Five Improved Standout CIF-SS 2020 Guards

<p>The high school basketball season has come to a close with seniors across the region now eyeing their next move at the college level. Many have been signed while others are surveying their options. A select number of players made the most out of their final year with superb all-around seasons, including these five most improved senior guards.</p> <p><strong>Jahveon Medearis — Warren</strong></p> <p>Jahveon Medearis was the star for the Warren Bears in what became a strong 17–9 season coupled with an appearance in the CIF-SS Division 2AA playoffs.</p> <p>Medearis improved in all cylinders of his game after a 2018–2019 season that was highlighted by a selection in the San Gabriel Valley League First Team All-League. As expected, he was the main reliable double-digit scorer for the Bears and one whom the team could rely on over a game-by-game basis. The 6’2” talent is a score-first point guard who handled a bulk of the on-ball responsibilities for his team. He is more of a prototypical scoring point guard that can attack the basket and finish against contact, which opens up a variety of options to go to on offense. He is also crafty when finishing at the basket, whether it is going underneath or laying it off via a finger roll touch.</p> <p>Medearis earned a 2020 McDonald’s All-American games nomination. He is a commit of the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners where he will compete in the Big West Conference in the fall. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="644888" first="Vaughn" last="Flowers"] — Rolling Hills Prep</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="644888" first="Vaughn" last="Flowers"] played a prominent role in Rolling Hills Prep’s strong 25-3 campaign.</p> <p>Flowers provided the offensive spark that complemented fellow 2020 teammates JT Tan and Troy Murphy Jr. Although teammates like Tan and even [player_tooltip player_id="748749" first="Benny" last="Gealer"] took on a heavy amount of offensive responsibilities, Flowers efficiently made the most of his opportunities. He may lack the explosiveness or pace for a guard, but the Huskies’ talent simply found ways to get the shots he desires on the floor. At 6’2", he has a sturdy build, which he often takes advantage of in isolation situations. There is no area of the floor that he relies on the most but is rather balanced with going to the basket or knocking down shots from beyond the arc.</p> <p>Flowers finished the season with a career-high 12.4 points per game average.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="940585" first="Charles" last="Erving"] — Pacifica Christian</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="940585" first="Charles" last="Erving"] was like the glue of the Pacifica Christian team that held the unit together. It was more so because of his ability to essentially do it all on the court.</p> <p>The 6’1” guard was more of a role player for the Tritons but often stepped up as one of the two main primary scorers on the team; he recorded multiple 15+ point games over the season. He is very assertive on the ball as he can accelerate to the rim from the baseline or the top of the key, such as was the case against Valencia in January. Erving displayed sound efficiency as he shot 48% on the season.</p> <p>Erving is also a strong contributor off the ball. He exerts high energy on the defensive end and is not afraid of taking on the opposing point guard in the paint. For a 6’1” guard, he also willed his way to a potent 5.6 rebounds per game average.</p> <p>Needless to say, Erving will no doubt make the most of his opportunities at the college level.</p> <p><strong>Carter Alexander — Camarillo</strong></p> <p>Camarillo’s Carter Alexander defined what it meant to have an improved season.</p> <p>Alexander finished the season averaging 19.0 points per game and was named to the All-Coastal Canyon League First Team.</p> <p>His success stemmed from being the go-to pure scorer for the Scorpions and to his credit, he was up to the challenge. One aspect of his play that stands out is how he can turn up the pace of his play within seconds. He can read the defense — whether man or zone — and exploit open space from anywhere on the floor. This also occurred in transition sequences where he was not reckless but rather cautious on the ball. His overall shot selection can come into question at times, but this should not garner much of a concern due to the vast amount of on-ball responsibilities he had.</p> <p><strong>Kyjuan Cannady — Santa Clarita Christian</strong></p> <p>Another extremely talented guard from the CIF-SS Division 2AA rank is Kyjuan Cannady. He began the season with his verbal commitment to Cal State Los Angeles and topped it off by helping lead the Cardinals to a CIF-SS Division 2AA title.</p> <p>Alongside a team that fosters several other future college talents, Cannady often became the spotlight of the team because of his skilled on-ball play. This transpired more as a facilitator than scorer. Cannady did well in distributing shot-creating passes to his array of senior teammates, including standout teammate [player_tooltip player_id="931148" first="Ty" last="Harper"]. With Cannady on the ball, possessions were encompassed by superb ball movement in an effort to find any high percentage shots. More importantly, Cannady translated his unselfish play on the offensive side over to defense where he was the scrappy defender who had an eye on creating turnovers.</p> <p>Look for Cannady to continue this trend of strong play over to the Cal State LA Golden Eagles.</p>