AZ Compass Prep not checking rankings as it takes center stage at Hoophall West

AZ Compass Prep coach Ed Gipson pushed his team through practice. No breaks. A heavy emphasis on defense. Hands up. No getting lazy. No plays off.

This is how he pushed a team through after its No. 1 national ranking took a hit from Richardson High out of Texas 61-38 on Nov. 27 in the Thanksgiving Hoopfest at Dickie's Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Dragons (10-1) enter Wednesday's Hoophall West at Scottsdale Chaparral against Glendale Dream City Christian at 6 p.m., as the No. 9 team in the nation by MaxPreps, and looking to reassert itself.

"It showed us that we've got a long way to go, that we've got work to put in," said Gipson, who guided the Dragons to the GEICO Nationals semifinals last year. "We're not that good. We're not as good as we think we are. They humbled us, which is good."

Not that Richardson was a slouch. That team was ranked No. 7 nationally by MaxPreps.

This Compass Prep team is basically a new team from the one that was led to national acclaim last season by current Kentucky freshman point guard TyTy Washington, putting Arizona high school basketball on the map, along with Hillcrest Prep, which is now the No. 6 ranked high school boys basketball team in America.

Several prep academies that feature national teams have emerged in recent years in the Phoenix area and now are among the best in the country, often luring away top players from traditional Arizona high schools and others out of state.

New to Comass Prep this year is five-star 2023 guard Kylan Boswell, who left a great Centennial team in Corona, California, he said, to push himself. He has Arizona and Arizona State among his suitors.

"Every day, coach makes us go hard in practice, give 110% effort," Boswell said. "When I decided to leave Centennial, I felt I needed to take my game to the next level, and Compass was the right move.

"I'm glad I made this move and I'm glad I'm with Coach Gipson and Coach (Pete) Kaffey right now. They're pushing me really hard."

Against Richardson, the Dragons were without Chance Westry, a 6-6 senior wing, who came to Arizona from Pennsylvania. Westry watched helplessly from the bench with an injury. But he's cleared to play this week in the Hoophall West.

Westry is a four-star prospect, ranked No. 30 in the nation in the 2022 class by 247Sports Composite.

AZ Compass Prep will conclude the four-day Hoophall West on Saturday at the Footprint Center to play national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy out of Virginia.

"Coming here, the coaches teach us discipline," Westry said. "By them pushing us every day, it's pushing us to be young men. To develop to get ready for the real world and not just basketball."

Gipson knows how tough this week will be and that he's going to have to get his players to realized that they can't rely on their lofty national rankings or what AZ Compass did last year to get into this position to play in top national showcases.

"Being a five star doesn't matter," Gipson said. "Any rankings, to me, at this point, it means nothing, because every team we're playing, they're coming at you. They're giving everything they've got.

"It's going to be tough. We're going to have to be focused."

In the other top matchup Wednesday, rivals Phoenix St. Mary's and Phoenix Brophy Prep play at 7:30 p.m., following the AZ Compass-Dream City game.

Brophy has begun the season without junior wing Arman Madi, last year's leading scorer, and Connor Fitzgerald. Madi is out with an injury until January, coach Matt Hooten said. Fitzgerald, one of the team's best outside shooters, should be ready for St. Mary's.

St. Mary's, led by point guard Styles Phipps and wing Garrison Phelps, is ranked No. 1 in the Super 10 by The Arizona Republic. The Knights beat Brophy on its court last year.

"Our keys to Wednesday's game against St. Mary's starts on the defensive end," Hooten said. "We've got to do a good job of limiting dribble penetration and second-chance opportunities.

"Then, offensively, we are at our best when we are moving the ball quickly and setting up teammates for high percentage shots."

Here is a schedule of this week's Hoophall West:

Dec. 8 at Chaparral

Valley Vista vs. Sandra Day O'Connor, 3 p.m., girls

Notre Dame Prep vs. Seton Catholic, 4:30, girls

Dream City Christian vs. AZ Compass Prep, 6, boys

Brophy Prep vs. St. Mary's, 7:30, boys

Legacy Charter (South Carolina) vs. Prolific Prep (California), 9, boys.

Dec. 9 at Chaparral

Perry vs. Chaparral, 3 p.m., girls

Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) vs. Legacy Charter, 4:30, boys

Highland vs. Centennial, 6, boys

Montverde (Florida) vs. Duncanville (Texas), 7:30, boys

AZ Compass Prep vs. Wasatch Academy (Utah), 9, boys

Dec. 10 at Chaparral

Lake Oswego (Oregon) vs. Pace Academy (Georgia), 3 p.m., boys

DeMatha Catholic (Maryland) vs. St. Edward's (Ohio), 4:30, boys

Montverde vs. Wasatch, 6, boys

Chaparral vs. Desert Mountain, 7:30, boys

Perry vs. Coronado (Nevada), 9, boys

Dec. 11 at Chaparral , Session 1

Lake Oswego vs.St. Edward's High School, 9 a.m.

DeMatha Catholic vs, Pace Academy, 10:30

Chaparral vs. Pleasant Grove (Utah), noon

Mountain Pointe vs. Harvard Westlake (California), 1:30 p.m.

Dec. 11 at Footprint Center, Session 2

Sunnyslope vs. Centennial (California), 4 p.m.

St. Mary's vs. Bishop Gorman (Nevada), 5:30

Oak Hill Academy vs. AZ Compass Prep, 7

Perry vs. Sierra Canyon (California), 9

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kylan Boswell leads AZ Compass Prep in Hoophall West