Phoenix, Ariz. - For sixteen minutes it looked like Chandler High School was going to pull off its second upset victory over west Phoenix powerhouse Trevor Browne in less than a month.

Then Daren Jordan took over.

Trevor Browne’s junior point guard kicked his game into another gear, scoring 19 second half points to lead the Bruins (8-2) to a relatively easy 97-85 win over Chandler in the championship game of the Phoenix Union tournament at South Mountain High School.

Jordan scored a team-high 32 points for the Bruins, including a 7-9 shooting performance after halftime that saw him completely take over the game with his speed, toughness and finishing ability around the basket.

His scoring outburst helped Trevor Browne overcome Chandler star guard Joe (don’t call me Joey) Shaw’s spectacular 36-point effort, too.

Shaw is a 6-6 combo-guard with an outstanding outside shot and the ability to bring the ball up the court at the one. He made 13 of his 21 shots on the night, including three 3-pointers and a soaring one-handed tomahawk dunk in the first half. Yet for all of Shaw’s brilliance, it wasn’t enough to beat the more athletic Bruins for a second time.

The six-foot, 175-pound Jordan, who has been getting recruiting interest from the likes of UConn, ASU, Iowa State and Oregon State, scored most of his 19 points after the break on a variety of pull-up jumpers and And-One’s after taking it hard to the bucket.

As a sophomore last season, Jordan led the Bruins with a 20 point per game scoring average while attempting ten free throws per contest as well. On Saturday night, Jordan made nine of ten shots at the line, showing that his aggressive style pays off thanks to his deadly-accurate free throw percentage.

The 12-point victory over the Wolves avenged an early-season loss for the Bruins. In that game, Jordan scored a season-high 39 points and dished out nine assists. With his 32 points on Saturday, Jordan is averaging 35.5 points against one of Arizona’s most promising 5A teams. Not only that, but Jordan held the Wolves’ rising star sophomore guard Lawrence Westbrook to only nine points (none in the first half) defensively.

For his weekend of work – 26.7 points and 5.3 assists over three wins – Daren Jordan earned himself a place among those who did not make the All-Tournament team.

What the…?

Ty Morrison, Trevor Browne’s go-to guy and reigning state Player of the Year, had 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks in the win over Chandler. In fact, in the Bruins’ three-game run to the tourney title, Morrison averaged 19.3 points, 12.7 boards, and 6.3 blocks.

He also failed to make the All-Tournament team.

How does one qualify for All-Star status in the Phoenix Union Tournament anyway? Both Morrison and Jordan were certainly overly-qualified to receive the honor yet came away without the bronze medallion that teammate and Tournament MVP Kaleo Kina got.

Kina, who is GOAZCATS.com’s Most Underrated Player in the state of Arizona, was his usual consistent (yet extremely effective and productive) self. The 6-3, 175-pound junior guard scored 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, had six assists, and three steals in the title game. He averaged 25.3 points and an even nine rebounds per game over the weekend, and was very much deserving of MVP honors.

“I wouldn’t have this (medal) if it wasn’t for my teammates,” Kina said after the game. “Without them we would have lost this game.”

To their credit, neither Jordan nor Morrison seemed jaded by their friend and teammate’s recognition. Kina has long been in the background while Daren and Ty enjoyed the spotlight over the years, school and AAU season, where all three are members of the nationally-ranked Arizona Magic club team.

Kina doesn’t have the explosiveness that his backcourt mate Jordan has, and he lacks the size and freakish athleticism of Morrison. But what the Hawaii native possesses more than the other two are unwavering leadership and an ability to simply “find a way” to win.

It’s the leadership qualities – thanks mostly to a don’t-mess-with-me demeanor and a high level of intelligence – that will make Kina sought after by college coaches, though, as it is what distinguishes him from most 16 and 17 year olds.

As an example of Kina’s “I’m-in-charge” on-court attitude, Trevor Browne was slowly coming back onto the court following a timeout when Kaleo noticed his teammates walking well behind him. Chandler was about to inbound the ball from the baseline (under its own hoop no less) when Kina yelled, “let’s go! Get in here now!” His four lollygagging teammates ran to their men immediately.

Because of Kina’s leadership (his 20-point-per-game scoring average doesn’t hurt, either), Morrison’s sheer physical dominance, and Jordan’s combustible scoring skills, Trevor Browne will be one of the two or three favorites to capture the state title come February.

You won’t find a better or more dynamic threesome in Arizona high school basketball than Morrison-Kina-Jordan, and even though they will need their supporting cast to step up considerably come state tournament time, the talented trio will be a tough out no matter what.

All three players are aggressive and get to the line early and often. Against Chandler, the trio combined to shoot 21-26 (81%) on their free throws. There will be games this season when some of the calls the Bruin triumvirate received go the other way and one, two or all three of them foul out. It’s bound to happen. But for now, playing at lightspeed and without fear of personal injury due to contact has been a winning proposition.

There is one more matter of business to take care of, though, according to Kina.

“We got revenge for one loss tonight,” he says with a smile. “And now y’all know who’s next.”

He’s referring to Deer Valley, the only other team to beat Trevor Browne this season, and who did so in dominant fashion on the Bruins’ own home court, 89-74. The rematch up in Glendale is set for January 27th at DVHS, where stars Lawrence Hill (2005) and Christian Polk (2006) await their arrival.

With all of that Division I talent on the floor, DV-Trevor II is an absolute can’t-miss event.

*Trevor Browne will take part in the Whataburger Invitational in Fort Worth, Tex., which begins December 29th and features nationally-ranked teams such as Ft. Worth Dunbar HS with former UA recruit Jeremis Smith. Dunbar would be Trevor Browne’s second opponent should both teams win their first game. Dunbar went 37-1 and captured the 4A state championship in Texas last season.

*Stud freshman (2007) point guard Jerryd Bayless (St. Mary’s), as well as Christian Polk and Apollo’s senior power forward James Lester were in attendance to watch their Arizona Magic teammates face off against one another.

*For as much star power as the championship game had, there was nary a Phoenix area reporter, college coach, or Internet scouting service among the 200 or so people packed inside the South Mountain HS gymnasium. It’s actually sad to think that one of the best and most intriguing high school matchups of the year had to be covered by people who took a 220-mile roundtrip to do so.

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-Ben Hansen, Senior Editor