5 takeaways on boys basketball week in AZ
NBA stars came out for the final game of the Hoophall West last Saturday night at Footprint Center to see Gilbert Perry take on Sierra Canyon out of Chatsworth, California.
Among those in attendance were LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Cameron Payne, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder of the Suns.
Yes, Hoophall West has gotten huge in the Valley, and it helps to have James’ son, Bronny, taking the stage for national powerhouse Sierra Canyon for the final game, which began after 9 p.m.
Here are 5 takeaways from last week’s Arizona high school boys action:
1. Hoophall West showed what we saw during the summer with Section 7 that the AIA isn’t quite what it was during the Mike Bibby coaching era at Phoenix Shadow Mountain and the last two years for Nico Mannion at Phoenix Pinnacle, where he was twice the state’s Player of the Year.
Perry’s 65-52 loss in the final game of the showcase to Sierra Canyon was at least a respectable showing among the state’s top AIA teams.
The crowd for that game was electric. The numbers were huge.
Perry didn’t start its Friday game against Las Vegas Coronado until 10:45 p.m., a game that went into Saturday ending at 12:30 a.m. That was followed by the late game Saturday.
Dylan Anderson, a 7-foot senior signed with Arizona, had eight points and 11 rebounds for Perry, which was led by guard Cody Williams, who had 15 points and four steals. Freshman forward Koa Peat asserted himself on the big stage with 11 points and six assists, but he had eight turnovers.
Bronny James, a 6-3 guard, had 11 points in 28 minutes for Sierra Cayon, which got 18 points from 6-6 guard Ramel Lloyd Jr.
“I think our guys stepped up to the challenge and competed with one of the best teams in the country,” Perry coach Sam Duane Jr., said. “I think we represented Arizona very well.”
In the four games at Footprint, the only Arizona team to come away with a win was a national prep team, Chandler’s AZ Compass Prep, which beat national power Oak Hill Academy of Virginia, 78-55. Chance Westry had 13 points and Kylan Boswell had 12 for the Dragons, who are among MaxPrep’s top 10 teams in the nation.
Phoenix St. Mary’s, which entered the season ranked No. 1 in Arizona, lost to Las Vegas Bishop Gorman 90-63. Gorman is a top 25 team in the nation. Styles Phipps, a sophomore point guard, had 12 points and 10 assists. Senior swingman Garrison Phelps led St. Mary’s with 23 points and eight rebounds
Phoenix Sunnyslope, the defending 6A champion, which has given Brophy Prep its only loss, struggled shooting in its 64-31 loss to Corona (California) Centennial. Boswell left Centennial to come to Arizona to play for Compass.
Slope’s Big Two of Elijah Saunders and Oakland Fort were a combined 3 for 28 shooting.
2. Peoria had a breakthrough week, beating Paradise Honors (ranked No. 3 in the Super 10 last week) and defeating Poston Butte. Before the season, nobody was talking about the Panthers. But then guard Andrew Camacho went off in the first half against Paradise Honors, scoring 30 of his 40 points.
In the two wins, Camacho averaged 35 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals.
Senior Calvin Windley averaged 13 points and nine rebounds, and senior Chanti Blommer averaged 18 points and five boards.
“I am most proud of the work that the team has put in and how bought in they are to the system and culture,” Peoria coach Patrick Battillo said. “Building something special does not happen overnight and takes a lot of hard work, dedication, trust, and commitment.
“We are getting better each day and the two wins this week were steps towards our ultimate goal of winning a state championship this season.”
3. Scottsdale Christian holding up to the high standards set by former coach Bob Fredericks, who had the gym named after him Thursday during a ceremony before the school’s first home game.
The defending 2A champion Eagles are 6-0 with all of those wins coming against larger schools -- 5A Marana, 4A Seton Catholic, 3A American Leadership Gilbert North, 3A Benjamin Franklin, 3A Northwest Christian and 3A Gilbert Christian.
They are holding opposing teams to 29% shooting and less than 40 points a game.
“I believe in each game we have held a lead of at least 25 points,” said secondyear coach John Anderson, who played on two state championship teams for Fredericks at SCA. “It truly is remarkable how stifling and suffocating our defense has started at the beginning of the season.”
Senior Garrison Sherman is averaging close to 18 points, and junior Michael Fan 15 points and six assists.
4. There’s a feel-good story brewing
Chandler Arizona College Prep, where Tyler Gebing averaged 16 points and five rebounds in his last three games, wins against Payson, Coolidge and Chandler Prep. He had 19 points against Payson and 17 against previously unbeaten Coolidge. The senior point guard is coming into his own, coach Clint Treadway said, “Going from an undersized freshman guard with an autoimmune disease which stunted his growth to finding a medical solution which has allowed him to dramatically grow in strength and size over the last four years.”
5. Surprise Willow Canyon senior guard Pike Tancil might be playing his way into a Division I basketball scholarship, especially after averaging 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds after wins over Carl Hayden and Ironwood Ridge.
He’s an under-recruited player who just keeps getting better.