Boys' Section 7 weekend bigger than ever

Jun. 27—The bar was raised yet again the week of June 21-25, as the annual Section 7 high school basketball invitational took over State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

Matt King, tournament director and executive director of the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association, has made it well known that his intentions with Section 7 is to always deliver a better product than the year before. He did just that this year.

If players didn't already feel like stars in previous years, they came close this time around. The lights were brighter, the stage was bigger, and the competition was at an all-time high.

"When I look at this, what I see is unbelievable players, I see tremendous high school coaches and we've always looked at it as an opportunity to serve them," King said on the AZPreps365 Morning Show. "They're the heroes of the story. We just kind of set the table, get out of their way and do their thing.

"Section 7 has become what Section 7 is because we have great players, great coaches and west coast basketball is really good."

Notre Dame senior Anthony Batson competed in a first for Section 7: A slam dunk competition. It was the nightcap for Section 7 Opening Night, which included a panel of influencers in the basketball community and 3-point contest.

The night mirrored, in some ways, what is seen during NBA All-Star weekend. More than 6,000 people showed up to watch the two competitions, filling one of the grandstands set on the floor of State Farm Stadium for one of the two featured courts and two sections of seating used by Cardinals fans in the fall.

Batson walked away with the slam dunk championship, beating out Deer Valley's Alon Johnson and Corner Canyon's (UT) Hayden Gribble.

"I was looking at the other dunks and I was thinking, 'I've got something crazier in my bag,'" Batson said. "I knew I had to pull something simple but spectacular to get the people going."

Section 7 provides a unique opportunity for players like Batson and Perry junior forward D'Andre Harrison. It's a chance to mesh with teammates while also getting in front of several hundred college coaches from every level.

For Harrison, his junior year not only represents one of the most important in terms of recruiting, but also his chance to lead the Pumas alongside star junior forward Koa Peat.

"I just had to play my game," Harrison said. "It's a good feeling. I was taking charge, so I'm happy. Everything I've been working on. I want to show it. Show I can play on that level to them and my team."

Aside from the dunk and 3-point contest, other new elements were added to Section 7 this year. Most notably, the qualifier brackets.

More than 90 Arizona high schools were invited to compete for the final 12 spots in the weekend event. The format was simple: Win the bracket, advance to the weekend.

The San Tan Charter Roadrunners knew this was their opportunity to make names for themselves.

"We just want to prove that we belong at the end of the day," Head Coach Kyli Crooms said. "We knew this is where we wanted to be. We had three games to get there to do that. It was a lot of gratification, but we knew the job wasn't done."

San Tan Charter advanced out of the qualifier and into the main weekend brackets, where they won three out of their four games.

Casteel was another qualifier winner, advancing after dominating the bracket in the two days leading up to the weekend. The Colts used their length to overpower teams.

Finding motivation was easy. Every player wanted the chance to play among some of the top teams and players in the country. They were able to accomplish that goal.

"I wanted to hurry up and get to the big games," Casteel junior guard Amare King said. "It's a big opportunity."

Like Perry and Notre Dame, Valley Christian and Highland were automatic qualifiers for the tournament. Teams with players capable of becoming big-time recruits are often the ones who receive those automatic invites.

Highland is a team replacing two key starters from last year's state title run. But it returns sharpshooter Michael Johnson. Head Coach Todd Fazio said the event caters to players like that, who may be under the radar now but can get a boost in recruitment over the weekend.

For that reason, Section 7 is something he looks forward to as a coach.

"It does not get old," Fazio said. "It's hard work. It's a lot of hours. But we ain't roughers. We're running basketball events and we get to be around really good players, really good coaches. We get to be around what high school basketball is all about."

Valley Christian's Luke Shaw made the most of Section 7. He showcased his leadership and overall ability to play. He slashed through defenders to get to the rim and pulled up for midrange and 3-point shots.

He did it all for the Trojans, which is why they came one game shy of playing for the bracket championship. Shaw said playing in front of Division I coaches was a good experience, especially now that he enters his senior season.

"It's kinda nice but I try not to add any pressure or anything. I just keep playing for the Lord and glorifying him," Shaw said. "I know some schools have talked to my coach but none directly to me. It's awesome, you just try to come out here and perform."

The qualifying tournament held on Wednesday and Thursday allowed players who may not yet be ready for the Division I level to be seen by college coaches from other levels of the sport.

That was the allure for Mountain Pointe Coach Kaimarr Price. His team is young and for now he's aiming to help them establish confidence on the court. Despite not making it to the weekend, he said playing in front of coaches most of his players will play for at the next level was key.

"It gives a wider scope of coaches that see your players," Price said. "We had a couple of guys who ended up being the best players on our team who were D2 or D3 caliber guys who played in front of a bunch of D1 coaches last year, which isn't quite helping them as much."

Desert Vista Coach Walter Bonner shared the same sentiment as Price. He was thankful for the opportunity to lead his team to Section 7 for the first time. He believes they impressed some teams and coaches.

"I just expected our guys to come out and compete," Bonner said. "I saw a couple of coaches that I know so there were a few that saw our guys. Some of them put themselves in good situations."

This year was the first time Eastmark had a chance to compete at Section 7, even if it was in the qualifier. It's still a fairly new program with players who have grown alongside it.

The Firebirds fell short of qualifying for the main weekend tournament, but Head Coach Joe Babinski said the opportunity to play in that environment was special for his players and specifically for some of the leaders on the team.

It was their opportunity to show how they react to a stressful environment, while also showcasing what they can do on the floor to college coaches.

"We're a new school so anything positive like this, getting into something like this, really helps the kids' confidence," Babinski said. "Last year we didn't get the chance to play to get in. This year, we did."

Aside from the recruiting aspect, the tournament provides an opportunity for teams to get an early look at what they may be able to do in the winter. With that in mind, Red Mountain Coach Chris Lemon liked what he saw.

Players he was looking forward to having on varsity the last few years have grown and matured. The Mountain Lions have size across the board and showed how much of an impact that can have in the qualifying tournament.

They fell short of advancing, but Lemon said his team hit its peak at the right time.

"We have a lot of guys that can play at the level of the coaches that are here for the qualifier," Lemon said. "Obviously, it gets amplified Friday. This opportunity these guys have created for high school basketball is just so massive.

"The biggest part about Section 7, I didn't think they could make it better. But the qualifier gives everybody the equal chance. If you're a competitor and like to compete, that's all you're looking for."

King said Section 7 was an idea he had while sitting on his couch one night. He doesn't know what the future holds for the event next year, or how much it will grow as it has on a yearly basis. For now, his goal is maintaining its success.

"When you build something, you work so hard to establish it," King said. "Now, I think most of our work will be to protect it."

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at (480)898-5630 or zalvira@timespublications.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.