ArizonaVarsity watched many games in the summer and tracked most of the incoming freshman plus a few transfers who may make an impact on varsity.
The 4A Conference is Shadow Mountain’s to lose but there will be a few other schools that will challenge them.
There are 44 schools in 4A and 16 teams get into the playoffs. Here are my top 15 preseason team rankings for the 2016-2017 season plus one sleeper team.
#1 Shadow Mountain-Coach Mike Bibby is once again loaded with talented guards. Senior 6-foot-1 PG Marcus Shaver (highlights) (USCB commit) and sophs 5-foot-10 PG Jaelen House (scorer) and 5-foot-10 PG Jovan Blacksher (quick facilitator) will lead the team to many victories. Seniors Jordan Pace (shooter), Darion Spottsville and Tyler Jafary (post player) are left overs from winning it last year and are ready for a repeat. The Matadors will be tough to beat with their three elite guards and will bring immense ball pressure with their natural speed and quickness. The versatility and high IQ of Spottsville will be priceless to the team’s deep run.
#2 Salpointe Catholic-Coach Brian Holstrom has one of the best core groups in the state. All six have experience and all have a role. Four Seniors, one junior and one big time soph. The seniors are 5-foot-8 PG Isaac Cruz, 5-foot-11 PG Cameron Miller, 6-foot-4 SF Jackson Breshears and 6-foot-2 F Alec McCall. Cruz is a fast ball handler and playmaker. Miller is a strong shooter and has a huge IQ. Breshears is an all-around player who can handle it and slash to the hole and McCall is a bouncy rebounder. Junior 6-foot-2 SG Rylan O’Brien can shoot it with the best of them and finally super soph 6-foot-5 W Majok Deng. Deng is the game changer of the core. He can score it from deep, slash to hole, he is an unselfish teammate and he is a dynamic defender/rebounder. The Lancers will be in the thick of it all year.
#3 Catalina Foothills-Coach Doug A’more has one of the better lead guards in Tucson. POY candidate 6-foot-3 junior CG Sam Beskind is a do-it-all strong team leader. He can score through contact, jump out of the building, defend at a high level and shoot some from deep. He took the reins last year in the playoffs and was averaging almost a triple double to upset a few teams and get into the Elite-8. They only lost by two points to the runner-up Agua Fria and have key players back. Senior 6-foot-3 W Jared Irwin will also be a big factor. Irwin is a bucket getter from deep and off the dribble. He is a good athlete and he will be a perfect compliment to Beskind. Their next player is a rising stud in Tucson with 2019 6-foot-6 PF Phoenix Katz. He is a strong rebounder and he can shoot it from the perimeter. Also contributing will be 6-foot-2 incoming freshman Hayden Moser. Moser is arguably the best freshman scorer in Tucson. He shoots it from deep and can break down his man to score. Others that will help out are 6-foot-2 senior post Max Michalizcik (strong inside), 5-foot-10 junior SG Spencer Lewis (shooter/high IQ), soph Carson James, 5-foot-11 senior SG Josh Herzog (shooter) and 6-foot junior PG Jake Devera Jr. (true PG/IQ). The big-3 will take the Falcons far in the playoffs with a little help from their friends.
#4 St. Mary’s-Coach Ty Amundson has one of the top juniors in state who is bound to break out this year before our eyes. He showed some glimpses but never fully put it together. 6-foot-9 PF KJ Hymes can score from inside and out and be a nuisance defensively. Helping out up front is 6-foot-4 PF Odua Isibor (athletic defender) and 6-foot-2 senior SF Abel Navarrette (thick playmaker). The backcourt will be 6-foot-2 senior SG Jorden Blake (long athlete/defender) and 6-foot-1 junior CG Erick Rivera (shooter). Others guards that should chip will be senior ball handlers 5-foot-9 PG Isaiah Casillas and 5-foot-10 PG Ricky Cardenas, junior 6-foot SG transfer Cameron Carr (athlete) plus soph 6-foot-3 W Reese Taylor (long/upside). The depth of the team makes the Knights a tough team to beat.
#5 Higley-Coach Jerome Joseph is led by cerebral senior PG Chris Wright. Wright is one of the better shooters and playmakers in the conference. Up front he has 6-foot-6 junior PF Nate Cundiff (scorer/rebounder) and 6-foot-10 junior Payton Tilus (rebounder). Two more starters will be senior guards 6-foot SG Jacian Mercadel (shooter) and 5-foot-9 PG Larson Owens (playmaker.) Others that may help off the bench will be seniors 6-foot SG Tanner Nelson (shooter) and 6-foot-5 PF Josh Mitchell (rebounder) plus 6-foot-1 junior SG Marcellous Brown. The Knights have a nice group of starters and will need some of these bench players to contribute to go further.
#6 Saguaro-Coach Bob LaRue is led by a dynamic duo of scorers with 6-foot-3 senior SG Jake Lieppert and 6-foot-5 W Jared Martin. Both can hit you from deep and drive to the hole. The two of them may average over 40 points. Chipping in will be 5-foot-10 junior PG Antonio Cuevas, 6-foot-10 junior C Thomas Sipan, 6-foot-8 senior Dillon Hinkle, 6-foot SG junior Henry Schreiber and 6-foot-2 junior SG Josiah Bradley. A couple of these players will need to become dependable assets to reach the final-4. Cuevas is most likely to be one of those players with elite speed, quickness and outstanding ball handling.
#7 Marcos de Niza-Coach Dave Stark has senior leader Mason Stark along with four very good seniors. Stark is a 6-foot-1 scoring lead guard who can light up the scoreboard. He makes everyone’s jobs easier and he is all business and wants to win games. Mason is the nephew of Coach Stark. The four other seniors who will help out/start will be 6-foot-2 F Tyson Union (shooter), 6-foot-3 F Da’Shawn Ray (athlete/rebounder), 6-foot-1 CG Zurell Livingston (long defender) and 5-foot-9 PG Jamari Robinson (quick ball handler). This core group of five players will do the damage for the Padres.
#8 Seton Catholic-Coach Commander King will be led by senior snipers 6-foot-3 SG Luke Thompson and 6-foot-2 SG Carson Pinter. These two will lead the team on most nights with their knockdown shooting. Others who will need to produce will be 6-foot-1 seniors CJ Holton (long defender) and 6-foot-5 senior Carter Bradsky (toughness/rebounder) plus 6-foot-1 junior Carson Lee (shooting/IQ) should be the possible starters. 5-foot-8 junior PG Myles Shelton (true PG) also has a chance to start. Others who may chip in are junior CG Eric Chinchilla and 5-foot-11 senior SG Jacob Terrill. Chinchilla is a tough player and Terrill is a defender/slasher. The Sentinels play a smart brand of ball and have many shooters to stretch the floor. They will be a tough out come February.
#9 Moon Valley-Coach Matt Elliott has a nice group coming back led by 6-foot-3 senior sharp shooter Trevor Thompson. Thompson has deep range and an ability to take over games. Also leading the charge will be rising 6-foot-7 junior Jok Jok. Jok is an explosive athlete that can face up and shoot as well. He will clean the glass for the Rockets. Those two are complimented by four serviceable guards. 6-foot senior PG Camron Davis, 6-foot-2 senior SG Ja’van Lee, 6-foot-1 junior CG Tavarus Person and 6-foot-2 junior CG Gabe Lee. All four guards can defend and our tough. None of them are elite shooters but all can slash to the hole.
#10 Flagstaff-Coach James Kirk lost some key players in key spots but had many juniors last year with great experience. Starting 5-foot-11 senior PG Brandon Tiffany will lead the offense along with 6-foot-6 senior PF George Faull. These two will be the top players most nights. Two other seniors will chip in as well with 6-foot SG Tim Dana, 6-foot-3 SF Chris Singleton these four will be their main weapons. They all have experience from last years Elite-8 run and it should prove invaluable for the Eagles. Two others that will play some important minutes will be 6-foot-4 junior PF KP Kortsen (long rebounder) and 5-foot-11 senior PG Chapel Baraga (true PG). Lastly two sophs who could surprise may be 6-foot-2 SF Ramsey Penza and 6-foot PG Troy Yazzie. Both can play and may have to wait until next year to shine with an older roster.
5 other schools of note with top players:
Walden Grove-’18s 6-foot PG Conner Verdugo, 6-foot-4 SF Anthony Saunders & ‘19 6-foot-2 SG Chase Verdugo.
Buckeye-’17 6-foot-7 PF Jacob Jefferson.
Prescott-’19 6-foot-6 PF Jackson Tillapaugh.
Pueblo Magnet-'17 6-foot-6 PF Cedric Cotton.
Tempe-’18 6-foot CG Naseem Vigil.
Sleeper team:
Peoria-’18 6-foot-4 F Lahad Adeim & 6-foot-5 PF Anyieth Khot, 19s 5-foot-9 PG Kaleb Brown & 6-foot-6 PF John Price.
Preseason Watch Lists:
11 POY candidates:
6-foot-3 Jr PG Sam Beskind--Catalina Foothills
6-foot-5 So SG Majok Deng--Salpointe Catholic
6-foot-5 Sr PF Dannon Docktor--Cactus Shadows
5-foot-10 So PG Jaelen House--Shadow Mountain
6-foot-9 Jr PF KJ Hymes--St. Mary’s
6-foot-7 Sr PF Jacob Jefferson--Buckeye
6-foot-3 Sr SG Jake Lieppert--Saguaro
6-foot-1 Sr PG Marcus Shaver--Shadow Mountain
6-foot-1 Sr PG Mason Stark--MDN
6-foot-3 Sr SG Trevor Thompson--Moon Valley
6-foot Sr PG Chris Wight--Higley
10 Breakout candidates:
6-foot-4 Jr F Lahad Adeim--Peoria
6-foot-7 Sr PF Mikel Byers--Dysart
6-foot-5 Jr PF Solomon Fernander--Palo Verde
6-foot-1 Jr PG Grant Greabell--Estrella Foothills
6-foot-7 Jr SF Jok Jok--Moon Valley
6-foot-5 Jr W Jared Martin--Saguaro
6-foot-6 Jr PF Cory Pearson--Combs
6-foot-3 Sr SG Luke Thompson--Seton
6-foot-6 So PF Jackson Tillapaugh--Prescott
6-foot-3 So SG Jackson Ruai--Amphi
10 DPOY candidates:
5-foot-10 So PG Jovan Blacksher--Shadow Mountain
6-foot-5 Sr PF Cedric Cotton--Pueblo
6-foot-5 So SG Majok Deng--Salpointe Catholic
5-foot-10 So PG Jaelen House--Shadow Mountain
6-foot-9 Jr PF KJ Hymes--SM
5-foot-10 Jr PG Lonnie Langston--Mohave
6-foot-4 Jr SF Anthony Saunders--Walden Grove
5-foot-7 So PG Robert Taylor--Pueblo
6-foot Jr PG Conner Verdugo--Walden Grove
Here are the individual Region rankings:
Region-1 (Desert Sky)
1. Higley
2. Marcos de Niza
3. Seton Catholic
4. Tempe
5. Casa Grande
Region-2 (West Valley)
1. Moon Valley
2. Peoria
3. Greenway
4. Cactus
5. Sunrise Mountain
6. Metro Tech
Region-3 (Southwest)
1. Buckeye
2. Estrella Foothills
3. GIla Ridge
4. Youngker
5. Yuma
Region-4 (Skyline)
1. Shadow Mountain
2. St. Mary’s
3. Saguaro
4. Cactus Shadows
5. Thunderbird
Region-5 (Grand Canyon)
1. Flagstaff
2. Prescott
3. Mingus
4. Bradshaw Mountain
5. Lee Williams
6. Mohave
7. Coconino
Region-6 (Black Canyon)
1. Dysart
2. Coronado
3. Combs
4. Cortez
5. Washington
6. Apache Junction
Region-7 (Gila)
1. Palo Verde
2. Pueblo Magnet
3. Amphi
4. Rio Rico
5. Douglass
Region-8 (Kino)
1. Salpointe Catholic
2. Catalina Foothills
3. Walden Grove
4. Nogales
5. CDO
My 16 projected playoff teams:
1. Shadow Mtn--Region winner
2. Salpointe Catholic--Region winner
3. Catalina Foothills
4. St. Mary's
5. Higley--Region winner
6. Saguaro
7. Marcos de Niza
8. Seton Catholic
9. Moon Valley--Region winner
10. Flagstaff--Region winner
11. Palo Verde--Region winner
12. Buckeye--Region winner
13. Dysart--Region winner
14. Walden Grove
15. Prescott
16. Peoria
5 others who may just miss:
1. Pueblo Magnet
2. Tempe
3. Nogales
4. Mingus
5. Greenway
