23 former AZ HS basketball players reach NCAA D-I tourneys

March 18, 2014 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Twenty-three Arizona high school alums are headed to the annual Big Dance, and a couple of them are leading their teams on the basketball floor.

Jahii Carson, Nick Johnson, Bryce Cotton and Sydney Wiese headline this year’s Arizona high school graduate contingency in the NCAA Division I men and women’s basketball tournaments, which begin this week. Arizona State’s Carson (18.7 ppg; Mesa High) and University of Arizona’s Johnson (Pac-12 Player of the Year; Highland High) receive a lot of pub in the state, but Wiese also is beginning to make a name for herself in college.

The freshman guard has led the resurgence of women’s basketball at Oregon State. Wise, a former star at Pinnacle High, already set a school regular season school record with 104 threes and is the scoring leader (14.1 ppg) of a young Oregon State team that will play in the NCAA D-I tournament for the first time since 1996.

BYU’s Matt Carlino (Highland High; 13.9 ppg) and Weber State’s Kyle Tresnak (Horizon High; 11.8 ppg) also are doing a fine job of representing Arizona high school basketball, helping their teams reach the Big Dance as well. Tresnak’s squad will play Arizona on Friday in a game that will feature seven former Arizona high school products.

Cotton (Palo Verde High) is averaging about 22 points per game for Providence.

Below are all of the names of the players with Arizona ties playing in the NCAA national tournaments. If we missed anybody, please let me know (jgarcia@aia365.com).

Women

Arizona State

Katie Hempen, So., G, Mesa, Mesa Mountain View

Joy Burke, Sr., C, Tempe, Marcos de Niza

Promise Amukamara, Jr., G, Glendale, Apollo High

First round game: ASU (22-9) vs. Vanderbilt (18-12), Saturday at 8 a.m. on ESPN2.

Iowa State

Jordan Jensen, Fr., F, Gilbert, Mesa Mountain View High

First round game: Iowa State (20-10) vs. Florida State (20-11), Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

Louisville

Cortnee Walton, Sr., F, Surprise, St. Mary’s High

First round game: Louisville (30-4) vs. Idaho (25-8), Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN. 

Oregon State

Sydney Wiese, Fr., G, Phoenix, Pinnacle High 

First round game: Oregon State (23-10) vs. Middle Tennessee (29-4), Sunday 5 p.m. on ESPN2.

Western Kentucky

Ileana Johnson, Jr., G, Flagstaff, Flagstaff High

First round game: Western Kentucky (24-8) vs. Baylor (29-4), Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Men

University of Arizona

Eric Conklin Fr., F, Scottsdale, Chaparral

Chris Johnson, Jr., F, Gilbert, Desert Vista/Highland

Nick Johnson, Jr., G, Gilbert, Highland

Matt Korcheck, Jr., F, Tucson, Sabino

First round game: Arizona (30-4) vs. Weber State (19-11), Friday at 11:10 a.m. on TNT. 

Arizona State

Bo Barnes, Jr., F, Scottsdale, Westwind Prep

Jahii Carson, So., G, Mesa, Mesa High

Eric Jacobsen, So., F, Chandler, Hamilton

Calaen Robinson, So., G, Tempe, Corona del Sol

Dave Whitmore, Sr., F, Tempe, Corona del Sol

First round game: Arizona State (20-8) vs. Texas (23-10) Thursday at 6:40 p.m. on CBS.

BYU

Matt Carlino, Jr., G, Scottsdale, Highland

First round game: BYU (23-10) vs. Oregon (23-9), Thursday at 12:10 on TruTV.

University of Colorado

Jaron Hopkins, Fr., G, Mesa, Dobson High

First round game: Colorado (23-11) vs. Pittsburgh (25-9) Thursday at 10:40 a.m. on TBS. 

Providence

Bryce Cotton, Sr., G, Tucson, Palo Verde High

First round game: Providence (23-11) vs. North Carolina (23-9), Friday at 4:20 p.m. on TNT.

Tulsa University

TK Edogi, Fr., F, Surprise, Valley Vista High

First round game: Tulsa (21-12) vs. Louisiana Tech (27-7)

Weber State

Byron Fulton, Sr., F, Phoenix, St. Mary’s

Richuad Gittens, Fr., G, Tempe, Marcos de Niza

Kyle Tresnak, Sr., C, Scottsdale, Horizon High

First round game: Arizona (30-4) vs. Weber State (19-11), Friday at 11:10 a.m. on TNT.