2021 Metro Hidden Gems: Point Guards

Max Wagner April 14, 2020 @ 12:37 PM

With the 2021 class losing out on the spring portion of the AAU season, we at Prep Hoops want to give recognition to some hidden gems at the point guard position. A majority of these players are ranked outside of our top-100, and are all capable of playing at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="774914" first="Derric" last="Standifer"] (5’7 2021 PG, Benilde-St. Margaret’s)- I caught [player_tooltip player_id="774914" first="Derric" last="Standifer"] in one of his best games of the season against Holy Angels, and came away impressed with the shifty guard. As an undersized point guard, he possesses quickness that makes him hard to contain off the dribble, and he’s fearless attacking the basket against size. He scored 23 points against Holy Angels using a combination of deep three pointers and crafty finishes in the lane. Derric is so creative with the ball in his hands, capable of creating his own shots off the bounce or penetrating the lane and picking out an open man. He averaged 9.4 ppg and could take on a much bigger role next year. [player_tooltip player_id="774797" first="Jaren" last="Morton"] (5’11 2021 PG, Breck)- A traditional point guard who can distribute, defend, and keep the ball moving on offense, Jaren took on a bigger scoring role offensively as a junior and excelled. After playing alongside David Roddy for the past two seasons, Jaren took up some of the scoring lost by his graduating, averaging 14.1 ppg. Jaren is extremely quick and well built, allowing him to pressure up tight on opposing ball handlers. Offensively he changes direction quickly to get by his man, where he has the athleticism to finish at the rim or kick it out to his shooters. [player_tooltip player_id="774926" first="Marcus" last="Crawford"] (6’1 2021 PG, Edina)- The lone top-100 ranked player on this list, Marcus is a well-rounded and intelligent point guard. Marcus is an unselfish player who can handle the ball and zips passes around the perimeter accurately and with pace. He never hesitates to make the extra pass, but also knows when to get off his own shot. Marcus averaged 8.6 ppg as a junior, knocking down three point shots with consistency within the flow of the offense. He also cuts hard off the ball to get some open looks in the paint where he has a soft finishing touch. [player_tooltip player_id="957203" first="Dewayne" last="Thompson"] (5’11 2021 PG, Henry Sibley)- A shifty, attack-oriented point guard, [player_tooltip player_id="957203" first="Dewayne" last="Thompson"] put up some big time scoring performances as a junior. Dewayne has become increasingly dangerous as a shooter, capable of spotting up or creating his own shot off the bounce, and has range extending a few feet beyond the high school line. In transition Dewayne is one of the fastest players you’ll find, bolting past defenders to get to the hoop for easy finishes. Add in the fact that he has great hands and anticipation to come up with steals in bunches, and Dewayne gets a lot of transition opportunities. He averaged 17.1 ppg with highs of 41 and 32 this past winter. [player_tooltip player_id="957154" first="Julian" last="Hodges"] (6’ 2021 PG, St. Paul Johnson)- A major stock riser over the winter, Julian was a big reason why St. Paul Johnson was able to capture the St. Paul City Conference title. An elusive guard with fluid handles, Julian is able to break his defender down and glide to the hoop for crafty finishes. Though not known as a sharp shooter, Julian makes defenders pay for giving him too much space beyond the arc. An extremely hard worker on the defensive end, Hodges applies constant on-ball pressure anywhere within the half court, and is comfortable being isolated on an island against his man. Julian averaged 13.7 ppg over a solid junior campaign. [player_tooltip player_id="957224" first="Anthony" last="Clay-Traczyk"] (5’8 2021 PG, Robbinsdale Cooper)- Though undersized, Anthony is able to make up for it with a flashy handle and quickness. Able to beat defenders with ease, Clay-Traczyk has a great hesitation move leading to a quick burst to blow by his defender and get into the lane. Once there he has exceptional vision to pick out the open pass, or can put up a floater to finish above length. After transferring over from Park Center, [player_tooltip player_id="957224" first="Anthony" last="Clay-Traczyk"] had a productive junior season at the varsity level, scoring 7.5 ppg for Cooper. [player_tooltip player_id="774822" first="Jasper" last="Liu"] (6’1 2021 G, Blake)- An intelligent and versatile player, [player_tooltip player_id="774822" first="Jasper" last="Liu"] was a strong contributor for a well balanced Blake team as a junior. Jasper put up 14 points and 2 assists per game as a consistent contributor. Capable of playing either guard spot, Jasper can facilitate within the offense, or move well off the ball to spot up for threes. He does a good job of catching with his feet and hands always set so that he can fire off a shot before the close out.