Boogie Fland 6’2 PG Archbishop Stepinac HS SR 2006 Born *Kentucky
Boogie Fland (pictured) was the headlining senior at Hoophall West and he did not disappoint leading Stepinac to a perfect 2-0 record while facing one of the best teams in Arizona (Perry) and one of the best teams in Southern California (Corona Centennial). He started off slow, in the first game, after receiving 2 quick fouls early in the first quarter, leading to some overhyped whispers from the crowd, but by the middle of the 4th quarter, he had won the crowd over by dominating the 3rd and early 4th quarter. In his two games, he displayed his excellent handles, including a quick change of pace dribble, allowing him to get past the first line of defense with ease to either set up teammates for corner threes or finish plays with creative lay ins around the rim. With defenses playing for the drive, and often on their heels, he was able to take one dribble, step in rhythm threes. Once he started getting it going from the outside, he started increasing the level of difficulty in his shots and started taking and making side step long range daggers, displaying a multitude of ways of scoring. Defensively Fland was a constant ballhawk looking for steals and was particularly effective stealing the ball on double teams and/ or poking the ball away from an offensive player once the player got past him. He is rail thin but absorbed contact well at this event as opposing guards attempted to rely on bullying him with little success. A mild disappointment was he chose layups over dunks on fast break opportunities. Overall, Boogie Fland was the most consistent and dominant performer at Hoophall West scoring 27 points in each game, while never forcing the scoring and taking shots all within the flow of the game. With some questions about his shooting ability at the highest level, it was encouraging to see him go 8/19 from high school three and 12/16 from the charity stripe. Leading his team to victory against two high profiled teams, despite his team lacking experience (2 unranked sophomores started for Archbishop Stepinac), is a good sign with some excellent coaching, but also points to the leadership ability of Fland as a point guard. Overall, his handles and ability to get to the hole with either hand is elite, with these skills being as good as any player I’ve seen in the 2024 class.
Brandon McCoy 6’4 CG St. John Bosco SO 2007 Born
No one wowed the crowd more with raw athleticism at this event than Brandon McCoy Jr. McCoy’s physical attributes are jaw dropping, he has a + wingspan, good strength, runs fluidly and displayed a very strong vertical leap. His athleticism was so tantalizing early on that it shell shocked Sunnyslope and took them the entire first quarter to calm down and just play. Why was Sunnyslope in a daze? Within the first four minutes of the first quarter Brand McCoy stole the ball from the opponent at half court that led to an easy fast break bucket, stole the ball under the hoop on a press and one step dunked it with no dribble (foul was called on Sunnyslope just prior to the dunk), blocked a shot to the stands with his fingers reaching the top of the square behind the backboard, and finished off a fast break with a two handed alley oop dunk. Every steal and dunk was done with power and determination to let opponents know that they were not at his level. Despite all that bravado, McCoy had just 2 points at the end of the first quarter. which brings up two things, how much impact does he have on games without scoring and does he have the craving to be an elite scorer. Granted he’s only a sophomore, but Brandon McCoy is way too talented to score just 2 points in a quarter at the high school level. He finished the game as the team’s second leading scorer with 15 points on 6/13 from the field. What makes McCoy so tantalizing for scouts and colleges is the potential as a prototypical two way player. In fact, his overall defense and intensity on that end might be better than his offense at this stage. He moves well laterally, blocks shots, gets steals, rebounds and can switch on a big in a pinch due to his + wingspan. On offense opponents must box him out at all times and he is nearly unstoppable in fast break opportunities, he has good form as a shooter and the ability to hit long distance threes with ease. He’s also a willing passer and has solid point guard tendencies with vision as a passer. As he matures from an underclassman to a senior, you hope he will have the mindset to dominate on the offensive end as much as he does on the defensive end.
Koa Peat 6’8 PF Perry JR 2007 Born
Koa Peat was awarded the 2023 USA Basketball Male athlete of the year at this event. Considered one of the top juniors in the country, his team’s have been dominating in Arizona his first two seasons, however this will be a transition year for him and his school. Perry lacks the guard play and depth necessary to win against the top high school teams in the country, this has led to Koa being a relied upon ball handler for the Perry squad. While in the long run, this should provide him with some valuable experience. But this led to some difficulties for him to find his shot in the first game as well as some turnovers. Koa is a dominant offensive force, free throw extended at any level. He shows great touch around the basket, dominates people in the post with his broad shoulders, long wingspan, good athleticism, and ability to create contact. yet stay on balance to finish off plays. He has turned himself into a solid free throw shooter and is a strong screener and high IQ passer. But playing on a team with a lack of high level talent and on the perimeter is an adjustment. Koa Peat has always been successful playing through double teams in the post but had some difficulties at Hoophall West when he was on the perimeter getting double teamed, in particular when he took one dribble towards the basket. In addition, he still needs to work on extending his range for the top level. He scored 13 points against Archbishop Stepinac and 18 against Harvard Westlake while Perry went 0-2 at Hoophall West.
Kaden House 6’4 PG Desert Mountain SO 2006 Born
With bigger names and programs at this event, it was Kaden House and Desert Mountain who brought the more entertaining games. With father and former Celtic NBA champion, Eddie House giving him and his brother instruction in one corner of the gym and former Sacramento King great Mike Bibby giving input on the other end of the court, Kaden and twin brother Kalek are privileged to have access to high level NBA guard play knowledge their entire lives. At any point during a pause in action you can hear Eddie House whistle and suggest to Kaden to take an Iverson cut or some other instruction. In fact, both Kaden and Kalek seemed to be focusing on learning the nuances of the NBA game and may play better with those sets of rules rather than high school or college. Kaden is all gas no break, he is extremely aggressive in creating for himself and teammates, always looking to push and score. His style of play is similar to one of high usage guard in the NBA, where Kaden House is used to having the ball in his hands and “being the system”. Kaden has a strong first step and uncanny ability to split double teams. In both games by the end of the first quarter, opponents decided to either face guard him in a box and one or double team him as soon as he had the ball in hands. He still found ways to fill out the stat sheet. Game 1: 35 pts 6/10 from three 12 rebs 9/14 ft 4 assists 8 turnovers 5 steals 3 blocks. Game 2: 24 pts 1/4 7/10 ft 14 assists 5 turnovers. Since last watching him in the EYBL circuit in the spring, he showed improvement in his ability of reading pick and roll situations and in his outside jumper. He is a risk taker both on offense (high turnovers) and on defense as he goes for steals and blocks, when at times he may be best served just to keep his body in between the offensive player and the basket, but he’s a fighter with a huge will to win. His drive to continually beat down an opponent not only makes him highly entertaining and also makes him intriguing as a prospect. Granted this can cause some questionable shot selection and will need some proper channeling as he transitions to high levels. Regardless, there appears to be some improvement in those areas since spring. Also of note, given his age and ability, there is always a possibility of an eventual reclassification.
Carter Bryant 6’8 SF Corona Centennial SR 2005 Born Arizona
Carter Bryant and Corona Centennial only played one game at HoopHall West. His numbers did not stand out, scoring just 6 points on 2/9 shooting, but there seemed more of a comfort level on the court since I last watched him play (Section 7). He seemed more comfortable finding his shot in half court sets. And while his mid range jumpers didn’t fall as much as he would like, his one dribble mid range jumper when he elevates over opponents is going to be nearly impossible to block at the high school or college level given his athleticism and height. Defensively he was able to get 10 rebs and was an enforcer in the post intimidating opponents with his ability to block shots.
Luke Bamgboye 6’11 C AZ Compass SR 2004 Born
Luke Bamgboye, with a self reported 7’2 wingspan, had a huge impact defensively when he was in the game. His ability to get deflections, alter shots, and get blocks (6 in two games) are the sort of things NBA scouts are looking for. He has good dexterity and moves well in pick and roll defense. Adding strength to his base would help him have an even bigger impact in the post both offensively and defensively. However, missing out on games due to injury (back & hip) from March through August probably had some impact on his strength development. On offense, with his back to the basket, he had a nice move where he did a quick fake inside, spun, drop step dunk. Luke Bambgoye’s length and athleticism makes him an elite finisher. His jump shot is not traditional, as he slings it behind his head some (a la Rod Higgins for the 80’s basketball connoisseurs out there), almost like a catapult, giving it less arc, thus less room for error than a traditional jump shot. Still raw, he does not really have a go to offensive move. He scored 13 points total in his two games played and mentioned Providence and Cal as two of the schools recruiting him the hardest.
Trent Perry 6’4 CG Harvard Westlake SR 2005 Born USC
Trent Perry played one game leading Harvard Westlake to a victory versus Perry High School, “owning his namesake” by scoring 24 points while going 10/23 from the field while adding 9 rebounds. One of the better shooters in the country, Trent showcased his feathery touch, hitting multiple end of shot clock outside shots to keep the opponent at bay. His versatility to play either guard (sharing guard duties with Harvard commit Robert Hinton) positions is an asset for any team. Not just a shooter, he is able to use his strong shooting ability to create for himself and get to the rim.
Jeremiah Fears 6’2 PG AZ Compass JR
Jeremiah Fears was very good in his first matchup against Wasatch Academy and not so strong against Veritas Prep. What he did show was elite point guard skills. He was able to diagnose full court traps early and find his teammates in the right position for a fast break basket. He was also able to determine in half court sets early on if the opponent was playing zone or man coverage and get his teammates to run the correct offensive sets. In the first game, he scored 18 points on 6/12 from the field while going 3/5 from beyond the arc. In that game he was scoring at all three levels, from three, from mid range, and getting to the hole for layups or setting up teammates for shots. In the second game, his shooting was off, going 2/12 from the field and 0/3 from three. Nonetheless, he showcased his speed and playmaking ability in both games. It must be noted that while the officiating at this event can be rather inconsistent, his interactions with the officiating probably did himself a disservice in the two games he played. It seemed that the banter with both opponents and officiating took something out of his play in the second game.
John Mobley CG 6’3 Wasatch Academy SR 2005 Born Ohio State
John Mobley had a good weekend helping Wasatch Academy defeat both AZ Compass and Canyon International. A confident player, against AZ Compass, he scored 22 points on 9/16 from the field and 3/8 from three, while against Canyon international he went for 12 points on 4/12 from the field and 2/6 from three. Overall he demonstrated his outside shooting prowess and playmaking ability. A floor spreader given his shooting ability, he showcased his handles and good decision making, setting up teammates for open looks from three. He was particularly feisty on the defensive side of the court getting steals and causing opposing point guards (other than Fears) difficulties in running any semblance of an offensive set. He had a high impact in the second game, even when his shot wasn’t as feathery, both with his steals and his assists.
Isaiah Rogers 6’1 CG Corona Centennial SO 2007 Born
This is the second time I’ve watched Isaiah Rogers (First time at Section 7) and he has on both occasions stood out on a team with more senior and higher accolades. Isaiah started the game hot making a couple threes against Archbishop Stepinac and finished the game with 31 points on 12/18 from the field, while going 7/9 from three. He led the game in scoring and was second on his team in rebounds with 6. Granted given his hot start, point guard duties and defensive assignment on Boogie Fland was given to UCLA bound Eric Freeny for this game but he has demonstrated in two separate events his ability to score.
Vyctorius Miller 6’5 SG AZ Compass SR 2004 Born Oregon
Vyctorius Miller’s first performances for AZ Compass after a brief stint with Crean Lutheran were very uneven. He scored 11 points on 5/15 from the field and 0/6 from three against Wasatch Academy and went for 9 points while going 4/8 from the field versus Veritas Prep. His performance at Hoophall West was not as good as he played in the summer circuit or at Pangos during the spring and summer. With less fast break opportunities and more halfcourt sets in this setting, he had more difficulties getting past the first layer of defense. But when he did, you could see the maturation in his game as he consistently made some layups with a high degree of difficulty. One in particular that helped AZ Compass defeat Veritas Prep. His jump shot looked flat in both games and he seemed unfocused from the charity stripe going 2/5 total in both games. He may have been off some given this was his first appearance back and he is now the sole returning member from last season’s team.
Isiah Harwell 6’5 CG Wasatch Academy JR 2007 Born
With Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson in the gym to watch him play the early 10 am game on Saturday, Isiah Harwell and Wasatch Academy went a perfect 2-0 for the event. Harwell has an ideal frame for a high level guard. He has wide shoulders, good height and athleticism. He enjoys the physicality of the game and wants to dominate his opponent in that regard. He is a menace on the offensive glass and around the basket. All weekend he was working on dominating his usually smaller defender in the post. He would either take a drop step or fake the drop step and create space with his shoulder and take a short fade away shot. He shot the ball well from the free throw line and showed some ability in catch and shoot situations from three from the corner or top of the key, but still needs some work from the outside, in particular off the dribble or on the move. He did not shoot it efficiently over the weekend as he went 10/31 from the field, 3/15 from three but 5/5 from the free throw line. A very good defender with a noticeable plus wingspan.
Jaion Pitt 6’7 Forward Canyon International Academy SO 2006 Born
With Pac12 coaches in attendance at both of his games, Jaion Pitt was the most consistent player on the Canyon International team. He was able to score primarily around the rim. He looked for his shot and lob opportunities primarily after setting picks on pick and dive opportunities. Finishing plays off with lobs or if he received the ball early on the dive showcased his agility and footwork to get around potential charges and help defenders. He has wide shoulders and a visibly big wingspan.
Emmanuel Stephen 7’0 C Dream City Christian SR Arizona
Dream City Christian and Emmanuel Stephen only played one game at Hoophall West and that was against Bella Vista Prep. He was highly impactful in the game as he went 5/7 from the field (11 points), while adding 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. Stephen absolutely looks the part of a pro big man. He’s long, strong, and athletic. In addition, he has a good motor, running up and down the court. His infectious, positive attitude is an underrated attribute that he brings to a team. He looked better in this game than in the AAU circuit, with more set plays on offense. He set strong screens and timely rolls to make himself available for alley oops. He still has lots of room to grow as an offensive player, in terms of shooting and self-creating, but he played well within himself and was highly efficient. The only blemish from this game was his free throw shooting where he went 1/4.
Elzie Harrington CG 6’5 St. John Bosco JR 2005 Born
Elzie Harrington had a very efficient game for St. John Bosco in their win against Sunnyslope. Elzie had 16 points on 6/9 from the fieldwhile going 2/3 from three. In this game he demonstrated some athleticism with a couple dunks and shooting ability with a couple threes. A self-creator he also provided Brandon McCoy with a couple alley oop assists. Finishing the game with a game high 8 assists.
Honorable Mention:
Tee Bartlett, Taj DeGourville, Eric Freeny, Robert Hinton, Jamari Phillips
Top 5 Underrated:
Bhan Buom 6’8 Forward Wasatch Academy SR 2006 Born
With a Wasatch Academy only suiting up 7 players and really only playing 6 at this event Bhan Buom was able to get his moment to shine. The lefty was a difference maker in game 1 as they defeated AZ Compass. In that game he went for 16 points while going 3/4 from three and 3/3 for three from the line. In that game he showed the ability to both shoot it from the outside and put it on the floor. He was easily driving by ASU recruit Sammie Yeanay and either getting fouled or getting to the rack. In the second he came back to earth some, finishing with 8 points while only going 1/4 from the floor. Skinny he has some work to do in the strength department but has good length and height. Currently only being recruited by low majors, a school who may want to put some time with him may reap the benefits.
Justin Pippen 6’3 CG Sierra Canyon SR 2005 Born
Justin Pippen went for 23 points on 8/22 from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds in a loss to Desert Mountain. Pippen showed the same sort of athleticism that his older brother Scottie Pippen Jr has. He plays hard, in particular on the defensive end, getting steals, blocking shots and grabbing rebounds. He is explosive and will finish plays strong. More of a combo guard than a true point guard but he has the handles to get downhill. He needs to continue to develop his outside jumper but seems a little understated as a recruit given what he can do.
Anthony Baston 6’4 Wing Notre Dame Prep SR 2005 Born Rice
Anthony Baston Jr had as good of a stat line in the one game he played at Hoophall West: Finishing with 39 points, on 15/24 from the field, 15 rebs, and 3 steals. Baston showed good athletic ability and finishing ability around the rim. His jump shot is slow and needs some work and he probably could use some tightening of his handles but he was the highest scorer for the event. He helped take his team to overtime and played a very fundamentally sound game, despite the limitations listed above. He is an excellent cutter, an excellent rebounder, and a good defender.
D'Andre Harrison 6’6 Forward Perry JR 2006 Born
The lefty is the only other division 1 player other than Koa Peat at Perry. He scored 17 points in his first game going 8/14 from the floor and scored 14 against Harvard Westlake. Often in the corner, he can spot up for three or make a cut on backdoors and finish plays off strong with his long wingspan. He also showed the ability to finish off plays if he can get past the first layer of defense with the ability to create space with his body as he drives to the hole.
Kingston Tosi 6’7 Forward Millenium JR 2007 Born
Good finisher at the rim. At this event he showed good ability as a defender. He was able to get a couple key block shots to give momentum back to Millenium and finished the game with 4. Marred with foul trouble he did not have a particularly remarkable offensive output but finished with 10 points while going 4-7 from the field.
5 Underclassmen to Track
Ikenna Alozie 6’4 CG Dream City Christian SO
Alozie has a very mature body for a sophomore and shouldn’t expect much development in that area going forward. In this game he scored 19 points while going 3/5 from three and 4/4 from the charity stripe. He seemed best on the fast break as he has elite jumping ability and finishes plays with verticality and power. His leaping ability allowed him to grab 14 rebounds and makes him a threat for offensive rebound put backs. He was very good as a spot up shooter both from the free throw line and beyond the arc but needs work on the move and when he’s self-creating. Needs to work on his playmaking ability as a whole as he lost the ball on a few occasions and ended up with 5 turnovers to his six assists.
Cameron Holmes 6’6 SF Millenium SO 2006 Born
Cam Holmes, a consistent team USA invite, was by far the best athlete on the court versus Sunnyslope. He finished plays off with dunks, led his team in rebounds and had two intimidating block shots. He likes to play on the perimeter and plays the point forward role for the team at times. However most of his points come from fast break opportunities or in the post. He has a strong motor and has good length. He was not, however, an efficient player in this game. He went 5/16 from the field, 0/5 from three, and had 7 turnovers. If he is to play on the perimeter at the next level he will need to clean that up. His shot is a little flat but the encouraging part is he shot 5/7 from the free throw line in that game. He finished the game with 15 points
Kalek House 6’3 CG Desert Mountain SO 2006 Born
Kalek, like twin brother Kaden, showed advanced ability in half court pick and roll sets on offense. More likely to take the jumper or floater than brother, Kalek. He scored 19 points and 24 points in his two games. Kalek is a little more under control than his brother but is also always looking to push the ball up the court for an offensive advantage. In his two games, Kalek went 8/15 & 10/15 from the field. A smart player when the ball wasn’t hitting from three in the first game, he adapted and still was able to score and finish with an efficient stat line. Defensively, he tends to be able to stay in front of quicker players and to be able to guard stronger and bigger opponents.
Delton Prescott 5’11 PG Sunnyslope FR 2008 Born
Delton Prescott’s stat line in two games were as follows: 17 points, 6-12 from the field, 6-8 from the free throw line and 17 points 6/10 from the field, 3/5 from three and 2/2 from the free throw line. Other than height he already looked every part of a power 5 point guard. He’s quick, he can handle the ball with ease, makes good decisions, and can shoot the ball. He has a strong crossover that he likes to use to get down hill and is able to finish or get fouled despite his size difference. He has a nice repeatable jump shot and has all the makings of an elite player.
Darius Wabbington 6’10 C Sunnyslope 2008 Born
Darius Wabbington had very limited minutes in the first game taking only one shot but showed some potential in the second game. One of only 3 Freshmen in high school who were team USA invites in October, Wabbington showed good understanding on half court sets. He set good screens, sealed his defender well in the post, showed flashes of passing ability and has a nice soft touch when he shoots the ball. If you just look at the boxscore there was nothing to note but he is definitely intriguing as a prospect.
Honorable Mention:
Javon Bardwell, Jasiah Jervis, Mason Magee, Rokiem Green, Paul Osaruyi
