Scouting Report: Sunrise Mountain vs. Agua Fria (D2 Semifinals)
Overview: In a back and forth contest where it felt like it was virtually impossible for both teams to keep the other team’s star player in check, Agua Fria was able to do just enough to advance to the state tournament. 5’10″…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOverview: In a back and forth contest where it felt like it was virtually impossible for both teams to keep the other team’s star player in check, Agua Fria was able to do just enough to advance to the state tournament. 5’10″ Senior Guard Jordan Mccants was the definite MVP for Agua Fria in this game and for the majority of the season; however, without the second chance buckets from 6’6″ Senior Center Darnell Cowart, Agua Fria would not be advancing to the finals. Unfortunately, one team had to lose in this thrilling game and that team was Sunrise Mountain. Arizona high school basketball will now have to say good-bye to one of the state’s top players in Elijah Thomas Elijah Thomas 6'5" | SF Skyline Prep | 2022 AZ . Thomas did all he could to give his team a chance to win this game, but his heroic efforts came up just short.
Sunrise Mountain
Chris Mullaney 6’2″ SG/SF 2016 – Mullaney was huge for Sunrise Mountain in there run to the semifinals. He was without question the X-Factor player of the day in the Quarterfinals as he seemed to hit big shot after big shot in the first half to keep Sunrise Mountain in the game despite the high shooting percentage of Sunnyside. Mullaney finished the game with 21 points. He did not have as solid of a game in this one, but he made some big buckets and had some impact plays in a game where he was quite needed. Mullaney is a Division-III/NAIA Division-II level player.
Elijah Thomas Elijah Thomas 6'5" | SF Skyline Prep | 2022 AZ 6’5″ G/F 2016 – Thomas came into this season with very high expectations due to his skill level and great Junior year. Although there was a rough stretch from this team, he was the catalyst in a row of 10 wins in 12 games with the last lose coming to Agua Fria in the semifinals. Thomas has a rare ability to shoot the basketball from deep as well as put his shoulder down and get to wherever he wants to get to on the court. He was one of the best players in the entire state this season, and he should have a successful college career ahead of him. Thomas is a mid-major Division-1 level player.
Michael Walcott 6’2″ PG/SG 2016 – Walcott has been a huge factor in this team’s success. His high basketball IQ, toughness, and ability to shoot the basketball were huge throughout the state tournament. He did just that in this particular game as he hit a couple of timely three’s and played a solid game. Walcott should be able to play basketball at the next level. He is a Division-3/NAIA Division-2 level player.
Agua Fria
Darnell Cowart 6’6″ C 2016 – Cowart does not get as many touches as he probably should due to the strong guard play of Agua Fria; however, he does a good job with the looks he does get. In addition, he creates many opportunities for himself as he cleans up the misses for Agua Fria. Last night, he had 4 huge offensive rebounds in the second half. All of which led to second chance buckets for Agua Fria.
Bryce Fowler 6’5″ SF 2017 – Fowler is the most important player for Agua Fria. His high basketball IQ constantly puts him in a position to assist his team. He is unbelievably efficient on the offensive end as he does not take very many shots, but he makes the ones count that he does take. In addition, he has a great feel for finding the open man and kicking it for a Small Forward.
Jordan Mccants 5’10″ PG 2016 – Jordan Mccants has wowed me with his ability to attack the rim the last couple of games. Almost as important, his ability to make foul shots is outstanding. He gets himself to the line frequently due to his physical style of play, and he has been knocking down the crucial shots from the line. In fact, he was 6-6 down the stretch which drastically assisted in Agua Fria being able to hold of the Mustangs of Sunrise Mountain.
Isaiah Olvera 5’11″ PG/SG 2016 – Olvera has been a huge X-Factor for Agua Fria all season. Last game he hit a huge three, in this game he had a couple of timely buckets and made some strong plays on the defensive end. Olvera will need to have a big game in order for Agua Fria to pull off the upset of Shadow Mountain.
Up Next: 2/29 Finals Agua Fria vs. Shadow Mountain