Arizona’s Best Prep Basketball Centers
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Arizona has some outstanding centers in the class of 2022 and 2023. Here’s a look at five of them: Kennedy Basham Kennedy Basham 6'7" | C Pinnacle | 2022 State #16 Nation AZ is a 6-7 center who recently transferred…
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Continue ReadingArizona has some outstanding centers in the class of 2022 and 2023. Here’s a look at five of them:
Kennedy Basham Kennedy Basham 6'7" | C Pinnacle | 2022 State #16 Nation AZ is a 6-7 center who recently transferred from Pinnacle High school to Phoenix PHH Prep. She also plays for Arizona Select, her club team. Kennedy is the number one ranked center in the state of Arizona for the class of 2022. While at Pinnacle she recorded the school’s first triple-double against the Vegas Bulldogs by scoring 14 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and having 11 blocked shots. In three years at Pinnacle, she averaged 13.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game in 65 total contests. On three different occasions, she was named Player of the Game by Max Preps in the 2018-2019 school season. Last season she finished second in the state in blocked shots per game (4.6).
One scout referred to Kennedy “…as having a good post-up game, great footwork on offense, is clearly an inside-outside threat, and is clearly one of the nation’s top recruited centers. She has improved her game physically, finished plays in the paint vs. contact, and has a superior shot-blocking presence. She can protect the rim, hit threes, and play well with her back to the basket.” Kennedy led Pinnacle to the state semifinal before losing to state runner-up, Chandler Hamilton.
As Kennedy gets ready for 2021-2022, she has had double-digit scholarship offers. They include Duke, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Penn, Kansas, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Georgetown, LSU, North Carolina, Mississippi, USC, UCLA, and Syracuse. There will be more to come during the upcoming season, The sky is the limit as she gets ready for her final year of high school.
Kiley Sours Miller Kiley Sours Miller 6'3" | C Dream City Christian | 2023 State AZ is a 6-1 center from Centennial High School and in the class of 2023. Her Coyotes finished last season with an overall 5-12 record and 4-6 in their division. Kiley averaged 16.6 points per game as a sophomore, 16.2 rebounds a game, and 3.2 blocks per game. As a freshman, she was selected 16 different times by Max Preps as Player of the Game. In her first game for Centennial, she shot 16 0f 17 from the floor and ended up with 34 points and 20 rebounds.
Last season Kiley was the sixth leading rebounder in the state and finished second in double-doubles with 15. She has a great work ethic and is an outstanding shot blocker. Her Head Coach, Brady Rath, had this to say about her.”Kiley is our leader and one of the top players on our team. She has the potential to be one of the best players in the state if she continues working hard to improve.”
Achol Magot Achol Magot 6'5" | C Southern Arizona Prep | 2023 State AZ is a 6-7 center for Salpointe Catholic and considered to be the second-ranked center in the state. Salpointe finished with a 19-2 overall record last year and 5-1 in their conference. SCHS lost to Seton Catholic in the state championship, 70-62. Achol is also a member of the volleyball team and last year played in 19 sets with 6 kills and 9 blocks.
Achol has a complete spring and summer schedule playing for the Arizona Select Tucson team. Last season she made the Honorable Mention Team for the 4A Kino division as chosen by AZ365. She possesses the height and size needed to be effective in the paint. Her game has improved yearly as she gets ready for the start of her junior year. Salpointe Catholic should be ready to go deep into the playoffs in both 2022 and her senior year, 2023.
Michaela Lee Michaela Lee 6'0" | PF Deer Valley | 2023 State AZ is a 6 foot center from Deer Valley High school in Glendale. She also plays for her club team, TWE Elite which will be playing in a number of tournaments over the late spring and summer. The Lady Skyhawks finished the season with a 15-4 overall record and 8-2 in their division. As a sophomore, Michaela averaged 6.8 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per contest, and 3.2 blocks per game.
A member of the class of 2023, she made the 4A West Valley All-Regional first team and was selected to the Third Team by West Valley Preps. Playing for Head Coach Amy Almazon, Michaela had her career-high in rebounds with 13 boards in Deer Valley’s game against Notre Dame Prep. She has improved every season and is becoming more of a presence on both offense and defense as she gets ready for her junior season.
Jayla Scott Jayla Scott 6'1" | PF Vista Grande | 2022 State AZ is a 6-1 center/power forward for Vista Grande High school in Casa Grande. Her team finished with an overall 7-8 record last season and they were 4-4 in their division (4A Black Canyon). Jayla averaged 20.4 points a game as well as 12.6 rebounds and 4.5 blocks. Playing for head coach Ryan Barrett, she improved her scoring each year – as a freshman, she averaged 6.0 points, as a sophomore, 11.9, and 20.4 as a junior. She was voted Player of the Game a total of 17 times by Max Preps from November 2018 to March 2021. Jayla is also an outstanding volleyball player. In 68 games over a two-year period, she had 93 kills and 34 solo blocks.
Last March she had her first triple-double with points, rebounds, and blocks. She also had 11 double-doubles in 2021. Coach Barrett fells that “,,,Jayla can play any position on the court, she can bring the ball up the court and dribble and shoot. She also can attack the basket and has developed good post moves.” As she gets ready for her senior season, there is no limit to her ceiling.