Arizona 4A Returning Blocks Per Game Leaders: Part 1

With the 2021-2022 AIA high school basketball season approaching soon, let’s look back at some of the players that made their presence known around the rim. This article will cover the Top Returning Blocks Per Game leaders in the 4A class in the state of Arizona. Be on the lookout for part two coming soon... <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="259200" first="Jayla" last="Scott"] - Senior - Vista Grande HS - 4.5 BPG </strong> As one of the top players in the state of Arizona for her age, [player_tooltip player_id="259200" first="Jayla" last="Scott"] has appeared in numerous amounts of our "Top Returning" series of articles that are recapping the 2020-2021 basketball season. She will lead off the Top Returning Blocks Per Game with an impressive <strong>4.5 BPG</strong> and a total of 68 blocks throughout her junior year. Scott also averaged 20.4 points per game and 12.6 rebounds per game for her squad. The six-foot-one captain will be returning for her final year to finish what she started for the Vista Grande Lady Spartans. All around tough competitor with lots of talent. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="261403" first="Britany" last="Kogbara"] - Junior - Peoria HS - 4.1 BPG </strong> Lengthy, five-foot-eleven, [player_tooltip player_id="261403" first="Britany" last="Kogbara"], is another player that has been featured in a lot of our "Top Returning" series but this one, in particular, is going to focus on her ability to make contact with the ball and protect the rim on defense. She completed her sophomore season with a total of 69 blocks for the year, along with <strong>4.1 blocks per game. </strong>She was selected as the MaxPreps Player of the Game four different times during the 2020-2021 season for her outstanding performances against Notre Dame Prep, Coconino, Cactus, and Prescott. As an underclassman, Britany averaged 13.8 points per game and 17.4 rebounds per game showing that her skills are unmatched. Kogbara has been one to watch and I believe this trend will continue over her next couple of years in high school. <strong>Rahimeh Salaam - Senior - Cortez HS - 3.4 BPG</strong> Upcoming senior for the Cortez Colts, Rahimeh Salaam averaged<strong> 3.4 blocks per game</strong> last season over the course of 14 games played. She ended her junior season with 48 total blocks and 34 fouls. Even though her team as a whole may not have had the best overall record, Salaam was awarded the MaxPreps Player of the Game three separate times last year against Combs, Notre Dame Prep, and Vista Grande for her skill set and ability to lead her team. With 9.6 rebounds per game and 2.6 assists per game, you can see that Rahimeh is a hard worker and fights during her minutes on the floor. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="208243" first="Michaela" last="Lee"] - Junior - Deer Valley HS - 3.2 BPG </strong> Returning for her junior year to play center for the Deer Valley Skyhawks, #32 [player_tooltip player_id="208243" first="Michaela" last="Lee"]. She had <strong>3.2 blocks per game </strong>last season for a total of 42 on the year over just 13 games played. This youngster has a lot of potential if she continues to work on her skills and her game overall throughout the next couple of years. Lee is a big body down low that does a great job of protecting the basket and making it a little more intimidating if the other team tries to drive. With 8.6 rebounds per game, Michaela really cleans it up on both ends of the floor and makes an effort to possess the basketball and get it to the outlet. After an 8-2 league record last season, I am looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds for the Skyhawks this year.