MESA – Going 1-3 last weekend in Georgia dropped Paul George Elite U17 quickly into an EYBL hole, so Jamari Phillips had no time to waste Friday.
In his first Mesa EBYL game on Friday afternoon, the Arizona commit poured in 30 points while hitting 6 of 9 3-pointers to lead PG Elite to a 75-55 win over Arizona Unity at Legacy Park. He shot 11 for 17 overall from the field.
Fellow UA commit Carter Bryant added six points and eight rebounds while four-star 2024 point guard Jase Richardson had 15 points and four assists.
“The first session (in Georgia) we kind of had a little struggle,” Philips said. “I’m really trying to get my teammates going and my teammates are starting to find me, so my shots are coming easier to me.
“I felt my game was great, Jase Richardson was finding me a lot and playing with Carter was great. We were just all talking, reading the floor and just playing our hearts out, boxing out, trying our best to get this win because we really needed it.”
Upon committing to the Wildcats on Wednesday, Bryant noted that he wasn’t the type of player to worry about his stats and that much was evident after the game. Bryant was able to take only five shots but was all smiles afterward, hanging out with both a large group of family supporters and playfully bantering with PG Elite teammates long after the game ended.
He also spoke enthusiastically about how well Phillips played.
“A guy like Jamari when he gets hot, he gets hot,” Bryant said. “So we have to keep finding him and he kind of led us to victory today. We did a great job of finding him and the best thing about it is he’s a guy who doesn’t go chase the ball.
“He just takes what the defense gives him and if the defense commits, he’s willing to get off the ball. I just think we did a great job as a team not being selfish today, moving the ball and I think that’s why we’re successful.”
Playing with Phillips for the second summer in the PG Elite program, Bryant said he knows how important it is to build good chemistry with his future college teammate.
“The best teams that win basketball games at the next level have the best chemistry and talent," Bryant said. "Obviously, Arizona is a top program in the country, and they’re gonna be able to recruit talented players. It’s just a matter of if we work hard and we have the right chemistry."
Departing UA guard Courtney Ramey made a coaching debut of sorts, helping his father lead the appropriately titled Team Ramey to a 77-46 win over Soldiers ECYL in an EYCL (alternate league) victory on Friday.
“I talked to them (the players) before the game,” Ramey said. “My dad asked me to help come coach and this is probably the last time I can do it.”
Ramey said he has finished his UA graduate coursework and was planning to pack up Saturday, leave Tucson and travel to Dallas on Sunday to begin predraft preparation work, with hopes of picking up an NBA Summer League spot or a European opportunity this summer.
Ramey said he has signed with Young Money Sports, a firm co-founded by rapper Lil Wayne.
“I’m a professional athlete now so my mindset (this spring) was to find what agency I wanted to sign with and that took a little minute because I wanted to sign with somebody who I feel could help me get my career started,” Ramey said. “Once I was able to find my agent, I was kind of thrilled to be starting the process.”
While UA coach Tommy Lloyd and assistant coach Riccardo Fois sat behind the PG Elite bench Friday, it also wasn’t a surprise to see them later move over and watch Arizona Unity’s U16 team beat Team CP3 75-60.
Arizona Unity U16 features three well-regarded class of 2026 players, including Goodyear Millennium wing Cameron Holmes as well as 6-3 guard Brandon McCoy of St. John Bosco in Bellflower, California, and 6-6 wing Elijah Williams, the 6-6 son of Suns coach Monty Williams.
Holmes, the younger brother of NBA Draft prospect DaRon Holmes, said he recently met with UA coaches, who watched a workout of his. He said he already has a scholarship offer from ASU and that he’s received interest from Kentucky and UCLA, among others.
