Guards are often the bond that keeps teams together. Having a good backcourt is essential for winning teams. See which guards impressed at Wisconsin’s Top 250 Expo: Carson Smith 6’1 / G Sussex Hamilton Carson Smith has a chance…
Guards are often the bond that keeps teams together. Having a good backcourt is essential for winning teams. See which guards impressed at Wisconsin’s Top 250 Expo:
Carson Smith has a chance to play a huge role for Sussex Hamilton as a senior. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Smith was a key role player for the Chargers. On Sunday, I was really impressed with Smith’s ability to knock down jumpers. For the 6-foot-1 guard, it does not matter the situation — he can make shots off the catch or the dribble.
When opposing teams throw multiple defenders at Patrick Baldwin Jr., Smith will be ready to knock down open threes.
Jackson Noll does a lot of things that won’t show up in the stat sheet. The Cuba City point guard is a great leader and he is always encouraging his teammates, regardless of the score. Noll also runs his squad’s offense very smoothly. He can call out plays and set up his teammates for success.
What will show up on the stat sheet is Noll’s ability to make three-pointers. As soon as he crosses the half-court line, Noll equips his scope and eyes the rim. He will not always chuck up ill-advised shots, but he has proven that he can hit from long range.
Pull-up jumper after pull-up jumper. Quentin Bolton was though to stop on Sunday because he can put the ball through the net in multiple different ways. Bolton has more than enough strength to work his way into the paint and finish, but he prefers to torture his defenders on the outside. Bolton’s quick and effective dribbling skills put his defender in quite the predicament. Bolton can either blow by them en route to an easy layup, or he can rise up and sink one of his trademark pull-up jumpers.
Zac Johnson is known as a three-point sniper. While I won’t deny the fact that he is very dangerous when shooting the ball, Johnson can score from all three levels. As a slasher, Johnson is strong enough to fight through contact and finish the layup. He also has a quick trigger in the midrange game, which allows him to heat up quickly as a scorer. With his ability to drive and hit jump shots from inside the arc, Johnson was one of the top scorers at SEA on Sunday.
While preparing for Sunday’s camp, Ronald Kirk was a name that I paid little attention to. That was a huge mistake. Kirk brought a type of energy and effort that is not usually seen in camp settings. He was a pest on defense and scored the ball well on offense.
If the Dominican guard continues to play with the effort that he did on Sunday, he will have no problem finding a home at the next level.
Brandin Podziemski was so good during that summer that Phenom University, one of the state’s best AAU programs, picked him up for next season. At Sunday’s Expo, Podziemski dominated. At one point, the SJNWMA product had three dunks in less than a minute of game time. He simply looked better than his opponents on most occasions.
Podziemski playing well at Prep Hoops events has become the norm. He was phenomenal with Wisconsin RAP during the summer and he played fantastic at the Top 250 Expo.
Marshawn Robinson was easily one of the best defenders at SEA on Sunday. Robinson’s quick hands and quick feet make him an offensive player’s worst nightmare. The Waukesha South standout is always active and ready to make plays on defense.
On offense, Robinson is a strong prospect who can get to the cup and score.
Robinson’s defensive prowess combined with his slashing ability makes him a premier two-way prospect.
Guards that I have already spotlighted: Micah Causey and Casey Verhagen