The All-Defensive Senior Team for 2021-2022
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The All-Defensive Senior team includes some outstanding defenders who are equally skilled in guarding an opponent and stealing the basketball. Center – Kennedy Basham Kennedy Basham 6'7" | C Pinnacle | 2022 State #16 Nation AZ –…
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Continue ReadingThe All-Defensive Senior team includes some outstanding defenders who are equally skilled in guarding an opponent and stealing the basketball.
Center – Kennedy Basham Kennedy Basham 6'7" | C Pinnacle | 2022 State #16 Nation AZ – a six-foot-seven center for PHH Prep, she recently committed to the University of Oregon after receiving offers from schools including Arizona, Duke, Louisville, and UCLA. A transfer from Pinnacle High School, Kennedy also plays for her club team, Arizona Select. She was on the All-Arizona girls’ team and a Grind Session All-Star while playing for the Fire. She is considered one of the nation’s top shot blockers and in one game last season broke the state record for blocked shots with 11 playing for PHH Prep. She was also awarded Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Power Forward – Talia Dial Talia Dial 5'10" | PF PHH Prep | 2022 State AZ – is a five-foot-ten power forward who transferred from Dysart High School to PHH Prep in July of 2020. She also plays for Arizona Select, her club team. She is one of the top 50 players in Arizona for the 2021-2022 season. As a freshman at Dysart, she averaged 16.7 points per game and increased that to 21.3 as a sophomore. Going into her senior year with the Panthers, Talia will be playing more of a national schedule. She was selected as Player of the Game a total of 18 times in her two years at Dysart by Max Preps. She has a scorer’s mentality as an offensive player but is relentless on defense as both an individual defender as well as being a team defender.
Small/Shooting Forward – Kam ’Ren Rhodes – is a five-foot-six player who plays for her father, Head Coach Jamaal Rhodes, for AZ Compass Prep. Rhodes helped Sabino High School win a state title in 2019-2020 with her father as Head Coach. She also has a 4.0 GPA. Kam ’Ren was selected by the Arizona Republic as one of the Elite 50 players for the upcoming season. She made Grind Session First Team in her initial year at AZ Compass Prep. An outstanding defender, she excels in stealing the basketball, averaging more than five steals per game.
Combination Guard – Nyese Jones Nyese Jones 5'4" | CG Westwood | 2022 State AZ – is a five-foot-five combo guard who plays for Westwood High School in Mesa as well as her club team, Natives With Talent. A Native American, her father Jerry Jones, coaches the NWT team. A four-year varsity player for Westwood, Having played 75 games over three years, Nyese’s scoring average has improved every year. She averaged 9.3 as a freshman, 9.6 as a sophomore, and 12.3 as a junior. She enjoys playing defense as much as offense and her father had this to say about her defense. “Her tenacious defense has created some huge turnovers.”
Westwood Head Coach Ron Compton commented on Nyese’s defense. “She was our defensive floor general when she was on the court. She was calling out defenses to shift into, making sure players backed through screens, etc.” She is a relentless defender.
Point Guard – Tessa Hastings is a five-foot-eleven guard for Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson. She also plays for her grassroots team, TNT. A transfer from Tanque Verde High School, she averaged 6.3 points a game as a sophomore for the Lancers, 9.8 as a junior, and 12.5 this year. Tessa is also averaging three steals per game this season. She takes pride in her defense and usually guards the opponent’s best player. She recently received a letter of commendation from the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Salpointe Head Coach Joe Luevano talked about Tessa’s game. ” She is a very confident player, a 4.0 student, and has the leadership ability to pick her teammates up and bring them along.” Outstanding as a defender, she is ready for a superb senior season.