King of AZ: Top Sophs
August 15th and 16th I attended Justin Vargas King of AZ tournament at Arizona Sports Complex in Phx, AZ. He had ages 15U-17U playing 4 games each in the two days. many of the top AZ AAU programs were involved plus one…
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Continue ReadingAugust 15th and 16th I attended Justin Vargas King of AZ tournament at Arizona Sports Complex in Phx, AZ.
He had ages 15U-17U playing 4 games each in the two days. many of the top AZ AAU programs were involved plus one mystery team with a lot of talent that played just for the weekend.
Here were some of the sophomore standouts :
Tru Washington Tru Washington 6'3" | CG AZ Compass Prep | 2023 State #61 Nation AZ Mountain Pointe (AZ Select 15 UAA)
-A powerfully built guard is a terror in the open court. He can step back from his defender and hit from mid-range plus shoot it from deep as well. He is best when he is in attack mode off the dribble. He jumps up so quickly and throws it down effortlessly. He uses his strong frame, length and athleticism to defend from inside and out. He clearly played through a sprained ankle while he was grimacing the rest of the game showing his toughness.
Noah Amenhauser Noah Amenhauser 7'0" | C Estrella Foothills | 2023 State #270 Nation AZ Estrella Foothills (Factory 16/17)
-The young soph is huge. Not only does he have great size, he is thicker and has great length with a 7’2 wingspan and an insane 9’0 standing reach. He is very efficient near the basket but also has a nice touch to the 3pt line facing up. He can score inside on hook shots, drop step moves and throwing it down way above the rim.
Cody Williams Cody Williams 6'8" | SF Perry | 2023 State #25 Nation AZ Perry (Firestorm 15 Gold) (Pictured)
-One of the longest players in the gym. He has a smooth handle to get past defenders and smartly uses the floater. He can shoot it easily to the 3pt line and is an incredible rebounder and shot blocker for his position using his freaky long arms despite being really skinny. He has the euro step to score and when he takes his long strides, he seems to get to the basket in two steps. The younger brother of Jalen Williams (Santa Clara) has made a huge leap up.
Emery Young Emery Young 6'4" | SG Centennial | 2023 State AZ Centennial (AZ Select 15 UAA Rise)
-A tough and intelligent player seems to play any position on the court. He is an elite rebounder for his size and he can defend the PG then switch on a bigger forward. He is more of a natural downhill player but can make perimeter jumpers as well. His motor, toughness and the ability to play and defend multiple positions makes him attractive.
Tarik Spencer Tarik Spencer 6'2" | CG Valley Vista | 2023 AZ Valley Vista (Firestorm 15 Gold)
-The rising soph is arguably the fastest guard in the class. It’s incredible how quickly he gets to the hoop with an elite burst. He is a star in transition and his ability to change directions in full speed is impressive. He also is a ball hawk defender and although he can keep improving his perimeter shooting, he brings so much energy to each game.
Matthew Henry-Harrison Matthew Henry-Harrison 5'10" | CG AZ Compass Prep Black | 2023 State AZ Buckeye (Factory 16)
-Another tough and fearless guard who can play on or off the ball. He has the ability to slither into the lane with his tighter handler and toughness and get fouled or make the layup. He gets to the FT line arguably more then any soph guard. What impressed me this tourney was his ability to hit the 3. Not only did he hit them but many were in clutch moments.