2023 PlayAZ Only: Team South

Gregg Rosenberg June 1, 2021 @ 04:00 PM

Last week I attended The Show Justin Vargas 2023 PlayAz Only showcase. 33 players were invited to the event with everyone playing 3 games each with 4 teams (East, West, North and South). 7 were brand new for myself with four of them from AZ and the three others may land at a local prep. Team South [player_tooltip player_id="831115" first="Kevin" last="Patton Jr"] AZ Compass Prep -One of the top rated sophs at the event backed it up. He has great size for a wing and is a rare true point forward. He has impeccable timing on his passes and can thread the needle. He takes very few strides to get to the rim to score. He is a quick second jumper to rebound and gets many out of his area. He hits 3’s and can pull-up from mid-range. He plays above the rim on the break and blocks shots. His athleticism, size, D and passing makes him a valuable player. [player_tooltip player_id="1062311" first="Kallai" last="Patton"] AZ Compass Prep (Pictured) -As good as Kevin Jr was, his little brother was just as good at the event. He had some shocking dunks way above the rim. Dunks I didn’t even know he had in his arsenal. He has incredible open court speed with an impressive first step. He is also a good passer and is developing into a combo guard, or like Kevin Jr, he could morph into a point forward. He makes 3’s but can improve his consistency moving forward. Bottom line, Kallai showed he is rapidly progressing his game. Stock up. [player_tooltip player_id="1032530" first="Vincent" last="Tedeschi"] Moon Valley -A pure PG who loves to facilitate. He was consistently finding teammates for lobs, pocket passes and just making extra passes. He has a good burst to get passed his defender to get into the lane and finish. He can make perimeter jumpers and he could be more aggressive showing off his skill but he showed that he thrives as a play-maker. [player_tooltip player_id="996163" first="Paul" last="Oscislawski"] Chaparral -A strong framed shooter has a consistent approach to his game. He hits 3’s off the catch with a quick trigger and has a compact stroke. He is starting to also create for himself on the perimeter and inside the paint. He uses his frame to shield defenders and rebounds well. [player_tooltip player_id="814534" first="Adajeion" last="Williams"] Carl Hayden -A pure bucket has unlimited range. He may be undersized but he has good upper body strength and a nice handle to get into the lane to finish. He uses his shifty handle to create separation to get his shot off. His deep ball was on and comes with range. He is also a willing defender using his quicks and strength. [player_tooltip player_id="814527" first="Leonard" last="Romayor"] Brophy Prep -Another undersized guard had a good showing. He had some great spurts of production. He can pull-up off the dribble from mid to the 3pt line. He is good driving the lane and kicking it out to a shooter. His skills are slowly polishing up. [player_tooltip player_id="1183310" first="Corey" last="Wood"] ALA-Ironwood -A bigger wing forward may of been the best forward shooter at the event. He drives the lane a little but he has a pure stroke from the stripe. He has a quick release and he squares up to the rim like you should. He rebounds well in his area and it will help him get stronger over the next two years. Bronson Chambers SF 6’5 undecided -A bigger wing from Canada scored it many ways. He has a nice build/strong frame to take contact in the lane and can hit the 3. He does like getting downhill but got hot from the perimeter. He is a sneaky good passer and one of the rare players that was talking on defense getting his teammates to their assignments. (He may attend Dream City) Marquese Josephs CG 6’1 undecided -Another very good Canadian prospect who may attend Dream City in the fall. He is a natural scorer from all 3 levels. He has a thicker body and can hit from mid to the 3pt line off the pull or catch and get to the rim with a nice handle and bounce off of defenders and score it. He can throw it down above the rim and it will be interesting to see where him and Chambers land.