Arizona All-State Teams: Division-II 1st Team
There was a ton of talent in Division-II this season. Multiple NCAA D1 prospects competed on a night in, night out basis. In the end, Shadow Mountain was able to take the title as the best team in all of…
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Continue ReadingThere was a ton of talent in Division-II this season. Multiple NCAA D1 prospects competed on a night in, night out basis. In the end, Shadow Mountain was able to take the title as the best team in all of Arizona. Here is a look at the top performers in Division-II this year.
-Player of the Year-
Michael Bibby 6’1 2016 Shadow Mountain – Bibby had a tremendous senior year after being sidelined late in the year as a junior. The 2016 point guard was the catalyst for the Matadors’ offense. His headiness in transition and in the half court and understanding of how to get opponents open really caused issues due to the fact that he was so good from deep and could pull up off the dribble. In the biggest moments he always remained poised and made big plays. Because of this he was able to lead his team to the promise land as Shadow Mountain went undefeated in the state of Arizona and won a Division-II state title. Michael led the Matadors in scoring and assists while finishing top two in steals and top five in rebounds.
-First Team-
JJ Rhymes 6’3 2016 Shadow Mountain – Rhymes motor was, again, huge for the Matadors. His ability to rebound from the perimeter and defend multiple positions were the biggest assets that he contributed. With that being said, he also scored the ball at a high level finishing as the team’s second leading scorer, less than a point behind Bibby.
Bryce Fowler 6’5 2017 Agua Fria – The most important player for the Owls. Fowler had a great year, helping the Owls all the way to the championship game of the state tournament before falling to Shadow Mountain. Bryce’s versatility was key the entire season. He affected the games in more way than one as he scored, distributed, defended, and rebounded for a team that won 24 straight games.
Mitch Lightfoot 6’8 2016 Gilbert Christian – Statistically there wasn’t a better player in Division-II. The Kansas commit dominated the glass and scored at a high level while facing double (and sometimes even) triple teams. He led a team with no other Division-I bound seniors to a #2 ranking in the final regular season rankings. He commanded the defenses attention with his ability to finish above the rim and made opponents alter their offensive schemes with his shot blocking presence.
Elijah Thomas 6’5 2016 Sunrise Mountain – While, normally, there would be only five members on the first team, Elijah Thomas’ efforts in the Mustangs postseason run made it necessary to have a six-man team. The senior swingman had a great season, individually, all year long but it didn’t translate to success for his group. However, there was a killer instinct in Elijah that took over in mid February and he dominated each and every game like it was his last. His team fell by 2 points in the semi-finals against Agua Fria.
Holland Woods 6’0 2017 Apollo – Woods had a spectacular year for the Hawks. The 6’0” junior guard was a big time scorer all year long for the top five team. His ability to put points in the board in a hurry always kept them in the game. Also, while he may not be credited for the assists, his ability to stretch the floor and grab attention from the defense opened up scoring opportunities for so many of his teammates.