Class of 2022 Rankings: Top Guards
It started out as just a watchlist but with what we have seen from these players over the last year, during the summer as well as getting acclimated to varsity life this season we have done it. We have come…
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Continue ReadingIt started out as just a watchlist but with what we have seen from these players over the last year, during the summer as well as getting acclimated to varsity life this season we have done it. We have come out with our latest ranking for the 2022 class. Here is a look at our top-5 guards in the class.
Elijah Knudsen — Mead
Knudsen is a player that jumped on our radars as one of the best shooters that we had seen as a freshman. He is a guard that plays well off of the ball and knocks down set jumpers, can create off of the dribble and if he is wide open for a shot, just get back on defense. Knudsen is a young guard that was leading Mead, one of the best teams in the state in scoring and now has become a big part of the opposing team’s game plans as he is getting face-guarded for the entire game. Still, he is finding ways to affect the game in various ways and that gravity is also allowing his teammates to get open looks around him. He is putting up 12.1 points a game and that is while staying in the flow of the offense. What I really enjoy about his game is his high IQ demeanor and understanding of what to do in situations. He understands that he is being defended in a different way and while other players that are used to scoring would still force shots up, he is sacrificing for the team and makes it a point to create space. He is still cutting hard, still running the offense to try and get better looks and also gets the ball out of his hands quickly to the open man. Knudsen is a two-way guard that works on both ends of the floor and has a maturity to his game that you don’t typically see. He made a huge jump from last year to this season and his confidence has also grown with his game. He is the No. 6 player in the class and has room to grow while also still picking up wins. Solid player that seems to get it.
Jeremiah Coleman — Chaparral
Not many players this age are forced to step in such a role after playing on one of the younger teams as a freshman. Chaparral lost in the state championship last season and graduated a big chunk of their team. Now with a young group, they are looking at redeeming themselves, but with a new point guard that has been thrust into the starting role and is holding his own. Coleman has to guard a really good guard every single night and also has to keep a relatively deep team happy while also being a scoring option of his own. He is the primary ballhandler for Chaparral and is getting every team’s best look. He is seeing traps, and different looks and he is still breaking down defenses and getting others involved and by having him alongside Kobe Sanders he is able to open up that Chaparral offense in ways that they have not been able to with Sanders at guard. He is able to set up one of the top guards and plays well alongside him as he feeds off of him. He is putting up 10.7 points a game and is also at 2.9 assists as well and what he brings to the table is a bit of a chip that he plays with. He knows that he has a ton to prove and is only getting better. Coleman is a speedy guard and young leader already that Chaparral will gladly hand over the keys to when the season is done. He is at No. 7 in the class.
Zy’Quis Davis — Denver East
East is a powerhouse that everyone in Colorado knows about. It is not easy being the point guard for a team that has very high expectations year in and year out and when East lost their top guard prior to the season, it was the next man up approach. The player that emerged is Zy’Quis Davis who has filled a void to perfection and fits right into the winning culture. East is a young team that plays well together and a big reason for that is because they have a point guard that stars in his role. He is averaging 8.4 points a game and is also rebounding well (4.6 rpg). While those two things are impressive, one of the best parts of his game is his vision and court awareness. He is dishing out 6.1 assists a game which is No.2 out of all sophomores in the state. He gets his teammates involved and sets them up for easy baskets. He also plays well off of the ball as East has multiple ball handlers that are capable of scoring the ball. Davis is a guard that is not going to have to score much as they have very good scorers around him but it has to be good to know that you have a young guard that is capable of scoring, is a selfless leader and also takes on challenges on the defensive end of the floor as well. Davis comes in at the No. 8 player in the class and is making an impact on a winning team.
Xavier Harris — Horizon
Harris is a guard whose impact was evident even when he was a freshman. He is a high upside and smart guard that is the primary ballhandler for a very good Horizon group. He is a downhill runner that finishes well at the rim and is a craft and creative finisher outside. He has a solid floater and also gets around opposing guards with ease. He patrols the court every time down and uses his speed to blow by players. Harris is also a guard that takes chances. He has the ball on a string and set of go-to moves which makes him difficult to defend. He finds the open man and is a guard with great strength for a player his size. He is improving as a shooter and that is something that will come with time but continues to work on his game. He stood out as a freshman last season, had a great summer with the Colorado Roughriders where he was surrounded by some of the best players in the class and has brought that confidence and skillset into his sophomore season where he is off to a great start of the year. Harris is averaging 9.4 points a game while also dishing out just over two assists a game but also is right under two steals a game. He is deflecting passes and is a great on-ball defender that brings the best out of his teammates. He will be really, really good come Senior season. He comes in at No. 9 overall but is one of the best guards in the class without a certainty.
Dylan Sanders — Smoky Hill
It might be another season until we see just how good Dylan Sanders really is. He is having a pretty good season now, but in the gauntlet that is the Centennial league every game with a very solid group of older players around him it is difficult to see how impactful he is, but everybody that goes up against him knows it. Sanders is one of the better defenders in the class that is going to determine games for the Buffaloes in the future on that end of the floor. He is a player that you can put on the opposing team’s top guards and they have done that at times but he also has good size and gets inside and bangs with bigger players as well. Offensively, he is not asked to do a ton and is where he will need the most work, but still is a player that you have to guard. He can put the ball on the floor, is able to knock down shots and gets inside and finishes. In the summer is where you got to see his upside as he was around players his age and was giving teams fits. Now with a high scoring Smoky Hill bunch that has some big-time scorers, he does not have to fill that role but does plenty of things that keep him in the rotation. Expect to hear plenty about him for the next few seasons.