Arizona prep hoopsters on display

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GILBERT, Ariz. – Ten games and just about as many hours later, I stumbled out of the Premier Courts facility, and into my rental car, and drove the three miles into Mesa to check into my hotel room, bleary-eyed, Saturday night.

My quest to see the Anthony Ray/Arizona Magic-fronted Arizona Preps Fall Showcase meant I was up at 4 a.m. for a 7 o’clock flight out of John Wayne Airport in south Orange County, so you’ll understand if I don’t catch all of my typos.

Here we go . . .

Four of the seniors in action Saturday have committed to sign national letters of intent on Nov. 9 – the opening of the NCAA’s week-long “fall signing period” – and each performed exceptionally:

  Kenny Martin (6-10/Glendale Raymond Kellis) was easily the most spectacular performer, on any class level, Saturday. There isn’t a more athletically gifted or vibrant big post player in the western Class of 2012. With what he’ll eventually be able to contribute as a scorer, shot blocker and rebounder, he’ll be considered the second-best prospect signed by Arizona State since Herb Sendek has been the program’s coach.

The best, of course, is and will remain James Harden.

  DeMarquise Johnson (6-6/Phoenix Westwind Prep) may be the second best “scorer” (following Shabazz Muhammad of Las Vegas Bishop Gorman) in the western Class of 2012. He committed to Washington State (over Washington, Gonzaga and UNLV) recently. He scored with equal aplomb via his deep and smooth jump shot and elegant and powerful finishes at the rim off the dribble.

Stacy Davis (6-6/Laveen Fairfax) committed to Pepperdine a few weeks ago and he will be an impact contributor as a freshman for Waves’ coach Marty Wilson a year from now. He demonstrated a remarkable combination of skill (via pull-up jumpers and polished post-up moves) and power (at about 250 pounds) Saturday night.

He’s expected to sign with an NAIA program (Grand Canyon in Phoenix) and 6-6 Camyn Boone (Mesa Mountain View) was probably the leading scorer in the event during the two games he played Saturday. Once he caught the ball within 10 feet of the rim he usually dunked it, regardless of who tried to contest him.

Others from the senior class who played well during the first day of the event (which wraps up with five games that get underway at 10 Sunday morning) included 6-7 Austin Cooke (Scottsdale Desert Mountain), 5-11 Dewayne Russell (Peoria), 6-3 Marc Matthews (Sierra Vista Buena), 6-1 Kevin Bowman (Phoenix Pinnacle) and 6-2 Derrick Bowers (Phoenix St. Mary’s).

Eric Jacobsen (6-10/Chandler Hamilton), another post player who is committed to the ASU Sun Devils, was playing well early in his game Saturday morning before suffering what appeared to be a slightly injured right knee and missing the rest of the action.

Cooke is a left hander with a lot of advanced perimeter skill. Russell was the quickest and best “true” point guard on display Saturday, and Matthews was among the most consistent of jump shooters in action.

Bowman shot, drove and passed equally effectively while Bowers was among the most explosive (vertically) players in the event.

Standout juniors included 6-9 Tim Kempton (Phoenix Brophy Prep), 6-4 Drew Bender (Phoenix Pinnacle) and 6-4 Jalen Richard (Poston Butte).

Kempton was effective both in the post and while shooting mid-range jumpers while Bender and Richard were among the most aggressive players in each of their two games.

Sophomores who stood out included the duos of 6-3 Roberto Reyes and 6-7 Sam Jones of Gilbert Christian, as well as 6-6 Jose Bustamonte and 6-1 Buoy Maker (each of Peoria); 6-6 Zylan Cheatham (Phoenix South Mountain) and 6-8 Connor McDougall (Phoenix Desert Vista).

Each of those 10^th-graders should get a lot of attention from mid- to high-major college programs over the next two years.