Favorites: 4A Kino

Jordan Augustine

September 30, 2018 @ 01:22 AM

The 4A Kino Region has seen some changes. With that said, despite the changes, Salpointe and Catalina Foothills should still come in at the top of this region. Salpointe will challenge for a state title while Catalina has some solid pieces that will aid them in being relevant in post-season discussions as well.

1. Salpointe

Salpointe had a couple of intriguing accomplishments. A couple of those include making it to the state championship for the second time in a row and making it to the state championship despite having a losing record. For those who did not keep a close eye on the group, their final record can be misleading.

Evan Nelson Evan Nelson 6'1" | PG Salpointe | 2020 State #184 Nation AZ is without a doubt one of the top point guards in the state. He was a game changer for this group, but he had to sit half of the season due to transferring. Nelson being available for the entire season is a huge positive for the team. In the event that Salpointe is able to play for their third straight state title, it will be intriguing to watch Nelson against the likes of Jaelen House and Jovan Blacksher once again.

In addition to Nelson, highly sought after wing Majok Deng is healthy and ready to compete at a high level. Deng plays a pivotal role for the group. It will be interesting to monitor where Deng signs as well as where Salpointe ends up by seasons end.

While these are the two primary prospects returning, Salpointe has the vast majority of last year’s team back as well. Many are enamored by the transfers at other schools which can make it easy to remember or respect the talent Salpointe has returning.

2. Catalina Foothills

With Sam Beskind gone, it is safe to say that Catalina Foothills will look a little different this next season. With that said, this group is well-coached and has plenty of talent. Like any team that loses a prospect as talented as Beskind, there will be some bumps and learning. However, this team has some very talented pieces returning.

The top returning prospect for this group is Carson James. James was overshadowed at times last year despite having an extremely solid season which resulted in him also being named to the 1st Team All-Region list.

James will also have Hayden Moser Hayden Moser 6'4" | SG Catalina Foothills | 2020 State AZ back who played a key role for the team as a sophomore. With a year of experience under his belt and an opportunity for a bigger role, it is safe to say that Moser will have more production than he had last year.

3. Vista Grande

Vista Grande will take a step down from 5A to 4A. Further, they will have the luxury of bringing back their most productive player from last year in Rai’shun Wilson. Wilson scored the basketball at a high level for the group last year and was a consistent playmaker on a team that needed on desperately.

While having Wilson back is a huge step in the right direction and the team moves down, Vista Grande still has some huge question marks. First, who will be able to play supporting roles for Vista Grande? A couple of probable names include Douglas Alder and Kaleb Ethington as they earned varsity minutes last year.

The next big question is can this team win? Wilson had great numbers last year, but the team struggled to win games. His ability to create will help. However, the team needs to believe that they can win and the group will also need others to step up.