5 Senior Guards to watch when grassroots commences

With the grassroots season all but wiped out for at least the first part of the spring, prospects and college coaches are waiting for the moment that they can get back in the gym. Here’s a look at five seniors who will be impacted by the shutdown and players who programs should flock to when it’s time to resume action... Ben McLaughlin – Golden The 6’1 guard for Golden stepped up in his final year and showed that he could be relied on. McLaughlin made the jump from junior to senior season as he averaged 11.1 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. McLaughlin was a senior leader that the Demons leaned on on the defensive end, and he also had some games that he exploded in. In the Demons 65-62 loss in the playoffs to advance to the Great 8, McLaughlin was the leading scorer in the game as he went out with 24 points. He is a capable shooter that finds holes in the defense and scores inside and out. This was going to be a solid summer from him where he could jump on a few more radars. He will have to make quick reactions when we return to play, and hopefully, he is on our circuit to prove himself. John Iuele – Glenwood Springs Glenwood Springs was one of the surprise teams in 4A as they finished with a 22-4 record and went into the CHSAA state tournament with the No.2 overall seed. Many thought that they would have an early exit, but they got by some solid teams before losing in a barnburner in the Great 8. The reason that they were able to rack up so many wins was because of their true point guard and best player John Iuele. Iuele is an All-State honorable mention after putting 13.7 points a game and also being amongst the top of the league in assists as well with 4.3 a contest. Iuele also had a team-high 2.6 steals a game as well. Although the high IQ guard had to take over as the leading scorer, he is best suited as a facilitator that sets teammates up. Possessing the ability to both score and pass at a high level makes him an exciting prospect that was going to have to be taken seriously this summer. Keep an eye on him for the rest of the summer as I think he makes strides. [player_tooltip player_id="915339" first="Will" last="Maher"] – Mead That Mead team was a special group, and the player of the conference, [player_tooltip player_id="915339" first="Will" last="Maher"], made them that much more dangerous of a unit. Maher had a solid junior season as a solid contributor on the 22-4 team that saw their season end early, but his senior year, he came back with a vengeance. Mead went into the season with high expectations and lost their first game of the year. What they did was re-group, come together and pull off 25 straight games, which had them in the Final 4 and ready to bring home the school’s first championship. While Mead had plenty of players that stood out, the player that shined brightest was their point guard who found a role out on the wing. When Maher wasn’t bringing the ball up, he was lighting teams up from the shooting guard spot. Maher had the 2nd highest 3-point percentage in the entire state, and that was while taking and making more than half of the top player. Maher shot 55% from beyond the arc as a marksman, putting up a team-high 15.0 points a game while also leading the team in assists as well at 4.8 dishes a contest as well. After a solid senior season that was cut short, Maher built a name for himself, and now it is up to a school to take a chance. This is his summer, so schools, take a look at this 2nd Team All-State player that you can undoubtedly build around. [player_tooltip player_id="915298" first="Landon" last="Wallace"] – Conifer Wallace is a coaches dream at point guard. He’s one of the more entertaining players to watch as he sees the floor exceptionally well, can create a basket for anybody on the court, and also takes care of the basketball. What stands out initially with Wallace is his unselfishness, which ends up being one of the most contagious traits that any team needs. Wallace is a guard that ended up finishing his high school career with more assists than he did points, and that is saying something. Wallace was amongst the top in the country in both his junior and senior season. As a senior, Wallace had as balanced of a statline that you would see from a true point guard that leads by example. The state’s leading assist-man averaged 9.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 10.9 assists while also getting 4.1 steals a game as well. He is a small guard that does not get attacked defensively as he takes on that challenge. Once he gets a consistent jump shot, he just might be one of the most challenging players to guard. He is getting a few looks, but once a school takes a look at this pass-first guard that gets the ball up the floor and controls the pace of the game, they will understand that they are getting a hidden gem. Once basketball starts, I expect schools to take a look at the guard at Conifer. Alex Morales -- Wheat Ridge Wheat Ridge was a team that, despite not having the season that they hoped for, went into every game and competed at the highest level. Wheat Ridge was an entertaining team and was led by a super underrated point guard that will blow up if he can get on a good team once grassroots starts again and shows that he can score against some of the top players in our state. Alex Morales was the team’s best player and leading scorer as he is a skilled guard that works hard and has decent size. Morales averaged 17.5 points a game which was amongst the top of the conference and also used his 6’0 frame to help out on the boards as well as he grabbed 3.5 a game. Morales is a reliable scorer that can score from anywhere on the court as a volume shooter. He is a big-time scorer that also defends at a high level, and he was named to the All-State honorable mention team. Morales is a player I would take a look at once grassroots starts back up.