Louisiana 2020 Breakdown: Top Guards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Michael Thomas 6’1 PG Hamilton Christian</strong> <em>(Louisiana Commit)</em></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thomas is a really heady lead guard with an ultra quick first step. He has a long, wiry frame that allows him to get his hands in the passing lanes, as well as defend really well on the ball. There is very little that Thomas isn’t capable of doing, which is why I would like to see him impose his will on the court a little more than he currently does. I think that is the next step in his evolution as a point guard, and if he can do that, the sky’s the limit. </span></p> <p><strong>Byron Joshua 5’9 PG Crescent City </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In my eyes, Joshua has made a huge leap from last year to where he is currently. It shows the amount of time that he is putting into his craft, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a high level college point guard like Shaun Dumas as your high school head coach. Joshua is about as speedy as a lead guard as they come, and he knows how to use his speed to get to his spots. He has become a much better scorer on the ball, and has always been a really good on ball defender. I would like to see him become a little bit better of a facilitator, but even if he doesn’t, it isn’t like he is a bad passer right now.</span></p> <p><strong>Corey Smooth 6’0 PG Rummel</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Smooth is a really interesting prospect. He definitely has a college ready body, and he can use that body to bully his way into the paint. He is an elite level passer, and in my opinion, that is his best skill. He has the body and physical profile to be a really good defender, and he there are definitely stretches where he plays with a lot of intensity on that side of the ball. He is still building towards a competent outside shot, but it looks like his future might be on the gridiron rather than the basketball court. </span></p> <p><strong>Tai’reon Joseph 6’2 SG Scotlandville</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joseph is another kid that has taken a big leap from where he was a year ago. A year ago, I really saw him as an undersized wing that could really only shoot and defend at a high level. However, he is now at the point where he is a good secondary ball handler, and with this combination of wingspan and athleticism, has taken a leap from primarily a small forward to being able to play the off guard spot. He is about as hard nosed of a kid as you are going to find, and will do all of the little things that it takes to win at the next level. </span></p> <p><strong>Taevon Anderson 6’4 SG Oak Grove</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anderson is a bigger guard that can pretty easily slide between the SG position to the SF position. If there is one thing that Anderson really excels at, it is getting a bucket. He is a proficient scorer at all three levels and is probably the best pure scorer on this list. His jump shot is about as smooth as you are going to find at the high school level, and he has a good bit of athleticism to match. I am really looking forward to seeing how he plays against tougher competition this summer on the AAU circuit, but I expect him to continue to excel. </span></p>