Desert Vista boys basketball, once on top in Arizona, tries to rise again in Section 7

Since the pandemic hit a week after winning state in 2020, Phoenix Desert Vista's boy's basketball team has encountered one obstacle after another.

Now enter Obie Tann, whose Chicago upbringing molded a man who is no-nonsense, demanding and tough and hoping to put the pieces back together to build a championship program again.

It starts this week in Section 7.

After a 10-point loss Thursday to open the 229-team, 12-state high school showcase that draws hundreds of college coaches from all over the nation, hoping to find talent, Tann and his three assistants spent a long time with the players sitting in the corner of State Farm Stadium, going over what they need to do to get better.

These are baby steps back. But for Tann, he can't wait to get his program, as he puts it, "re-cultured," to the point where the Thunder some day will be placed in the gauntlet Fiesta bracket, where 6A champion Gilbert Perry can be found in Section 7, going up against the heavyweights of high school basketball in the country.

"Not a lot of discipline," Tann said following the loss to Marcos. "Not enough basketball. We'll get there. We've got some great pieces. We've got some guys who can go. We just have to be smart with the basketball, better decision making."

More: Suns coach Monty Williams' son among Arizona HS basketball players taking stage at Section 7

A couple of hours later Thursday, Desert Vista lost to Sierra Vista Buena 58-50.

Lots of talent was lost after Gino Crump led the Thunder to the 2019-20 state championship. Even during that season, it was filled with adversity with Crump having to go to court to get his job back after Desert Vista fired him midseason.

Even after Crump returned to lead the Thunder to the title, it was never the same. He felt he lost the trust and support of his administration.

David Klecka came in as athletic director, and, after Crump left, not happy about the Arizona Interscholastic Association being non-committal on having a 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 still rearing its head, Klecka made Jordan Ballard interim co-head coach with Crump assistant Bryant St. Cyr.

That was a sub-par season for Desert Vista standards in a COVID-reduced 2021 season. Then, late in the 2021-22 season, Ballard was placed on administrative leave by Desert Vista. He never finished the regular season and the 6A play-in loss to Maricopa. His contract was not renewed, and the hunt was on for another coach.

Tann hopes to bring stability back.

He feels he's got good young talent to go with size in the post, led by 6-foot-9 senior Carson White, who seldom played last season.

"The main thing he does is keep us upbeat and keep us positive," White said. "The last couple of years, it's been, they kind of beat us down, honestly.

"Coach Obie makes sure to keep us positive, keep our teammates up and he makes us work a lot harder, and stay with each other a lot more. We're brothers every position."

White knows it's going to take time. But he believes this team can make a run for state next season.

"We just have to get our chemistry together," White said. "We have a lot young players. Only three seniors this year. We've got a lot of work to do. But things are looking very bright."

Along with senior guard Brooklyn Swindle, Tann believes 6-4 juniors Cori James and Tre Sanders and 5-9 freshman point guard Nikko Velez have a chance to be special this weekend.

More: Who to see at the Section 7 high school basketball showcase in Glendale this week

Velez showed flashes Thursday that he's ready to be the floor general for the Thunder varsity as a freshman.

"We don't have our chemistry down," Velez said. "We're making mental mistakes.

"I love Coach Obie. He's a great coach. He favors defense. And when you do that, the offense will come."

Tann had success in Tucson before coming to Ahwatukee. He built Catalina's program back up, before leading Sabino the last two years. Sabino went 17-10 and 10-1 in the 3A South Region last year. His team beat his former team, 76-0, last season in a game he said he was trying to keep from scoring 100.

"We've played 20 games (in June) with not a lot of teaching," Tann said. "A lot of our guys just got back. We just got back our big guy, Carson. We just got back Cori James, a 6-4 shooter. He needs to get into shape.

"We're relying a lot on an eighth-grader who hasn't spent a day as a freshman yet. He could play a lot of minutes for me.

"Re-culturing is big right now for what we're doing. But I think I've got the right coaching staff. I think we have the right players. Summer is a learning time. We'd like to win games right now. But no worries."

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Desert Vista basketball tries to rise under Obie Tann in Section 7