Phoenix-area high school basketball players get moment to shine in L.A. Latino showcase

Jesús Almaraz heard a familiar sound on the basketball court at Schurr High School east of Los Angeles.

Some of the players on the court for the inaugural Lorenzo Mata All-Latino Showcase were communicating in Spanish, talking basketball in that language to tell teammates about a screen or a switch on defense.

"lt was just like, you know, this is who we are," Almaraz said.

Parker Escalante took part in the showcase's 3-point shooting competition, accompanied by live mariachi music on the court, and got to know some of the other players in the showcase, some of whom met for the first time.

Almaraz, a senior at Phoenix Maryvale, and Escalante, a senior at Mesa High School, were invited to play in last Saturday's showcase, named after former UCLA Bruins star, three-time Final Four participant and Mexican national basketball team member Lorenzo Mata. The game featured players mainly from California, but Almaraz and Escalante, two players from longtime Phoenix-area basketball coach Joe León's Tempe-based Tierra del Sol club program, were also selected.

Though several players in the showcase had already been offered and committed to colleges where they will play next season, others, including Almaraz and Escalante are unsigned seniors or underclassmen. Almaraz and Escalante put together good high school careers and said that while the showcase can help with exposure to college coaches from junior college to Division I, it was also about showing younger kids that Latinos are good basketball players despite often being overlooked when it comes to college scholarships or offers.

"I would mainly say that it was to show that Latinos can play ball," Almaraz said. "It feels good to show people coming from down low that we can come up. Even if we're from the west side, from Maryvale, poor parts of Phoenix. We can make it to places, too. We can make it to places with hard work and dedication."

Almaraz, at 6-foot-6 with 3-point range, has been playing basketball since the seventh grade. A transfer from Tolleson, he helped Maryvale to its first 10-plus win season in a decade.

His Maryvale teammates welcomed Almaraz with open arms, and when the Panthers defeated Tolleson this season told Almaraz they wanted to win the game for him.

Escalante, a 5-11 shooting guard, helped Mesa to the 6A state quarterfinals this past season.

"It was overall really good competition as some of those kids aren't signed or don't get as much looks. They definitely deserve it. I know they put the work in just like I do. So they definitely deserve something," Escalante said. "I'm a basketball player that likes to see other basketball players do their thing and get and receive blessings. And to see others, especially when they're other Latinos just like me, you know, that aren't passing the eye test or having some discouraging thoughts, I want to see all those kids, all those type of kids shine. I want them to put on for the Latino community so my kids have a have a better chance of passing the eye test and being able to get noticed and stuff like that."

Escalante said Latino basketball players often play under the rim and aren't always the tall, athletic high flyers seen in such showcases as the McDonald's All-American game for high school stars. He feels it's hard for coaches to see past under-6-foot guards despite their speed, tough defense and high basketball IQ

"And sometimes it's just hard to match up with that 6-3 guard that can dunk and has a really high IQ as well," he said.

Escalante is looking at junior college basketball next season after a summer of working out at camps, saying he doesn't "want my journey to end here."

Almaraz has some interest from local schools, a couple in San Diego and one in New York. He said he would consider playing in Mexico or overseas, but wants to play regardless of where.

"Ball brought me a lot of joy in my life. It took me through some rough patches in my life. And you know, I'm never going to abandon it," he said.

Soon his father will take him to Rosarito, Mexico for a basketball tournament, and he hopes his mother can attend but she is focusing on making sure the family's bills are paid.

Both players are good friends and mentioned how grateful they were to play in the showcase, albeit against each other but representing Arizona. And both enjoyed the L.A. showcase because of the camaraderie with the other players and the chance to play with others who look like and understand them from a cultural perspective.

León said often times, young Latino players run into a chance issue more than anything related to race or ethnicity when it comes to playing high level basketball in high school or college.

"They'll outshine somebody, but they won't get the same opportunity. Because there's the fear of the unknown," León said.

León runs the Chicano Basketball League, with the Tierra del Sol club program under that umbrella.

"We have kids like Jesús, but he's just one story. There's 10 stories out there right now," León said.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The basketball life of 2 Mexican American high schoolers from Phoenix area