Grind Session Group 1: AZ Senior Standouts Nov 11-12
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November 11th and the first game on the 12th I attended the first session of The Grind Session Group 1 #Bubble located at the Phhacility in Phx,AZ. I viewed AZ Compass Prep vs Phhoenix Prep and Dream City Christian vs Phhoenix…
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Continue ReadingNovember 11th and the first game on the 12th I attended the first session of The Grind Session Group 1 #Bubble located at the Phhacility in Phx,AZ.
I viewed AZ Compass Prep vs Phhoenix Prep and Dream City Christian vs Phhoenix Prep.
Results:
Dream City Christian 75 Phhoenix Prep 77
Phhoenix Prep 78 AZ Compass Prep 85
Both highly entertaining games with good talent and the usual fun drama.
All 3 teams are ranked 1-3 in the new update.
Week 2's Grind Top 9 is out! AZ Compass and Dream City remain #1 and #2, PHHoenix Prep are up to #3 while USBA and Minnesota Prep move in to the top 9 for the first time this season. pic.twitter.com/PVGOxspzq1
— The Grind Session (@thegrindsession) November 14, 2020
Here were the senior standouts of those three teams.
Arthur Kaluma Arthur Kaluma 6'7" | PF Dream City Christian | 2021 State #38 Nation AZ Dream City
-A special blend of power and skill for the strong forward. He can rip through and euro his way to the cup scoring through contact. He can hit the 3 and is a sneaky good passer. His handle, power and skill make him a national ranked player. He scored 32 pts (13-18 FG) and 8 rebounds in the two-point loss. He verbally committed to UNLV last week.
Javon Ruffin Javon Ruffin 6'5" | CG Phhoenix Prep | 2021 State #239 Nation AZ Phhoenix Prep
-A very good passer who plays like a big PG. He is sneaky athletic as he showed off a nasty tip dunk in one game. He is very consistent 3pt shooter off the catch and can create shots for himself. He smartly hesitates and changes speeds to get into the lane. His range on his deep ball is legit and once he gets into the lane, he can score it different ways.
He had a great two games versus two of the top teams including this game winner:
WILD final 20 seconds.
Shaedon Sharpe dunk ties it… Colorado commit Javon Ruffin bucket wins it ????@PhhPrep @tanagersports @thegrindsession pic.twitter.com/Y04t1slHdE— Who's Next (@WhosNextHS) November 12, 2020
Kiran Oliver Kiran Oliver 6'4" | SG Phhoenix Prep | 2021 State AZ Phhoenix Prep
-The high flyer made multiple shots off the dribble and created for himself more than usual. He takes multiple charges each game and defends every position in spots on the court. He collects steals, blocks shots and can take the ball off the glass and push the break. He does many things on defense to help the Fire.
Glenn Taylor Glenn Taylor 6'5" | SF AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State #162 Nation AZ AZ Compass Prep
-With most of the attention focused on Tyrone Washington Tyrone Washington 6'4" | PG AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State #33 Nation AZ and Alden Applewhite Alden Applewhite 6'7" | SF AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State #126 Nation AZ , Taylor and Small shined.
Taylor’s speed and layup package are elite. He is somewhat of a streaky shooter but definitely makes shots and defends many positions. He is a terrific rebounder and a quick second jumper. He can use the pick and roll and makes plays off of it. The well rounded forward had 20 in the win.
Jason Elder Jason Elder 6'6" | SF Phhoenix Prep | 2022 State AZ Phhoenix Prep
-Another versatile forward is a mismatch for many defenders. He is also a multiple position defender who scores many ways. He can hit the 3 plus he dribbles through traffic to score around the basket with efficiency. Once he gets into the lane he can jump stop and explode up to score. He will post up smaller players and take the post players out and blow by them or shoot over the top.
Brett Hardt Jr Brett Hardt Jr 6'4" | PG Phhoenix Prep | 2021 State AZ Phhoenix Prep
-His feel for the game, extra passing and pull-up from mid-range make his game go. He makes the catch-3 and hesitates about as well as you can keeping the defense off balance. He is a better defender then he gets credited for and his crisp passing are one of the reasons that PHH is ranked #3 in the Grind Session.
Javon Small Javon Small 6'2" | PG AZ Compass Prep | 2021 State AZ AZ Compass Prep (Pictured)
-Small came up big in their win. He showed off all his gifts. He has a real burst to the cup, he can hit the catch-3, he is a true PG who can make impressive pocket passes and has active hands to collect steals. He can drive and kick into a teammates shooting pocket and uses the hesi often to get to the rim. He also showed his bounce on the break with a big dunk.
Ricardo Sarmiento Ricardo Sarmiento 5'11" | PG Phhoenix Prep | 2021 State AZ Phhoenix Prep
-One of the top defenders on the ball in the Grind Session. The energy he brings can not be overstated. His catch and shoot 3 has now become a weapon. He used to only attempt from mid and has clearly worked on his game in the off season and is showing it off in big spots.