Arizona Republic's Top 15 high school boys basketball breakout players so far this season
With the Arizona high school boys basketball season hitting the midway point, let's look at players who have really broken out. The Arizona Republic is ranking the Top 15 breakout players of the first half of the season. These are guys who entered the season under the radar, but have elevated their teams during November and December.
Top 15 Breakout Players
1. Michael Simcoe, Sandra Day O'Connor, 6-8, Jr.
He was huge in the Tarkananian Classic receiving big props from recruiting services. Coach Josh Cole said that Simcoe's recruiting blew up after that high-level tournament, hearing from multiple Big 12 schools and mid-majors. He has offers from UC Irvine, NAU, San Diego, Montana State and Portland. He is averaging 18 points and seven rebounds per game.
2. D'Andre Harrison, Perry, 6-5, Jr.
He has blown up, especially in the Les Schwab Invitational in Portland, and become the perfect complement to 6-8 star Koa Peat, who is a top-five player in the nation for the 2025 class. Harrison can help with scoring, taking pressure off of Peat. In the Les Schwab Harrison had 28 points and nine rebounds in a 90-80 win over Oregon's Central Catholic in the third-place game.
3. Bo Dolinsek, Corona del Sol, 6-7, Sr.
He was good last year, but this year his confidence and outside shot has soared. He is averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game, and had a 44-point game in an overtime loss to Pinnacle. That was the third-most in a game in Corona history.
4. John Mattingly, Sunnyslope, 5-10, So.
He has gone from really good complementary players to go-to guy for a team that stunned Perry with a one-point win, beat Brophy Prep 62-60 on a night when Mattingly scored 43 points, and went off in The Classic at Damien's platinum division that included a 37-point performance.
5. Noah Gifft, Ironwood, 6-3, Sr.
He was the MVP of the third-best bracket of The Classic at Damien (California), leading the Eagles to wins over Pacifica Christian, Brentwood, Auburn and Lehi. He's been averaging about 25 points a game, making nearly 50% of his 3-point shots.
6. Uriah Tenette, Prescott, 5-11, Jr.
He's been a dynamo during the Badgers' 10-3 start that included going 3-1 in the Torrey Pines' Holiday Classic Senators Division -- averaging 34 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
7. Amare King, Casteel, 6-5, Jr.
He had 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists over McClintock in the McClintock Holiday Shootout championship win. The son of Commander King, a former notable high school coach in the Valley. His IQ shows up big on the court, making smart decisions -- helping the team to a 13-2 start.
8. Tyson Dobbins, Desert Christian, 6-2, So.
He emerged last week in the Coyote Basketball Invitational at Arizona Lutheran, where he averaged 22 points, five rebounds and three assists per contest, leading the 1A Tucson team to a 3-1 record and third-place finish. He had 29 points, making six 3-pointers, in a 91-66 stunner over 2A Arizona Lutheran, ending the Coyotes' 13-game home-court win streak.
9. Lex Clontz, Cesar Chavez, 6-3, Jr.
In the On This Mountain bracket of the Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge, the point guard averaged 19 points, and is now 15 points shy of reaching 1,000 for his varsity career. He led the Champions to a 4-0 record with wins over ALA Gilbert North, Scottsdale Christian, Cedar Valley (Utah) and Beverly Hills (California).
10. Conway Cummard, Mesa, 6-0, Sr.
He filled a big void this year, coming through with 13 points and nearly five assists a game during a 10-4 start. With A.J. Seumanu and Cummard, Mesa has a shot at surprising people in the postseason in 6A or even the Open playoffs.
11. Adam Hubbard, Canyon View, 6-3, Jr.
Everybody knows about Denali McNeil, but where did this kid come from? He had his moments last season. But this year he's taken off. He emerged in Torrey Pines as the American Division tournament MVP, helpings his team go 4-0 and win the title at The Holiday Classic in the San Diego area.
12. Aidan Schmidt, Casteel, 6-2, Sr.
He was named the tournament MVP at McClintock, averaging 19.5 points. He had 28 points in the semifinals and 20 points and 11 rebounds in the championship win over McClintock.
13. TJ Harris, Paradise Honors, 6-0, So.
There is no way the Panthers would have 11 wins midway through the season without Harris commanding the court. In their tournament last week, he had 31 points against Cambridge, 32 against Cienega and 22 against Pusch Ridge. He is averaging 24 points, four assists and three steals per game in the team's 11-7 start.
14. Kaleel Kelly, Willow Canyon, 6-3, Jr.
He's a huge reason why this team is 15-1 right now. His game was showcased last week in the Judy Dixon Memorial Tournament at Greenway, where the team went 4-0 and won the championship. Kelly averaged 14.5 points, 11 rebounds and six assists per game on his way to being named the tournament MVP.
15. Malachi Graham-Morrow, Leading Edge Academy-Gilbert, 6-0, Sr.
This 12-4 2A team has won nine straight because of this dazzling guard putting on shows. He had 47 points in an 83-71 win over the No. 2-ranked 1A team, Baboquivari, making 17 of 23 shots. He had 41 points on Dec. 29 in a 73-46 win over Florence, making 7 of 7 3-pointers.
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: The Arizona Republic's top 15 high school basketball breakout players
