Perry high school has had many Arizona high school basketball legends walk through its halls such Markus Howard, Jalen Williams, Cody Williams, and Koa Peat.

Bruce Branch III is next in line to be the king of the state, and he has the potential to be the best player out of the whole group.

Bruce Branch is an anomaly in the modern basketball scene, not for his game but for his mentality.

In a world filled with instant gratification and with a need for present happiness rather than long term success, Branch spent most of his freshman season on the bench.

Instead of receiving playing time, he spent his freshman season learning from the upperclassmen ahead of him in Koa Peat and DeAndre Harrison, then stepped into a bigger role as a Sophomore.

Branch first turned heads in the spring of his freshman year (following the AIA season), where his performance on the club circuit began to turn heads- making him one of the athletes most sought out by scouts at Section 7.

Between the state championship and Section 7, Branch witnessed his recruitment blow up, with Xavier, West Virginia, and Texas all offering him prior to the event.

Prior to the start of the AIA season in November, On3 had already ranked Branch as the No. 3 recruit in the 2027 class and his offer list had doubled to include LSU, Washington, and Arizona State.

Entering this Summer, Branch currently holds 16 offers which include powerhouses such as Arizona, Houston, and Tennessee and is the most prized recruit nationally in the 2027 class.

The biggest thing that stands out in Branch’s game long term is the two-way upside he possesses.

Standing at 6’ 8” and still growing with a 7' 1” wingspan, his ability to be a plus defender at the next level and onward is a very coveted asset.

In the modern game, players who can carve out a role on either end of the court are becoming more and more valuable as each team thrives on filling out specific roles

On the perimeter, Branch showcases the ability to pull up from beyond the arc and in the mid-range both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations. He also shows an advanced ability to be able to get to the lane from outside and finish or make the right pass.

As a finisher, Branch has proven to be a tough finisher with the ability to finish both through contact and around defenders. In transition, he’s a bull in a china shop with the ability to get down the court quickly and finish.

Defensively he has proven to be capable of guarding 1-4 as both during the past high school season and currently in club play he has been relied upon to guard all athletes from shifty guards and to wings stepping out on the perimeter.

On the defensive end Branch is a defender that can force steals and deflections and disrupt the flow of opposing offenses. What’ll be interesting to see is now against top competition where a player like Peat can’t take the top wing out of the game is how Branch does when consistently put into position to guard the best player on opposing teams.