The Arizona Magic and Arizona Cagers enjoyed a good amount of success this past offseason on the AAU circuit and it wasn’t a fluke. Those two programs have all the best players in the state.

And unlike years past when the state of Arizona may have only three to five legitimate Division I prospects in its ranks, we believe that close to three dozen kids have reasonable chances to play basketball on the next level.

We usually leave player rankings to the self-proclaimed ‘experts’ around the country, but we see enough of the Arizona kids to know who’s deserving here.

From this point on, GOAZCATS.com will release our rankings of the top 25 players in Arizona on the 1st of every month. Our initial installment begins very much the same way the state Player of the Year race ended a year ago. With Trevor Browne HS forward Ty Morrison atop the list.

*Note: We are only ranking those prospects who we have watched on more than one occasion. The rankings are based on a combination of past performance and projected upside.

Arizona’s Finest

-Reigning state Player of the Year with man’s body and athleticism.

-Tremendous, LeBron-like passer for a guy his size.

-Averaged 18 points, 12 boards and 8.5 blocks as a junior.

-Can dunk from the free throw line.

*Prep school likely; also: Oklahoma State, ASU, others.

-Could average 20 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks as a junior.

-Owns a 4.35 GPA.

-Best all-around frontcourt player in the state.

-Has hit six or more three-pointers in a game over a dozen times.

*Stanford and Arizona lead but Illinois and every other Pac-10 school are in the mix.

-BYU-bound guard has the shot and the athleticism; now he needs the muscle.

*COMMITTED TO BYU.

-With added muscle, “Littlefoot” is an elite college prospect.

-Top shooter in ‘05 in Arizona.

-3.3 GPA.

-Best one-man show in the state for his Chandler HS team.

*Shaw told us that Louisville, UCLA and other out of state schools are his favorites.

-We loved his aggression and rebounding skills. Should dominate competition in Tucson.

*COMMITTED TO TEXAS TECH.

-Most underrated player in Arizona, if not the entire West Coast in ’05.

-4.1 GPA.

*Hearing from San Diego, Utah and UT-San Antonio so far.

-“Houdini” is state’s most explosive scorer. Impossible to press. Strong defender.

-3.8 GPA.

*Mid-major plus prospect with has heard from the likes of UConn recently.

-One of our favorite players in terms of style. Disappointing no-show at Fall Showcase.

*Likely to attend JC or prep school.

-We love his defense and speed but playmaking sets him apart as top ’04 PG in Ariz.

*COMMITTED TO UTAH.

-Nice body and athleticism but needs to find a more consistent outside shot.

*Last we heard Oregon State was very interested.

-We really think this kid is a top notch all-around talent in the state. Great student also.

*Has offers from Evansville (Ind.), NAU, Southern Utah, and St. Mary’s (Calif.).

-CP is “upside” personified. Capable of being the best player in the state with some work.

*Everyone will want this kid, who was ranked No. 22 in the country recently.

-Tenacious. Relentless. Warrior. Rebounder. Sub-par jumper keeps him from top 10.

*We hear that academics may force him to go to prep school but he has a future in D1.

-Arguably the state’s top on-ball defender. Should breakout during the season.

*Hearing from Utah, Drake, New Mexico, San Diego, Cornell and San Diego.

-Solid player with nice base skills. Needs polish but capable of future top 10 status.

*We will find out more about his recruitment.

-“The Future” has Mike Bibby-type talent and potential. Great athlete for six-footer.

*Arizona, UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, everyone will recruit this kid.

-Best rebounding guard we saw in Arizona along with Kina. Strong kid with skills.

*Too early to tell who has shown interest in Wilson.

-Looks like he’s not done growing so he could develop into an attractive SG prospect.

*He’ll get offers, we’re just not sure on what level quite yet.

-Hidden gem with tons of upside. Prettiest jump shot in the state. Future top 10 star.

*Oregon and UCLA’s football coaches liked him, he’ll be in demand on the court, too.

-One of the most improved players on this list. Very Luke Ridnour-like: jumper, dimes.

*ASU, Oregon State, New Mexico and UC-Davis have inquired about Timmy.

-Little question that once he’s done growing and developing he’ll be a high major player.

*Colorado State, ASU, and several others have shown interest.

-Averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2.0 steals per game against only one turnover (5.3:1 A/TO ratio).

-Career-high of 32 points came in Regional Play.

-Only freshman in Arizona to earn All-Region honors.

*North Carolina, Arizona, Kansas, Oregon, Iowa, Utah, and several others have shown interest in Kal.

-Quick and skilled, just needs to fix the hitch in the jumper and show PG skills more.

*We’re not sure about his recruitment at this point.

-Pure, smooth shooter who gets to the basket with surprising ease.

-Should probably be higher on this list, but hey, these rankings will change in a month.

*Also not sure about TJ’s situation.