Arizona high school sports digest: Brophy Prep's Arman Madi commits to NAU basketball
This is ongoing news and notes across Arizona high school sports for the 2022-23 school year. Keep coming back to find the latest in all sports.
Brophy Prep wing Arman Madi commits to NAU basketball
Phoenix Brophy Prep 6-foot-7 senior wing Arman Madi will be signing his national letter of intent to play basketball at Northern Arizona in November.
Madi has been Brophy's leading scorer the past two seasons. He led the Broncos to the top seed in the 6A playoffs and to the semifinals last year.
"Certainly NAU is getting a player who is a three-level scorer with elite 3-point range," Brophy coach Matt Hooten said. "I think one of the things that makes him even more special, however, is his court vision and passing ability. Very few players at his size and with his skill set are also able to see the floor and get their teammates scoring opportunities in the way that he does.”
This is the second year in a row that NAU coach Shane Burcar got a commitment from a top Valley recruit. Former Phoenix Sunnyslope All-Arizona point guard Oakland Fort signed with the Lumberjacks and is a freshman at NAU.
Madi said he took an unofficial trip to NAU a month ago. He said he already knew some of the players there, such as Fort and Will Coates, who played at Phoenix Desert Vista and PHH Prep.
"I've known Coach Burcar for a while," Madi said. "He's been watching me for a while. He's always been at our games. This past summer, our relationship has just kind of grown. He's always been an honest guy from Day One. It made it pretty easy having that connection."
Perry's Koa Peat, Cody Williams among stars at Hoophall West
Gilbert Perry sophomore forward Koa Peat and senior swingman Cody Williams, along with Phoenix St. Mary's junior point guard Style Phipps are among the who's who of high school basketball talent that will take the floor at Scottsdale Chaparral in December for the Hoophall West.
Chandler's AZ Compass Prep, among the top teams in the country, also will play, along with IMG Academy out of Florida and Mikey Williams-led San Ysidro out of California.
Phoenix Brophy Prep and Goodyear Millennium are other top local teams playing in the showcase that runs Dec. 7-10.
There will be top teams from California, New York, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina and Nevada participating.
On Dec. 7, three girls' games will be played: Chaparral against Salpointe Catholic, 5 p.m.; Perry against Santa Ana (California) Mater Dei, 6:30; and Desert Vista against Millennium, 8.
The boys will take the court Dec. 8, 9 and 10.
On the first day for the boys, the marquee matchup is St. Mary's against Gray Collegiate Academy (South Carolina) at 9 p.m.
On Dec. 9, the top games are AZ Compass against Wasatch Academy (Utah) at 6 p.m., followed by Brophy against St. Mary's at 7:30 and Perry against Cardinal Hayes (New York) at 9.
On Dec. 10, there will be two sessions. The best early game will be Millennium against Milton (Georgia) at 1 p.m. The best later session games will be AZ Compass Prep against IMG Academy at 6 p.m., and Perry against San Ysidro at 8.
Hilcrest Prep joins Overtime Elite
Hillcrest Prep out of Gilbert has joined Atlanta-based Overtime Elite's league this high school basketball season, it was announced Wednesday night.
Hillcrest was one of three teams announced in the league's expansion, giving it six teams. Each team will play each other three to four times during the season.
This is the second season for OTE, which visited the Valley last year and played games at The PHHacility in south Phoenix.
"We're really excited," said Hillcrest Prep director Nick Weaver, whose national prep basketball team will still play other games outside of OTE. "The biggest thing is if you really want to be a pro, this is the place to come.
"There's no better place in the country do it than OTE."
OTE is a national high school program that pays its players, getting them ready for pro basketball. It has a high-profile platform with millions of viewers.
OTE players can make six figures. They play in a state-of-the art facility.
Hillcrest players won't be paid like OTE players, but they'll be part of its social platforms with more national visibility.
Hillcrest has produced top talent like Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton and forward Michael Foster.
Last year, Hillcrest Prep played against OTE in its Atlanta facility. Weaver was blown away.
Hillcrest's first game playing in the OTE league will be Nov. 4 in Atlanta.
"We're ready," Weaver said. "I've been a huge fan of OTE. Social media matter so much at this level. Overtime's affect in basketball is second to none. A kid's marketing can go through the roof.
"Just the Overtime environment, it's a different animal. We're just excited to be part of the league. We're extremely grateful and honored."
Perry's Williams, Peat collect 5 stars
For the first time in Gilbert Perry boys basketball coach Sam Duane Jr.'s storied career, he has two five-star recruits on the same team.
Cody Williams, a 6-foot-8 wing, who is comfortable playing lead guard, is ranked No. 14 in the nation in the 2023 ESPN 100. He is one spot ahead of AZ Compass Prep 6-7 senior Mookie Cook, who is committed to Oregon.
Koa Peat, a 6-8 forward, is ranked No. 3 nationally in the 2025 ESPN 25. Yes, he's only a sophomore, although it seems like Peat has been around a while. He was the difference maker, a defensive force, in the final two games of the 6A state tournament, leading the Pumas to their first state basketball title. Then, this summer, he played a big role on the USA Basketball gold-winning Under 17 team in Spain.
Williams, the brother of NBA rookie Jalen Williams, has been on a meteoric rise since last season ended, playing well in elite summer showcases, including one that included a head-to-head matchup against LeBron James' son, Bronny
Williams recently listed his top eight colleges: Arizona, Colorado, UCLA, LSU, USC, LMU, Georgia Tech and Santa Clara (brother Jalen's alma mater).
Duane has coached the likes of Jalen Williams at Perry and Martin Bagley III at Tempe Corona del Sol. But he said he never had two five-stars on the same team.
"Their success comes from their tremendous work ethic," Duane said of Cody Williams and Peat. "They both had tremendous summers.
"What is special about them is, with all the accolades they have earned, they are about the team and winning. They are very unselfish teammates and they are great role models on campus."
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona HS sports digest: Brophy's Arman Madi commits to NAU hoops
