BIBSI: Newcomers

On June 9th-11th I attended the 15th annual Best in Basketball Summer Invitational at Mesquite HS. 24 teams from around the state competed for the three days. There were 22 AIA teams with two prep teams.    In this article we look at some of the top Newcomers from the weekend. 2023 Tiekero Sidibe Tiekero Sidibe 6'10" | C Cesar Chavez | 2023 AZ Cesar Chavez A raw post player with incredible size. He blocks everything near him or he will alter shots by just standing tall. He rebounds and will score on tip-ins and put backs. He just moved over to the USA with his family 5 months ago and looks to play at the next level. He does need to get stronger but has some upside due to his obvious length and size.  JJ Salkowski JJ Salkowski 6'0" | SG Catalina Foothills | 2023 AZ Catalina Foothills  A sturdy framed shooter is tough and fearless. He is shot maker that will play both ends of the court. He will get right in the opposing teams grill and defend physically on the ball. He has good upper body strength and a motor to defend. He can straight line drive to the rim and he made a clutch shot from 20-feet to win a game showing no fear.     2024 Taimari Jones Taimari Jones 6'4" | PF McClintock | 2024 AZ McClintock  The lone post player who gets heavier minutes is Jones. He is a perfect compliment to their stars of Davion Butler Davion Butler 5'9" | PG McClintock | 2023 State AZ , KJ Perry KJ Perry 6'1" | SG McClintock | 2023 State AZ and Erenzo Scroggins Erenzo Scroggins 6'4" | SF McClintock | 2023 State AZ . He is an out of area rebounder and gets many second opportunities for the team. He will get some garbage points around the rim and score on put backs. He is a smart passer and has good length to play the passing lanes.  AB Mendoza AB Mendoza 6'5" | PF Catalina Foothills | 2024 AZ Catalina Foothills  Alberto or AB is an inside and out forward who can shoot the three plus score it in the paint. He has a physical presence with range on his jumper. He is an efficient scorer in the paint. He moved over from Mexico and has already put a stamp on the program with his versatility.   Landon Brewer Landon Brewer 6'2" | SG Boulder Creek | 2024 AZ Boulder Creek The younger brother of former Boulder Creek standout Hayden Brewer can shoot it. The rising junior played just a little last year on varsity but looks to be a bigger contributor this season. He can drive the lane with a decent handle but is best catching and letting it go from the 3pt line.  Kaiden Sadler Kaiden Sadler 6'1" | SF Phhoenix Prep | 2024 AZ Phhoenix Prep One of the better shooters in his class. He has a consistent stroke from the 3pt line and uses the floater game well. He thinks the game at a high level and moves without the ball. He will defend bigger players with length and strength and uses his girth to grab a board and box his man out.    2025 Christion Fleming Christion Fleming 6'2" | CG Gilbert | 2025 AZ Gilbert (Pictured)  This kid should breakout this year. He has good size for a soph guard with real length. He shoots it easily from the 3pt line, albeit a little lower release, and defends. He uses his big wingspan and quickness to disrupt the passing lanes and rebound. He is also is a natural play maker that may be second on the team in assists for the season.   Khalil Lias Khalil Lias 6'0" | CG Phhoenix Prep | 2025 AZ Phhoenix Prep A long and young transfer from Hamilton HS has talent. He can score it from all three levels and uses his length on the defensive end. He has deep 3pt range and grabs many rebounds out of his area. He can get to the rim with a good handle and will throw some nice passes to his teammates.  Jackson Woolley Jackson Woolley 6'2" | SG Mountain View Mesa | 2025 AZ Mountain View Mesa  A long and lean scoring guard who plays with a big IQ. He can shoot the three off the catch plus get downhill. He has a nice floater game and he uses his length to play the passing lanes. He is an aggressive player and looks to have a bright future for new coach Johnson.    (I will talk about the Sleepers in the next article.)