Arizona's recruiting targets face quick turnaround for Section 7 play

For UA target Brady Dunlap and his Harvard-Westlake teammates, the offseason was basically one night of really bad sleep.

On June 17, Harvard-Westlake ended its long-delayed 2020-21 season by losing 65-56 to St. John Bosco in the semifinals of the CIF Southern California regionals.

Less than 24 hours later, Harvard-Westlake’s 2021-22 team was matched with Phoenix St. Mary’s in the first day of last weekend’s Section 7 team camp at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

Dunlap and the Wolverines transitioned during the drive over from Los Angeles the morning of that game. That about all the time they had.

“It was hard to wake up and feel disappointed from the loss, but you still had to get yourself ready to go because you’re finally going to play in front of coaches,” Dunlap said. “It was an adjustment for sure.”

Nearly every Western-based Division I head coach was in attendance at some point last weekend, and UA coach Tommy Lloyd is among those also expected to show up for the Section 7 finals this weekend at Phoenix Brophy Prep.

“It’s great to be out,” Lloyd said in Glendale last weekend. “It’s great to see kids playing. It’s great to see a bunch of your coaching friends and it’s great to be out representing Arizona. It’s a lot of fun.”

As it turned out, it was also fun for Dunlap and his teammates. A 6-7 wing forward from the class of 2023, Dunlap said he had to transition from mostly being a shooter to handling other responsibilities literally overnight since the Wolverines lost two starters off the 2020-21 team that finished up on June 17.

Most of his teammates had to adjust, too. Yet the Wolverines went 3-1 in the Section 7 team camp, beating St. Mary’s, Peoria Centennial and Seattle Prep while losing to Campolindo of Moraga, California.

“We lost a tough playoff game,” in the CIF, Dunlap said. “Everyone had a certain role in the playoff game and then we came here and we have a different role. My coaches wanted me to do more in this setting and it was an adjustment. Everything was adjustment and I’m just proud of our guys that we got through it.”

More UA targets in Section 7 finals

Harvard-Westlake is among the teams returning for the “Section 7 finals” this weekend, along with some invited teams, plus powers such as St. John Bosco who were still playing state tournaments last weekend and bracket winners from the Section 7 team camp.

Many of the UA targets on hand are expected to return for a second weekend, while others such as 2022 guards Joseph Hunter of Fresno’s San Joaquin Memorial, Miles Byrd of Stockton’s Port City, and 2022 forward Jaxon Kohler of American Fork in Utah will be appearing for the first time in Section 7.

The UA staff is also expected to drop in on other events to be held around the nation this weekend, the last weekend for open evaluation of high school teams before the club-ball events fill up the July evaluation periods.

Tangara says Ballo ‘can punish guys’

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Once he heard fellow Mali native Oumar Ballo was transferring from Gonzaga earlier this spring, Mohamed Tangara texted him to ask what was up. But he wanted to keep his bias out of it.

Tangara is a former UA player, after all.

“I was trying to guide him,” Tangara said. “But he had Arizona on his list so I didn’t want to say anything. Whatever decision he made, I’d be happy with that.”

As it turned out, Ballo chose Arizona so he could play for Lloyd again, making him the Wildcats’ first player from Mali since Tangara played for them late in the Lute Olson era.

Now an assistant coach for Scottsdale Chaparral, which competed in the Section 7 team camp, Tangara said Lloyd and the Wildcats will be getting a physical presence who is more mobile than his 7-foot, 260-pound frame might suggest.

“He can move,” Tangara said. “I think he’s more like a defense guy, where when a coach wants to slow the game down, he can throw the ball into him and let him punish guys. He’s very physical and strong.”

Their bond is Tru

Arizona may have missed out on guard TyTy Washington this spring, but the Wildcats might just have a shot at his uncle.

It’s Tru.

Roosevelt “Tru” Washington is a brother of Tyrone “Tee” Washington, who is the father of Kentucky-bound TyTy.

Tyty and Tru have a close relationship, however it is defined. Tru said the two work out often together and TyTy has dished advice on what is ahead for his uncle.

He says “just stay focused,” Tru said.

While TyTy starred for Laveen Cesar Chavez and then moved to AZ Compass Prep before committing to Kentucky last month, Tru Washington is 6-foot-4 guard in the class of 2023 playing for Mountain Pointe. He said last weekend he’s received scholarship offers already from ASU, LSU, Georgia, Portland, UCSanta Barbara, Pepperdine and TCU.