KC Classic: Top Point Guards
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The final day of the Kansas City Classic in Lawrence, Kan. on Sunday featured several players putting together solid performances. Here, Prep Hoops takes a look at several of the top shooters at the event.
11-Jake Branham, 6’1, PG, 2019, Catholic (Mo.), Missouri Team Carroll
A flashy point guard who can find his way through traffic and get to the basket. Branham has a high basketball IQ and is constantly looking to find his teammates and keep them involved. He looks up the floor and can pick a part defenses as a scorer and facilitator. Look for Branham to continue this type of playmaking throughout the summer. He’s hungry for it.
33 — Seth Fuqua, 6’0, PG, Vanguard (Colo.), Colorado Chaos
He didn’t score a lot of points in the contest we watched, but it was largely Fuqua who made the Colorado Chaos engine run. He is a knock down shooter from behind the 3-point arc, but it is his passing abilities that caught our eye. He has mastered the art of the look-away pass, can make the spectacular pass as well as the routine and they always seem to be on target.
5 — Stephen Hayes, 6’2, G, 2019, Overland (Colo.), Colorado Hawks Nations
Talented point guard with good size, athleticism and the ability to fill it up from behind the 3-point arc. He can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket and is tough to keep from getting into the paint and all the way to the basket.
3 — Rich Johnson, 5’10, G, 2019, Lee’s Summit West (Mo.), KC Team Rush
Johnson brings an extra ball handler to the court for Team Rush and is a terrific all-around player. He showed the ability to pressure the ball at the defensive end of the floor, gets to the bucket on offense and is a capable finisher around the basket. He came out of nowhere last season to put together a big junior season for Lee’s Summit West and showed this past weekend he will be among the top players in the KC area next season.
2 — Jalen Perry, 5’8, PG, 2020, Liberty North (Mo.), MoKan Elite 16U
Perry isn’t very big, but does a terrific job of leading a team from the point guard position, serving a key role for MoKan Elite as a backup. He handles it well, can shoot it from long distance, making shots from well beyond the arc, and does a good job defensively pressure the basketball.