Branson boys basketball demolishes way to Section 7 ABCA bracket title

Reigning CIF-North Coast Section champion Branson had no desire in waiting to kick off its Division 3 title defense in style.

The Bulls made quick work of all comers in June at Section 7, handily winning the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association (ABCA) bracket with a 65-42 finals win over West Point (AZ).

Presenting your Section 7 @AZBballCoaches Bracket Champions. Congratulations @bransonhoops. 🏆#Section7 | #WhereTalentMeetsOpportunity pic.twitter.com/IxppKK04io

Super proud of this group. They have shown so much growth in the last year. Winning our bracket in both major summer high school tournaments is a huge accomplishment. Time to get back in that gym and get better!! pic.twitter.com/zcHpl4UPl7

Branson's closest game came one round prior against Chandler (AZ), which it beat 58-48. Before that it opened with an 81-54 rout of Foothill (CA) and defeated Centennial (AZ) 68-50.

Is that an indication that Branson has even bigger and better things in store for 2025-26 than last season? Almost certainly. The Bulls return nearly their entire core, including one of the best perimeter trios in the CIF-NCS and beyond in senior Chase Robertson and juniors NJ Gray and Heath French.

The biggest threat to Branson's chances at repeating in Division 3 is an Open Division selection, and it wouldn't be a shock to see the Bulls winning games at the Open Division level as they did in the 2023-24 season. In the two years prior to that, they repeated atop NCS D3. Regardless of what division they're in, they'll be a force this winter.

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