Arizona 2019 Ranking Update: The Year of the Point Guard
The class of 2019 features a number of high caliber players. With that said, in comparative to other years, this group is stock piled with top tier guards. In particular, five of the top ten players in this class play point guard or are combo guards. Further, ten of the top twenty players are also point guards. Below is a list of some of the top point guards in this class.
The Year of the Point Guard
Josh Green 6’6 PG/SG Hillcrest
Green has been on an absolute tear this summer while participating with Earl Watson Elite. Green has played a lot of 2 guard due to sharing the backcourt with Nico Mannion. However, Green has a solid handle and a great feel for the point guard position. He is aggressive and gets into the paint at will. Further, he has the length and athleticism to create for himself at a top tier level while creating for his teammates. Green is a high major NCAA Division I prospect.
Jaelen House 6’1 PG Shadow Mountain
Image provided by AIA365House participated with multiple club teams this off-season, Las Vegas Prospects, Team Harden, and the Las Vegas Knicks. However, his primary team is Team Harden where he enjoyed a lot of success on the adidas Gauntlet. He has a relentless mentality and is constantly finding ways to make plays. He was one of the leaders in steals throughout the Gauntlet. Further, he continued to show an ability to score the basketball at a high rate toward the end of games. He has the clutch gene and refuses to lose.
D’Maurian Williams 6’4 PG Westview
Williams was hurt for the majority of this off-season. However, he played enough to show major improvements. He is a thick guard who gets into the paint seemingly at will due to his length and physicality. One knock has been his ability to shoot the basketball consistently. In the times that I saw him, this looked improved. Williams is a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end of the floor.
Jovan Blacksher 6’1 PG Shadow Mountain
Blacksher has the best change of pace and direction of anyone on this list. He does a great job of freezing the defender and attacking the rim. Further, he never seems to be in a rush. When he draws the help side defense, he usually finds the open teammate and makes the defense pay. In addition, he utilizes on-ball screens really well. He emulates John Wooden’s phrase, “Be quick, but don’t hurry,” really well. He puts a lot of pressure on the defense due to his patience and ability to explode immediately.
Trent Brown 5’11 PG Pinnacle
Brown has been long regarded as a knock down shooter. However, as his body has developed, he has been able to demonstrate more and more. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and a great feel for the game. He makes his teammates better and does not take sporadic shots. His movements are typically made with a purpose, and he does not over dribble the basketball. His ability to score the basketball and not have to be a ball dominant guard who ruins the rhythm of the offense makes him very desirable at the next level.
Honorable Mentions:
#12 Reed Myers 5’11 PG Scottsdale Christian
#17 Jackson Ruai 6’3 PG/SG Amphitheater
#18 Josh Ursery 5’11 PG Liberty
#19 BJ Burries 5’9 PG Globe
#20 Aidyn Albright 6’0 PG Horizon