SIAA’s Most Underrated: Guards

Deandre Harvey, DME Academy Tough, 5-foot-11 and 170-pound guard Harvey has been instrumental in facilitating DME's baseline to baseline attack and evolving high-low game. A D.C.-bred point guard who takes pride in making his teammates beneficiaries of his presence, Harvey is averaging 9.0 assists over the last two games. He savored the quarterback role during a 95-84 win over Downey Christian, distributing a game-best 12 assists. While he's averaging 10.8 points, Harvey has shifted his focus to orchestrating offense as a pure passer and traditional point guard for a vastly improved high school national team at DME. Marko Vukocjic, DME Academy The Serbian guard brings a European skill set and a feathery touch from mid-range and beyond for DME. While he needs to make consistency a priority, the 6-foot-4 Class of 2018 guard has been exemplary supplemental scoring piece and knockdown specialist. He's averaging 7.7 points and shooting a team-best 81 percent from the free throw line. Vukojic came to the United States with aspirations to earn a college scholarship through basketball. If he continues to produce, it is certainly a foreseeable option. Przemek Zygmunciak, Arlington Country Day Class of 2019 guard is key 3-point trigger man, possessing high-level shooting ability. Prospers with straight-away 3-pointers, pull-ups, and shots from way, way beyond the confines of the arc. Zygmunciak is stoked with confidence after a 24-point outburst against a JUCO opponent. Dmoi Hodge, Arlington Country Day The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Class of 2018 guard has propensity for breaking games open when he catches the hot hand. The past two seasons, stemming back to a 40-point explosion to beat Liberty Heights at Faith Baptist, Hodge has shown an automatic shooting touch. He's had a number of 9 and 10 3-point performances along with 30 and 40+ point games. What truly stands out about Hodge, according to former Faith Baptist and ACD coach Terrell Eskridge, however, is his motor and hyper-compeetitive nature. Demetrick Coney, Arlington Country Day Class of 2018 guard is heady playmaker who has a nose for making a precise read. The 6-foot-1 Coney has done a commendable job facilitating the high-low game at ACD, feeding the post and whizzing passes on the break and into traffic. With a crafty handle and off the dribble scoring capabilities, Coney possesses sufficient know-how in operating an offense and knowing when to call his own number. Tyrieke Blakeney, West Oaks Academy After scoring 20 PPG against lesser competition at Agape Christian as a junior, Blakeney has made a seamless transition to the rigors of the guard-laden SIAA. He's had a 34-point guard (en route to a pounding of Oldsmar) and continues to be a steady and reliable supplementary scorer. Blakeney scored 17 points and 10 rebounds during a gritty road win against Mount Zion Christian Academy (N.C.) in the championship of the Bull City Classic, the tournament hosts. West Oaks enters 2018 with a set of lofty expectations and credibility, having defeated a nationally recognized program in Aspire Academy (KY).