It’s been a while since Palo Verde has gone this far in the postseason, but sometimes toughness develops the most through the struggle.
Palo Verde will make a return to the state semifinals Friday for the first time in 10 years.
The Titans have made it the 3A semifinals as a No. 5 seed defeating No. 12 Alchesay 58-36 in front of a large crowd at Palo Verde on Feb. 18 and then upsetting No. 4 ALA-Ironwood 64-62 in overtime on the road Saturday night.
Palo Verde (23-5) will play No. 1 Franklin (26-4) at 9 a.m. at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
No. 11 Pusch Ridge (17-11) will follow with the other semifinal game against No. 2 Florence (24-4) at 11 a.m.
The Titans welcome a weekday game that early in the morning on the road.
“Over the summer, we play AAU games, so 9 a.m. is like the AAU season,” junior point guard Kameron Pippen said. “For some reason, I don’t know why, but we always have energy in the morning.
“We’re slow walking in, but once we get the ball, it’s over. We’re energized.”
Palo Verde coach Anthony Smith has emerged as one of the top coaches in the state, leading the fifth-seeded Titans to the 3A semifinals against No. 1 Franklin on Friday at 9 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Smith is 72-33 in the four years leading the program… pic.twitter.com/zLWpfq9z9U
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) February 27, 2025
Palo Verde has welcomed any challenge under fourth-year coach Anthony Smith, who defines perserverance.
Smith, who is 72-33 at Palo Verde’s head coach, said he was a “young knucklehead from South Tucson, Ariz.” when he grew up.
He attended Tucson High with former Palo Verde coach Marsharne Flannigan, whom he replaced in 2021 when Flannigan left to become an assistant coach at Pima Community College under Brian Peabody.
“I was a high school dropout,” Smith said. “I joined the military and I came back. One day when I was back, Marsharne came to me and was like, ‘I have a lot of kids who have your background. I think you can help out. We run the same offense (as they did at Tucson High under Gary Lewis).
“I told him, ‘Alright this will be awesome, if I can run the same offense.’ I got here (as an assistant under Flannigan), and I was managing personalities. There was no X’s and O’s. After that first practice, I was like, ‘Oh … me and (former player) Zion (Sandoval) were going back and forth, and I told him, ‘Man, that was stressful.’ He looked at me and goes, ‘That’s exactly what we need you for.'”
Smith showed in his first year as a head coach in 2021-22, when the Titans went 18-8 overall and 9-3 in the 3A South, that he is the right person to lead the program.
He coaches his players with encouragement through friendly interaction. He commands their respect because of that type of relation.
Smith drew laughs, claps and cheers, leading a free-throw competition at the end of a practice this week in which a player must make a string of free throws to be able to leave. Those who missed were forced to run.
Instead of fretting the situation, or becoming too stressed, the players were jubilant.
“My strength in relationship building and coming from a background in a single-parent home like they do, I understand the struggles,” he said. “We made those connections, and you see it on the court. My intensity’s there in their reflection of me.
“We don’t talk to the referees. We try to play defense with our hands out and be tough with our chest. We do that and do it well. I think it shows. Any time your team can take on your identity, I think that’s an awesome thing for me as a person and them going forward. People like us can do amazing things, and I think that’s the key.”
The 2014-15 season when Palo Verde finished 17-12 and won eight of its last 10 games under coach Jimmie Nelson Jr., is the last time the school has made it this far. The Titans lost to Snowflake 60-52 in the semifinals at Glendale.
Bryce Cotton led the program to the state semifinals in 2009-10 against Santa Rita and Terrell Stoglin. The Titans lost that game 85-68 at Prescott Valley.
Palo Verde advanced to the 4A state finals at Phoenix at what was called America West Arena in 1999-2000 against Sahuaro, coached by legendary Dick McConnell. The Titans, led by Kevin Calloway, Richard Sims, Lamont Pickett and Troy Hoover, fell short against Sahuaro 72-58.
Smith has assistant coaches with ties to that game.
Mark Abatecola was an assistant under Palo Verde coach David Gin in 1999-2000 and Rick Gary played for McConnell at Sahuaro and remained close to that program. Gary has also coached at Pima College.
Cotton is a quasi-coach, leading workouts during the summer at Palo Verde’s gym with many members of this year’s team, including Pippen.
“We’ve contacted him to let him know how playoffs are going and he told us congratulations,” Pippen said of Cotton, who is in his eighth season playing professionally at Australia.
Cotton has a history of proving himself to a high degree when he left Tucson for Providence in 2010 after he was not offered scholarships at programs such as Montana State, NAU and Houston Baptist after they showed interest. Providence finally offered him a scholarship right before the start of the 2010-11 school year.
He became a two-time first-team All-Big East selection. In 35 games as a senior with the Friars, Cotton averaged 21.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game.
He had short stints in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies before finally finding his place professionally at Australia in 2017.
He is a five-time National Basketball League MVP who has captained the Perth Wildcats to three championships. He has led the NBL in scoring all but one season the last eight years.
Although he graduated from Palo Verde when most of them were toddlers, the Titans have a bond with Cotton.
“Bryce has really helped us out,” Smith said. “Everybody thinks they are a shooter until Bryce shows up to the gym and goes like 350 for 400 or something like that. It makes us go attack the basket and that’s how we’re winning games.”
Cotton has worked individually with Pippen and has helped instill the characteristic of being a facilitator first, shooter second, to get all the players involved as a playmaking point guard.
The work has translated into Pippen, 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, leading the state averaging 7.4 assists per game. Nationally, Pippen ranks No. 21 among Class of 2026 players in assists.
“I wouldn’t be there without all of them (his teammates),” Pippen said of his assists. “I appreciate everybody who has helped me. … I am a pass-first point guard. The first thing you gotta do is pass, so that’s a good thing.”
Many of his passes go to senior forward Daniel Ortiz, who comes from the heralded Ortiz family at Palo Verde.
Ortiz’s sisters Aaliyah and Kiana played in college after playing at Palo Verde with their mom Joalliene Ortiz as one of the coaches. Joalliene, who has also served as an assistant with the boys varsity program, now coaches Palo Verde’s flag football team.
Her youngest son Kamaiu is sophomore with the Titans averaging 3.6 points off the bench.
Daniel leads the Titans averaging 18.7 points and 3.0 steals per game.
“There’s a lot of culture, a lot of grind; Coach Smith is hard on us,” Daniel said when asked what he likes about the program. “It’s a blessing. I’ve been here (with the varsity program under Smith) since my freshman year … It’s like family here.”
No. 5 Palo Verde (23-5) will play in the 3A semifinals Friday morning at 9 against No. 1 Franklin (26-4) at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. Two of the top Titans are senior wing/guard Daniel Ortiz (18.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 3.0 steals per game) and… pic.twitter.com/d632UT9aL4
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) February 27, 2025
Toughness, grind and culture are words expressed by many in the program.
Balance is another word to describe its strength.
Pippen and Daniel Ortiz are two of four players averaging double figures in points. Pippen is at 10.1 points a game, Julian Blackburne is at 14.4 and Rashad Ortiz 12.6.
Adrian Powers leads the team in rebounding (8.5 a game) and blocked shots (1.3).
“It’s been a complete group effort, something that our kids have talked about since the beginning of the year — the grind, and the toughness that we have, and knowing that together, it’s going to take everybody to get it done,” Smith said.
Palo Verde is an inner-city school whose success is not built on amenities and riches but on belief.
Pippen, also one of Palo Verde’s top football players, has been approached about transferring to other schools. The schools try to sell him on building his profile by playing with more established and successful basketball and football programs.
He is content creating his image as a student-athlete with Palo Verde.
“Pride and loyalty,” Pippen said. “I could have transferred but I stayed with Smith. I like how he operates things. I like these guys. I like this team. … I’m here to leave a legacy that some people couldn’t do and make it better.
“I’m trying to get that state championship to be a one-of-a-kind, trying to be the first one. I’m trying to leave a legacy and not go somewhere else and lean on somewhere else. I like it here. It’s like family. It’s all love.”
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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
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