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Most people reading this know exactly who Ty Ty Washington is. The 6’3” 2021 point guard from Cesar Chavez that assasinates oppositions and is putting together one hell of a high school basketball career. But if your not from Phoenix, then you don’t really know.

So let me try to explain. Ty Ty Washington is Phoenix. Not because he is one of the higher ranked prospects in the state of Arizona. Not because he has done work on the Adidas Gold Gauntlet 16U circuit with Team Harden and is now heading to the Nike EYBL with Vegas Elite 16U. Of course, all that helps. But factor in the fact that when the wave is to start your high school career in suburban schools with better resources, academics and facilities. Ty Ty drives a couple minutes up the road from his house to Chavez, an inner city high school plotted down on the Southside of Phoenix. That area breeds out a different kind of tough. Basketball old heads could tell you that there is such thing as “Hardwood tough” and there is such thing as “Playground touch.” Washington checks both boxes. He is just as comfortable on a blacktop as he is on a nice wooden floor.

Ty Ty grew up one of the better youth football players in the Valley before he shot up in height and started to dedicate all his time to basketball. However, the love for football was never far and last year he hopped onto the Chavez gridiron to play quarterback and wide receiver for the Champions. So a little side note, Washington could easily be a Division-I football player as well.

He is very popular in the AZ basketball community. When he walks into a gym, many people gravitate towards him from all demographics. But he is an absolute bully on the floor. When the ball is tossed up at center court, his eyes start looking a little different. The smile and the jokes are gone. What you get is a certified killer. A fearless competitor that has a repertoire of moves and a mid-range jumpshot that makes college coaches fidget in their seat a little bit. He is a very reliable 3-point shooter that is shifty and can get his own shot off or make plays for teammates. One the defensive end, he is a hound of a defender. A kid that wants you to know he is on you for the next 40 or so minutes. He is not the most bouncy kid, but he does have the ability to get up and throw it down.

Ty Ty’s family ties extends about as long as the Arizona desert. His aunts, uncles and cousins are just about everywhere you go in the metro phoenix area. One is an assistant coach at Cesar Chavez and runs one of the top 14U AAU programs on the West Coast, Rodney Brown. Coach Brown seems to have a habit collecting 1st Place trophies for the Just Us Basketball Academy/Powerhouse 14U UAA. He not only serves as a big cousin/coach to Ty Ty, but also a mentor. Also a former point guard in High School (Brophy/St. Mary’s) who stayed involved in the game all these years and is a staple in the inner-city Youth Basketball community.

Anytime you check Ty Ty’s social media you will likely catch a small clip of his little brother, Tyrique. They have a very special and unique bond. His little brother is more than his big brother’s fan, he is almost like a mascot. An older soul with a bag full of personality.

Washington will be in Atlanta next weekend alongside his Vegas Elite teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit. That team is set to do some work out there with one of the more talented 16U rosters in America. I am waiting for the floodgates to open up for Washington’s recruitment. He currently holds three Division-I offers to Portland State, Santa Barbara and Louisiana-Monroe, with many more on the way. He holds a 3.61 GPA, which is expected to rise with a strong spring semester of his sophomore year.

Let’s get ready to show the rest of America about ‘The Phoenix Son.’

I have seen Isaiah Floyd on the floor before. I saw him when he was a sophomore at Millennium High. He was solid. A good combo guard that could get to the rim just about whenever he wanted. But that was the thing that left you wanting more out of his game; WANT IT ALL THE TIME!

Fast forward to 2019, after a transfer led him to Eduprize alongside Ole Miss-commit Shon Robinson, where he was an intriquite part of a state championship run for the Eagles and Head Coach Phil Lowe. He seemed to find another gear and some new-found bounce. I received multiple text messages stating that the junior guard was throwing down windmills.

This past weekend I saw him in a Team Harden jersey on the Adidas Gold Gauntlet and a big part of a big win over Uneek Ballers. I saw him kick it into the gear that you were urging him to in his time at Millennium. He plays on an AAU program filled with Division-I level guards like Trent Hudgens, Jalin Anderson and Xavier DuSell. Still, he finds a way to carve his mold into that team.

Floyd plays hard! His steps sound different. His athleticism is a factor on a floor filled with Division-I prosepects. His getting into guys on the defensive end and making ball handlers nervous., His handle is tighter. He is driving to the rim stronger. His pull-up game is legit. He plays within himself and makes an impact on both ends of the floor.

Needless to say, I believe Floyd is one good game in front of the right people to garnering some Division-I offers. He could use a little more tightening on his handle. Most people would love to see him be more consistant from the outside, but his shot is far from broken. He has the ability to get hot from out there and make a defense and opposing coaches spit out some not so kind words.

His stock has risen a lot over the weekend with scouts that know how far he has come. I am expecting that stock to rise a whole lot more over the rest of the spring and summer.

It seemed like just yesterday that Millennium’s 2021 point guard Justus Jackson was capping off a great freshman campaign for Head Coach Ty Amundsen and leading them to a first round road victory over the heavily favored Westview Knights in the first round of the playoffs. Jackson put his name on just about every top freshman list and earned just about every conference honor a freshman can earn.

Fast forward to today and we are looking at the same kid starting to become that same force on the court, but on a national level. After a strong sophomore season landed his high school in the 5A state championship game, they would fall just short against the top-seeded Gilbert Tigers.

Nevertheless, it was a coming out party for one of the top underclassmen in the state. While most of the attention has deservedly been pointed to one of the top 2021 prospects in America’s in 6-foot-9 forward DaRon Holmes, Jackson plays so in-sync with the nationally ranked Holmes. It has now gotten to the point where it seems the chemistry between the two is almost effortless and is vastly becoming the premier 1-2 punch in Arizona high school basketball. It helps that they do not take the spring and summer off from each other, as both will travel the Under Armour AAU circuit for Powerhouse Hoops UAA with coach Vaughn Compton and Jeff Becker.

Just after the high school season ended for Jackson, he would pick up his first official Division-I offer from the hometown Grand Canyon University and Head Coach Dan Majerle. Shortly after, he was selected to play in the March Madfest AZ All-Star Game.

Athletic success is no surprise to the Jackson family. His father, Chris Jackson, was a stand-out multi-sport athlete and played football at Washington State before playing in both the NFL and the AFL. In February, his father received the news that he was getting hired on to the Chicago Bears coaching staff.

Jackson has already came out of the gates in the spring with some strong performances. He and Holmes both had major hands in a big win to kick the AAU season off in the Prep Hoops Spring Showcase against The Truth EYBL, one of the top 16U teams on the west coast. Jackson looked great once again this past weekend in the SoCal Spring Tip-Off Classic, as he filled up the stat sheets with big assist games, knocking down shots, creating plays for others and looking like a much improved on-ball defender. Needless to say, Justus has his swag tank on full. If Jackson can continue with his strong play, this Powerhouse 16U UAA team has a chance to be special.

Jackson has matured on the basketball court a whole lot in the last year. About 365 days ago, Jackson took an ill-advised shot here and there that made you scratch your head if you are labeling him a premiere level point guard. Those shots have been minimalized noticeably and he has developed a great pull-up jumper off the dribble, especially in transition. He is distributing the ball with meaning a whole lot better and finding cutters like a VP of Distribution. I would not be surprised if the 6-foot 2021 point guard comes out of the spring with a couple more offers in his gym bag. Without question, he will be one to watch.