ArizonaVarsity watched many games in the summer and fall ball and tracked some of the incoming freshman plus a few transfers who may make an impact on varsity.
Shadow Mountain, like the last year few years, will be the favorites going into the season. There will be many challengers this year, but they got some impressive transfers to help them try and win the 4A Chip again and try and get another invite to Dick's Nationals. Their core players from last year are all still in tack and have the best collection of guards and wings.
4A at the top is definitely better then last year. Many of the schools are also battle-tested from last year. My top-4 preseason ranked were all in the final-4 from last year in 5A (DV) or 4A and three of them were in the finals. The next group behind them are also very talented. Many #2 or #3 seeds from their own region like Catalina Foothills, Arcadia/Mesquite and Peoria can easily win.
After Shadow Mountain, I can see as many as 8 teams playing in the Chip this year. It goes to show how good 4A is this year.
They also have some of the best star duo power in the state like House/Blacksher, Frazier/Boothman, Nelson/Deng, Brown/Monroe, Murphy/Murphy, Lee/Mittun, James/Moser and Hudgens/Harper.
There are 47 schools in 4A and 24 teams make the playoffs. Here are my top 10 preseason team rankings for the 2018-2019 season plus 5 other schools and one sleeper team.
#1 Shadow Mountain--Coach Mike Bibby comes in with another loaded roster. They will be led by arguably the top back court in state with ASU commit Jaelen House and GCU commit Jovan Blacksher. These two cause more havoc then any two in the state defensively with getting into the other teams guards and making it a nightmare on them all game. They both can score it from all 3 levels and make others better. Jovan usually plays more of the PG role and Jaelen plays off the ball to score it. Helping the star duo out will be 6-3 junior SF Shemar Morrow and seniors 6-4 SF Jalen Williams and 6-2 W Christian Allen. These three will provide defense, toughness ans scoring. Other star power that moved in the area are 6-2 freshman SG DeVontes Cobbs, junior 6-4 W Davon Cobbs, 6-3 senior SF Ramsey Penza and 6-9 senior C Malik Lamin. Both Cobbs brothers and Penza are gifted athletes. Young Cobbs is one of the top incoming freshman in state and was a Team USA invite and Penza moved over from Flagstaff where he was a stud up North. Lamin moved in from Minnesota and is very good inside the paint, which is something the Matadors have been looking for to help vs the bigger teams.
#2 Deer Valley--Coach Jed Dunn has another good senior group that will lead the way. They have a big front line with all seniors with 6-7 C Brandon Savage, 6-6 Jaret Allen and 6-6 Jalen Allen. Savage is a a monster on the glass and high level finisher. The Allen twins are long shooters with nice bounce. Their senior floor general is the tough minded 5-10 PG Johnny Diaz. He can light up the scoreboard and is tough plus can lead a team. The lone soph who gets heavy minutes is 6-0 SG Jackson Leyba. Leyba is tough as nails and skilled. He can shoot it plus drive it with his strong frame. Playing off the five studs are three good senior shooters who play hard with 5-11 SF Derek McDougal, 6-1 W Malcom Jackson and 6-5 F Troy Killman. Junior backup 6-1 PG Jalen James will get some decent minutes to spell Diaz and most likely start next year to lead the team. Deer Valley did lose some stud seniors but this group is battle tested and play hard.
#3 Buckeye--Coach Randy Bland has another talented team coming back led by almost all seniors and a stud junior. The team is seniors 6-5 SF Otis Frazier III, 6-7 PF Adam Hamilton, 6-4 PG Isaiah Marin and 6-4 F Xavier Hall plus 6-0 junior PG Tay Boothman. Frazier3 is a three level scorer and big time athlete and finisher. Hamilton is a long highly skilled shooter. Marin is a bigger PG who can score from inside and out but he will sit first 9 games. Hall is a hard-nosed scorer with a physical attitude and lastly Boothman is the heart and soul of the team. He is the knockdown shooter and clutch performer/team leader. They added two transfers with size in sophs 6-6 PF Leroy Williams from Wisconsin and 6-7 C Andrew Yeahquo. Williams is a physical specimen who plays football and Yeahquo is long 5-man who can rebound/block shots giving them a tough core of seven. Two more who will chip in are seniors 6-8 C Jacob Jefferson (inside/out scorer) and 5-10 G Ramir Jenkins (quick ball handler).
#4 Salpointe Catholic--Coach Jim Reynolds has two of the best players in Tucson with 6-2 junior PG Evan Nelson and 6-5 senior SF Majok Deng. Nelson is instant offense for this team as he literally led the conference in scoring the last 10 games with well over 20 ppg. His pull-up is lethal and he can get into the lane anytime he wants. Deng will guard 3-5 for them plus grab every rebound and probably score near 20 ppg for himself. His catch-3 is a weapon and he slashes hard to the basket. Helping out the stud duo will be 6-2 senior SF Luc Rosenblatt. Luc was amazing last year in the playoffs and almost shocked the world with his unconscious shooting from beyond the arc vs Shadow Mountain in the state finals. Those 3 will do the heavy lifting for the team most nights. Other two starters may be 5-10 junior guards in Jake Cioe (defensive ball handler) and Grant Whiteman (shooter). Off the bench they will bring two 6-3 seniors PF's with Julien Whetton and Ryan Grabosch. Both will bang inside and score it to give the team some balance.
#5 Peoria--Coach Will Roberts has a veteran group with some talented rising sophs and a freshman. They will be led by seniors 5-10 PG Kaleb Brown, 6-7 C John Price, 6-5 PF Nisaj Nickolis and 5-11 junior CG Isaac Monroe. Brown and Monroe will lead the team in points almost every single night and are both tough on the ball defensively. Brown has an elite pull-up and Monroe can shoot it from deep with the best of them. Price and Nickolis get all the tough inside points.Their stud sophs are 5-9 PG Tre Bell, 5-10 PG Corey Perry, 6-3 SF Kevin Kogbara plus 6-4 freshman SF Awar Anyieth may get some varsity run too. Bell and Perry are both scoring guards who can defend and Kogbara is a strong wing who can do it all from shooting, handling and driving inside. Anyieth is one of the better freshman who can defend multiple positions.
#6 Seton Catholic--Coach Commander King has another good team coming back. They won their region last year in fine fashion but have one of the most competitive regions in state in possibly three top-10 teams. They will be led by the splash brothers of seniors 6-2 SG Jackson Lee and 6-4 SF Carson Mittun. Both can fill it up from deep anytime during the game. They are both seniors and hungry to win. Their floor general this year will be 5-9 junior PG Keyshon Upchurch. He may be small in stature but he is a stud defender and a natural leader. He will cause havoc this year and be the engine for the Sentinels. A possible breakout candidate could be 6-4 junior F Michael Hanson. Hanson is a tough inside/outside threat. Up front will be 6-5 senior C Patrick Kosler (paint scorer/rebounder). Off the bench is 6-2 senior SF Garrett Elkins (shot maker/tough player), 6-5 senior C Jacob Hansell (inside presence) & 6-4 soph F Elijah Johnson (long scorer).
#7 Catalina Foothills--Coach Doug A'More has a tight knit group. Not only did they all play last year together but also played club ball together all spring and summer to form a strong bond. They will be led by 6-2 senior sharp shooter and PG Carson James. He can light up a scoreboard and is clutch handling other teams ball pressure. His partner in crime is usually 6-4 junior SG Hayden Moser. Moser is another that can get hot quickly and carry the team on any given night. The big man in the middle may be the difference at the end of the year with 6-9 soph C Will Menaugh. He is a massive kid with natural rebounding ability and a good shot blocker. He will help balance the team for an inside/outside threat. Also has one other senior in 6-5 wing shooter Jake Blumenthal. All the rest of the players are younger that will chip in this year, but be asked to lead for next year with 5-9 junior PG Charlie Curtis and strong group of sophs with 6-5 F Trace Comeau, PG 5-9 Cody Blumenthal and 5-10 SG Carson Peabody to form a nice group of 8 players.
#8 Arcadia--Coach Stephen Danford comes in with a nice group of seniors plus some talented youth. They will be led by 6-4 Air Force commit senior SG Carter Murphy. Murphy is one of the best shooters in the state and is very consistent. He brings a strong upper body and makes good decisions with the ball. Helping him out will be his 6-4 junior brother Jake Murphy. Murphy can shoot it as well plus is good near the basket, and those two form a deadly scoring duo. Also 5-10 senior PG James Hodge-Green will be the lead guard for the Titans. Hodge-Green is tough on-ball defender and can make others better plus get into the lane and score it with great speed. Some of the key youth on the team that have a good chance to start are 6-3 soph SF Max Majerle and 6-5 soph PF Owen Shaw. Majerle is athletic and can slash to the basket plus shoot it from deep. Shaw has a strong upper body and can bang inside plus face up and shoot it.
#9 Mesquite--Coach Carlos Artis has an older group of players led by his star son Kingdom Artis. Artis is a 6-5 senior guard who is very versatile and can create shots for his teammates plus drive the lane/shoot it and score it. He also is a very good all-around defender. Helping him out will be seniors 6-6 C Edin Smjecanin (inside/outside threat), 6-4 PF Matt Hill (strong post player), 6-3 W Mills Goulette (skilled wing) and 5-10 junior PG Jordan Wollangk (high IQ skilled PG). Others that will contribute will be 6-3 junior SF Christian Ashe and 5-10 junior PG Ricky Hernandez. Both will be vital to the teams success.
#10 Moon Valley--Coach Matt Elliot has a dynamic junior duo that will make a lot of noise in Phoenix led by Trent Hudgens and Ty Harper. Hudgens is one of the top guards in 4A. He can score it and makes others better. Harper is arguably the most athletic wing in 4A making this duo dangerous. Helping the star tandem out are 6-3 SF junior James Burries (long athletic scorer), seniors 6-3 SG Demarco Jenkins (shooter) and 6-5 F Isaiah Southwick (QB/rebounder) Two other juniors helping out will be 5-11 PG Shamare Willis (defensive guard) and 6-4 F Malak Malak (reb/shot blocker).
5 other schools of note with top players plus 1 sleeper team:
Palo Verde--Seniors 5-10 PG Jeffery Thomas, 6-4 F Darius Rollins and 5-11 CG Zionn Sandoval.
St. Mary's--Senior 6-5 SF Reece Taylor, junior 6-1 PG Deven Dahlke, soph 6-2 PG Keiren "KP" Brown & freshman 6-2 SG Garrison Phelps.
Dysart--Seniors 6-3 F Michael Camacho, Luke Fields, sophs 5-10 PG Riley Fornerette, 6-3 F Daryian Matthews, 6-5 F Bryant Washington & 6-0 freshman PG Nate Pickens.
Tempe--Seniors 6-6 C Jalen Gant and 5-9 PG Kameron Spivey-Johnson.
Estrella Foothills--Senior 6-8 PF/C Shaun Wahlstrom.
Sleeper team:
Desert Edge--Seniors 5-9 PG Emari Jones, 6-7 PF Jeremy Rodriguez & 6-3 soph SF Shay Cain.
Preseason Watch Lists:
12 POY candidates:
5-10 Sr PG Jovan Blacksher--Shadow Mountain
6-0 Jr CG Tay Boothman--Buckeye
6-5 Sr SF Majok Deng--Salpointe Catholic
6-5 Sr SF Otis Frazier III--Buckeye
6-6 Sr C Jalen Gant--Tempe
6-1 Sr CG Jaelen House--Shadow Mountain
6-0 Sr PG Trent Hudgens--Moon Valley
6-2 Sr CG Carson James--Catalina Foothills
6-4 Sr SG Carter Murphy--Arcadia
6-1 Jr PG Evan Nelson--Salpointe Catholic
6-4 Sr CG Jackson Ruai--Amphi
6-8 Sr PF Shaun Wahlstrom--Estrella Foothills
16 Breakout candidates:
6-7 Sr PF Adam Hamilton--Buckeye
6-4 Jr F Michael Hanson--Seton Catholic
6-3 Jr CG Ty Harper--Moon Valley
6-7 Sr C Marqus Lawrence--Cortez
6-5 Sr SF Kyler Mikkelsen--Saguaro
6-2 Sr SG Brigham Milkey--Apache Junction
5-10 Jr CG Isaac Monroe--Peoria
6-3 Jr SG Hayden Moser--Catalina Foothills
6-4 Jr SG Jake Murphy--Arcadia
6-7 Sr PF Jeremy Rodriguez--Desert Edge
6-7 Sr C Brandon Savage--Deer Valley
5-10 Sr PG Jared Smiley--Washington
6-5 Sr SF Reece Taylor--St. Mary's
5-9 Sr PG Jeffrey Thomas III--Palo Verde
6-3 Sr SG Chase Verdugo--Waldon Grove
6-2 Sr PG Troy Yazzie--Flagstaff
11 DPOY candidates:
6-6 Sr SF Jaret Allen--Deer Valley
5-10 Sr PG Jovan Blacksher--Shadow Mountain
6-5 Sr SF Majok Deng--Salpointe Catholic
6-5 Sr SF Otis Frazier III--Buckeye
6-3 Jr CG Ty Harper--Moon Valley
6-1 Sr CG Jaelen House--Shadow Mountain
6-4 Sr CG Jackson Ruai--Amphi
5-11 Sr CG Zionn Sandoval--Palo Verde
6-7 Sr C Brandon Savage--Deer Valley
6-5 Sr SF Reece Taylor--Saint Mary's
5-9 Jr PG Keyshon Upchurch--Seton Catholic
10 Underclassman POY candidates:
6-2 So PG Keiren "KP" Brown--St.Mary's
6-3 So SF Shay Cain--Desert Edge
6-2 Fr SG De’Vontes Cobbs--Shadow Mountain
5-10 So PG Jimari Grayson--Apache Junction
6-3 So SF Kevin Kogbara--Peoria
6-0 So SG Jackson Leyba--Deer Valley
6-3 So SF Max Majerle--Arcadia
6-9 So C Will Menaugh--Catalina Foothills
6-6 So PF Zach Morgan--Pueblo
6-0 Fr PG Nate Pickens--Dysart
Region-1 (Desert Sky)
1. Seton Catholic
2. Arcadia
3. Mesquite
4. Saguaro
5. Marcos de Niza
6. Poston Butte
Region-2 (West Valley)
1. Deer Valley
2. Peoria
3. Desert Edge
4. Cactus
5. Lake Havasu
Region-3 (Southwest)
1. Buckeye
2. Estrella Foothills
3. Gila Ridge
4. Youngker
5. Yuma
Region-4 (Skyline)
1. Shadow Mountain
2. Moon Valley
3. St. Mary’s
4. Tempe
5. Greenway
6. Thunderbird
Region-5 (Grand Canyon)
1. Flagstaff
2. Mingus
3. Prescott
4. Coconino
5. Mohave
6. Lee Williams
7. Bradshaw Mountain
Region-6 (Black Canyon)
1. Dysart
2. Apache Junction
3. Washington
4. Cortez
5. Combs
6. Glendale
Region-7 (Gila)
1. Palo Verde
2. Amphi
3. Pueblo
4. Waldon Grove
5. Rio Rico
6. Douglass
Region-8 (Kino)
1. Salpointe Catholic
2. Catalina Foothills
3. Sahuaro
4. CDO
5. Vista Grande
6. Casa Grande
My 24 projected playoff teams:
1. Shadow Mountain
2. Deer Valley
3. Buckeye
4. Salpointe Catholic
5. Peoria
6. Seton Catholic
7. Catalina Foothills
8. Arcadia
9. Mesquite
10. Moon Valley
11. Palo Verde
12. St. Mary's
13. Dysart
14. Tempe
15. Desert Edge
16. Estrella Foothills
8 that may lose in the Conference Play-In games:
17. Amphi
18. Pueblo
19. Apache Junction
20. Saguaro
21. Flagstaff
22. Washington
23. Mingus
24. Sahuaro
4 others who could be spoilers:
1. Waldon Grove
2. Rio Rico
3. Marcos de Niza
4. Prescott
