UA targets in Section 7 near decision time, while new Wildcat Carter Bryant offers support

GLENDALE — Just before he arrived to play in the Section 7 event two years ago, Carter Bryant picked up a scholarship offer from the Arizona Wildcats.

That timing might be a big reason why Bryant enrolled as a freshman this month, joining UA for its first offseason practices as a 2024-25 team.

Because after Bryant starred in those Section 7 games for Fountain Valley (California) High School, it wasn’t so easy to remember everyone else who had suddenly become interested.

“It’s just crazy because I went from four offers to 29 after one weekend here,” Bryant said this weekend while attending Section 7 as a spectator. “I’ve had so many experiences here. This place, this arena and the state in general has brought me so many opportunities so far in my basketball career. I’m just grateful for it.”

Now, Arizona is home. Returning to Glendale’s State Farm Stadium over the weekend to support friends and former teammates, which notably includes five-star UA target Brayden Burries, Bryant said he’s already moved to Tucson to begin meshing on and off the court with new teammates such as Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka, Oakland transfer Trey Townsend and Campbell transfer Anthony Dell’Orso.

“Love ’em,” Bryant said. “Those guys are like my brothers. We’re talking with each other every day. We’re always with each other, whether it’s during practice, before practice, after practice. Just a great group of guys, great individuals.”

While Bryant arrives at Arizona with five-star credentials, the presence of the veteran transfers means UA coach Tommy Lloyd and his staff don’t have to pressure the 6-8 Bryant for standout production right away. Bryant also gives UA flexibility, with the ability to play inside or out.

Bryant said he didn’t mind whether he starts at small forward, or is the first or second player off the bench.

“It’s whatever the coaching staff needs me to do,” Bryant said. “They’ve been having me do stuff with guards and bigs so the biggest thing for me is just listening to the coaching staff, doing stuff that they tell me. If I need to play four, I’ll play four. If I need to play three or the two, I’ll do that. If I need to play the five or the one, whatever. Whatever the staff asks me to do, I’m gonna be able to do it.”

Meanwhile, Bryant is also serving the Wildcats as a recruiter of sorts, making sure to tell Burries where to play in college. Though they faced each other last season, when Bryant was a senior at Corona Centennial, the two played club ball together from ages 9-15.

He says, “let’s play together again,” Burries said. “That’s pretty much it.”

A 6-4 combo guard from Eastvale (California) Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Burries was one of several top UA targets in the class of 2025 who spoke to the Star and other reporters after their Section 7 games.

Burries said he remains open in his recruitment, that schools are “all equal right now,” though he expressed appreciation for UA staffers.

“Coach (Jack) Murphy, the whole coaching staff, coach Lloyd, are all great guys, genuine people,” Burries said. “They’re telling me the honest truth. They see me as a point guard and that’s what I want to be in college. And they feel like they can help me get to the next level. That’s what I like.”

Of other top UA targets on hand at Section 7:

Tounde Yessoufou, a four-star 6-5 forward from Santa Maria, California, is coming off a visit to the Arizona campus — at a time when he continues to pick up high-major offers from around the country.

Yessoufou said it was great to see the UA campus and facilities and noted he was especially impressed with the camaraderie he felt.

It was “more about the coaching, the relationship with the teammates and how they all bond together,” Yessoufou said. “Just like friendly, good community together. They always stick together. I was really impressed by that.”

With a physical 6-5 frame and plenty of inside moves he showed off at Section 7, Yessoufou has been projected as an undersized but crafty and physical power forward in college. But he said UA has told him otherwise.

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“They think I can play on the wing,” Yessoufou said. “A lot of social media named me a power forward or whatever it is, but the truth is, I’m not a power forward. I’m a shooting guard, wing, whatever it is but I’m not a power forward. So the fact that (Lloyd) acknowledged that and told me that was the situation I would be in, I really liked that.”

Xavion Staton, a four-star 7-footer in the class of 2025 from Las Vegas’ Sierra Vista High School, brought in one of Section 7’s most compelling human interest stories. Not only has he played organized basketball for just four years, actually spending part of his junior high years as an offensive lineman in football, but he also considers himself fortunate to be on any floor.

Any place above ground, that is.

Now 7 feet tall and saying he’s still growing, Staton was born at just 30 weeks old, the sort of preemie that enters the world with no guarantees.

Surgery helped.

“They kind of went through my back, blood was pumping into my lungs and things like that,” Staton said. “Made it out all I got was asthma for it. So I’m grateful for that.”

Staton wears a “2006” tattoo on his right shin to commemorate his birth year and the rough circumstances behind it.

“It was kind of a rocky foundation and it symbolizes that I’m here now,” Staton said. “We’re blessed.”

These days, Staton said he’s also grateful for recruiting attention and the chance to audition for the USA Basketball U18 team that Lloyd served as head coach for earlier this month.

Among the big men Staton competed against was five-star ASU-bound power forward Jayden Quaintance, Duke-bound center Patrick Ngongba and Purdue-bound center Daniel Jacobsen. Quaintance and Staton didn’t make the team but Staton called it an “amazing” experience to go through.

“I got to go against high-level competition,” Staton said. “Being able to go against those bigs — they’ve been playing longer than me so I got to take things about how their games translated to the court, and figure out if I gotta get stronger, how my footwork is, things like that.”

Staton said he had already had “great conversations” with Lloyd in his recruitment before the camp but added that was good to see him coach in action.

“Coach Tommy Lloyd is a great guy,” Staton said. “He coaches very hard but I enjoy it. He’s really passionate about the game and is supportive of his players. So it’d be cool to see how that continues and grows.”

Plenty of other coaches would prefer Staton join them. He’s not only a big target of Arizona and hometown UNLV but said he’s also now hearing the most from LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Stanford and Washington.

During Staton’s game Saturday morning, Lloyd and Kyle Smith, the former Washington State coach who has taken over the Cardinal, were seen chatting amiably.

Staton said he planned to visit Arizona and other schools he is considering after club-ball season, possibly into August or September, then make a decision shortly afterward.

“I definitely want to commit as soon as possible,” Staton said. “I don’t want to be the one to drag it out and take all this time.”