Under the Radar: Arizona 4A Gila Division
With the Class AAAA being so strong in the state of Arizona, it is nice to see everything broken down by each division so each athlete gets their moment of attention. This article is going to focus on some of…
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Continue ReadingWith the Class AAAA being so strong in the state of Arizona, it is nice to see everything broken down by each division so each athlete gets their moment of attention. This article is going to focus on some of the top players in the Gila Division that may fly under the radar when looking at the 4A as a whole. Each one of these athletes is hard-working and is a great addition to their team.
Karol Ortiz – Sophomore – 5’5″ – Sahuarita High School
As just a freshman during the 2020-2021 high school basketball season, Ortiz helped out her teammates with 10.0 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game in just 10 games played. During her time on the court, she defends the ball well and is able to use her quick hands to take the ball from the other team. Ortiz had 18 steals for the year showing that she was not afraid to play tough with the older kids. As she continues to get more and more comfortable in the high school basketball scene, I think we will start to see her come out of her shell even more.
Knowledge Smith – Senior – 5’5″ – Amphitheater High School
Smith will be returning to play one last time with the Amphiteather Lady Panthers after a down year last season. Even after going 5-8 overall, Smith still stood out. She averaged 8.5 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game with a total of 110 points for the season. Knowledge made it clear that she was not shy about shooting the three-ball and in the season opener she was 57% from behind the arc. Something else that is really special about Smith is that even at five-foot-five, she DOMINATES the boards. There was not a game that she played in last season where she did not bring down multiple rebounds on both ends of the floor.
Bianca Alegria – Senior – 5’8″ – Amphitheater High School
This powerful five-foot-eight center will be one to pay attention to in the upcoming basketball season in a couple of weeks. Algeria may have been flying under the radar until now, but I believe that she is going to have a breakout senior year for the Amphitheater Lady Panthers. She may not be the leading scorer on the team, but she makes her time on the court count. During the 2020-2021 season, Bianca averaged 4.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. What ended up being a loss to Pueblo late in the year, was Alegria’s best game with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds (7 defensive and 3 offensive).
Alessandra Segundo – Senior – 5’6″ – Sahuarita High School
Segundo is a fearless combo guard for the Sahuarita Lady Mustangs that averaged 11.6 points per game for a total of 93 points for the season. She was awarded the MaxPreps Player of the Game three different times during her junior year for outstanding performances against Walden Grove and Amphitheater twice. Alessandra also made an impact on her team through rebounds and steals. For the season, she averaged 4.9 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game in just the eight games she played in. A healthy Segundo back for the Lady Mustangs will be a big impact on the 2021-2022 basketball season.
Mia Dionisio – Junior – 5’9″ – Walden Grove High School
Upcoming Walden Grove junior, Mia Dionisio is a five-foot-nine forward for the Lady Red Wolves that averaged 8.5 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game in the 2020-2021 high school basketball season. Although the Lady Red Wolves may not have had the season they hoped for with an overall record of 3-10 but that did not stop Dionisio from making moves on the court. In a tough game against Sahuarita High School, Mia almost pulled off a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds. Four of those rebounds were on the offensive end of the floor. She is a well-rounded player with a great flow for the game.