Many of the best high school teams in the West participated in Section 7 on the weekend of June 23-25 at State Farm Arena, in Glendale, AZ during a live period for college coaches. With 12 games being played at once I spent most of the weekend focusing on the Slam and Powerade Backet. With Columbus of Florida soundly beating Harvard Westlake 75- 60 in the Powerade Bracket and St. John Bosco defeating Roosevelt 63-60 in the Slam Bracket. Below we will provide you with what we see as the top 10 prospects at this event, 5 underrated players, and the 5 best Arizona players not mentioned in our top 10.
Top 10 Prospects:
Cameron Boozer PF 6’9 Columbus, FL Class of 2025
Boozer (photo: Griffin Greenberg) was hands down the best prospect at Section 7 and had the most impressive performances I have witnessed all year. Grassroots scouts and college coaches were debating how high he would have been taken had he declared for the draft this season. He was that good. Cameron is blessed with a well developed body, a long wingspan and is an elite rim runner. He will finish plays off on the fast break with rim rocking dunks and alley oop catches. He has a euro step to avoid fast break charges and makes the right plays on the fast break. On half court sets he is the ideal pick and roll option as he can catch alley oops after setting the pick and diving towards the rim (and is a threat as a ghost screener) but also is a good pick and pop option as he as a feathery touch that extends all the way past the NBA 3 point line. An alpha, he has a mean streak to him, demanding the ball from his teammates when he seals off his opponent in the post and taking match ups personally. When he faced Carter Bryant head to head (one of the better athletes at this event) he wanted to destroy him. When Bryant happened to hit a shot, Cameron would immediately demand the ball and score on him. In one instance, he caught the ball in the post, dropped stepped baseline, pump faked to get Bryant in the air, and finished the play off with a no-step, two handed power dunk. Needless to say, he punished the rim all weekend long. In addition, he hit threes from the corner and from the top of the key with ease. Hr shot and made a few NBA threes by being the trailer post player in the fast break. On defense, he intimidated opponents with block shots and enjoys the physicality of the game on rebounds and in the post. He moves well laterally on pick and roll defenses. If you want to nit pick on some weaknesses: On half court sets will let opponent post players take open outside shots to stay near the basket. Due to his physical style, he could get into foul problems. in summary, he is the most dominant force on the high school level at just 15 years of age. It will be interesting to see how he continues to challenge himself to improve over the next two seasons.
Koa Peat Forward 6’8 Perry, AZ Class of 2025
With a slew of Pac (10/12/ Big12) teams on hand, Koa Peat showed some strong performances, scoring 32 in the opening loss to Alta and continuing on his scoring prowess throughout the event. A man child, he has been difficult to stop when he has a head of steam on fast breaks or back door cut opportunities in the past. Now that his team isn’t as strong, he has shown some ability to self create off the dribble, even in half court sets but partially due to the fact that he is able to simply overpower opponents at this level. It should be encouraging that he has added that wrinkle to his game and will even hit a mid range jump shot from time to time. The next progression that he will need to add to meet the lofty expectations is consistency as an outside shooter. As the talent level and athleticism gets better (he is close but not quite the athlete nor the shooter as his Team USA teammate Cameron Boozer) he will need that as a consistent tool within his repertoire. On the defensive end he is a force as a shot blocker and rebounder. He will take charges and is a disciplined defensive and offensive player. He has all the intangibles that a coach is looking for. His team is far less talented than last season (losing 3 out of 4 games at Section7) which will be an interesting development as the season progresses. He was just voted Arizona male athlete of the year as a high school sophomore by the Arizona Republic.
Vyctorius Miller Guard 6’5 AZ Compass, AZ Class of 2024
Vyctorius Miller has been very good this Spring/ Summer, changing some doubters into believers. A true combo guard who can get down hill and finish plays off the dribble with flushes or will self create and hit open jump shots. He will also hit spot up threes and has the uncanny ability to get 4 point play opportunities as he can kick his feet out ever so slightly and get his defender to either touch his leg or not give him proper landing space. He is much stronger with the ball in his hands and decisive in actions than he was just 6 months ago. He is a threat on the offensive glass with strong two handed put back dunks. On defense, he is a little more disciplined and more opportunistic in going for steals and does a much better job keeping his opponent in front of him. Now as an incoming senior, has gained strength to be a better defender and keep opponents from posting him up. At this level, he has become a three level scorer that can create not only for himself but for teammates.
Brandon McCoy JR Guard 6’4 St. John Bosco, CA, Class of 2026
Brandon McCoy, with the aid of Elzie Harrigton, helped lead St John Bosco to an undefeated record and a championship in the Slam division of Section 7. The team started games with a deficit regularly at this event but McCoy with his long wingspan would often get his team back into games by disturbing the flow of the game on defense by getting his hands in the passing lanes and creating steals or turnovers. A good athlete and shifty he has the ability to avoid charges with a strong eurostep and finish plays strong with one handed dunks. His long wingspan allows him to finish plays off with dunks with no step or one step vertical jumps. Has good handles allowing him to play either guard positions. Has a nice fluid shooting motionand is good from mid range but can be a little streaky. He’s just entering his sophomore season in high school and has some maturing to do on the court as he can visibly get frustrated with calls and poor play from teammates. Perhaps this may be part of the reason for his streakiness from the outside? Needs to continue to get stronger and consistent from the outside. Has had a good summer playing U16 EYBL for Arizona Unity and then winning a gold medal for team USA in FIBA U16s Americas (where he was an off the bench role player).
Jason Crowe Jr PG 6’3 Lynwood, Class of 2026
Jason Crowe took the state of California by storm as a freshman last year becoming one of the best players in the state. The southpaw is very hard to stop getting to the hole especially when he goes left. He has a good crossover, a good hesitation dribble and is very good at change of pace dribbles. He can finish with either hand and despite his very youthful frame is able to create contact and either get to the line or finish plays off. Long wingspan, his dribbles get extremely low to the ground when he’s going downhill. A good shooter from the line, he’s going to score a lot at this level just because of those two attributes. Does not yet have the power or strength as some of the other top high school players in the country but that should change as his body matures. Smart and fearless was one of the invites for team USA u16. Needs to continue to work on his consistency from long range and to get better defensively.
Tounde Yessoufou Wing 6’5 St. Joseph, CA Class of 2025
Tounde Yessoufou played mostly as a 5 at Section 7 after I had previously seen him play more as a 3 or 4 at EYBL and Pangos. An entering high school junior who already has his man’s body, a college coach commented that he reminded him of a Lu Dort in terms of size and physical attributes (I see him more as a PJ Tucker type but you get the idea). Power 5 west coast college teams had a heavy presence at every single one of his games. A high motor, high character player, he is a true menace on the offensive glass. He destroyed the rim on several occasions displaying his strong vertical and power. Despite being only 6’5 his wingspan and strength easily allows him to defend players much taller than him which makes him very intriguing for the top level. Can move his feet well laterally and has some ability to get down hill especially when matched up against either slower taller players or smaller less powerful wings. He had one game where he was hitting shot after shot from the outside, showing some ability as an outside threat. The consistency from the outside is key to his continued progress for the top level. His intangibles are outstanding as a prospect as his constant hustle and engaging character bodes for a most likely role player for the top level.
Nikolas Khamenia Forward 6’7 Harvard Westlake, CA Class of 2025
Nikolas Khamenia helped lead a three headed Harvard Westlake team to a finals matchup against Columbus and he had the duty of defending Cameron Boozer. Despite being shorter, less athletic, and weighing less than Boozer, he defended him better than anyone else at Section 7. Khamenia is a very good spot up shooter with a nice fluid motion and quick release. He’s not the most athletic player but has a good set of post moves and counters around the basket (hooks, up and unders, drop steps, pump fakes). He can handle it well enough to be a threat but isn’t as good of a shooter off the dribble and has a hard time getting downhill without turning his back to the basket when the lane gets congested. Unless he grows, due to height and athleticism he’s probably a small forward at the next level. Had limited success when he tried to self create or shoot fadeaway shots at this event. As he moves up in levels will become more of a role player, but has a good eye to see plays develop and is an elite level spot up shooter.
Eric Freeny CG 6’5 Corona Centennial, CA Class of 2024
Eric Freeny was a steady force for Corona Centennial and showed his scoring ability versus Cayden Boozer and Columbus on day 2. A true combo guard with good strength and shot making ability he can back down opposing guards in the post to create for himself an easier shot and tire down opponents but he is very good as a shooter from the free throw line, midrange, or from three. One of the more mature players at Section 7 has a good idea how he is going to score on his opponents. What he lacks in elite athleticism he counters with strength and marksmanship. Has the leadership qualities of a point guard but is more of a true combo at this point of his basketball career.
Cayden Boozer PG 6’5 Columbus, FL, Class of 2025
Cayden Boozer as an offensive player can finish plays off on fast break sets with a dunk or lay-in or give perfect alley oop passes to either his brother or high flying teammate Malik Abdullahi. On half court sets he is a very good set shot 3 point shooter and very good in pick and roll offenses, quickly reading the best offensive opportunities of alley oop, lay up, or pick and pop. On offense has good footwork to back down opponents and create shots or fouls for himself. On defense has the same tough streak as his brother and father as he really gets into defensively playing physical and looking for steal opportunities. He was the second best player on his team on what will be a most likely top 5 team for the next two high school seasons. On a side note he will be one of the most polarizing players in evaluations after his freshman season in college as it is likely that he will play his entire career (including team USA) with his brother. Some will argue that his strong pick and roll numbers and 3 point shooting are due to the defenses constant awareness of defending and gravitation toward his brother giving him an uncanny advantage over any other point guard in America. Others will argue that it has minimally affected and that perhaps his pick and roll ability has aided Cameron as much as it has aided Cayden.
Carter Bryant Forward 6’8 Corona Centennial, CA Class of 2024
Carter Bryant showed his strong athleticism and his potential as wing player as he will shoot and make long distance shots with solid form. He had a fast break dunk, a three point shot and a block in just about every game at Section 7 but he also showed a lot of rawness that is less visible in AAU and more visible in the more methodical halfcourt offense run setting. He in particular got dominated by Cameron Boozer in their head to head matchup. That game was important to watch given Boozer is one of the few players who can match his athleticism and height. Boozer was stronger, had better handles, and was by far the more polished player. Bryant quite frankly was not prepared to face someone at that level yet. He didn’t score until the second quarter after a few failed off the dribble mid range jumpers scoring an open three and generally lacked the constant intensity required when facing a top level talent like Boozer. He still blocked a few shots in this game and on one particular occasion backed Cayden down in the post and scoring on an and 1 mid post shot. That was the type of physicality and plan that evaluators want to continue to see from Bryant. His handles were real loose at this event leading him to not necessarily lose the ball but not being able to get downhill off a crossover dribble as he wasn’t properly catching it off his finger tips correctly on the second bounce. Overall still a good prospect due to his shooting and athletic ability but has some work to do as left athletic players are catching up to him due to their gains in strength and skills.
HM:
Tajh Ariza, Christian Collins, Brannon Martinsen, Mercy Miller, Trent Perry
Top 5 Underrated:
Robert Hinton SG 6’5 Harvard Westlake, CA Class of 2024 Harvard
An early commit to Harvard, Robert Hinton is probably not an underrated player for most grassroots scouting services anymore but can get lost in the shuffle with so many Class of 2024 guards. He’s shown flashes at every event I’ve watched this spring (EYBL, Pangos, and Section7). At Section 7 he helped lead his team to a finals appearance versus Columbus where he displayed his slashing style. He’s good on cuts and has a quick first step to get to the basket on drives and is not afraid to finish strong with a dunk even when long and tall post players are roaming (catching a body from time to time). He’s consistent from mid range and from the line and has a nose for the ball on rebounds and loose balls. Despite his skinny frame is deceptively strong and has long arms that allows him to cause mayhem on the defensive end of the ball, getting deflections, steals, and the occasional block shots. Acts and plays like one of the more experienced and matured players at this event. Obviously a very smart and driven kid to be academically eligible to go to Harvard he is a name to continue to monitor if you’re a high major as he most likely will eventually be one of the top college transfer candidates once he decides to do so. Furthermore I wouldn’t be surprised for him to graduate early from Harvard while gaining valuable minutes and experience at the Division 1 level and given his athleticism and basketball skill set be the focus of an NIL bidding war as a graduate transfer.
Jalin Holland SG 6’5 Los Lunas, NM Class of 2025
Jalin Holland, an entering junior, marksmanship was excellent at Section 7. From the chest up his shot is pure and his follow through is excellent consistently displaying his outside shooting touch. To note, he did show some knee valgus (knock knee) on the lower half of his jump shot that could lead to potential ACL issues if not corrected with a physical therapist and/ or strength coach. He also showed some good athleticism finishing strong around the rim even displaying the ability to a one step 2 handed dunk. Displayed a mature game with multiple ways to score. Not yet ranked in his class top 100, he averaged 32.5 points per game at the event and earned praise from everyone who watched him play.
Julius Price PG 6’2 St. Joseph, CA Class of 2026
Julius Price is a traditional point guard who can run and lead the offense. He is the secondary option for his team to Tounde Yessoufou. Has a good body and strength as an underclassman and is a good outside shooter. Not just a spot up shooter, he demonstrated the ability of pump faking a three on a defender’s close out and taking one step mid range jumpers with consistency. Has a crossover and change of pace move that he uses to get to the rim and has a strong frame to finish through contact and/ or create space. Never in a hurry, with good vision, is very adept at running the team’s offense and getting the ball to the best player or offensive option. Defensively he is a physical guard who has the ability to push opponents out further from the post.
Dean Rueckert Wing 6’7 Timpview, UT Class of 2026
With all eyes on display to watch the big name players of Campbell Hall, it was Dean Rueckert who stole the show with his offensive production and then with the win by setting up his teammate with a left handed pass to the corner for a three point buzzer beater. Dean showed a nice free flowing outside jump shot, an ability to make strong cuts for alley oops and one dribble dunks on the offensive end. Quick and agile he is a good runner on the court. On defense he blocked shots with his long arms and has a quick secondary jump. Should be able to add some more power as he matures but needs to tighten up his handles just a little bit for the next level.
JJ Mandaquit PG 6’0 Real Salt Lake City, UT Class of 2025
JJ Mandaquit is a throwback point guard and traditional table setter. He manages a team well, getting downhill to set up teammates for open shots and controlling the spacing on the floor for teammates. He is a good outside shooter and free throw shooter who knows how to draw fouls and drain spot up long distance threes. Has an excellent jump stop to create passing options or shots. Has the ability to pump fake and hit a mid range jumper on catch and shoot opportunities. Not the swiftest or the tallest of players he can get bogged down some from the aggressive athletic double teams like when he faced AZ Compass. Just took part of the FIBA U16 Americas as part of the team USA gold medal team.
HM: Malik Abdullahi Brody Kozlowski Jasir Rencher Isaiah Rogers Tyler Thompson
Top 5 Arizona:
Cameron Holmes Wing 6’6 Millennium, AZ Class of 2026
Cam Holmes outplayed Tounde Yessoufou in their head to head matchup at Section 7 guarding each other for most of the game as Holmes plays more as a forward both for Millennium and on his EYBL Arizona Unity U16 team. A southpaw, has the typical lefty unorthodox style of play. On offense he was very ball dominant both creating for himself and for others. When he gets downhill he tends to end up on the left side of the rim and finish with his left hand either with a dunk or a lay-in. When he does go right he tends to stop in the key and turn left for an in the key push shot. His shot is a little flat but he has range to the NBA 3 point line extended. Athleticism and play translates better as a 3/4 than a 2/3 for the top level. On defense has a big wingspan and can cause problems to slower bigger post players with a combination of length and lateral quickness for this level. Plays a very uptempo style both for AZ Unity and Millennium which leads to some undisciplined defensive actions and careless turnovers. Seemed out of breath at times throughout games at this event. Holmes intrigued enough that he was invited to the Team USA U16 trials in Colorado earlier in late May / early June.
Kalek House CG 6’3 Desert Mountain, AZ Class of 2026
Kalek House and twin brother Kaden House also play for Arizona Unity U16 team and play together at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sons of former NBA champion Eddie House Kalek is a very good offensive player. Sharing point guard duties with teammates Kalek is the more disciplined guard on the team picking and choosing his offensive play and scanning the court for the easiest offensive option. He has a nice fluid jump shot that goes well past the NBA 3 point range. On defense He can guard both quick guards and much taller opponents as his team doesn’t really have anyone over 6’4 that plays any minutes on their roster.
Kaden House CG 6’3 Desert Mountain, AZ Class of 2026
Kaden House, Eddie House’s other son, is a very aggressive offensive player always looking to attack. Sharing point guard duties, he has a quick first step that allows him to consistently attack downhill looking for strong one handed dunks and easy lay-ins. He has a crossover but he’s not trying to juke you he’s trying to run through you as much as possible without picking offensive charges. Will hit the occasional open three but he’s constantly tracking for an open spacing on a cut or if he has the ball in his hands finding a creative way to get closer to the rack. Aggressively plays the passing lanes on defense looking for counter fast break opportunities. Often has to play taller and stronger opponents which has helped him become a better rebounder and became pretty good at pushing post players further out from the block.
Cameron Williams Forward 6’8 Saint Mary’s, AZ Class of 2026
The baby faced forward at Saint Mary’s showed some intrigue at section 7. He has an obvious long wingspan and can really move with agility and has great running mechanics. Demonstrated a good fluid shooting motion and potential with his handles as a future wing. Was entrusted to be the primary post player and defender for Saint Mary’s. Hasn’t quite put it all together but has a high potential as a prospect.
Sammie Yeanay Power Forward 6’8 AZ Compass, AZ Class of 2024
Sammie Yeanay is a new addition for AZ Compass and best post player on the team. On pick and roll options he is a real lob threat and although undersized has good length that allows him to be a true menace on the offensive boards. Can move laterally pretty well on the defensive side for a big on a pick and roll switch and uses his length wellt to contest and block shots on the defensive end. Likes the physicality of the game and look for him to be AZ Compass’ defensive anchor this upcoming season.
HM:
Javon Bardwell Guard 6’4 Desert Mountain, AZ Class of 2026
Del Jones CG 6’2 AZ Compass, Class of 2024
Pape Makhan Diouf Power Forward 6’10 Bella Vista Prep, AZ Class of 2024
Michael Simcoe Forward 6’7 Sandra Day O’Connor, AZ Class of 2025
Kingston Tosi Forward 6’7 Millennium, AZ Class of 2025
*Daylen Sharper PG 6’3 Brophy, AZ Class of 2026
Showed some lead guard skills and athleticism but is a highly recruited wide receiver and a power 5 football recruit.
Photo: Griffin Greenberg
