Adidas All-American Tournament (Class of 2018 Point/Combo Guards)
Here is a look at some of the top point guards and combo guards from last weekend’s Adidas All-American Tournament in St. Louis
Caleb Cooper 5’10” Michigan Titans: The smooth point guard was the MVP of the 17U Division after leading the Titans to the tournament championship. He displayed excellent all-around floor leadership as he pushed the tempo to his liking, made sure the ball was moving and got buckets when it was time to call his own number. He could score off the bounce and knock down the 3-pointers.
Darius Beane 6’3″ Gateway: An athletic slashing guard from Carbondale (IL) who helped lead Gateway to a runner-up finish. He got out in transition and threw down a couple of highlight-reel dunks. Beane loves to attack the rim with gusto and tenacity and can finish over the top of defenders. He compliments his driving ability with a nice pull up mid range jumper from out to 17 feet to keep the defenders honest.
Jordan Holmes 6’0″ Gateway: A nifty little point guard from Columbia (IL) who displayed the ability to score at all three levels. He uses his strong body to score around the basket on the drive. He scored a game-winner on a last second lefthanded layup on the drive. Holmes can also stop and pop from the mid-range and he has excellent 3-point shooting ability.
Rayonte Childs 5’10” Arch Ryvals: A quick southpaw point guard from Class 3 state champion Northwest Academy, Childs has excellent speed, but he also has the ability to change directions on the fly and keep defenders off balance. He has a pretty good 3-point stroke, especially from the corners.
Cameron Van Leer 6’4″ Gateway: A big point guard from Pacific who really passed the ball well throughout the weekend. His ability to see the court and locate open teammates before they knew they were open was excellent. Cam’s size gives him advantage with his ability to see over the defense. He also shot the ball well from long distance, although he needs to be coaxed into shooting it a little more. Very unselfish.
Desmond Morris 6’3′ SEMO Storm: A nice sized combo guard who does a solid job as a ball handler, but can really knock down shots from long distance. He also did a nice job of keeping the ball moving as he did not let it stick in his hands, which was one of the strength of the overall team.
Jack Marinko 5’10” Gateway Prep (IL): Point guard from Edwardsville (IL) who plays the game with a lot of zeal. A very nice offensive player who plays the role of knock down 3-point shooter on his high school team. During the grassroots season, you see more of his scoring ability as he can get to the basket and finish going left or right. He knows how to play the angles.
Brandon Frederick 5’10” Showtime Elite: The point guard from Confluence Academy enjoyed an excellent weekend, especially shooting the basketball. When he got an open look, it was money in the bank. He made five 3-pointers in a quarterfinals matchup with Gateway. He also displayed a pair of quick hands on the defensive end, where he stripped the ball from many unsuspecting players.
Darious Thomas 6’0″ St. Louis Shooting Stars: An aggressive combo guard from Fort Zumwalt South who plays the game with a football mentality. You press up on him, he’s blowing by you on the way to the basket. You back off of him, he’s still blowing by you on the way to the basket. Darious has been doing it throughout his career as he is still very good at it.
Amechi Ramsey 5’9″ St. Louis Shooting Stars: A little point guard from Whitfield who has a knack of getting buckets. He was very good at pushing the ball in transition and finishing on the break. Very quick with the ball in his hands. Also has 3-point shooting range.
Zach Niemeyer 6’1″ Jets-Ramey United: The point guard from Christian-O’Fallon plays the position in an aggressive manner. He’s always pushing the ball and probing and trying to find a way to beat defenders to the basket. He is strong with his dribble and plays with a lot of confidence. Passes the ball well.