Corona del Sol boys basketball coach Sammy Duane Jr. thought there might not be enough basketballs to go around with some of the incoming talent joining fourth-year standout guard Casey Benson.

"We're melding right now," Duane said prior to his top-seeded squad playing its first game of the 3rd annual PrimeTime Summer Invite at Highland High. "Sometimes we look really good. Other times not. What's kind of been surprising is we've been too unselfish with the ball. Making too many extra passes. But for now I'd rather see that."

Duane, of course has stalwart Benson back. The senior-to-be averaged just 21 points and four assists per game in guiding the Aztecs to a second straight Division I title. Benson will have junior Cassius Peat joining him in the starting lineup later this fall. Also coming on board is Alaska transfer Dane Kuiper, a lanky 6-foot-6 shooting guard, who averaged 19 points a game last season. And playing with Corona this summer is 6-10 transfer Connor MacDougall (Westwind Prep and prior to that Desert Vista), who finds out in October via hardship appeal whether or not he can play with the Aztecs when the real season commences. MacDougall would give Corona a legitimate post.

Duane also has senior Jarrett Givens, who supplied quality minutes off the bench last year, senior Russ Davis another player off last year's bench and sophomore Tyrell Henderson. Henderson is ready to make an impact. Duane likes what Davis brings to the table a bunch. Corona is also is not without an up-and-coming talent in freshman Alex Barcello. Older sister, Julie, is the top player presently at Seton Catholic. Not surprising to hear Duane say: "This is the deepest team we've ever had."

Corona, played a warm-up game Friday (June 21) against Chaparral prior to starting the eight-team tourney for keeps later in the evening. Duane played six players the first half and a five more the second half. There wasn't much difference/drop-off with either. Chaparral worked hard to stay within 36-30 at intermission. Corona's second-half platoon of Kuiper, Givens, Peat, Isiah Bolden, the top scorer on last year's junior varsity and Barcello played a more up-tempo game and wore down the Firebirds to the tune of a 78-62 final. 

Impressive for Chaparral in that game was its outside shooting. The Firebirds lost a ton of size to graduation. But junior-to-be Kenzo Nudo was red-hot from the perimeter as were a couple other Firebirds. Nudo may have missed three shots and likely totaled in the mid 20s for points.

The team that fell a couple baskets shy of the D-I title last season against Corona -- Pinnacle -- trotted out some familiar players who will be critical to the Pioneers challenging again. Senior Dorian Pickens leads the way along with guard Trey Ingram. Coach Charlie Wilde hopes to get a healthy year start to finish from senior guard Will Donovan. The Pioneers added size in the recently with the transfer of 6-10 center Cameron Gilbert from Prescott. Gilbert averaged12 points, eight rebounds four blocks for the Badgers.

A team in transition offensively come fall figures to be Jay Caserio's Gilbert Tigers. The Tigers relied on perimeter shooting a lot last season. They return play-making guard Anthony Bryant, who is critical to their success. Bryant will have big men to feed it to in 6-8 junior Truman Moore, 6-7 senior Spencer Nicolds and 6-8 sophomore Wyatt Lowell, who see plenty of action this year after some watching and learning in 2012-2013.

Nicolds is injured and did not play, sporting a walking boot on this left leg-ankle. Nicolds saw the most playing time of the big men a year ago.  Moore, who also transferred to Gilbert from Prescott prior to the 2012-2013 season, had a spirited battle going with his former teammate Cameron Gilbert in the exhbition game between Gilbert and Pinnacle earlier Friday afternoon. They played with an NBA-style physicality against one another in the paint.  Pinnacle built a big first-half lead and eventually prevailed, 43-37.

FRIDAY'S BRACKET PLAY RESULTS: No. 1 Corona 55, No. 8 Highland 47; No. 3 Mesa 52, No. 6 Chaparral 43; No. 7 Mesa Mountain View 66, No. 2 Pinnacle 62; No.5 Gilbert 40, No. 4 Desert Mountain 30.

SATURDAY'S (JUNE 22) MATCHUPS: Losers' bracket semifinals-- 10 a.m. -- Highland vs. Desert Mountain; Chaparral vs. Pinnacle; Winner's bracket semifinals -- 11 a.m. -- Corona del Sol vs. Gilbert; Mesa vs. Mountain View; Championship game -- 1 p.m. -- TBD.