Bash in the Desert: 2026 Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On May 5th-7th the&nbsp;<em>Prep Hoops Circuit</em>&nbsp;was in town. We have the&nbsp;<strong>Bash in the Desert&nbsp;</strong>with teams around the West and even some from the Midwest. Two locations with the Phhacility in Phx/AZ and Inspire Courts in Gilbert/AZ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched as many as the 31 17U teams as I could and ended up seeing 26 of them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I also caught some 15 and 16U games and here were some of the younger standouts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were some of the top 2026 Standouts I viewed:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1622347' first='Philipe' last='Ndong'] Northfield (IBA 15U)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long scoring guard who looks like he grew a couple inches from his listed height. He runs the court well and has all arms and legs with size 14 shoes. He can hit the three, he takes long strides to the basket and can stop and pop from mid-range. He has good lateral quickness and length on defense to bother his opponents. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1697292' first='Rylan' last='Parsley'] Sandra Day O'Connor (AZ Firestorm 2026)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long guard who can catch and shoot from the three point line. He has a clean stroke and uses his long arms in the passing lanes. He hit multiple triples including a four point play. His ball rotates like it should and gets it off cleanly.&nbsp;He is just starting to figure it out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1591736' first='Dillan' last='McClinton'] Paradise Honors (Uptempo Elite 2026-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough power forward who plays the game with an elite motor to rebound the ball. He will block shots in and out of his area and has the ability to defend in space plus is strong enough with his long arms to defend taller post players. He can shoot it from the perimeter but is most efficient inside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1482211' first='Noah' last='Gloor'] Higley (Swish 365)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled scoring lead guard can shoot the three off the catch with deep range. He can create his own offense with a nice handle and is a very good passer who makes smart decisions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1893708' first='Prince' last='Cash'] Carl Hayden (Arizona Firestorm Sanders 2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long wing forward can be a defensive menace. He defends multiple positions and crashes the glass from anywhere.&nbsp;He likes getting&nbsp;downhill offensively with long strides to the basket. An upside player who will be leaned on more this season on varsity. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1949908' first='AJ' last='Taylor'] <strong>Skyline Prep</strong> (Arizona Firestorm Sanders 2026)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A point guard who is super fast and shifty. He can score with a high arcing three point shot and makes plays to teammates. He uses his quick hands and feet to pester opposing ball handlers. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1570935' first='Kyler' last='Frye'] McClintock (AZ Gremlins 2025-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A heady point guard plays with a good pace to his game. He has some toughness to him and will burst into the lane. He changes speeds well and is a good passer and times his passes.&nbsp;He will lead the Chargers this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1890173' first='Bear' last='Fisher'] Snowflake (Arizona Firestorm Sanders 2026)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled power forward who can shoot it from mid range and makes smart passes. He is always playing the correct way and playing hard each possession. He blocks shots in his area and rebounds at a good clip. He will handle the ball well for his position and has a lot to like for the future. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1768202' first='Marquice' last='Cole Jr'] Hamilton (Grassroots 15)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A two-way combo guard is tough and athletic. He is a downhill type of guard with an incredible layup package. He rebounds well and hits tough shots in the paint. He attacks like a man possessed and scores thru contact. He often cashes in on his free throws and is very tough on the ball defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1893678' first='Chris' last='King'] Queen Creek (Uptempo Elite 2026-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long defensive guard who can hit the catch three. He plays the passing lanes to steal the ball and is very quick in the open court to score on layups. He will score with either hand getting to the rim and he gives hard ball fakes with a quick first step.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1893640' first='David' last='Howard-Johnson'] AZ Compass Prep (Uptempo Elite 2026-1)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and lean shooter with speed and a nice handle. He has a pretty stroke with range on his jumper from beyond the three point line. He has good lateral quickness to defend his man and plays with energy. He needs very little time and space to get his shot off. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->