Bash in the Desert 17U 6th Team

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>May 2nd-4th I attended the annual&nbsp;<strong>Bash in the Desert</strong>&nbsp;at the Phhacility and Cortez HS locations. It had exactly 60 teams total and I watched almost every team in 17U and 16U and some of the 15U teams to form a good opinion of the field.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I watched 23 of the 25 17U teams and</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here is my 6th team&nbsp;<strong>All-Individual Teams</strong>&nbsp;for 17U:&nbsp;</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1758925' first='Vincent' last='Busalacchi'] Liberty ([program_tooltip program_id='2144495' first='Team' last='Elevate'] 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A wing forward who has a unique game. He has a high feel for the game and<strong> </strong>he is a true point forward with next level court vision. He rebounds the ball well and then will bring it up the court like a point guard. He is very crafty with reverse layups and handles contact well with his sturdy frame.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2854709' first='Ian' last='Conley'] Liberty ([program_tooltip program_id='2144495' first='Team' last='Elevate'] 17)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A thicker combo forward with some bounce. He is great around the rim but he can also hit the three and he is a sneaky good passer for a forward. He has a good motor to rebound and will block shots with his quick springs. A nice sleeper newcomer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2506431' first='Galab' last='Galab'] Phhoenix Prep (AZ Legacy 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough hard-nosed scoring guard who will defend. He makes smart reads and he will score with catch threes, quick drives to the basket and can take it coast to coast off of a rebound. When he gets rolling, he can put points on the board in a hurry.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1938808' first='Justice' last='Hinds'] Saguaro (Peak 17 National)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A physical two-way pure point guard who can score. He gets his hands on a lot of passes which lead to steals. He is quicker hands and feet with a strong frame to keep his opponents in front of him. He scores with straight line drives and the occasional catch three.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2849881' first='Ryan' last='Hitchcock'] Estrella Foothills (Area Code 17) (Pictured) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another newcomer is a bucket. He scores with downhill quick takes into a floater and takes contact well. He has a big bag of floaters, runners and deep threes off the dribble. He gets the ball off his hands quicker then most I viewed. He will also hesitate and get to the basket and sees the court well.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2855911' first='Arash' last='Kharot'] AZ College Prep (Steelers Elite 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An incoming freshman for the fall is an undersized scoring point guard. He is very poised and skilled. He can rattle in jumpers from mid to the three point line and comes with range already. He also knows how to change speeds and can create some separation to get his shot off.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2250566' first='Jude' last='Mata'] Apollo (AZGorrilaAZ 17)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled combo guard can play on or off the ball. He will score with catch and shoot threes in rhythm. He has a sneaky burt to blow past his initial defenders and has plus body control in the lane to finish with tough takes.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maximus Paulsen PF 6'5 2026 Portola/CA (MPIRE Basketball Club 17)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A power forward with some skill. He has a very cerebral approach to the game as he makes the extra pass often. He will score with inside buckets in the lane and threes with a soft touch. He moves his feet well on defense and can play both forward spots. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Michael Pickens SF 6'3 2026 Carter/CA (Rancho Elite 17)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long and lean wing who can get downhill and score with mid-range jumpers. He is long in the passing lanes to collect steals or get deflections and he can catch and shoot from the three point line. Once he fills in his frame, watch out.&nbsp;<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->