Phoenix Phall Phace-Off: Soph/Freshman standouts

Gregg Rosenberg October 21, 2020 @ 01:46 PM

September 18-20 I attended Justin Vargas Phoenix Phall Phace-Off. The AAU event had 15U-17U divisions with 4-5 teams in each division.   The teams that competed in the event that I viewed were: AZ Firestorm 2023, 2022 and 2021 AZ Legends 2022 AZ Prime 2022 and 2021 AZ Select 2023 UAA AZ Supreme 2023 EYB AZ Tucson Select 2022 NM D1 2023 UAA PAL Elite 2021 The Show 2022 and 2021 Tucson Prospects 2021   Here were some more of the soph standouts I viewed: [player_tooltip player_id="831122" first="Vince" last="Delano"] St. Mary’s (AZ Supreme 2023) -A true sharp shooter who gets hot quickly. He can be a specialist from deep for college and he is getting a little more athletic. His pull-up is clean and although he takes many shots, he does put the ball in the hole for sure! [player_tooltip player_id="831123" first="Isaac" last="Kaps"] Highland (AZ Supreme 2023) -A guard that can play on or off the ball. He seems best on the ball, as he is a natural play-maker. He is always looking up trying to make a play for a teammate. He is also quick and fast which makes him a tough defender. He uses his handle and speed to get into the lane and can use the floater. He is best shooting from mid-range but can get hot from the 3. [player_tooltip player_id="814534" first="Adajeion" last="Williams"] Carl Hayden (AZ Select 2023 UAA) (Pictured) ”DJ” is a bucket. His mid-range J is a weapon and he comes with volleyball line 3pt range. He has a strong upper body to slither into the lane to score and the lefty goes though stretches where he can’t miss. He is a rare undersized guard that can carry a team on many nights. [player_tooltip player_id="814507" first="Davion" last="Butler"] McClintock (AZ Select 2023 UAA) -The undersized scoring lead guard is very fast and is a quick on-ball defender. He uses his speed well in the open court and he can hit from mid to the 3pt line. He makes good decisions with the ball and the scoring lead guard seems to always make big plays in big moments.   Here were some of the incoming freshman standouts I viewed including two top players originally from New Mexico: Malik Rasul Sierra Canyon (CA) (AZ Tucson Select 2022) -A long and talented forward from Tucson looks to be heading to Sierra Canyon HS in CA. He rebounds and blocks shots in his area and can make perimeter shots as well. He is a fluid mover and can cover a lot of ground on defense. [player_tooltip player_id="1069704" first="Dylan" last="Chavez"] CG 6’2 Eduprize (New Mexico D1 2023 UAA) -A young looking guard has a great feel for the game with real range on his 3pt shot. He has the runner and floater down plus he utilizes the pick and roll game to his advantage. His mind, skill, length and growth potential makes him an attractive player from New Mexico. A nice pick up for Coach Christian Polk and his staff. Marcus Wilson PG 6’1 Cibola (NM) (Firestorm 2023 Gold) -Another stud New Mexico player is very fast and is a natural athlete. He is a good defender on the ball defensively and he is an impressive driver. He makes 3pt shots and knows how to change speeds and hesitate. Wilson could possibly make the move to AZ next year when the virus is hopefully behind us. [player_tooltip player_id="996166" first="Braeden" last="Speed"] Brophy Prep (New Mexico D1 2023 UAA) -An athletic driver is a true two-way player. He uses his quickness and length to get into the lane and score it. He is a pest on the other end, collecting steals, getting deflections and just making it difficult for his opponent to score. You feel his presence all game long.