The Hoop Report - New 4A-6A Top 10 + Slope/Millennium Preview

The dog days of the basketball season has arrived and with that comes the heart of region play.

A few non region games will be sprinkled in by each team in the closing weeks of the season but the bulk of the final stretch will be programs facing off against one another twice in a little over a month.

The biggest battle however will not be for region championships but rather playoff seeding in both the open division and play-in positions.

Here’s the updated NextUpAZ rankings.

6A Conference

1. Sunnyslope

2. Millennium

3. O’Connor

4. Mesa

5. Highland

6. Basha

7. Brophy

8. Pinnacle

9. Casteel

10. Chandler

On the bubble: Tucson, West Point, Hamilton, Liberty, Maryvale

5A Conference

1. Central

2. Willow Canyon

3. Campo Verde

4. Mountain Pointe

5. Verrado

6. Canyon View

7. Carl Hayden

8. Cienega

9. Ironwood

10. Centennial

On the bubble: Paradise Valley, Independence, Buena, Notre Dame, Desert Edge

4A Conference

1. St Mary’s

2. Deer Valley

3. Arcadia

4. Cactus Shadows

5. Westview

6. Dysart

7. Saguaro

8. ALA Queen Creek

9. Sahuaro

10. Coconino

On the bubble: Cholla, Salpointe, Goldwater, Ironwood Ridge

Game of the week: #6 Millennium at #4 Sunnyslope, 7PM Wednesday

No, those rankings next to both Sunnyslope and Millennium’s name are not the AIA’s rankings but rather their national ones.

Simply put this is uncharted territory for Arizona high school basketball as both programs have reached their highest ever ranking and for the first time ever Arizona will see a matchup between two top ten teams.

What’s at stake? Likely control of the top overall seed in the AIA Open Division Rankings, a stranglehold on the region championship, and a chance to stay alive for the mythical national title.

These two programs entered the 2025-26 season as the clear top two teams in the state and have not relinquished their positions in the early going.

Millennium Projected Starting Five

• Adrian Higuera

• Adan Diggs

• Cameron Holmes

• DJ Spencer

• Trey McKinney

Sunnyslope Projected Starting Five

• Delton Prescott

• Rider Portela

• Cristian Simmons

• Nash Parmley

• Darius Wabbington

Matchup to Watch: Wabbington vs McKinney

If there’s one major weakness within the Millennium lineup it’s their lack of a true big in matchups like this versus a 6’10” Wabbington.

McKinney is a 6’7” power forward who’ll have to step up against the bigger Wabbington who has become a dominant force against smaller defenders all season long. His athleticism and length pair well against Wabbington but Wabbington’s ability to space the floor and finish above the rim will be the tell-all for this game.

If McKinney holds his own, Millennium likely wins this game. If Wabbington takes over, Sunnyslope will likely win.

Millennium X-Factor: DJ Spencer

In a game where positions will be at a premium, controlling the glass on both ends of the court will be the difference. Spencer at his size is one of the better rebounders in Arizona and his ability to impact both defensively and on offense inside the paint will be huge for a Millennium team that’ll likely be forced off the line by Sunnyslope’s defensive pressure.

Sunnyslope X-Factor: Delton Prescott

Most games the attention falls on Portela and Wabbington but in a big game, Prescott always seems to step up. His ability to orchestrate the offense will be crucial for the Vikings who’ll need to capitalize on offensive positions. He’s a three level scorer who always scores a big bucket or two in the clutch and will need to again tonight.