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Perry is led by 6-foot-8 2025 Koa Peat, the Arizona high school basketball Player of the Year last season, one of the top five college prospects in the nation in his class. St. Mary’s is led by 2024 point guard Styles Phipps, who will be highly coveted at Section 7. Desert Mountain features the House twins, 2026 guards Kaden and Kalek, who are high-major prospects.Chandler’s AZ Compass Prep, Glendale’s Dream City and Scottsdale’s Bella Vista, who do not play in the Arizona Interscholastic Association, will be the three Arizona prep academies participating, along with Georgetown Prep out of Washington, D.C., Real Salt Lake Academy of Utah and Veritas Prep from Los Angeles.

The 96 Arizona teams trying to qualify for the big weekend will be placed in eight brackets with 12 teams each. Twelve teams would advance to the weekend to play out-of-state competition. That qualifer, from June 21-22, is open to Division II, III and NAIA coaches.

“Now parents, when they’re thinking about which high school they want to send their kids to, they’re asking, ‘Are you in Section 7?’ ” King said. “We wanted to make sure a Maryvale or Alhambra had the opportunity to play their way in. And a big part of that is the ability for schools like that to keep their kids, and go to their parents and say, ‘We have a chance, too.’ “ More than 500 college coaches are expected to come out to the girls’ and boys’ weeks of Section 7, which is being played at the site of next college basketball season’s Final Four. Section 7, the largest June basketball showcase in the country for NCAA coaches to recruit, is expanding with a six-team, non-NFHS (National Federation of high schools) division.

“This was something we got feedback from the NCAA, and from college coaches about legitimate schools, not random basketball places,” said Matt King, director of Section 7. “Why don’t they have the opportunity to play, as well?”

Because so many boys teams in Arizona have felt left out, Section 7 will now have a 96-team qualifier to get to the weekend. In the past, Section 7 prioritized schools that had Division I talent.”The most important part of that was to make sure those teams pass the test scholastically,” King said. “This is a scholastic event. It’s not an AAU event. We felt comfortable in Year 1 keeping it small. And we felt comfortable keeping to the schools that have brick and mortar.”- All teams are placed in a 16 team bracket where they all play 4 games throughout the weekend. They are placed in brackets based on competitive balance. 400 Teams, NCAA Final Four Stadium, 12 Wood Floors, 700+ college coaches. The competition will be fierce, the opportunity will be great, college coaches will be in attendance. The future awaits this June and we can’t wait to see you there. Section 7 is a part of the June Scholastic Events that are sanctioned by the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) and the NCAA. Because this event is sponsored by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and run by the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) the event is open to Division 1 coaches to attend. Below are a few details on how the event is put together.- The ABCA is a non-profit organization and proceeds from the event go to furthering the growth of basketball in the Arizona community. Specifically in inner city, rural and the growth of the women’s side of the game. – 160 Teams are Invited from All Western States: Teams are evaluated throughout the year to make sure as many prospects from as many states are able to take advantage of the opportunity. “I’m always about winning for the team,” Simcoe said. “We lost, so that’s what I’m most disappointed about. I feel like I played well against good competition. But I felt like we should have gotten the win.”

Perry began the tournament with an impressive win over Isidore Newman of Louisiana. But it was as if it hit a wall after that, losing its next three games, including a nine-point loss to Scottsdale Notre Dame, a game in which Batson did a great job defending the 6-foot-8 Peat, the No. 3-ranked overall prospect in the nation by ESPN in the 2025 class.Arizona keeps popping with talent, some of the best in the nation, from Gilbert Perry’s Koa Peat to Phoenix St. Mary’s Styles Phipps to Scottsdale Desert Mountain’s Kaden House.

And don’t forget about Phoenix Brophy Prep, which went 2-2 and allowed for 6-4 guard Braeden Speed to show recruiters he can play at the Division I level. Known more for his defense, he averaged 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists, shooting 52% from the field. He had 26 points against Los Angeles’ St. Bernard.Sunnyslope was part of the Powerade, and to go 2-2 was impressive. Its most impressive win was beating national powerhouse Las Vegas Bishop Gorman 67-52 on the final day. Sunnyslope also beat Washington’s Eastside Catholic 62-47, lost on a late basket to Archbishop Riordan 64-63 and lost to Oak Ridge, 70-49. Oakridge, from Orlando, Florida, beat Basha 76-67 and went 2-2.

But, at the same time, there is so much talent spread out among schools, so much parity, that there really isn’t one team you can claim as the easy favorite to win next season’s Open Division championship. Matt King, the Section 7 director, did a great job with help from high school coaches who are part of the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association running the showcase that featured 162 teams across the country. There were 425 college coaches who came through during the weekend. “Section 7 heads did a great job of creating a very competitive field of brackets that helped us at Sunnyslope to see what our strengths and weaknesses are and what we need to work on for the upcoming season,” Sunnyslope coach Ray Portela said. The Powerade with the Slam following. The Powerade features mighty Christopher Columbus out of Miami, Florida, and brothers Cameron (6-9) and Cayden (6-5) Boozer, who showed why they’re two of the best 2025 players in the country. Cameron Boozer was a monster on the court and Cayden was a quick, efficient scoring point guard. That combo led to four blowout wins, capped by a 75-60 win over California power Harvard-Westlake. In its semifinal, Columbus crushed Corona (California) Centennial 71-41. That Centennial team featured Arizona commit Carter Bryant. “I did think we lost our legs a bit and didn’t shoot the ball like we are capable of as the weekend went on. All in all, I feel good about what we have and how we competed and really excited about seeing this team evolve to what we think we can be.”Defending Open champion Perry still has Peat, the state’s Player of the Year last season, and Team USA U16 gold-medal winner this month. But Peat can’t carry this team, not with Cody Williams (who is part of the Team USA U19 team right now) gone.

Arizona basketball is growing and flourishing and only getting better and that’s because some of the best high school coaches in the country are leading teams. Among the 10 NFHS brackets, there was no Arizona winner. But the teams, for the most part, played well and showed tremendous progress to close out summer basketball. Glendale Deer Valley made a run from getting into the weekend by winning three games on two qualifying days, then made it to the championship of its City of Glendale Bracket, before losing to Orem (Utah) 53-45. That was a six-game win streak on the week broken.Now that Elijah Williams is in Detroit to resume his high school career, it was time for 6-5 sophomore guard Jacob Webber to step up for Scottsdale Christian. He did with a 50-point game in a 67-54 win over Seattle Prep during the Eagles’ 2-2 weekend. In that game, Webber made 11 of 18 two-point baskets and 7 of 15 3-pointers and 7 of 8 free throws. He averaged 33.5 points in four games, making 22 of 46 3-pointers (48%). On Sunday, had a 40-point outburst in a 65-47 win over Cimarron. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert One added suggestion to make this even greater: Compile stats from all of the games and post leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocked shots and shooting percentages. That would make it even better, and help the college coaches who couldn’t be at every single game.Goodyear Millennium might have the most talented team coach Ty Amundsen has had with 6-6 sophomore Cameron Holmes and 6-7 Kingston Tosi back and with the addition of 6-2 guard Sabien Cain, an Indiana move-in, becoming the X factor that could get the Tigers over that championship hump and hold up the gold ball. Tosi is bigger and stronger and more confident. Holmes is more polished than his remarkable freshman year. And Cain is a physical guard who will stretch the court and get the ball to open teammates if he’s not scoring himself. Millennium dropped its last two games of the tournament but one of those came against the Slam bracket champion St. John Bosco out of California, a 70-59 setback. The last loss came against Utah’s Alta, which stunned Perry in the second round, behind the brilliant play of guard Ace Reiser. Alta also beat Sierra Canyon and lost its only game to Roosevelt from Eastvale, California. Roosevelt lost to St. John Bosco 63-60 in the championship game.

“Did lose our last three games but missed two game-winners in two of those games,” Duane said. “So if two shots go down, we’re 3-1. So I’m not concerned with the results. We are in the process of learning to play together and play off of each other, so playing great competition was very good for us.

“Averaging 33.5ppg against teams that sent immediate doubles, as well as box-and-ones, is an incredible accomplishment,” coach John Anderson said. “It shows his growth and continued potential as he keeps getting taller and stronger.””We couldn’t be happier with the evolution of the event,” King said. “The talent level this year was the best we have had and couldn’t be more excited about the future.”

O’Connor also lost a two-point game to Waddell Canyon View, but won its last two games. Watch for a much improved SDO team next season after going 16-12 last season.Desert Mountain might have the best collection of four guards, who are two sets of twins — sophomores Kaden and Kalek House and freshmen Javon and Jabron Bardwell. And another freshman guard, Mekhi Walcott, who is going to contribute this next season.Notre Dame, another team of guards, could be No. 1 with the Big 3 of Anthony Batson Jr., Bryce Quinet and Brennan Peterson back. But Desert Mountain ended up beating the Saints 74-57 in the teams’ final game Sunday in the Slam bracket.

There were breakthroughs, a sign of parity in Arizona, and some big-time statements and defensive lock-downs made. As we say goodbye to the third and, by far, the biggest and best Section 7 scholastic boys basketball showcase at State Farm Stadium, it’s time to break it down.Chandler Valley Christian could make an argument with the Arizona Interscholastic Association to let it into the Open Division tournament as a small school by the way it played, not only in Section 7, but through the month of June. Luke Shaw, who made The Republic’s All-Arizona team last season, was brilliant, leading the Trojans to a 3-1 record that was capped by a 60-51 win over 6A Phoenix Pinnacle. Valley Christian beat Pinnacle without its star, Shaw, who had to leave for Florida to compete in the NBA Top 100 camp. Kyle Grier led the Trojans in scoring on Sunday.

The 10 days will feature 400 teams playing in the 2024 NCAA Final Four Stadium on 12 courts in front of 700+ college coaches. The competition will be fierce and the opportunity will be great. The future awaits this June and we can’t wait to see you there.The time is almost here for Section 7: The biggest stage for High School basketball teams to showcase their talent in front of College Coaches this summer.

Sie können Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ändern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link „Datenschutz- und Cookie-Einstellungen“ oder „Datenschutz-Dashboard“ klicken. Weitere Informationen darüber, wie wir Ihre personenbezogenen Daten nutzen, finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklärung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie.“We try to get the players and teams that Division I coaches want to watch,” said Matt King, Section 7 event organizer and Arizona Basketball Coaches Association director. “These college coaches are here because of the players.”“It just got cleared by the NCAA to readjust their recruiting calendar to allow a scholastic period that allows Division I coaches to come and watch, which is why we wanted Section 7 to align with that,” King said.“All the other big events like Adidas and Under Armour host showcases like this for AAU only,” said Itoro Coleman, assistant coach/recruiting coordinator for the University of North Carolina. “For high school it has never happened before for us to see players on their high school teams, all in one place.”

Josh Amick expects to graduate in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sports journalism. Amick has written and interned for AZPreps365 and is working toward a job as a beat writer or sideline reporter.The girls bracket of the Section 7 Tournament featured 136 teams from across the country. The boys will close out the two-week basketball showcase Sunday. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)Etiwanda’s Aliyahna Morris, left, drives past Eanae Dagons of the Desert Vista Thunder during last Thursday’s high-profile Section 7 Tournament game at State Farm Stadium. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)GLENDALE – The State Farm Stadium speakers clashed with shouting from basketball coaches, players and squeaky whistles and sneakers on the venue’s freshly built floors.“We have been planning this event for over three years now,” O’Bryan said. “We knew that this year’s dates were going to line up with the live period and we are hoping all the players are enjoying this experience.”

“The players are the main attraction,” King said. “We are kind of like the waiters, we set the table and bring the food and they’re the ones that get to eat.”

The boys qualifier for Section 7 begins play Wednesday and concludes Thursday to determine the final teams that will play in the tournament over the upcoming weekend. This aligns with the live period that allows Division II, Division III and NAIA coaches to attend.

Joey Plishka expects to graduate in December 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in December of 2023. Plishka is a multimedia journalist who has interned in communications at New City Church, as a photo director for WCSN and as a photo editor for the Arizona Coyotes.All college coaches will be allowed to attend when the boys tournament begins Friday, which will cap off an impressive two-week showing with by Section 7’s conclusion in the championship games Sunday.

While teams are represented by 12 different states, the college coaches that attend the Section 7 Tournament extend beyond that and sit adjacent to the courts while watching each play with unassuming intensity.

State Farm Stadium is home to the Section 7 tournament. The high school basketball showcase opened last weekend with the girls bracket and continues this upcoming weekend with the boys bracket. (Photo by Joey Plishka/Cronkite News)Home of the Arizona Cardinals, the stadium’s natural grass was removed and converted into 12 full-length basketball courts with games simultaneously being played on each court throughout the day.

Division I college coaches are banned from contacting athletes until Sept. 1 of their junior year, and Division II coaches can’t reach out until June 15 after their sophomore year, the same day the Section 7 Tournament began.

On Saturday, the Section 7 Tournament closed out the girls bracket featuring 136 teams. In total, 400 total teams qualified for competition from 12 different states to play 800-plus games featuring some of the nation’s top players and teams. By the end of this weekend, players will wrap up playing in front of 700-plus college coaches.While the top players and teams are well-represented, the committee ensured smaller schools received the same opportunities, with teams ranging from 2A-6A.

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King lamented that Division I women’s coaches aren’t allowed to come and watch (the June scholastic window applies specifically to men’s basketball), and said he hopes they will be able to one day. For now, he said he still wants the event to give the girls access to a prominent venue and “elevate their experience.”Cohesion is critical even for reigning state champions. Sunnyslope High School, fresh off its first 6A championship victory, has plenty of work to do this summer, Vikings coach Ray Portela said.

Portela said Sunnyslope winning its 2019 bracket at Section 7 helped his players attract attention. Since then, many players have missed potential recruiting opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic, bolstering the importance of Section 7 this summer.“There’s going to be a kid who plays at Section 7 who plays in those games,” King said. “There’s going to be a coach who comes to evaluate kids at Section 7 that coaches in those games.

“Definitely just got a little bit of a wow factor,” said Strake Jesuit coach Dominic Amorosa, “to be able to play in a stadium that hosts Super Bowls and Final Fours and big-time events.”

The goal of Section 7 is to provide an opportunity for athletes to play with their high school teams in front of college basketball coaches. It shares its name with the National Federation of State High School Associations region that includes Arizona. The tournament debuted in 2019 after the NCAA designated two June weekends for “scholastic events” in response to recommendations from the Rice Commission on College Basketball.“Idaho kind of gets downplayed because it’s a smaller state and a lot of people don’t know where it is, but there is some good basketball here,” he said. “I’m hoping that we can go represent.”

Initial tournament play continues through Sunday, and the top 32 teams will move on to an exclusive second weekend of matchups June 25 through 27 at Brophy College Preparatory.PHOENIX – Nearly 200 high school basketball teams from across the West this weekend will squeeze onto 12 courts for the return of the Section 7 tournament.

“It gives our 2022s a chance to have an exposure weekend, prior to the AAU live period in July,” he said, “and then it gives our 2023s a chance to see – this is what it looks like.”