Ralph Amsden
The state of Arizona had a proud moment two weeks ago when three former prep hoopers were selected in the 2024 NBA Draft. I had the opportunity to watch all three play at the high school level, but no one had a better beat on these prospects and their path to the NBA than Gregg Rosenberg, a longtime basketball scout based right here in the valley.
And now that Gregg is a Sports360AZ contributer, we get to share his perspective with you.
First up, former Perry Puma Cody Williams, who was selected as a lottery pick by the Utah Jazz after one year at the University of Colorado. He’s the younger brother of Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams, who played at Santa Clara after graduating from Perry, but he was a much higher rated prospect. He can now add NBA Draft pick to a resume that includes an NCAA Tournament appearance and multiple state championships at the high school level.
When Cody Williams went 10th overall to the Utah Jazz, it became the highest pick that any one-time Arizona high school basketball player had been selected at since Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III went first and second overall in the 2018 Draft.
Cody Williams and his brother J-Dub with the handshake after Cody is drafted by the Jazz at No. 10 🤝@utahjazz | @jdubwttp pic.twitter.com/OqGmmTj2rf
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 27, 2024
I asked Gregg Rosenberg what he remembered about Cody Williams’ time at Perry, and how he thinks he’ll fare as a lottery pick despite a disappointing freshman season at Colorado:
“Cody Williams was always going to be a one and done in most evaluators’ opinion, including myself. Personally, I actually had him going top 5 in the NBA Draft out of high school. Now, of course he’d probably like a re-do of how the season at Colorado went since he spent a lot of his freshman season injured, but he’s still a top-of-the-food-chain big, facilitating, defensive specialist at the forward position. It’s hard to emulate being one of the top defensive wing pllayers in the NBA right out of the gate as a rookie, but I believe he can do that in due time.”
As for what Gregg thinks people will find surprising abut Cody Williams’ game that he didn’t necessarily get to put on display in his only season in college:
“He can make the three ball, he can pull up off the dribble, gets to the basket with a deceptive burst, and sees the court like a lead guard would.”
And finally, I asked Gregg to give me a comp on Cody Williams potential as a professional:
“I believe he’ll be a Jaden McDaniels-type whose natural ability to make plays will help him evolve as a player as he gets stronger and older in the league.”
The next former Arizona high school player to get picked was DaRon Holmes, who spent the last few years starring for the Dayton Flyers after leaving Millennium to spend his senior year on the prep circuit.
I remember watching Holmes will his Millennium team to the championship against Ironwood as a junior, and then willing Dayton to an NCAA Tournament apearance, also as a junior. The fact that he’s a winner and that the Denver Nuggets of all teams will be benefitting from that is a bittersweet pill for me as a Suns fan. But I’ll always have a soft spot for Holmes no matter how many times he gives Phoenix a hard time, because he used his NBA Draft moment to give a shout out to his old Millennium stomping grounds.
An All-American gets drafted 🙌
DaRon Holmes goes No. 22 overall 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fayRVAJcgg
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) June 27, 2024
I asked Gregg Rosenberg his thoughts on DaRon Holmes going to the Nuggets at #22 overall:
“DaRon Holmes was definitely blessed by the fact that he’s headed to a place that he can develop and not be forced to perform immediately at a high level. In Denver, he can gradually get better, and ideally, come in and give their bigs some rest while he’s put in situations that help him find his niche as a rebounder, shot blocker, and hitting the occasional 3- something he’s improved steadlily since high school.”
And speaking of high school, what does Rosenberg remember most about Holmes time as a prep player in AZ?
“DaRon Holmes was dominant in at Millennium. He carried his team as a junior, and collected double-doubles in his sleep. The Tigers did end up falling short against Ironwood in Holmes’ final year playing AIA basketball, but he was nearly impossible to stop.”
As for what role DaRon Holmes will play for Denver, Rosenberg had these thoughts:
“I see DaRon Homes being a dunker/spot finisher early on. He’ll be able to get some baskets on put backs. Defensively is where the learning curve will be at the next level- he’s going to have to cover in space while fighting off a million pick and rolls, and then fins a way to track back to alter or block shots.”
Last of the three selections from the state of Arizona was Desert Vista and Marquette alum Oso Ighodaro, who went to the hometown Phoenix Suns at #40 overall. Personally, I loved the pick. I watched Oso lead the Thunder to a championship over rival Mountain Pointe, a game where Oso had five blocked shots early in the second half. I don’t use Shawn Marion’s name lightly, because I consider Marion to be a top-3 Sun of all-time, but there are elements of Marion’s game in how Ighodaro plays.
Waiting for the #Suns to make it official but it appears that former @theDVway star Oso Ighodaro has been drafted by his home town team.
We thought he might be an #NBA prospect when we saw him touch the top of the backboard in high school. pic.twitter.com/vo574QApH8
— Mark McClune (@MarkMcClune) June 27, 2024
Gregg Rosenberg has been tracking Ighodaro’s progress for almost a decade now, and had a lot to say about his progression from a seldom used freshman at Marquette to finishing his career with 72 consecutive starts while averaing over 32 minutes per game:
“Oso Ighodaro is a great story. At Desert Vista, Oso had it all except for a consistent perimeter jumper, and he lacked strength. The runner he showed off at Marquette as his go-to move also hadn’t come into play yet. He had older players in front of him at the exact same position, and one in the same class who was ranked higher than him at the time. I always thought he projected high, but what held him back was his lack of physical strength. But you can tell how hard he worked on his frame, and he’s strong enough to be an NBA pick now.”
And how does Rosenberg think the Suns will make use of Ighodaro?
“Oso is super unique. To this day, he’s one of the best passing power forwards I’ve ever scouted. He’s also very unorthodox when it comes to his scoring, because he’s not the typical spot up shooter. Oso uses a variety of runners and floaters using his long reach, and on both the high and low post he’s going to find open teammates much in the way that a European smotth-passing big would. He’ll also rebound and block some shots for you.”
