Hardwood Classic: 2026-27 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On May 13th I attended the&nbsp;<strong>Elite Youth Events Hardwood Classic&nbsp;</strong>tournament<strong>&nbsp;</strong>at the Phhacility by&nbsp;<em>Tony Darden</em>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched a little of all three levels of 15-17U and were some of the standouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>H</strong>ere were some of the 2026-27 Standouts:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1323296' first='Matt' last='Delgado'] Boulder Creek (AZ Select 15 UAA) (Pictured)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A versatile wing forward who is a good passer, rebounder and scorer. He can pull-up off the dribble and hit the catch three. He got hot and splashed a few off in a row. He has a big time motor to rebound and gets on the glass with his quick second jump. His versatility and skill stands out.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1482217' first='Khalil' last='Lias'] Phhoenix Prep (AZ Select 15 UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long defensive minded combo guard plays the passing lanes, closes out quickly and made multiple ball handlers travel. He is becoming one of the better on-ball defenders in the class and then will finish off a dunk after he steals the ball. He rebounds well and is great in transition.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1490239' first='Daylen' last='Sharper'] Brophy Prep (AZ Select 15 UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A bigger guard handles the ball well and cuts, gets downhill and defends. He will hit the catch three in rhythm and has a sharp pull-up off the dribble that is very sudden. He also is a very good facilitator and can thread a needle and his drive and kick game is on point. He is a better passer than he gets credited with and will score inside and out.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1430444' first='Jacob' last='Webber'] Scottsdale Christian Academy (AZ Select 15 UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and lean wing scorer. He has a pure stroke from the three point line and can pull-up using his size and length and get to his spots. He will rattle them off one by one and doesn't need a lot of space. He made one step fall-away Dirk move that most don't attempt. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1752763' first='Kaiden' last='Rogers'] Perry (AZ Select 15 UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A bigger power forward can face-up from the three point line off the catch. He is a two-handed rebounder who moves well. He takes long strides and has a floater game. He has huge feet and long arms with upside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1303324' first='Jack' last='Van Amburg'] Catalina Foothills (Apex Athletx 2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top pure point guards in the class. He can catch and shoot from the three but is a pure dimer. He handles the ball well and has an elite feel for the game. He makes the game easy for his teammates with drive and kicks, full court passes on a rope and will dump it off to a post player. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1875584' first='Mykael' last='Nunez'] Canyon Del Oro (Apex Athletx 2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring power forward from inside and out. He has a very clean shooting stroke from the elbow and in and can play physically in the painted area. He rebounds at a good rate in his area and is a smart passer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950104' first='Jonathan' last='Mercado'] Chandler (AZ Select Craig 16)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough incoming freshman has a scorers mentality. He is a smart player who takes charges and will drive and kick like you should. He has no fear of big moments and was playing up two years impressively with no drop off. His range, confidence and IQ for the game stand out. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1956216' first='Kingsley' last='Edwards'] Canyon View (Valid Kixx)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring combo guard has a nice handle and can move the ball and create shots for himself. He has deep three point range and can drive and kick it to a shooter. He has a hard ball fake and will burst by or side step and let it fly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->