grown man strength and athleticism which is a welcomed addition to his already impressive all-around game.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2949469' first='Zane' last='Graham'] - Paradise Valley</h2>   <p>One of the more unique underclassmen in the AIA is [player_tooltip player_id='2949469' first='Zane' last='Graham'] who is built like a wing but is the lead guard for his Paradise Valley team. Graham uses his positional size and length to dominate on the offense end against smaller defenders as he gets a good height on his catch-and-shoot three point shots and will knock down tough mid-range baskets. </p>   <p>He's active in passing lanes and getting a hand up against guards to disrupt the flow. Naturally he's an impressive rebounder for the position with his size and he's improving as a passer as he's growing as a playmaker and becoming a threat.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2894935' first='Kendell' last='Stapleton'] - Chandler</h2>   <p>A traditional point guard, Stapleton has made the move from Desert Mountain to Chandler and has stepped into the lead role for the Wolves following multiple transfers out of the program. As a pass-first playmaking point guard, he's always looking to make the right basketball play and creating for his teammates.</p>   <p>The upside to his game is his defensive chops as he's a pest getting in the grill of opposing ball handlers and wants to force disruptive situations whether it be an errant pass or a bad shot. With his defensive skill and playmaking ability, he's a true pure point guard and will have a strong year at Chandler.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2759169' first='Kha'leal' last='Brown'] - Hamilton</h2>   <p>One of the best scorers in the state regardless of class, Brown makes the move to Hamilton from McClintock and looks to take on a big role for the Huskies. He has the ability to be a microwave scorer at all moments as he can score from anywhere on the court. </p>   <p>He'll run the floor in the fastbreak and finish with force at the rim and will set up on the perimeter and breakdown his defender before he pulls up or attacks downhill. He's a gifted athlete with both the speed and athleticism to finish and attack opposing teams in different ways to put pressure on them.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='2886380' first='Remy' last='Rose'] - Carl Hayden</h2>   <p>One of the best point guards in the 2029 class, Rose has stepped into his own as one of the key pieces for a Carl Hayden team making the jump into the 6A conference. He's a pure scorer as he will knock down open shots from deep but primarily gets his own by getting to the rim. Rose attacks the rim with his strength for the position as he will bump opposing defenders out of his way as he attacks downhill and will rise up and punch it home with force. </p>   <p>He has a nice handle that allows him to run the floor and create for his teammates, but he knows how and when to get his against opposing teams.</p>   <p></p>

June has come and gone and with it goes arguably the most important and valuable time on the recruiting calendar for college coaches and high school prospects alike. Arizona has become a recruiting hot bed during June with events such as Section 7, but other events such as the yearly Best In Basketball Summer Invitational in Gilbert or out of state events such as Nevada Live attract the top teams and players alike.