Observations from Centennial at Sunrise Mountain

On Friday February 5th I attended the 5A Centennial Coyotes at the 5A Sunrise Mountain Mustangs.    Here were some observations from the three games I viewed: #1 Both programs have prospects on all levels.  #2 Sunrise Mountain JV has a talented and deep group of players.  #3 Two freshman from Centennial stood out in the freshman game.  Marcus LoganMarcusLogan5'9" | PGCentennial | 2024AZ Centennial -Speed on speed with this young PG. He is super quick and is a true ball hawk. The ball is on a string with him and he is a good passer. He uses his quick hands and feet to rip his opponents. He gets passed his defender easily and finds a teammate. He is mostly a downhill scorer but definitely a capable perimeter shooter. He had one of the most impressive halves I have seen on freshman ball in a long time with 17 pts 5 asts and 9 steals! He backed it up on JV with 11 pts and 5 steals.   Jason HigginsJasonHiggins6'4" | PFCentennial | 2024AZ Centennial  -A long shot blocker who also rebounds well in his area. He boxes his man out and uses his length to grab the rebound.  #4 Two freshman stood out from Sunrise Mountain in the JV game. (Neither of them got a lot of PT but you can see their talent.)   Connor ThorntonConnorThornton6'3" | SFSunrise Mountain | 2024AZ Sunrise Mountain -A good sized wing shooter has a high release with length. He looks to be a good prospect for the Mustangs.  JJ MartinJJMartin5'10" | SGSunrise Mountain | 2024AZ Sunrise Mountain  -A scoring guard who can shoot plus he is quick enough to get into the lane and use the floater game. He played a cerebral game the last 5 minutes when he got in.  #4 Five sophs stood out from Sunrise Mountain in the JV game.   Dalton GrahamDaltonGraham6'6" | SFSunrise Mountain | 2023StateAZ Sunrise Mountain -A bigger point forward type who can shoot it. He handles the ball fluidly for his size and makes 3’s off the catch. He can take it off the glass and push it up the court and make a play for a teammate. He can play inside defensively or out on the perimeter. He advances passes like a PG and has an unique game. It wouldn’t shock me to see him start on varsity next year with 8 seniors graduating.  Brandon AckertBrandonAckert6'3" | PFSunrise Mountain | 2023StateAZ Sunrise Mountain -Unreal motor. He rebounds the ball in bunches. He pursues the ball with a purpose. He is very strong and uses his girth and positioning to corral the ball. He can score it efficiently inside the paint and he is very hard to move for position.  Patrick WeyrauchPatrickWeyrauch6'2" | SFSunrise Mountain | 2023AZ Sunrise Mountain Looks more fluid as an athlete then last year. He handles the ball better and can use a burst to get into the lane plus shoot it from mid-range.  Donivyn BrownDonivynBrown6'1" | CGSunrise Mountain | 2023AZ Sunrise Mountain  -A very good feel for the game and a good passer. He can get into the lane with a good handle and dime a teammate. He also was tough on the the ball defensively.  Luke MalamasLukeMalamas6'1" | CGSunrise Mountain | 2023AZ Sunrise Mountain  -A natural shooter and can hit it off the catch and pull from the 3pt line. He has a good feel for the game and can make plays for others. He takes long strides and uses his length to score inside. He will need to fill in but the soph could help on varsity next season.   #5 One soph stood out from Centennial in the JV game.   Zach EnglesZachEngles6'1" | SGCentennial | 2023AZ Centennial -A sniper from deep. He has a quick release and he is a straight 3pt shooter. He is best off the catch and can get hot quickly. He can drive the lane a little but is primarily a perimeter shooter.     Varsity game:  #6 Centennial has a legit chance to win it this year and will be one of the favorites to win it next year.  #7 Centennial group of guards is one of the better ones in 5A.  #8 When Colin CareyColinCarey6'6" | SFSunrise Mountain | 2021StateAZ is on, there are not many better forwards in the AIA.    #9 Here were the Varsity standouts: Centennial 68 Sunrise Mountain 57 (unofficial stats)    Centennial Jake LifgrenJakeLifgren6'1" | PGCentennial | 2022StateAZ Centennial  (Pictured) (32 pts 6 rbs 2 asts 2 stls) -A pure shooter is starting to expand his all-around game. He sees the court well and has become a play-maker. He has the runner, floater and a nice burst. He is smart using the pick and roll game and takes charges. Jayson PettyJaysonPetty6'3" | SFCentennial | 2022StateAZ Centennial (20 pts 10 rbs 4 stls)  -An athletic wing was in a good rhythm in this game. He hit four mid-range jumpers and has an incredible motor to rebound. He plays way bigger then his height may suggest and gets out of area rebounds consistently. He is a fluid athlete and runs the court like a guard and can play above the rim. He is very tough on defense with quick hands collecting steals and is a very reliable teammate.  Abe RangelAbeRangel6'0" | CGCentennial | 2022StateAZ Centennial (7 pts 1 rb 2 asts 1 blk) -A heady combo guard can score it and facilitate. He is deceptively quick in the lane and very crafty to score it around the rim. He likes to drive it more then shoot it from deep but his first step is so tough that he does what he does best. He is very competitive player and has been critical to the teams success.  Emery YoungEmeryYoung6'2" | SGCentennial | 2023StateAZ Centennial (4 pts 6 rbs 2 stls) -A jack of all trades can defend the 1-4 plus rebounds out of area. He collects steals using his length. He is very tough and can handle it well and get into the lane with a nice burst. He can keep progressing his deep ball.  Gage GalbreathGageGalbreath6'3" | PFCentennial | 2024AZ Centennial (5 pts 4 rbs)  -A tough and physical forward doesn’t mind contact in the paint. He rebounds the ball using his strength and girth and can score it on put backs and hook shots.    Sunrise Mountain  Colin CareyColinCarey6'6" | SFSunrise Mountain | 2021StateAZ Sunrise Mountain (19 pts 6 rbs 1 ast 1 stl) -His shot is pure. His pull-up off the dribble is a thing of beauty. He rises up with nice elevation and fires away. He is a quick release off the catch-3 and rebounds well in area. He is a better ball handler and passer then a year ago. He had a nice dunk as he eclipsed his 1000 point in his career.  https://twitter.com/smhshoopnation/status/1358852688830582785 Chase PaveyChasePavey6'3" | CGSunrise Mountain | 2021StateAZ Sunrise Mountain (10 pts) -A scoring guard with a strong upper body. He can hit the catch 3 plus pull-up off the dribble. He has the floater game and plays hard throughout a game. He has quicker feet and good length to defend plus he has a sneaky good first step to get into the lane.   Rafe CanaleRafeCanale6'0" | CGSunrise Mountain | 2022StateAZ Sunrise Mountain (8 pts 1 rb 3 asts) -A cerebral combo guard is a good passer and can score it. He is a nice compliment next to Pavey. Once he gets into the lane, he has good body control to score around traffic and can get to the FT line. He can improve his ability to handle ball pressure, which should come when he gets stronger his senior year.      Carter GittensCarterGittens6'4" | SFSunrise Mountain | 2023StateAZ Sunrise Mountain (4 pts 5 rbs 2 asts 1 stl 3 blks) -A high motored defensive forward is a stud on the glass and will block shots on the weak side. He has natural bounce to rise high above the crowd to rebound and will collect steals with his length. Offensively he can make the catch-3 and get to the rim.  Jadyn Brown F 6’5 2021 Sunrise Mountain (9 pts 6 rbs 1 stl) -A hard-nosed forward is tough inside and out. He can hit the 3 plus will battle inside with the post players. He isn’t flashy but he brings his hard hat and his strength and toughness shine through.