Border League 2021: Soph/Freshman Standouts
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On October 15-17 I attended the 2nd annual Border League in various gyms around Las Vegas and Henderson in Nevada. There were 6 divisions of 16 teams each and every team played in four games. The main site was games at Coronado…
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Continue ReadingOn October 15-17 I attended the 2nd annual Border League in various gyms around Las Vegas and Henderson in Nevada.
There were 6 divisions of 16 teams each and every team played in four games. The main site was games at Coronado which held some of the top teams. I watched there mainly but also managed to stop in at Silverado HS to watch some AZ teams along the three days.
Here were some of the soph and freshman standouts: (Many new players that I have never seen before shined over the weekend).
Alijah Adem Alijah Adem 6'2" | PG Spring Valley | 2024 State #174 Nation NV Spring Valley/NV (Pictured)
A good sized PG with a high feel for the game is very crafty. He can get downhill and euro his way to the basket. His ability to change speeds and hesi makes him hard to contain. He can spray the ball around to his teammates with precision and has real court vision. He throws the lob pass effortlessly and he has deep 3pt range plus a soft touch from mid-range.
Jovan Milicevic Jovan Milicevic 6'9" | PF Canyon International Academy | 2024 State #100 Nation AZ Dream City Christian
A skilled forward can shoot from mid to the 3. He recently added 1-2 inches and the extra height he put on and weight allows him to hold his ground better in the post. He is a good passer for his position and handles the ball decently plus plays the game with a high IQ. He recently picked up an offer from Oregon.
Gabe Pickens Gabe Pickens 6'0" | PG Dream City Christian | 2024 State AZ Millennium
It takes a few plays down to realize how important he is to this team. He is a pure point guard who finds players in transition and in stride. He has speed to turn the corner on his defender and gets to the cup and finish with his strong frame. He drives and kicks it to shooters and he controls the tempo of the game.
Pharaoh Compton Pharaoh Compton 6'7" | PF Arbor View | 2024 State #74 Nation NV Spring Valley/NV
A long and strong lefty power forward. He blocks everything, rim runs and will catch lob passes. He had multiple out of area blocks and gains offensive rebounds it seems on every other possession. He plays the entire game with a big motor.
RJ Nance RJ Nance 6'2" | SG Centennial | 2024 State #313 Nation NV Spring Valley/NV
An extremely young soph is a strong upper bodied combo guard. He has good range on his 3pt shot and he is a sneaky good passer off the pick and roll game. He plays aggressively and is very competitive.
Jamison McCall Jamison McCall 6'0" | CG Spring Valley | 2024 State NV Spring Valley/NV
One of the deeper shooters I saw at the entire event. He has in the gym range and he will launch it from beyond the volleyball line. Once he gets into the lane with some speed, he has the floater game and he comes with a super quick shooting release.
AJ Muandumba AJ Muandumba 6'4" | SF St. Mary's | 2025 State AZ St. Mary’s
Another bench player for the Knights that could pay off down the stretch of a long season happens to be a freshman. He is a fluid guard that can defend multiple positions with good length and quickness. He can hit shots from the perimeter from mid to the 3 off the catch.
Mason Brown Mason Brown 6'1" | PG Durango | 2025 CA-S Durango/NV
A pure point guard with next level court vision. He is a little lean, but his feel for the game at his age is very high. He has a good burst with a tighter handle to get passed his defenders and then usually drops off a dime or finds an open shooter. As he ages and gets stronger, he will be even tougher to defend.