GILBERT, Ariz. – What was I able to cull from watching 15 Arizona Preps Fall Showcase games in the Premier Courts facility over a Saturday-Sunday stretch of a little more than 28 hours?
For one, there are several Arizona prep seniors that have the ability to make major impacts a year from now on the college programs they’re expected to sign national letters of intent with early next month.
For another, there were a handful of other in-state seniors that haven’t yet received the kind of regional and national recruiting attention they’re deserving of. That should change over the next several months.
Thirdly, there were quite a few sophomores and juniors on hand who will also draw a lot of recruiting attention once college coaches get up close-and-personal looks at them in the winter, spring and summer.
There were roughly 120 players in action at the event.
After a couple of hours’ worth of deliberation, here are the 12 that impressed me the most, although I could have easily listed three times that many.
Here we go (listed alphabetically, by class):
SENIORS
- Camyn Boone (6-6/Mesa Mountain View)
Frank Says: Demonstrated remarkable improvement since July – when I thought he was one of the more underrated power forwards in the West. He might be an NCAA Division II All-American before he leaves Grand Canyon.
- Kevin Bowman (6-1/Phoenix Pinnacle)
Frank Says: Didn’t play on Sunday but he secured his spot in this group with his sparkling scoring and playmaking in two games Saturday.
- Austin Cooke (6-7/Scottsdale Desert Mountain)
Frank Says: He even surprised the local talent observers with his play. He’s a left hander with highly polished perimeter skills – including 3-point shooting range, off the dribble or the pass.
- Stacy Davis (6-6/Laveen Fairfax)
Frank Says: As I mentioned Saturday night, Pepperdine Coach Marty Wilson has a commitment from a combo forward who already gets my nod as the sleeper choice to be the 2012-13 West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year.
- DeMarquise Johnson (6-6/Phoenix Westwind Prep)
Frank Says: His range extends to, basically, anywhere he wants to shoot. As did Boone, Cooke, Davis, Kenny Martin and Dewayne Russell, he toyed with defenders.
- Kenny Martin (6-10/Glendale Raymond Kellis)
Frank Says: He wasn’t in the building Sunday but my need to evaluate his potential no longer exists. He’s the most underrated post (perimeter leaning) prospect in the national class of 2012.
- Marc Matthews (6-3/Sierra Vista Buena)
Frank Says: He didn’t do things with the flair of some of the other aforementioned players on this list – all he did was knock in jump shots with remarkable efficiency.
- Dewayne Russell (5-10/Peoria)
Frank Says: My choice as the most impressive player over the two days. He could be the West’s most sought-after senior point guard in the spring – assuming he isn’t snapped up during the November early-signing week.
JUNIOR
- Drew Bender (6-4/Phoenix Pinnacle)
Frank Says: Once he starts delivering his deep jumpers with consistency, he’ll have multiple Division I scholarship options.
SOPHOMORES
- Casey Benson (6-3/Tempe Corona del Sol)
Frank Says: The fluid left hander is equal parts “pure point guard” and “jump shooter/slasher”.
- Roberto Reyes (6-3/Gilbert Christian)
Frank Says: He’s a high-level scorer right now but he also has all the skills needed to be a point guard on the mid- to high-major level in college.
- Sherron Wilson (6-4/Colorado Springs Sierra)
Frank Says: Wilson, part of a very good sophomore class in Colorado, earned his spot on this list with two strong efforts on Sunday.
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