CLOSE

Arizona will have its presence felt at the McDonald’s High School All-American girls basketball game Morgan Wootten Top 150 Evaluation Event next month. 

Four top recruits from the Valley have been selected to participate in the event, which will be held from Oct. 24-25 at Fieldhouse USA in Mansfield, Tex.

The recruits include defending 6A conference state champion Surprise Valley Vista teammates Jennah Isai and Marisa Davis, Phoenix Pinnacle junior center Kennedy Basham and PHH Prep senior guard Jess Finney.

The latter three players are part of The Republic’s 2019-20 All-Arizona Girls Basketball Team. All four are among the 10 highest rankings in the Elite 50 Girls Basketball Players 2020-21 preseason poll.

Davis and Finney, who will be freshmen teammates at Washington during the 2021-22 season, are ranked in ESPN’s Top 100 Class of 2021 player poll at Nos. 76 and 94, respectively. Juniors Basham and Isai are Nos. 30 and 54 in the network’s Class of 2022 Super 60 poll

“It’s just to get us in front of the recruiters and its good exposure,” Basham said. “I’m excited just to get a chance to play against all the top girls, so I think it will be fun and good competition.”

During the club season in the spring through early fall, Basham, Isai and Finney are also teammates on Arizona Select.

“It’s super cool that (four) of us from Arizona are all going and we all know each other. I feel like maybe if we get to play with each other out there, that’d be nice because we all have chemistry together.”

Arizona’s representation in the McDonald’s All-American Game has steadily increased since January. 4A state champion Seton Catholic’s head coach Karen Self was named the annual classic’s West team coach, which was supposed to occur in April until it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription today.