Familiarity with each other and pivotal in-game situations led to a defining moment for Millennium’s basketball program.

In the process, the Tigers lifted Arizona high school basketball into another stratosphere.

Succinctly put, the Tigers balled out during their 2024 Section 7 tour at State Farm Stadium. Millennium’s Section 7 out of state top-notch opponents got a taste of just how grand the Grand Canyon’s state’s players really are.

After trailing for most of the first half Sunday, the Tigers regrouped and took charge in a 72-58 bracket championship victory over San Francisco Archbishop Riordan. The Tigers can now claim that they were the first Arizona high school to win the toughest bracket, NFHS Legacy Foundation, at Section 7, the premier offseason June event for high schools in the nation.

“Our guys have a mentality of wanting to get out and prove it to the whole country that we are in that top-20 range,” Millennium coach Ty Amundsen said. “We work extremely hard. I know it’s the summer, but we treat Section 7 like it’s gold. It’s something that we build up for. We played in the top bracket and end up winning the whole thing. We got guys noticed. So I think mission accomplished for sure.”

If college coaches didn’t notice Kingston Tosi this weekend, they may want to visit an optometrist.

He’s a post player who can run the floor in transition and maneuver skillfully near the basket to get an open shot. Add to that his well-grounded nature, and Tosi is a winner on many fronts.

The incoming 6-7 senior scored 38, 15, 23 and 31 in Millennium’s Section 7 wins.

“We were in tough situations and would give the ball to Kingston, and he would go to work,” Millennium’s other centerpiece, Cameron Holmes, said. “He is very underrated. I just want coaches to look at who he is and stop sleeping on him. He is a great person and great player, too.”

Winning Section 7 is great, but Kingston and Holmes also mentioned that they finally also want to achieve something else.

Millennium lost in their 2024 and 2023 state title appearances.

“That’s our ultimate goal,” Holmes said. “I love winning, but our ultimate goal is to get back to the state championship and get a ring.”

Key Game Moments

Archbishop Riordan, headlined by Division I recruits Jasir Rancher and Andrew Hillman, had some success early while driving to the basket.

The California team went up 23-16, its biggest lead in the game, after a Steve Emeneke free throw with 7:35 left in the first half. But that’s when Millennium woke up.

“We were kind of just going through the motions at the start of the game,” Amundsen said. “Riordan is a really good team with really good players. So for us to turn it back on, it took a minute, but we got it going.”

It started with a backdoor cut by Holmes and feed from Tristen Rhodes, which resulted in a Holmes dunk.

The Tigers then scored during 11 of their next 15 possessions to seize control. During that stretch, Quincy Everson took a charge and converted two corner threes.

Everson (14 ppg Section 7 average) was another player who stepped up during  Millennium's impressive Section 7 showing. With 9:49 left in the game, the Tigers were comfortably ahead by 16 points.

But Archbishop Riordan didn’t go away quietly, as Tosi and Holmes got into foul trouble and Amundsen was assessed a technical.

Amundsen argued that Holmes was fouled during a drive to the basket with 7:14 remaining. With 6:55 showing on the clock, Millennium’s lead dwindled down to six.

During the 2023-24 postseason season, however, Millennium’s mettle was also tested while a scorer was on the bench with fouls. The Tigers also trailed by 20 in their Section 7 opener, and on each occasion responded.

They did so again Sunday, one final time.

A turnaround jumper by Adrian Higuera, a Holmes basket while in the paint and Tosi transition lay-in were key down the stretch. For the tournament, Tosi shot 69 percent (38-55).

“It’s been a huge confidence booster,” said Tosi about his Section 7 statement. “My teammates have been always telling me, “Be confident. Be confident.” My coaches tell me. College coaches tell me. Just be confident and you can do anything you want on the court. That you can take on anyone. This weekend I really did that, I think.”

https://x.com/AZPreps365Jose/status/1804980517923959047

Quotable

Amundsen on representing Arizona in a big-time national event: “A lot of that has to do with what we built last year and getting to the Open finals.”

On what he saw during Section 7 that stood out about his team: “For it to be the summer, in June, the chemistry and ball movement and connectivity on defense and the way we rebounded for our size was a very big surprise for me. We are usually not hitting that until January and February (of the regular season). Our guys were in tune this weekend and told them so.”

On what he told Holmes when Millennium was down by 20 vs. St. Joseph in the first round: “I don’t know if I can bleep that out, but I got into Cam’s S. H. … real hard because he had zero points and being lackadaisical. So after halftime he went for 18 points and Kingston finishes with 38. That’s also a tribute to Tristan Rhodes, JT Amundsen, Adrian Higuera, and Quincy Everson. In reality, it was a total team effort. The chemistry, the way we moved and the way we trusted each other, it’s what makes us great.”

Kingston on his team: “We trust each other really well. I played with these guys last year. Just one new kid. I am building a great relationship with all of these guys. We all trust and love each other and believe that we can go back and win a state championship. That’s the goal.”

Game stats

Millennium shot 59.6 percent, including 8-15 from beyond the arc. Everson made three of his four 3-point attempts and led the team with six rebounds. …Holmes scored 22 points and had just two turnovers while going 9-16 from the field. Holmes also scored 18, 28 and 18 in his team’s three other Section 7 games.