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-Westlakeβs 2021-22 team was matched with Phoenix St. Maryβs in the first day of last weekendβs 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.
βIt was hard to wake up and feel disappointed from the loss, but you still had to get yourself ready to go because youβre finally going to play in front of coaches,β Dunlap said. βIt was an adjustment for sure.β
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.
βItβs great to be out,β Lloyd said in Glendale last weekend. βItβs great to see kids playing. Itβs great to see a bunch of your coaching friends and itβs great to be out representing Arizona. Itβs a lot of fun.β
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. Maryβs, Peoria Centennial and Seattle Prep while losing to Campolindo of Moraga, California.
βWe lost a tough playoff game,β in the CIF, Dunlap said. βEveryone 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 Iβm just proud of our guys that we got through it.β
More UA targets in Section 7 finals
Harvard-Westlake is among the teams returning for the βSection 7 finalsβ 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 Fresnoβs San Joaquin Memorial, Miles Byrd of Stocktonβs 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 βcan punish guysβ
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.
βI was trying to guide him,β Tangara said. βBut he had Arizona on his list so I didnβt want to say anything. Whatever decision he made, Iβd be happy with that.β
As it turned out, Ballo chose Arizona so he could play for Lloyd again, making him the Wildcatsβ 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.
βHe can move,β Tangara said. βI think heβs 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. Heβs very physical and strong.β
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.
Itβs Tru.
Roosevelt βTruβ Washington is a brother of Tyrone βTeeβ 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 βjust stay focused,β 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 heβs received scholarship offers already from ASU, LSU, Georgia, Portland, UCSanta Barbara, Pepperdine and TCU.