Casteel at Higley: Freshman/JV standouts
On Tuesday, January 18th I attended the 5A contest between Casteel and Higley at Higley HS in Gilbert, AZ. I watched all three games with Freshman, Junior Varsity and Varsity. A lot of new players were discovered and I wrote…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingOn Tuesday, January 18th I attended the 5A contest between Casteel and Higley at Higley HS in Gilbert, AZ.
I watched all three games with Freshman, Junior Varsity and Varsity.
A lot of new players were discovered and I wrote about some of the players who stood out.
Here were the standouts from the Freshman and JV games:
Freshman game:
Amare King Amare King 6'5" | CG Casteel | 2025 State AZ Casteel (Pictured)
A long and lean combo guard with good defensive instincts to play the passing lanes. He collects many steals with his length and IQ. He has a pretty looking shot from deep off the catch. A son of a coach can hesi and has the floater. He can drive and kick it and is extremely unselfish. He also had a couple blocks and steals on JV showing it was no fluke.
Leyton Steenhard Leyton Steenhard 6'0" | CG Queen Creek | 2025 State AZ Casteel
A scoring PG who can drive and kick or dump it off to a post player. He has a nice burst with his quicker first step to get into the paint and score it with either hand.
Brock Seiber Brock Seiber 6'1" | CG Higley | 2025 State AZ Higley
A high IQ scoring combo guard. He can pull-up off the dribble and has a super quick release. He has good court vision and will find teammates down the court. He can get hot from the 3pt line and he even hit a buzzer beater.
Brayden Hatcher Brayden Hatcher 6'4" | SF Higley | 2025 State AZ Higley
The lefty can shoot and drive it. He is very crafty, skilled and smart. He knows how to change speeds and get into the lane and will use the floater.
JV game:
Donovan Dabney Donovan Dabney 6'4" | SF Higley | 2025 State AZ Higley
A combo guard with a pure stroke from the 3pt line. He has real range and a super quick release. He is a good passer and brings a high IQ to the game and he also plays on varsity as one of the “shooters” of the team.
Gavin Dabney Gavin Dabney 6'5" | SG Higley | 2025 State AZ Higley
The twin brother also has a clip! He can rebound in his area and hit from mid-range. He is a very good passer as he times it right and threads it in. He gets squared so quickly and makes 3’s so easily. He is very under control and changes speeds often to get passed his defenders.
Luke Danielson Luke Danielson 6'6" | PF American Leadership Academy Gilbert North | 2025 State AZ Higley
A burly framed forward who plays with a motor. He is a good athlete and he can score it the post with counter moves. He is a big time rebounder in and out of his area. He can drive and kick surprisingly well for a bigger forward.
Jaevyn Yancey Jaevyn Yancey 6'7" | PF Eduprize | 2024 State AZ Higley
A long PF who is currently having growing pains but is playing through it. He can score it with either hand and he will block shots and run the floor. He challenges every shot that goes near him and outlets the ball well after he rebounds the ball.
Njrell Eason II PG 6’0 2024 Higley
A two-sport athlete is very fast in the open court and a very good passer. The lefty gets downhill with athleticism and burst. He is tough on the ball defensively and brings big energy.