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Arizona Prospects Class of 2022-Mid Season Report

01/31/2020, 3:30am CST
By Ed Baur

Pictured as an 8th grader receing offer from Arizona State: Photo credit: USA Today

Looking at Arizona Best Prospects at Mid-season

By – Ed Baur

As Arizona teams move from their non-conference and holiday tournaments schedules into league play, one thing certainly stands out – the impact of prep schools!   A number of Arizona Interscholastic Association member-schools have been the victims of the current trend of local players migrating to the recent influx of prep schools in the Phoenix area.  By my estimation, over the past 12 months alone, more than two dozen top players (including two D1 guard prospects in the Class of 2021 who transferred during the holiday break) have left their high school teams to join one of the half-dozen prep schools in the Phoenix area.

Is this trend a good thing or a bad thing?  For the schools and teammates impacted, certainly it is not a good thing at all.  For players making the transfer, let’s hope it’s a good thing.  For the ‘hobby’ fan, like myself, well, it simply has led to a far less interesting local prep scene as the prep teams basically play out-of-town schedules.

So, where are we at the halfway point of the season? 

Well, if you live in The Valley of the Sun or you’re planning on visiting in January-February and you want to take in a game to two, I’d suggest seeing the following teams: Avondale Millennium (11-5), Mesa Skyline (15-2), Glendale Ironwood (16-2), Phoenix Desert Vista (13-2), Phoenix Sunnyslope (13-4), Phoenix Arcadia (12-3), Gilbert Perry (10-6) and, if you want to take a drive down to Tucson, top ranked Salpointe Catholic (15-0).

Class of 2022
 
Dylan Anderson (6’11” – Perry) – Anderson is unquestionably the top player in his class and will certain play in a major D1 program.  He’s more of a finesse player with a nice stroke who plays primarily on the perimeter offensively.  He’s a willing defender who rebounds and blocks shots despite not being overly athletic at this point in his development. He earned intial buzz after being offered by Arizona State's Bobby Hurley as an 8th grader (pictured above) he now holds offers from Arizona, Cal and Gonzaga among others.
 
Desean Lecque (6’ – Desert Vista) – The New Jersey transfer leads one of Arizona’s best teams in scoring (21 ppg) and he does it efficiently.  He already has a strong all-around game that features putting numbers on the scoreboard.  One of three players on the Desert Vista squad shooting the ‘three’ at a 40% clip.
 
Dominic Capriotti (6’4” – Skyline) – Capriotti believes he’s ‘open’ anywhere across the half-court line and the ‘green light’ is always on.  He’s long and a willing defender (of course, his father Jim is the coach so his game is certainly going to be more than just shooting).  He’s shooting at just a 44% pace, but two-thirds of his shots are from behind the arch while averaging 13 ppg.  Skyline is a highly-ranked team and as a sophomore Capriotti is not the ‘featured’ player, but will be next year and look out!  A D1 program is in his future.
 
Logan Pohl (6’10” – Paradise Honors) – Certainly a ‘project’ at the moment playing an average of only 13 mpg, but he runs well and defends the paint when he’s on the floor. Oh, by the way, did I mention he’s 6’10” as a sophomore!
 
Trenton Lavender (6’ – Centennial) – Lavender is high level athletic who can get to the paint with ease or connect from deep.  He has a score-first mentality but also plays hard on the defensive end.
 
Ahamed Mohamed (6’ – Apollo) – Mohamed is ultra-quick with a strong handle.  He’s slight of build but can get to the rim (16 ppg).  His shooting and willingness to find the open man (less than 2 apg) will need to improve over the next couple of seasons in order to play collegiately.
 
Andrew King (6’1” – Desert Vista) – King is the 4th option on a strong squad, but he stands out with his quickness, all-around play and his efficient 11 ppg (43% from behind the 3-pt line).

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