4A-OPEN Finals: 2025-26 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>March 2nd-4th I watched four State Finals of 4A-OPEN at Arizona Veterans' Memorial Coliseum in Phx, AZ. There were some incredible games along the way including the 2OT battle between Highland defeating Brophy in exciting fashion. To some people's surprise, every higher seed actually ended up winning.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Results</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4A #2&nbsp;<strong>Peoria 66&nbsp;</strong>#8&nbsp;<strong>Deer Valley 57</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5A #1<strong>&nbsp;Campo Verde 61&nbsp;</strong>#2<strong>&nbsp;Millennium 48&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6A #1&nbsp;<strong>Highland 63&nbsp;</strong>#2&nbsp;<strong>Brophy Prep 61</strong>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OPEN #1&nbsp;<strong>Perry 74</strong>&nbsp;#10&nbsp;<strong>Sunnyslope 58</strong>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Here were some of the Sophomore and Freshman Standouts</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1129193' first='Koa' last='Peat'] Perry</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top sophomore and one of the top players in the state regardless of class definitely backed it up with 35 points. He is very patient in the post and is very polished from mid-range. He loves the pull-up and will fall away in the post. He has incredible body control, athleticism, power and soft hands to score it around the cup on put backs, dunks and grabs all rebounds and blocks shots.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1482165' first='Rider' last='Portela'] Sunnyslope</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A gifted three level scorer had his breakout game. He can score on euros in heavy traffic with either hand, he has the runner and floaters high above the crowd showing his athleticism and body control. He can fall away in the post and hit the three fairly consistently. He scored 21 points with 8 rebounds. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996172' first='D'Andre' last='Harrison'] Perry</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An efficient two-way forward gobbled up 10 rebounds with a high motor with his sticky hands and length. He has a consistent jumper from mid-range off the dribble and can post up inside versus smaller players and will step back and even hit the three point shot.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150848' first='Nolan' last='Brown'] Perry</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top sixth men brought that energy off the bench per usual. He can the catch three and pester his opponents with his lateral quickness.&nbsp;The fast point guard handles their ball pressure and surveys the scene plus picks his moments to score. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150901' first='John' last='Mattingly'] Sunnyslope</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled point guard can play on or off the ball. He cuts without the ball and will score on floaters plus hit the catch three with some range. He is sneaky quick to get himself to the paint to score or get to the line.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150822' first='Cameron' last='Holmes'] Millennium</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The young team came up short but Holmes showed out. He defended nearly every position and made plays. He is really a phenomenal passer up the court and doesn't get enough credit for this part of his game. Offensively he can hit the catch three with a quick release and then get downhill with contact. He rebounds, blocks shots and has an all-around game. He scored a team high 17 points.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1334752' first='Caden' last='Bass'] Peoria</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The future of the program showed off flashes of his potential. He scored 19 points with long strides to the rim, mid-range jumpers and a floater game. He can hit the three and is a good passer in the post. He is a fluid mover to the rim and can steal the ball with quick hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1490239' first='Daylen' last='Sharper'] Brophy Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A defensive guard who takes long strides. He uses his long wingspan to keep his players in front of him. He has a nice first step to get downhill, mostly with his right hand, and can finish tough layups. He will grab a board and take it coast to coast with his handle. He will be one of their best returners for next year. He scored 11 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1301344' first='Kingston' last='Tosi'] Millennium</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A combo forward is a versatile scorer. He can rip thru and score thru contact and rebounds out of his area. He is skilled at the high post and in and can step out and hit the three. He scored 8 points.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1150844' first='Quincy' last='Everson'] Millennium</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled combo guard can hit the catch three and get inside to score. He can drive by his defenders and was super aggressive to start the game in this contest. He will get downhill thru contact, he makes smart reads and will be a menace on defense with his long arms. He scored 12 points and has greatly improved this season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1276753' first='Ayden' last='Madi'] Brophy Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quickly improving guard is a natural scorer. He can drive by his defenders and score thru contact with a sturdy frame. He can catch and shoot from the three point line with a quick trigger. He defends well in space and inside. He scored 17 points.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1333653' first='Christopher' last='Brookins'] Peoria</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An undersized point guard is a ball hawk with real speed and quick feet. He rips pockets and runs down the court for layups. He made a huge assist down the stretch to seal the win and brings real energy to the game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->