Over the last 37 years, Santa Rita coach Jim Ferguson has seen the best of Tucson high school boys basketball from all angles.
He was a state champion and all-state player at Sahuaro in 1970 and '71. After playing college ball, he became a state-champion coach at Santa Rita and has produced one college prospect after another.
His opinion carries more validity than perhaps anyone in Tucson not named Lute Olson.
Ferguson's résumé is relevant today because Santa Rita has a player, sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin, with the kind of talent rarely seen in Tucson.
Some say time will tell how good Stoglin is. Ferguson doesn't need that long.
"He could play college basketball right now. He is that skilled," Ferguson said. "Terrell is the best I've ever seen as a 10th grader."
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The list of colleges pursuing Stoglin, a Tucson native who turned 16 on Saturday, puts him in elite territory: Arizona, UCLA, Stanford, Cal and more.
And Stoglin is the main reason Ferguson believes he has the best team in the state this year — regardless of classification. Santa Rita was the Class 4A-II state runner-up last season.
Many years have passed since Tucson produced a high-profile player of Stoglin's ilk. In case we've forgotten what one looks like, at left is the anatomy of a major Division I recruit, using Stoglin as the example.
INTELLIGENCE
Few players in the state can match Stoglin's athleticism, but his basketball IQ is more valuable to Santa Rita's success than anything else. He is like an assistant coach who can dunk.
"I have so much confidence in him running the team that I'll let him make a change on the court instead of having to call a timeout to do it myself," Santa Rita coach Jim Ferguson said. "He understands the game on a level that you just don't see from 10th graders."
FINESSE
He added plenty of muscle to his thin frame in the off-season, but everything he does is still silky smooth. His left-handed jump shot — long-range, mid-range, off the dribble — is a sure thing, and he has a soft touch around the basket.
"He is very skilled as a shooter, and he's a great passer, too," Ferguson said. "He does everything well."
DETERMINATION
Stoglin plays all out, all the time, even during the monotony of practice drills. His motivation? He blames himself for Santa Rita squandering a lead in the final minutes of the state final last February.
"We were so close we could taste it," he said. "I should have taken over. I should have been in control, but I wasn't. That won't happen again."
EXPLOSIVENESS
Most photos of Stoglin show his defenders several feet behind him. His quickness is his best weapon, and those who try to stay in front of him often do so in vain.
"A guard needs to be explosive off the dribble, and that's all God-given talent," Stoglin said. "I just thank God for the ability to go past people whenever I need to. That's what I'm best at."
ATHLETICISM
During the off-season, the 5-foot-11-inch Stoglin did extensive plyometric workouts — with a personal trainer and former UA and current NBA star Jason Terry as his partners — to improve his overall athleticism and leaping ability.
"The first time I dunked was after practice (last month), and I told Coach I was gonna get him one," Stoglin said. "He didn't believe me, but they threw me an alley-oop, and I threw it down with two hands."
WATCH LIST
Chase Adams, Sr., Salpointe Catholic
Aaron Aikman, Jr., Desert Christian
Rojer Castro, Sr., Tucson
Eli Crevelone, Sr., Canyon del Oro
Brandon Duliakis, Jr., Ironwood Ridge
JaMier Morris, Sr., Cienega
Kelly Gibson, Sr., Tucson
Robert Grant, Sr., Palo Verde
Mike Grayson, Sr., Sierra Vista Buena
Brian Hill, Sr., Tucson
Darnell Shumpert, Sr., Santa Rita
Austin Smith, Sr., Ironwood Ridge
Charlie Spector, Sr., Canyon del Oro
Terrell Stoglin, So., Santa Rita
Gilbert Tafoya, Jr., Rincon/University
