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Not only had Henry just returned from the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Mexico, but he then crammed in a standout performance in the NPBA Top 100 camp over the past week … before flying into Phoenix ahead of the Section 7 tournament and related games, which started on Friday.

“I’ll play tomorrow,� he said of Saturday's games.

Two of Henry's other USA teammates, UA recruiting targets Darius Wabbington and Adan Diggs, also barely took time to breathe after returning from the 6,000-foot elevation of Leon, Mexico, where USA picked up a silver medal after losing 67-65 to Canada in the championship game of the FIBA U18 AmeriCup on June 7.

Both Wabbington and Diggs said they returned from Mexico on Monday, and immediately spent the rest of the week working out with their respective high school teams, two of the best in Arizona: Phoenix Sunnyslope, the team Wabbington helped lead to the Arizona Open Division title last season, and Goodyear Millennium, where Diggs teamed with incoming UA freshman Cameron Holmes.

“It was straight back to it,� Wabbington said, chuckling. “It’s a grind, you know, but you’ve got to love it.�

Wabbington said he returned to practice on Tuesday while Diggs said he actually put up shots shortly after getting off the plane Monday, with his Millennium teammates having been in the gym that day.

Already having faced the inevitable pressure of playing for USA Basketball — where returning from an international event with anything other than a gold medal is considered a loss — Wabbington and Diggs took on a new form of pressure with their high school teams.

Diggs is in the process of reclassifying academically so he can become a rising senior next season — and play college basketball in 2027-28 — while Wabbington is taking over for a Sunnyslope team that lost several key players from its state title team, including Colorado-bound wing Rider Portela.

The new-look Vikings had trouble adjusting Friday, losing 77-62 to Seattle’s Rainier Beach despite second-half improvement. Diggs’ Millennium team, which is adjusting without Holmes, lost on an adjacent court at the same time, 70-68 to Bremerton (Wash.) High School, despite a near-comeback in the second half.

Millennium coach Rich Thornton said he thought Diggs was tired but, if Wabbington also was, he wasn’t about to admit it.

“I would just say the loss is on me,� Wabbington said. “I didn’t show up and perform as needed and as expected. I’ve got to come back and be better tomorrow.�

Sure enough, on Saturday morning Wabbington scored 21 points to lead Sunnyslope to a 71-67 win over Utah's Corner Canyon. 

"We're starting to put things together," he said after Saturday's game.

Chances are, Wabbington will also be better in the weeks and months ahead. Already ranked the No. 23 overall player in the class of 2027 by 247 Sports, Wabbington said his body has changed since he played in the Section 7 event last year, with more quickness on his 6-11, 245-pound frame and a stronger overall game.

Playing with USA Basketball, he said, also helped: The team featured 11 other of the best high school players in the country, who were largely shifted into different roles than the usual starring ones they play in high school.

They were forced to adjust, maybe in the sort of way they will in the future.

“It's tough playing with a lot of the top guys, trying to find your role and stuff like that, but that’s part of it,� Wabbington said. “When you go to college and the NBA, you're gonna be surrounded by other guys, and you’ve got to learn how you're going to fit in without scoring.�

Over five games in the U18 event, Wabbington averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, while Diggs averaged 10.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Diggs shot 46.8% from the field and 30% from 3, while Wabbington was 38.5% from the field and 41.2% from 3.

Wabbington said the experience overall was “amazing,� though losing to Canada in the final stung, sending the young Americans another lesson they might lean on ahead.

Canada was “really good,� Wabbington said. “To be honest, they kind of just wanted it more. When you've got that ‘USA’ on your chest, you feel like you’ve won already. But no — people are coming, and you’ve got a target on your back.�

After he gets through a summer of club ball and recruiting — then taking recruiting visits ahead to potential choices that also include UNC, Kentucky, Texas, Louisville and Indiana — Wabbington inevitably will face another target on him during his final season for Sunnyslope.

He says he's ready for it.

“The pressure is a blessing, to be playing for a top program not only in the state but in the country,� Wabbington said. “Of course there’s pressure but you've just got to stay with it and perform.�