Well, I'm in Arizona and I can tell you that your assessment is wrong. That All Star game was not the best players in Arizona, because the two best players on the state were not there, in Ayton and Barcello. The competition Shadd played against was not elite. He did not go to a high school, he went to an Academy housed in at a church. He went to a school that has 20 faculty, for grades K-12. And played against the same size and style of schools that he attended. Not a part of the AIA, which is where normal kids go to school here in the state. Kids like Richard Jefferson, Mike Bibby, Jerryd Bayless, and Sean Elliott. Shadd benefited by being 6'8" in a division where most teams didn't have anyone over 6'2" and some were even reduced to throwing girls out there to guard him and avoid forfeiting the game due to lack of players.
The fact that the comment was made that he hadn't played with or against those other high school players since the club days long before high school says it all. He wasn't even on an AAU team in between school. Meanwhile other kids are traveling and playing year round against 10x the level of competition Shadd ever faced. Ayton was playing nationally and a McDonald All American. Not playing year round probably explains his inability to make FT's. Hopefully oscar can fix that, because his percentage from the charity strip is beyond embarrassing.
I played HS ball in AZ and still have family there. (Shout out to them for some of this info) I wasn't saying Shadd's competition is elite. It is just much better than the lowest level in AZ. For example, this summer Shadd's high school, now without Shadd, beat 6A power Cesar Chavez who was 24-5 last season. They also blew out Queen Creek in the Best In Basketball Summer Invitational. In the Summer 64, they beat schools like Goldwater, Alhambra, Copper Canyon and lost to Mesa HS. These are reported on social media. Those are big schools in AZ. There are 6 Divisions in the AIA over 200 boys teams and 3 in the CAA of 80 boys teams for HS basketball in AZ. The top level of the CAA where Shadd played has consistently beaten AIA 3A and 4A teams in fall leagues and summer tournaments. Since the top level of CAA allows national prep teams, maxpreps shows Shadd played Westwind Prep, Planet Athlete (South Pointe), Phase One, Student Choice and Aspire Prep. Most of the players on those rosters are from out of the country here to play basketball.
Tri-City Christian Academy is a K-12 school that has been around since the 1970s. Its not big but it is a traditional private school not a basketball academy. They do not play the same style schools, look at their schedule. Maybe you are unfamiliar with many of the new charter schools but West Phoenix HS, Southwest Leadership, Skyline Prep and South Pointe in south phoenix are not even close to a small, private school in Chandler. Those rosters are full of athletes from tough areas. Metro Tech HS in central phx had been in Shadd's division for years and they have 1800 students. There is no chance a girl played in a boys HS game in the top division of the CAA. One of Shadd's teammates also went D1 the year before and was also rated Top 5 for his class in AZ.
Biggest mistake in your post is regarding Shadd's AAU play. He played multiple years for the Arizona Magic which just changed their name to The Factory last season. The same club where Isaiah Thomas (Celtics/Cavs) and Richard Jefferson played. That club is the most successful in AZ history and known for having the best big men in AZ on it especially in recent years. Guys Shadd worked with in his club are Humphrey at Stanford, Adams at Southern Utah, Ondigo at Texas Tech. That club team is not on the shoe circuit but they do travel the country and play top competition. I will even attach a picture of Shadd from a club event where he played Marvin Bagley. Bagley is only the #1 rated player in the country this year who just committed to Duke. This picture was at the tip of the championship game of a club event two years ago. Shadd was praised by media covering the event for holding Bagley to 12-14 points although Bagley's team won the game by 2. Combine that with the Pangos AA event and you are talking about some pretty good competition. For the record, Shadd was one of a few McDonald's All-American nominees last season from Arizona.
None of this means he can do it at this level. Most big men take time and he will probably be no different. His length, physical strength and athleticism will help in the transition. However, it looks and sounds like the kid has done a little more at a much high level than you are giving him credit for in his career.
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Did you actually watch the All Star game? It was basically Phoenix vs. Tucson, which you should know the talent coming out of AZ is nothing to brag about, much less out of Tucson. Not only that, but Tucson did not have any of third top players in Miller, Deng, or Beskind. Of course Phx and Shadd's squad didn't have Ayton or Barcello. And if you watched the game you will see what I am talking about. It's a lot like watching a oscar Weber coached team, so I guess you could say Nigel will fit right in. At least we beat N. Colorado finally in the recruitment of Shadd. That All Star game though. A 2 man officiating crew, with about 50 in attendance, on an NBA court, where everyone of them thinks they are Curry and shoot it from pro range, which I don't remember anyone making even one, so there were rebounds galore. Shadd air balled at least two that I can recall from inside of 10 feet. Turned it over probably 3 times simply fumbling it out of bounds when he had a wide open dunk. He's not quick, just long, runs awkward, and is not very aggressive.
He trippin' so much, fans gonna begin to think he done fell off!
