大象APP

That was probably inevitable. Roebuck is a five-star wing in the class of 2027 who played for La Mirada High School after all, and with a coach who followed Williams from La Mirada to UA to the NBA and then into international basketball.

鈥淚鈥檝e known my high school coach since sixth grade, and his favorite college was U of A,鈥� Roebuck said. 鈥淗e always told me 鈥楿 of A,鈥� and then I鈥檇 be at his house watching U of A with him and it was like 鈥楧errick Williams was the leading scorer at that school for the longest time.鈥� He went to U of A, so I just fell in love watching him.鈥�

While Roebuck had to settle for learning the history of Williams鈥� two-season UA career, and how he blew up into the No. 2 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft, Roebuck said he began following Williams in recent years as he bounced between the NBA, China, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Israel and Greece and Puerto Rico to continue his professional career.

In between, Williams often came back to spend offseasons in his home area, and became a mentor of sorts to Roebuck. The two even had a few workouts together, despite their 17-year age difference.

鈥淒errick is my guy,鈥� Roebuck said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a little bit bigger, but his post work 鈥� I like to go to the post. He likes to go to the post. He has a lot of half-spins, fake spins, mid-range. A lot of that. So I try to pick up on that.鈥�

In two years, Roebuck might just follow Williams to Arizona, too. The Wildcats have shown significant recruiting interest, watching him at Section 7, and Roebuck says getting scholarship offers from USC, UCLA and UA has been a priority. He said a bond with UA assistant coach TJ Benson has furthered his interest in the Wildcats.

鈥淲e have a really good relationship,鈥� Roebuck said. 鈥淗e communicated with me a lot and obviously the other coaches.鈥�

Roebuck said he鈥檚 also heard from Illinois, Texas, BYU, New Mexico State, Utah, Cal and Ohio State, among others.

Cross-country recruiting

While Section 7 schools are mostly based in the Western United States, Zephyrhills Christian Academy came all the way from Florida to play in Arizona 鈥� and its five-star 2026 forward might someday make a home in the state.

Toni Bryant said he recently took an unofficial visit to Arizona, thanks in part to a connection with new UA coach Brandon Chappell, who coached his high school coach.

鈥淚鈥檓 familiar with all of the coaches there (at UA), so the relationship there is pretty strong,鈥� Bryant said. 鈥淚 was introduced to (Chappell) when I first started playing basketball.鈥�

Bryant said he planned to schedule an official visit to Arizona in September, but remained wide open in his recruitment.

Attention getter

Entering his senior season at Phoenix St. Mary鈥檚, five-star big man Cameron Williams is facing intense recruiting attention, but he says he鈥檚 embracing it.

鈥淭hese schools are starting to come on me hard now, and it鈥檚 really fun,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚 try to reach out and get back to all the coaches, but it鈥檚 starting to get serious. It鈥檚 starting to schedule visits and all that stuff.鈥�

Williams said Arizona has always been among the top schools he has been interested in and that he even visited UA unofficially three times last season, taking in the Red Blue Showcase and the UA-Duke and UA-BYU games.

While the Wildcats lost to both Duke and BYU at McKale Center, the experience didn鈥檛 seem to dampen Williams鈥� enthusiasm.

鈥淚t was amazing,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淛ust to see how those guys came together, even though they lost, it was a great game to see. I鈥檓 glad I went there. It was a great experience.鈥�

Wildcats offer Wabbington

While Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd isn鈥檛 known to offer many scholarships to players before their junior seasons, he gave one recently to Phoenix Sunnyslope big man Darius Wabbington.

Wabbington indicated he鈥檚 taking it seriously. Wabbington said he鈥檚 already taken in the Red-Blue Showcase and visited earlier this spring.

鈥淚鈥檓 really interested in them,鈥� Wabbington said Saturday after leading Sunnyslope over Las Vegas Bishop Gorman. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 (offer many early scholarships) but they see something in me. I just gotta show the world. I gotta prove them right.鈥�

Wabbington has plenty of talent around him to help him excel this season. Sunnyslope is expected to be one of Arizona鈥檚 top high school teams in 2025-26. Last season, Sunnyslope reached the Open Division final before losing to Gilbert Perry 鈥� and Perry lost its coach and the bulk of its talent, including UA forward Koa Peat.

鈥淚 feel like we鈥檙e the team to beat,鈥� Wabbington said. 鈥淥f course, I say that because it鈥檚 my team, but we got that chip on our shoulder, we got that 鈥榅鈥� on our back. Everybody鈥檚 coming to knock us off since, since our resume of last year. So we gotta use that motivation and go and just kill.鈥�

The big number

16: Courts in near-constant use from 8 a.m. to nearly 10 p.m. at the Section 7 event Saturday, except one converted into a Section 7 merchandise stand.

Quotable

鈥淟as Vegas is 24/7, so the head coach of the UNLV Runnin鈥� Rebels needs to be 24/7. That鈥檚 kind of how we鈥檝e been. We鈥檝e had to reconstruct a roster.鈥� 鈥� Former UA player and coach Josh Pastner, who mined the transfer portal after becoming UNLV鈥檚 head coach after last season