Columbus (Miami, Fla.) captured the championship of the highest division of the 2023 Part 7 Crew Camp and stamped itself as a significant FAB 50 nationwide title contender for 2023-24. The play of the Boozer brothers for Columbus, Cameron and Cayden Boozer, stands out to no shock, however a numerous variety of prospects assist their recruiting worth over the weekend at State Farm Enviornment in Glendale, Ariz.

The Part 7 Crew Camp is a staple on the NCAA’s June Scholastic Stay Interval and for all intents and functions is the usual for June reside occasions. In the case of particular person gamers, rising junior (2025) energy ahead Cameron Boozer of Columbus (Miami, Fla.) in the usual in terms of manufacturing and expertise at the highschool degree. The should cease within the West Area for nationwide scouts, faculty coaches and highschool groups in June placed on by the Arizona Basketball Coaches Affiliation, Part 7 featured 162 groups from 14 states and nicely over 450 prospects who might garner some NCAA or NAIA curiosity.

Not solely was Boozer the cream of the recruiting crop because the returning Mr. Basketball USA, his crew was the category of the sphere at Part 7 after it knocked off defending California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) champ Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.), 75-60, within the title sport of the NFHS Powerade Bracket on Sunday morning at State Farm Enviornment, the house of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Simply because it did in its first three video games, Columbus put it stamp on the sport from the very onset and made its opponent really feel its bodily prowess and need to continually play from behind. Columbus, which completed the 2022-23 season ranked No. 6 within the FAB 50 Nationwide Crew Rankings powered by Ballislife, led 8-0 earlier than Harvard-Westlake (which completed No. 11) settled into the sport.

Previous to Boozer, the nationwide highschool participant of the 12 months has returned to the highschool scene for an encore solely three different occasions relationship again to the mid Nineteen Fifties, so it’s clearly fairly particular when a expertise such because the 6-foot-9, 240-pound dynamo is round to impose his will on opponents. Even for school coaches that don’t have a shot within the Boozer sweepstakes, it’s a great gauge to see the place their targets stand when it comes to having the ability to compete with such a expertise. Regardless of the early foul bother to Cayden Boozer, the dual brother of Cameron, the Explorers led Harvard-Westlake, 21-10, after one quarter and 43-26 at halftime in a contest marred by a plethora of officers’ whistles.

Despite the fact that the dominance of Cam Boozer is clear even to probably the most novice observer, the development of Cayden Boozer, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound level guard who can be a rising junior, was the distinction in Columbus’ dominant run to the tourney title. He’s noticeably stronger, extra explosive and purposeful in his offensive assault, and most significantly, is taking higher care of the ball than a 12 months in the past. No matter fortunate faculty will get the Boozer twins is getting fairly a degree guard alongside one of many higher faculty prospects to come back dome the pike within the final decade.

Cam’s foul bother vs. Harvard-Westlake didn’t flip the tide, as he and his teammates adjusted simply sufficient to the tightly-officiated ambiance. Harvard-Westlake fought again and lower its 17-point halftime deficit to 48-42 on a 3-pointer by Harvard-bound rising senior (2024) guard Robert Hinton with 3:15 to go within the third interval, however the Explorers went on a fast 9-0 run after that subject aim to place the sport out of attain.

Cayden Boozer completed with 22 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, whereas brother Cam completed with 22 factors, 12 rebounds and 4 assists of his personal.

Hinton completed with 17 factors, whereas rising junior (2025) wing Nikolas Khamenia led the Wolverines with 19 factors. Rising senior level guard Trent Perry added 12 factors and 6 rebounds.

“This was our first time (occasion) taking part in collectively (as a crew),” Cayden Boozer mentioned. “We needed to come back out right here and get the win. With Cam, he’s only a nice participant and it’s straightforward to play with him.”

Cayden’s feedback have been made within the context of placing apart the very fact Cameron is his brother and commenting on his play. The identical will be mentioned if Cameron was requested the identical query, as Cayden’s affect on this tourney title run was one of many essential taking factors of the whole occasion. Cayden Boozer averaged 18.8 ppg within the 4 victories within the NFHS Powerade division, together with a 23-point, six-rebound, four-assist efficiency within the 71-41 victory over Centennial (Corona, Calif.), the champion of the 2022 Part 7 high division title.

Even with the 15-point victory over Harvard-Westlake, Columbus had a 29-point common margin of victory in its 4 wins. Cayden Boozer had 20 factors within the 87-55 quarterfinal win over Park Heart (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) and 10 within the 70-31 opening spherical victory over De La Salle (Harmony, Calif.), which performed the sport with out star participant Alec Blair, a 6-foot-6 2025 wing who doubles as a terrific baseball prospect and performed nicely after he arrived to the occasion on Saturday.

As for Cameron Boozer, he averaged 22.3 ppg and double-digit rebounds in 4 video games. He had 23 factors, 12 rebounds and 4 assists vs. Centennial, completed with 20 factors vs. Park Heart and with 24 factors vs. De La Salle.

For Harvard-Westlake, its huge victory got here within the quarterfinals, because it downed Salesian (Richmond, Calif.), 62-49. Salesian, in the event you recall, defeated the Wolverines within the championship sport of the highest division at California Stay 2023, which was the primary ever June Scholastic reside interval occasion held in California for CIF golf equipment completely. California Stay came about the weekend prior in Orange County, whereas 64 groups (together with just a few who didn’t play in California) made the trek to Arizona for Part 7.

Two groups that performed at Cali Stay ’23 final weekend met within the title sport of the NFHS Slam Bracket and each determine to be main contenders for berths within the CIF Southern Part open division playoffs in 2023-24. These two groups have been St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.), which misplaced within the semifinals to Montgomery (San Diego, Calif.) in its bracket at Cali Stay ’23, and Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.), which misplaced to Salesian in its semifinal within the high division. It was a again and fourth battle and a person matchup of two of the highest guards within the 2025 class, each within the West Area and nationally: 6-foot-4 Brayden Burries of Roosevelt and 6-foot-5 Elzie Harrington of St. John Bosco.

St. John Bosco got here out with the 63-60 victory as Harrington made the important thing performs down the stretch. His pull up jumper was on, he made good selections, and in addition had a strong driving one-foot slam dunk that turned loads of heads. Harrington completed with 23 factors, whereas Burries had 21 factors for Roosevelt, which had an opportunity to tie the sport on a 3-pointer try on its last possession. Bosco additionally acquired a key 15 factors on 5 3-pointers from 6-foot-7 2025 ahead Jaison Joyce.

“I felt wholesome and powerful and trusted the work that I put in, together with my teammates trusting me and one another,” Harrington mentioned. “So far as my very own sport and the matchup with Brayden, I do know the most important factor I’ve to work for the following degree is my physique. Brayden already has that, as he does nice work across the basket. However I really feel than I’m extra faster than him going to the basket and I needed to make use of that to my benefit.”

Apart from gamers comparable to Khamenia, Harrington and Burries, there have been loads of different prospects who used successful basketball to bolster their recruiting visibility and profile at Part 7. One among them was 6-foot-7 rising senior (2024) Gavin Ripp, who led Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) to a second consecutive June scholastic reside interval championship. It simply so occurred the Monarchs defeated the identical crew they did finally week’s Cali Stay ’23 occasion: Montgomery (San Diego, Calif.). The sport at Cali Stay was shut, however Mitty gained the NFHS Arizona Sports activities Fee division championship sport going away, 56-35.

Ripp drew the eye of faculty coaches along with his passing, exact offensive actions and exercise degree across the basket, as he didn’t want to attain to make a optimistic affect for his crew. Ripp’s recruitment is bolstered by his terrific educational profile (4.5 GPA) and he’s nonetheless broad open so far as narrowing down his college of alternative. Ripp is contemplating the Ivy League and can be listening to lots from Montana and Cal-St. East Bay.

Ripp acquired loads of offensive assist from his backcourt mates vs. Montgomery in Sunday’s title sport, as rising seniors Nathan Noronha (6-2) and Tyler Jones (6-3), netted 17 and 16 factors, respectively.

One other California membership captured one of many high 4 divisional titles at Part 7 as Windward (Los Angeles) downed St. Mary’s (Pheonix, Ariz.), 90-69, within the title sport of the NFHS Legacy Basis bracket. Windward defeated two talent-laden golf equipment from Northern California on its approach to a blowout victory over St. Mary’s. Windward defeated Branson (Ross, Calif.), 57-54, in a beautiful quarterfinal matchup {that a} plethora of faculty coaches witnessed, and downed Capital Christian (Sacramento, Calif.), 73-65, within the semifinals.

Gavin Hightower, a 6-foot-1 2025 scoring dynamo, Jeremiah Hampton, a 6-foot-4 southpaw combo guard, Louis Bond, a 6-foot-5 wing guard with glorious grades, and Jayden Harris, a 6-foot-6 small ahead with oozing potential, all had terrific moments throughout the occasion for Windward and every noticed an uptick of their recruiting profile.

For St. Mary’s, undecided 6-foot-3 rising senior level guard Types Phipps scored 29 factors in a shedding effort and averaged 20.0 ppg within the four-game set. St. Mary’s additionally has a wonderful long run prospect that caught the attention of faculty coaches and scouts alike in Cameron Williams, a 6-foot-9 rising sophomore (2026) ahead.

Ronnie Flores is the nationwide Grassroots editor of Ballislife.com. He will be reached at [email protected]. Don’t overlook to observe him on Twitter: @RonMFlores