Prep Hoops Sweet 16: Top New Faces
The inaugural Prep Hoops Sweet 16 was a success! We had some great teams/players competing, resulting in some very entertaining games. Here are the top new faces from the event:
CJ Cervantez (Nogales 2019):
Nogales drew a tough first round match up against Hillcrest Prep, but they were able to compete at a high level. The majority of the game was held within 10-15 points until the 7-man Nogales team ran out of gas and Hillcrest was able to pull away. Nogales was led by CJ Cervantez. CJ is an absolute marksman of a shooter, hitting it very efficiently from deep. He was guarded by Jeron Artest for the majority of the game, who is one of the best defenders of the tournament and CJ was still able to light it up. I was very impressed by this young man.
KJ Dunn (Williams Field 2021):
KJ Dunn was another kid who caught my attention right away. Williams Field looked very solid all tournament long and Dunn looked even more impressive. He was a very athletic/strong build for a 2021 and was a very capable shooter. He really impressed me with his passing ability and with how well he ran Williams Field’s offense.
JaQuan Moore (Shadow Ridge 2020):
This was the first time I saw Moore play and he did not disappoint. I absolutely love the way he plays the game with so much passion and fire. He was a solid shooter, great passer, lock down defender, and even surprised the entire crowd with an electrifying transition dunk. Very impressed with Moore’s all around game and personality from talking to him off the court.
Mason Goodman (Ironwood Ridge 2020):
Goodman surprised me a lot this tournament. Goodman is the back up point guard for Ironwood Ridge but certainly has the potential to be a starter. He passed the ball as good as anyone at the tournament. He looked really good in transition, hitting open teammates for easy buckets and attacking the paint to draw the defense in, then hitting the open man.
Steinar Christianson (Ironwood 2021):
Steinar made a name for himself at our Prep Hoops Top 250 showcase and continued to grow that name here at this weekends tournament. Steinar is a solid wing who can handle the ball quite well. He has the strength to get his to the basket and finishes more often than not. If he could develop a three point shot, he would be very dangerous.