The Basha Bears have one clear team goal in mind for this season … win the state’s second annual open division championship.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Last Year’s Run
The Bears (5-1) made a run to the semifinal in Arizona’s first open state championship but fell short to Sunnyslope.
CONGRATULATIONS, @slopebasketball !! BIG WIN OVER @Bashabasketball @_TheRealMC_ @dendekker_dylan @Leasure96 pic.twitter.com/n6r4JYeJAN
— Varsity Sports Show (@VarsityShow) February 25, 2023
This was still an incredible run considering Basha entered the bracket as the No. 11 seed.
Bears Learn From Semifinal Loss
As with all losses, it gave them something to work on and correct going into the new season. Sophomore point guard Mason Magee made varsity as a freshman and emphasized how hard they worked in the offseason.
“We have worked extensively over the summer and all preseason on rebounding, toughness, and getting back on defense. Those areas are where our biggest margins of error were last season.”
The 2023-24 Basha Bears pic.twitter.com/kdauUm6TKw
— Basha Basketball (@Bashabasketball) November 10, 2023
Magee knows how much work has to be put in but has clear goals for himself and the team this season.
“Some personal goals I have include All-State, All-Region, and All-6A. Some team goals we have are to win the Damian Classic and of course, win the state championship,” Magee said.
2026 Mason Magee, a sophomore point guard from Basha High, has undoubtedly taken the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) by storm. Standing at a compact 6 feet tall, Magee is proving that size is no barrier to making a big impact on the court.
Magee's statistics in the… pic.twitter.com/bG8LPaFo1e
— The Basketball Tribune (@TheBBallTribune) September 23, 2023
Basha’s Strong Start To The Year
The Bears have started the new season 5-1 while outscoring opponents 445-282.
Junior guard and transfer from Oregon Drew Hall weighed in on how the team keeps their hot start to the season rolling.
“I think we keep that rolling by just staying consistent and disciplined. We do that by just showing up to practice every day and working hard. The goal is to get better every day and if we do that, I think we’ll have a successful season.
2025 Basha HS Drew Hall finished with 8 points 13 rebounds and 8 assists in a 84-48 win over Mesquite HS. @Ha11Drew @Bashabasketball @GreggRosenberg1 @FullTimeHoops1
— Players Play (@Playersplayca) November 29, 2023
Head Coach Brings Winning Culture
Head coach Mike Grothaus knows what it takes to win, as he and the team delivered on a 6A conference championship victory in 2017.
Congrats to Basha head coach Mike Grothaus and his Basha team on an excellent season, 31-1! Grothaus has worked hard to get to this point.
— Anthony Ray (@ArizonaPreps) March 1, 2017
“ Coach G really emphasizes that everyone just does their job and plays hard. If everyone does their job, he says we will win a lot of games.
With that clear goal in mind, the Bears are locked in and will not be an easy team to beat when the playoffs kick off.
“We just have to keep playing together as a team and keep getting better day by day,” Magee said.
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Saleh Awwad is a writer/reporter covering Phoenix High School Sports and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @SalehAwwad_
