Fabiano working hard as a student-athlete

Anthony Ray
ArizonaPreps.com Recruiting Analyst

In a day and age where the term "student-athlete" has become a commonly used clitche, Desert Mountain High School 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior forward Tony Fabiano is the true meaning of the word. 

Desert Mountain HS 6-foot-4, 220-pound junior Tony Fabiano is the state's top student perfoming as an athlete.

Possessing an amazing academic resume and also excellent work ethic on the basketball court, Fabiano is looking to make a way for himself in college athletics.

As a result of this pursuit as a college basketball player, Fabiano has balanced out his life with a steady-balance of hard work on and off the basketball court. In the classroom, Fabiano is one of the top students in Desert Mountain's 2012 graduating class. On the basketball floor, Fabiano is a tireless worker that is willing to sacrifice his body and individual statistics for the success of his team. 

Tony has played club competitive basketball since kindergarten. A coach's son, Fabiano plays with a hightened sense of commitment to his coaches, his teammates and the game. Tony's academic intellect combined with his basketball experience puts him in the position of a court leader on any team he has ever played for. 

Tony was Team Captain for his HS team as a freshman, sophomore and junior and is currently the co-Captain of his club basketball program - The Arizona Redshirts.

This spring, Fabiano has helped lead the Redshirts to a lot of early success on the AAU/club circuit. His selfless attitude as a player rubs off on his teammates and is a big part of the success of the program. 

After his recent performance in this year's Elite 8 Tournament held in Phoenix a week ago, Fabiano earned the honor of being selected among the All-Rodney Dangerfield Team for the tournament. 

Fabiano is a unique player in that he gets just as much satisfaction in setting a good screen for a teammate to get open for a basket, diving for a looseball to gain posession for his team or rebounding the basketball and making a nice outlet pass to start the fastbreak. Fabiano does whatever it takes to help his team win, because that's what he is - a winner. 

Fabiano now has his sights set on attracting the right college program for himself where he will be able to play college basketball, as well as get a tremendous education for hismelf. With a 4.8 CUM GPA, Fabiano is off the charts academically and, as a result, is hearing from many different schools already for his services. Such programs as Columbia, Shenandoah University, Pacific University, Whitman and Occidental College have each expressed interest in Fabiano recently and plan to watch him perform this summer on the AAU/club circuit. 

Tony has also been invited to attend Columbia's Elite Camp this summer by their coaching staff.

While Tony will continue to work hard on and off the baasketball floor, he understands that his future is in the medical profession, as he plans to attend medical school and to become a doctor in the future. He understands that his academic performance will make his goal of playing college basketball a reality, not the other way around as it is for most student-athletes today.

Fabiano plans to have a strong summmer performance for the Redshirts, and continue to create as many opportunities for himself and his teammates as possible this of-season. 

Arizona Preps will continue to follow Fabiano's progress as player as well as his college recruitment this summer, and bring you any updates as they continue to develop.

Arizona Preps Scouting Report: Fabiano has a high basketball IQ and competes with a high level of intensity on the floor at all times. He is a very good low post scorer and also has a soft touch from mid-range out to 15-18 feet. He also has a very good overall feel for the game and likes to find the open man on the floor from the post position. He is a strong rebounder on both ends of the floor, and utilizes his body and strength very well to gain good inside position against bigger post players. An undersized four man, Fabiano gives up his personal numbers for his team's success. His best asset as a player is his unique ability to share the basketball, since he possesses excellent court vision on the floor and likes to get the basketball to cutters and open players on the wing. He is an asset in the low post since he has a passing mentality, but he also has solid low post footwork to score as well. An OK athlete. Has excellent toughness and a great attitude on and off the floor. A great teammate. A tremendous student in th classroom.