SWBC 2025: Opening Night Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>August 18th Cedric Cobb Sr and I had the 8th annual&nbsp;<strong>Southwest Basketball Camp</strong>&nbsp;at the Phhacility in Phx, AZ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>120 players came to gain exposure in front of college coaches and scouts plus compete versus some top end players over the two days.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were 10 of the opening night standouts</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2146175' first='LJ' last='Diamond'] <strong>Perry (Pictured left)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LJ dominated from start to finish in his game on the main court. He dished out assists plus scored it from all three levels. He hit deep threes, pull-ups, scored on offensive rebounds and had some of the best dunks of the day including one '360' on a fast break.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2457665' first='Viktor' last='Babic'] <strong>Perry (Pictured right)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big lefty wing makes it look easy with his skill and elite size for position. He shoots it so easily from mid to the three plus can post up and go to work with plus footwork. He throws it down on the break and handles the ball well for his size. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1359138' first='James' last='Turner'] <strong>AZ Compass Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big man who defends his position but showed some nice skills as well. He rebounds the ball well and blocks shots. He hit a couple threes off the catch plus will get downhill with long strides and plays above the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2466067' first='Adrian' last='Stubbs'] <strong>Maryvale</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The late addition to the camp was Stubbs and he shined in the second game of the day. He is very hard to keep from getting out of the paint with his super tight handle and toughness. He shoots it from the perimeter but has the ability to burst past defenders at will. He had 20+ points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2948683' first='Justice' last='Uhunmwuagho'] <strong>Phhoenix Prep OTE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A physical specimen was a bully getting downhill. One of the top guards from the Overtime Elite team was a man among boys. He can use either hand to finish off tough shots with a very good layup package using his broader shoulders and power. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1591738' first='Jeehzus' last='Pagan'] <strong>AZ Compass Prep Grind</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A scoring point guard made the transfer from Boulder Creek to the prep school. He was very confident shooting the ball from deep and gets to his spots off the dribble. He can make plays plus is tough on the ball defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2295991' first='Daneal' last='Krylov'] <strong>Phhoenix Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A unique newcomer has great size for a forward. He can score it and he is a very good passer. He is very effective around the basket and can take a running start and play way above the rim on the break or in the half court set.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2435389' first='Justin' last='Johnson'] <strong>AZ Compass Prep</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The lefty wing forward is a hyper athletic in transition or in the half court. He must have had five plus dunks in one game with some impressive lobs from near the box. He springs up in a blink of an eye and comes with some power. He will also rip thru and shoot it using his left.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1875718' first='Melvin' last='Stubbs Jr'] <strong>Sandra Day O'Connor</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top two-way players in attendance. He rebounded, blocked shots and defended every position on the court. He scored with dunks, multiple threes off the catch and he got to the basket off the dribble. His camp coach said he hit close to 15 threes in the three games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1598402' first='Johnny' last='Rios III'] <strong>Centennial</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A true point guard guided his team with some needle threaders in traffic and just thinks the game from the neck up. He is very quick and fast with the ball in his hands and can score with sharp mid-range pull-ups and blow by's to the basket. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->