Caught My First Arizona High School Games

It's been a busy 5 days in Arizona since arriving back from my D1 Nation Houston Thanksgiving Jamboree held at St. Thoimas High School in the heart of H-Town. I have spent the last two days evaluating players for three NBA teams that asked me for reports on a few veteran player's looking to get invited to camps next week. Once that was taken care of, I spent my evening on the high school scene as I had a chance to get out and see a couple of rivalry games in Phoenix over the last couple of days.

Ahwautukee Desert Vista thumped host Pinnacle. They simply couldn't handle 2012 F 6'6" Danny Powell (Eastern Washington). I had a chance to visit briefly with Arizona State Head Coach Herb Sendek who was there watching 2014 Dorian Pickens of Pinnacle who ASU offered last year as a freshman. The 6'4" WG has a good body. I'll need to see him more to determine what kind of impact he can have at the high major level. 2012 P 6'7" Cody McDavis (Pinnacle) is athletic and long. He's a raw prospect. 2014 Cody MacDougall of Desert Vista has a nice wide body, and can run the floor. Bigs take longer to develop but he's one to watch for sure.

2014 Connor MacDougall (left) and 2012 P 6'7" Cody McDavis squared off

Last night's "Hate Game" between host Scottsdale Chaparral and Scottsdale Desert Mountain was a definitely a spirited affair. Desert Mountain had the game won but two costly turnovers in the last minute sent the game to OT where the home Firebirds pulled out the W. Chaparral has several good looking freshmen, while Desert Mountain is the consummate team. 2012 W 6'7" Austin Cooke is intriguing. He had 16 points and has a beautiful stroke from the perimeter. With improved strength and defensive intensity he could get a nice look in the spring signing period.

2012 W 6'7" Austin Cooke has a sweet stroke

A wise word to a lot of these kids. It's a competitive environment out there for scholarships. I've got to see a higher motor and a sense of urgency that tells me that you really LOVE the game. I'm known for being brutally honest with players and parents, as well as college coaches. -Coach Max Ivany