2016-2017 East Valley Boys Hoops Preview

November 18, 2016 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365

If you're looking forward to an exciting ride among 6A East Valley schools in boys basketball this season, you are in luck. Listening to and reading what various coaches offer on who the top contenders are conjures up a lengthy list. For 5A, 4A 3A and 2A East Valley teams -- not so much. But don't count out a couple of them.

Here's a glance East Valley schools with an emphasis on 6A schools in the area where competitions will be keen:

6A: Corona del Sol has been an automatic when it comes to title contention this decade and that doesn't change this year with a couple marquee pieces -- senior guards Alex Barcello and Saben Lee. Barcello recently signed with Arizona and Lee wrote his name on a letter to Vanderbilt. Barcello tallied 23 points a game and adds good numbers in all the other categories. Lee chipped in with 18 ppg. They are more than scorers. The other returning starter is Shane Grier. The Aztecs lack size compared to most others, but certainly want to be back in the title picture after having their streak of five consecutive titles ended last year. A couple of freshmen may be in the mix for Corona, which never longs for a shortage of young to go with the old. Basha, a semifinalist last year, has a trio of starters back to make a bid at a deep run. Senior post Gabe McGlothan (11 ppg 8 rpg) and athletic senior guard Terrell Brown (11 ppg) and junior guard Brennan Davis are a good start. Helping the front line will be senior Coleson Struhs and junior transfer Amari Hudson, who will begin play come January. Desert Vista ushers in new coach Gino Crump, who has a handful of players returning led by veteran and seniorguard/forward 6-5 Caleb Simmons. Simmons averaged 13 ppg, 6 rpg. Shooting guard Noah Baumann, big fellas 6-11 Steele Bennett and 6-8 Christian Anigwe and guards Wesley Harris, Duane Miller and Alijah Gammage offer plenty of lineup options and combinations for the Thunder. Red Mountain is abuzz a key transfer and two veteran players back that should help come January. Senior guard Andres Mayberry averaged 11 ppg and junior guard Jacob Ries was solid game after game. Forward Timmy Allen, a transfer from Desert Ridge, will be eligible to play at VisitMesa.com the day after Christmas. He must sit the first nine power-ranking games, all prior to Christmas. Allen averaged 21 ppg last season and 17 ppg the year before. Two inside talents Andre Harris and Chance Johns add bulk and make for a complete lineup for coach Todd Fazio. Mountain View is still in most coach's conversations with only one starter back and a bench player from a year ago. Senior guard Matt Clark, the kind of defender coach Gary Ernst craves, is the starter and senior Nick Sessions got minutes in reserve last year. The rest of the squad will need to find their way at the varsity level and there are seven or eight of them. The Toros' patterned offense and often tenacious defense plugs the gap of a lack of big name players.

Other 6A teams to watch: Mesa High was the team halting Corona's title binge. The Jackrabbits beat Corona in last year's season opener and got help from Sunnyslope, who eliminated Corona a couple rounds prior to the finals. Mesa knocked off Sunnyslope in the title game. Coach Shane Burcar lost a big chunk of last year's team, but was a couple holdovers -- senior G-F DJ Henderson (9 ppg, 5 rpg) and junior point guard Mark Hatch (7.5 ppg, 3 apg). Burcar is confident that holdovers from last year with increased roles will bridge the loss of seven seniors. An interesting team is Desert Ridge and how it copes with Allen's transfer. The Jaguars still have a lot of pieces from last season -- senior starters Keith Holmes (10.5 ppg), Billy Jordan (6 ppg), Ethan Smith (4 ppg) and Jalen Harris (8.7 ppg). Guard Kyle Klaus, another senior, logged substantial minutes as well.

How 6A regions with East Valley schools shape up: The Central will be a dogfight with Corona del Sol and Desert Vista likely the top two. Desert Ridge will be scrappy and Gilbert, Highland and Mountain Pointe may have to dig deeper to stay with the others The East Valley figures to be a three-team chase with Red Mountain challenging Mesa and Mountain View. The Premier Region should boil down to Brophy, Basha and Chandler for the top spot. Brophy, Chandler and Perry have new coaches -- (Matt Hooten, Ed Gibson and Sammy Duane Jr., respectively). Hamilton's Doug Harris is in his second year. Basha's Mike Grothaus is the dean of region coaches in terms of time at his school as he begins his fourth season..

6A conference title contenders: Corona del Sol, Desert Vista, Red Mountain, Basha, Brophy, Mesa, Pinnacle, Mountain View and Desert Ridge.

5A: There are six 5A schools in the East Valley. Four in one region -- the San Tan. Mesquite, Campo Verde, Williams Field and Queen Creek together with Vista Grande. McClintock resides in the Metro with last year's big-school runner-up Sunnyslope and multi-talented Apollo. Poston Butte competes in the Sonoran Region with Cholla, Desert View, Marana and Flowing Wells. A school hoping to make significant improvement is Mesquite. Coach Chris Lemon begins his second year at the helm. The Wildcats return three players with significant playing time. 6-4 junior David Exline, a three-year starter. Exline averaged 16.5 ppg and 7.5 rpg. Two more juniors Willie Cano and JJ Arias were key contriibutors. Expected to help, immensely after the holidays is Hillcrest Prep transfer Jaden Lee, a point guard. Lee has to sit out nine games due to the transfer rule. Williams Field lost its top scorer and focal point offensively to graduation, but a a more balanced attack may prove beneficial this year. Coach Erik Kamrath anticipates a much improved defensive team as well. Starters returning are guards Nick Cupp-Allen and Tanner Haeberlae and forward Dylan Armstrong. Bench players who likely will see a bigger role this year are guard Duane Tate, guart Trent Worden and forward Max Fine. More help could emerge from JV players and a pair of transfers who won;t play until the holiday break. McClintock lost two key seniors to graduation, but have a solid returning starter in senior guard Adam Wright to lead a less-experienced, but potentiallybetter-than average team. Wright averaged nearly 11 points a game.

Mesquite or Williams Field could end up on top in the San Tan Region come season's end. McClintock has its hands full with Apollo and Sunnyslope in the Metro Region. Poston Butte and Cholla seem likely to compete for the top spot in the Sonoran Region.

The majority of 5A conference title contenders, however, are outside of the East Valley. Apollo, Sunnyslope, Chaparral, Arcadia, Agua Fria and Paradise Valley are the most prominent schools named by coaches

4A: The Desert Sky Region houses most of the East Valley's 4A teams -- Marcos de Niza, Higley, Seton Catholic and Tempe plus Casa Grande. Seton, coached by Commander King has a trio of starters that are excited about region-title contention and possibly more. They are shoooting guard Carson Pinter (10 ppg and a good shooter from 3-point range), guard Luke Thompson 11.6 ppg) and senior forward CJ Holton. Two juniors, a sophomore and a freshman give the Sentinels potentially an improved supporting cast. Marcos de Niza sports one returning starter Mason Stark, nephew of head coach Dave Stark. Mason Stark averaged 17 points a game last year and is a deadly shooter, especially if he gets to the free-throw line. DeShawn Ray, a transfer from Dobson, figures to help fill graudation losses. Higley is eager to build on last year's 19-win season. Coach Jerome Joseph has three returning senior guards - 5-11 guard Chris Wright, 5-11 guard Jacian Mercadel and three-year starter 5-8 guard Lawsen Owens. Add returning 6-6 junior forward Nate Cundiff, the Knights are ready tackle a new set of foes in their region. Joseph is anxious to see how three out-of-state transfers fit in.

The top 4A title contenders seems to center around the S's -- Shadow Mountain, St. Mary's and Salpointe Catholic.

3A: Four EV schools compete in 3A, but a couple stand to make noise. Valley Christian

has four returnng starters -- senior shooting guard Matt Svorinic, sophomore point guard Jalen Grijalva sophomore forward Connor Braun and senior post Christian Kamerman. Svorinic led VC in scoring. Kamerman is bouncing back from an ankle injury that knocked him out for significant time. Several other varsity returnees will help the Trojans --senior guard Nashe Machiri, senior guard Greysn Howell, out injured to start the season and senior forward Chape Shiel. American Leadership Academy may see football put a crimp in its start, but once the footballers reach the court with a little practice time it looks to be a good year. Top returners are F/C Donovan Hanna (16 ppg, 13 rpg), a double-double machine and guard-forward Stratton Sherwood (7 ppg, 4 rpg). Football players Dallin Edwards, Jermiah Boyd, Bujon Boyd and Josh Brown are next up the Patriots who reached the D-IV semis last year.

American Leadership and Valley Chrisitian will be challenged for region titles by Florence (ALA) and Yuma Catholic-Fountain HIlls (VC), respectively. They should find themselves in the playoffs regardless.

Top 3A conference title contenders statewide are Yuma Catholic, Northwest Christian, Valley Chrisitan, Pusch Ridge, Fountain HIlls, Snowflake, Window Rock, Holbrook and Winslow.

2A: Tempe Prep and Chandler Prep face a tough task for the season ahead. Tempe Prep tries to rebound from a 1-26 season and while Chandler Prep suffered massive graduation losses from a 24-7 team. Tempe Prep and Chandler Prep have tough competition in their region -- the Metro East -- from Horizon Honors and Phoenix Country Day. Gilbert Christian is reloading a bit, but should control the Metro South and be a solid contender for the 2A title as it is dropping from 5AI to 2A. That's a 2 1/2 conference drop in competition.