Five Undersized Guards Who Are Under-Recruited:
Being undersized is unfortunately one of the biggest limiting factors in a player’s recruitment, regardless of how good that player may perform. Countless times we’ve seen undersized players be overlooked, only to take advantage of one of the few opportunities they had and prove everybody wrong. In today’s game of 3-point happy basketball, being undersized means less than it did say 10, 15 years ago. With that being said, most coaches will take the 6’4″ point guard over the 5’10”, even if the 5’10” player is better. While this is most definitely a matter of personal opinion, a fact that cannot be disagreed with is that it is still possible to be an impact player despite being undersized, no matter what the odds. Here are five undersized guards around the state of Washington who’s talent outweighs their small stature:
Here are a couple of players who I feel should start to trend upward:
Class of 2019 point guard Charles Elzie III of Seattle Select 16U is somewhat of a throwback player for a young man who plays his position. In an era where point guards are looked upon to score first and ask questions later, the 6’1 Charles excels as a pass-first point guard who loves to distribute the ball and set up his teammates and make them look good. He averaged nearly seven assists a game as a sophomore and should surpass any point guards that came ahead of him at Bellarmine Prep.
Though his time with the varsity has been limited, Rainier Beach point guard Kenneth Curtis has already been identified as one of 2019’s best prospects. Checking in at No. 13 in PHWA’s inaugural 2019 prospect rankings, Curtis says it’s his ability to defend and set his teammates up for success that makes him such a sought-after prospect. “I think my strengths are being a leader and just being in the right spot. And also I can shoot pretty well, and I like to make the right pass to make teammates better,” said Curtis.
Class of 2019 Daeshawn Wayne 5’10” PG is another talented player from Tacoma, Wayne is a scrappy point guard prospect who plays with immense energy and hustle. He’s on the small side at just 5-foot-10, but he stands out thanks to his effort, quickness and unselfish play. As you might expect, he’s agile and unpredictable, knifing through the lane where he plows through contact. He’s got a quality three point stroke, and can connect from mid range as well. Wayne has several Northwest programs paying attention.
Khalil Goodwin is an up and coming point guard out of Cleveland high school. Goodwin didn’t play heavy minutes this past season, but did receive some minutes, building up his confidence and learning from the guards that were ahead of him. Cleveland is a member of Washington’s tough Metro league, that features some of the states top basketball prospects. Goodwin gained much experience this past season and looks to dominate in the grassroots season.
Roman Barnet is ready to step up and lead his team. With the departure of six seniors from last years O’Dea High School mens basketball team, there are plenty of roles to fill and Barnet feels confident he can help lead his team. Entering his junior year, PrepHoops 24th ranked prospect for the class of 2018 in Washington is aiming to improve his play on both sides of the ball, specifically the defensive end. He has also been working on his ball handling skills to help him run the point better this season. He identifies his biggest strength as his shooting so he is working to compliment that with other parts of his game.