Corey Hawkins, Estrella Foothills
Photo by Lou Coopey/All-Pro Pictures
It’s fair to say that Ty Amundsen inherited a good situation four years ago at Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear, Ariz.
Although the Wolves were coming off a 14-16 record, sophomore Brandon Hawkins – the son of NBA veteran Hersey Hawkins – emerged as the one of the state’s top underclassman, averaging 18.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
Even better, Brandon’s younger brother, Corey, would be joining the team as a freshman.
Amundsen, who coached in California before coming to the Grand Canyon State, highlighted the brothers in a dribble-drive offense and overnight Estrella Foothills became a state power, accumulating a 106-10 record since the 2006-07 season.
“It kind of took Arizona by storm because nobody was really running that stuff without the 35-second shot clock,” Amundsen said. “That style, it suited Corey, as well as his brothers.”
Brandon went on to average 23.8 points per game as a senior and eventually signed with Pacific. But Corey was often a scene stealer, tacking up 22.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and helping the Wolves capture Arizona’s Class 3A state title.
Two years later, Corey – now a 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior – has emerged as one of the nation’s most productive high school players and Estrella Foothills might be the best team in the entire state – not just 3A.
He is also providing on-the-job training to yet another Hawkins, 6-3 freshman Devon Hawkins, who is averaging 10.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
“He is the most underrated shooting guard in the country,” Amundsen said of Corey. “Part of it is that he really hasn’t played AAU ball. We play about 50 games in a summer and he would much rather be with us. He is all about the team, and that’s why we have been so good.”
The son of a former pro putting up outrageous numbers at the high school level normally makes for compelling copy, but Corey has been shaded by the lack of AAU experience and playing at a school outside of Arizona’s largest classifications.
“I’ve realized that for a while now,” Corey said of being a bit of an unknown commodity nationally. “But there’s not much I can do about it – just go out and play as I normally do and eventually my name will get out to other people.”
Thanks to eye-popping numbers, his audience has expanded. It’s been a dream season. Corey is racking up 35.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 3.3 assists per game. His Wolves are out to a 22-1 record, and yesterday MaxPreps picked him as one of 24 players nationally deserving at this point in the season of a trip to Columbus, Ohio, for the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Hawkins put an exclamation mark on things last Thursday with a 56-point, 14-rebound performance in a 122-84 win over Buckeye.
“Buckeye was trying to run up and down with us. He had the green light and was feeling hot,” Amundsen said. "I didn’t know he had 56 until after the game. I knew he had a lot, but I didn’t think he had 56.”
Ty Amundsen debates the BCS with an official.
<center>Photo by Ray Thomas/West Valley View</center>
His follow-up wasn’t too bad either, scoring 43 in an 87-42 win over Wickenburg on Tuesday night.
After trying to lead Estrella Foothills to its third-straight state title next month, Hawkins will move on to Arizona State where he will likely play at a much more deliberate pace than he is accustomed to under Amundsen.
“He is going to fit in fine,” Amundsen said. “(Sun Devil coach Herb) Sendek adapts to the players he has. When he has guards that can really do it, he opens it up, extends the floor and asks them to get to the basket.”
Despite interest from schools like Stanford and Texas, Corey ended the recruiting process early, committing to ASU before the start of his junior year.
“Just the way they treated me,” Corey said of what made Sendek and staff stand out. “They were the first college to jump on board and stuck with me.”
Hersey Hawkins, who played with the 76ers, Hornets, Sonics and Bulls during his 13-year NBA career, rounds out the first family of Estrella Foothills basketball. He serves as an assistant coach for the program.
“We have grown a lot closer, being together all the time. Having my dad around, getting a ring with both of them, that’s a feeling that I can’t really describe,” Corey said. “We know each other so well. Having them out there helps me relax.”
Don’t sleep on Arizona high school basketball as a whole. Among the state’s top scorers this year (according to statistics submitted to MaxPreps.com) are Hawkins, Kansas signee Royce Woolridge of Sunnyslope, Maryland signee Terrell Stoglin at Tucson Santa Rita, junior Oregon State commitment Jahii Carson and former Texas verbal Daniel Bejarano of Phoenix North, now headed to the University of Arizona.
Montverde, PrimeTime Shootout among weekend highlights
For the second week in a row, the PrimeTime Shootout will command a great deal of attention. Nationally-ranked Plymouth-Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) and Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh, Pa.) will be among the headliners at Villanova University (see complete lineup here).
Stealing some of the Shootout’s thunder will be the Montverde Academy Invitational – hosted by preseason Xcellent 25 pick Montverde Academy – in Florida.
No. 4 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and No. 13 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.) will join Florida powers like Jacksonville Arlington Country Day, Orlando Christian Prep and Orlando Oak Ridge to fill out the power-packed field.
The Invitational begins today and runs through Saturday.
