Former Gilbert guard K.J. Perry makes 2nd summer move, will play at PHH Prep, plans to reclassify to 2024

K.J. Perry helped Gilbert reach the 5A basketball final last season, but now he's onto his second place to play since last season ended.

The 6-foot-2 guard said he will play at PHHoenix Prep and plans on reclassifying to the 2024 class. He was a junior last season for Gilbert, where he emerged as one of the state's top players.

PHH Prep made the announcement on social media Saturday.

Perry played on Tempe McClintock's summer team that was in the Section 7 national recruiting event at State Farm Stadium in Glendale.

In last season's 5A semifinal overtime win over McClintock, Perry had 22 points to lead the Tigers into the state championship game, which they lost to Peoria Centennial.

"I wanted to go to a well-connected program that could help me with my recruitment, as well as playing top competition in the Grind Session," Perry said in a direct message on Twitter to The Republic. "They are also allowing me to reclass to 2024, so it was a no-brainer."

PHH Prep is not part of the Arizona Interscholastic Association so he won't have to sit out any games. PHH Prep plays in the Grind Session against top national prep academies during the season.

PHH Prep Director John Ortega said that Perry's recruiting didn't work out playing in the Section 7, which is sponsored by the AIA and the NCAA. More than 450 college coaches daily came out to the four-day event in June.

"He went to McClintock so he could play in Section 7 and got nothing out of it," Ortega said in a text. "It's the same old thing. The only Arizona players that got offers out of Section 7 already had offers because of club basketball.

"The AIA coaches want to pretend Section 7 in a magical event that makes things equal. It's not. We'll have over 80 coaches attend our fall practices. Then we'll play in 50 games in 11 different states and on the best high school platform in the country, the Grind Session."

Ortega believes the Fire will have arguably one of the most athletic backcourts in the country next high school basketball season with Perry and former Phoenix St. Mary's guard Vince Delano.

Delano played a big role for PHH Prep last season.

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: Former Gilbert guard K.J. Perry makes 2nd summer move to PHH Prep