Burlison on Basketball

Frank Burlison | High School Basketball | College Basketball

Diggs helps Williams Field earn a spot in Section 7

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GLENDALE, AZ –  The Tuesday winners of 12, eight-team brackets earned the last of the 160 slots for the 10 National Federation of High Schools divisions set to tip off Friday morning during the 5th Section 7 Boys Basketball Weekend.

Held on 12 courts set up on the floor of the State Farm Stadium, the event plays host to most of the top programs in the west – and many others, too, from states such as Texas and Florida.

Games are scheduled to get underway at 10:45 Friday morning, and wrap up late Sunday afternoon, with coaches representing pretty much every NCAA D-I affiliated – and D-II, III  and NAIA, as well – college conference in the country expected to be in in the building.

Those who haven’t already purchased tickets (seating is being limited to approximately 5,000, all floor-level) can still follow all the action by way of BallerTV, the event’ social media sites, @Section7Az and www.BurlisonOnBasketball.com

Among the teams clinching spots in the 10 brackets Tuesday was the one representing Williams Field in Gilbert.

Only two players, forward Adam Medina and guard Kobi Garcia (who averaged 5.0 and 5.2 points per game during their respective freshman and sophomore seasons), from a 10-17 season were in action for the Black Hawks Monday and Tuesday.

But three newcomers made big contributions during the team’s 3-0 run in games with Vista Grande (73-24) on Monday, and Verrado (58-51) and Mountain Pointe (55-39) Tuesday.

Patrice Mpouli and Carson Perez, a sophomore and freshman, respectively, for a 13-13 Hamilton (in Chandler) team last season, turned in quality performances in each game for the Black Hawks.

But the individual standout for the team – and the entire two-day event – was a kid who has yet to play a “real season” high school game or even attend a high school class.

Six-foot-four Adan Diggs, scheduled to begin classes when the next semester starts at Williams Field on July 22, used the three games to help propel the Black Hawks into a 7:30 (Court 6) contest against Southern California’s Campbell Hall – and a terrific Class of 2025 point guard, Isaiah Johnson –  Friday night.

But, while doing so, Diggs (pictured, courtesy Gregg Rosenberg) also demonstrated succinctly why he is an elite prospect in the Class of 2028, in the west and beyond, just a few days before he is set to play in front of a large gathering of college coaches for the first time.

Diggs’ numbers over the three games weren’t of the eye-popping, social media-buzzing variety: 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.

But he never forced action or hunted shots, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field (18 of 32, including three 3s), while projecting a “great teammate”-vibe, via his “willing” passing decisions (bypassing quality attempts for himself to opt to pass into higher-percentage looks for teammates), as well as facial and body “language”.

There was never any doubting, though, why so many college coaches will be doing “he’s only going to be a freshman?” takes Friday night:

The lift, quick release and accuracy on his jump shot – from mid- or deep-range – are of the type that translate to success on any level of hoops.

And his seven blocked shots – four in the title game – were a testament to his instincts, anticipation and “quick and big” bounce.

Others advancing Tuesday included:

*San Tan Charter (of Gilbert) won its three games by an average margin of 43 points with a squad predominately made up of the players that helped the 2023-24 Roadrunners go 29-3 while winning the state 2A title.

The Roadrunners’ reward for their dominance is a 5 o’clock game Friday night, on Court 10, against Riverside Poly of Southern California, which is led by 6-5 JRob Croy (the son of Cal Baptist Head Coach Rick Croy). He’s one of the top point-guard prospects in the western Class of 2026 (a junior-to-be).

*Central of Phoenix advanced to a Friday afternoon (1:15, Court 10) meeting with Southern California-based, traditional powerhouse, Etiwanda.

The Bobcats, who knocked off Centennial of Peoria, 73-60, in their Tuesday evening finale, were led by transfers/juniors-to-be in John Mattingly (one of the best in Arizona’s Class of 2026; he was all-tourney at SoCal’s Classic at Damien last December) and 5-7, Dominic Rojas – each coming over from Sunnyslope.

Mattingly’s freshman-to-be brother Grant Mattingly was consistently productive while blending seamlessly with his older teammates.

*Red Mountain of Mesa used the overall excellent of another transfer, 6-3 senior-to-be Drew Hall (a starter for Basha last season after moving from Oregon), and the quality play of 6-5 letterman Gage Lindsay (7.6 ppg as a junior), while edging Coolidge (44-39) Tuesday evening.

The Mountain Lions face what could be one of the best 2024-25 teams, Sacramento’s Destiny Christian – formerly Capital Christian – Friday night, 8:45, on Court 6.

*Two California programs, Rancho Christian (Temecula) and Sheldon (Sacramento), earned the final two “non-Arizona teams” slots in Friday’s Section 7 openers by winning 16-team brackets over last weekend in Corona in SoCal.

Each will face Utah-based teams Friday.

Rancho Christian takes on Dixie (St. George), at 1:15 p.m., on Court 12, and Sheldon plays Olympus (Salt Lake City), at 7:30, on Court 2.

For up-to-date schedules and results, download the ABCA (Arizona Basketball Coaches Association) to your hand-held devices or computers.

Each of the event’s games, including the “showcase” games played by eight, non-NFHS “prep school” powerhouses, will be live-streamed and archived by BallerTV.

 

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