2020 Grind SZN Kickoff: Standout point guards

<p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif; font-size: 10pt;">The players listed below were among the players I was able to see, exclusively, and are listed in no order.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #ffd6d6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="931235" first="J’Lynn" last="Counter"] | Oklahoma Chaos PG | Southmoore ’20</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011134" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Oklahoma-Chaos-Elite-17U-_-Jlynn-Counter.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1011134 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Oklahoma-Chaos-Elite-17U-_-Jlynn-Counter-300x210.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="210" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Counter.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">If you’re waiting to pull the trigger with the post-grad standout, now may be the time; I have a strong feeling that Counter may start pulling more offers. The 6-foot-2-inch point guard keeps getting better on a weekend-by-weekend basis, handling pretty much every on-ball duty that you would need to see out of him, though I think he is just as eligible to play the two-spot at the college level. Counter, who started numerous games for the west-side top-ranked SaberCats, shredded defenses in the scoring category at the Grind SZN Kickoff; hitting college-range shots, pulling up from the mid-range, finishing above the rim and even getting a couple buckets with his back to the goal, the fluidity Counter moves with was an impressive sight all weekend as he displayed his athleticism in a crafty, often powerful fashion. I previously worried that he may be one of those dribble-the-air-out-of-the-ball guards, but his game has lost its all-substance-like mold and has turned into real success for Chaos. Also an impressive defender, Counter’s lankiness and lateral movement made it all-but-impossible for ball-handlers without exceptional blow-by speed to really beat him on the dribble. As the down-sides in his game have vanished rapidly, his up-side is too salient to ignore. If you have any need for a point or combo in the ’20 class, I would offer as soon as possible.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="745355" first="Sean" last="Pedulla"] | Team Buddy Buckets PG | Edmond Memorial ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011149" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Team-Buddy-Buckets-17U_1.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1011149 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Team-Buddy-Buckets-17U_1.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="208" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Pedulla.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">From both <i>The Circuit </i>and Grind SZN Kickoff, Pedulla played seven games of excellent, Division-I-ready play, proving a couple things about the on-ball maestro: he can defend the ball at a high level, he can maintain a high level of production against the best players in the country and he is a born winner. If you did not see him play in-person, you may assume the heightened awareness of the Memorial standout unwarranted, but if you were in the gym any time from Thursday evening to Sunday morning, you know it is appropriate. Pedulla handled all of his on-ball guard-ly duties as the primary facilitator for the TBB senior crew, an outstanding defender with thievery on his mind and an excellent play-maker on the offensive end. Most indicative of his college-readiness was his duality as an on-ball distributor and off-ball scoring guard. His presence on the floor so pervasive and his capabilities with the ball so diverse, it was hard to question why the sharpshooting, offensive tyrant earned three new Division-I offers before he went to sleep Sunday night.</span></p> <table style="height: 22px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 22px;"> <td style="width: 100%; height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="965255" first="Jeremiah" last="Johnson"] | Burner U PG | Putnam City North ’23</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">It is always pretty special to have your best scorer lead the floor in assists; especially when he is the top-ranked prospect in the state. Johnson, an incoming sophomore, displayed his regular scoring talents: finishing with elevation at the rack, smooth hand-work, craftiness, deep-bombing, and everything in-between. However, what most impressed me was his altruism, contributing and affecting great cohesion within the line-up not only with half-court set play but also with deep-threading, accurate passes in the full-court. In one matchup against a strong Tulsa Hawks squad, Johnson distributed too many long-distance passes to count with Mahomet-like accuracy, providing teammates with the easiest possible opportunities to finish around the rack. In a tight match, Johnson deferred to a couple of his talented perimeter and interior scorers, allowing his teammates to go<em> </em><em>off</em> and produce easier baskets to acquire the win. For a top-ranked scoring guard to possess the humility to  not only allow his teammates to score but ignite them to catch fire is a mighty attribute to have to one’s game.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Mason Blackburn | Oklahoma Swarm PG | Deer Creek ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011135" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Xavier-Alexander-Swarm-Elite-17U_Mason-Blackburn.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1011135 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Xavier-Alexander-Swarm-Elite-17U_Mason-Blackburn-300x198.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="198" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Blackburn.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">A standout defender, you never had to question Blackburn’s capability to guard shifty ball-handlers at the Grind SZN Kickoff. Blackburn’s length -- posting about a 6-foot-3-inch frame -- is instrumental in his ability to stop-ball, and one performance of his Sunday afternoon in which he may have recorded double-digit steals, earned him the <i>Cookie Monster </i>title for the weekend; at least half-a-dozen of those steals came before the opposing team could even advance the ball past mid-court. Also an impressive passer in the half-court, Blackburn was responsible for a lot of the production on the floor.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="889463" first="Max" last="Alexander"] | Kansas Pray N’ Play PG | Buhler (KS) ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011138" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kansas-Pray-N-Play-17U_Max-Alexander.-.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1011138 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kansas-Pray-N-Play-17U_Max-Alexander.--300x221.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="221" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Alexander.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">A bomber from deep, excellent athlete and go-to scorer, Alexander was the premier guy in each facet of floor leadership at the tournament. With elite accuracy from the dribble and stretchy, deep-range accuracy, the precise sharpshooter connected on more than a couple NBA-range shots, pressuring defenders on the perimeter and ultimately detangling the interior. Alexander also showcased great ball-handling maneuvers, allowing him to get to the rack at will as a triple-threat specialist. Though an aggressive scorer, Alexander also played with outstanding conservation with the ball while showcasing his bag-of-tricks.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="938862" first="Damian" last="Kline"] | H&amp;H Elite PG | Southmoore ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><em>Damian Dimes</em>, as I like to call it, put his talents on full-display with H&amp;H last weekend. The shifty, low-to-the-ground guard has tremendous vision in the half-court, and he was able to provide quality shot opportunities with well-timed delivery on the drive-and-kick. One thing I noticed about his game is that he isn’t much the type to pass to defer, but rather passes to score. Because of his determination to help teammates get successful shots, he is usually keen to give the ball at the right time, rather than pass-off once he realizes he cannot score for himself. Defensively, despite his size, he is not much of a liability on the opposite end thanks to his lateral speed and hand-work to gather steals.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="937986" first="Jackson" last="Lawley"] | H&amp;H Elite PG | Tishomingo ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011133" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/HH-Elite-17U_-Jackson-Lawley.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1011133 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/HH-Elite-17U_-Jackson-Lawley-300x203.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="203" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Lawley.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Lawley, a rural standout, was instrumental in the back-court leading the H&amp;H senior team to a 3-0 record for the weekend. The point guard with an 80s big-hair-esque mane produced excellent scoring contributions, leading the squad with 26 points in his final showcase Sunday morning. In another matchup, Lawley came off the bench and got a dunk, behind-the-back pass, filet mignon and a triple in a fifteen-minute span. An aggressive scorer with the iQ to outlast defenders, the adaptable on-ball guard makes up for what he lacks in stature with supreme hand-work, coordination on scoring maneuvers and shooting confidence. Lawley is an absolute <em>bomber</em> from deep who can bury teams as he buries triples at an exceptional efficiency. You would be pressed to find a 5-foot-10-inch scoring guard with as aggressive a mentality and as high a percentage from deep-range.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #ffd6d6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Brendan Dan | ABC Basketball PG | Checotah ’20</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">The post-grad driving guard was among the most impressive slashers at the event, and it made me wish I had seen him play in high-school ball. An aggressive-minded scorer with exceptional foot-speed, Dan was able to find his way to the rim by virtues of his athleticism, stout frame and liquid movement almost without resistance for long stretches of basketball. His conservatism, however, may have been the most impressive attribute of his skill-set. Just as seamless and aware in the passing game, Dan made a lose-lose situations for opposing defenses; if you let him get to the rim, he was bound to score the basketball with either hand, but if you collapsed on him to ensure the no-bucket, he was almost certain to provide a precise pass to one of his numerous off-ball sharpshooters to bury the three. When adding his threat to draw fouls and athleticism to play at the rim in the half-court, defenders had few or no options other than perfect positioning each trip down-the-floor.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Joe Adams | Oklahoma Swarm PG | Edmond Santa Fe ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Adams was among the best scoring on-ball guards at the Grind SZN Kickoff. The heady point guard was nothing short of terrific with the ball in his hands in the mod-court, taking on both a significant scoring and passing role for Swarm. Adams has great craft around the rim, finishes very well with either hand and can shoot the rock. You may not expect it from his frame, but Adams can also electrify the gym with above-the-rim play to over-power defenders in the paint, a much-underrated skill that translates to real production on the floor.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Marquez Cyrus |<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Oklahoma Chaos PG | Northwest Classen ’21</span></span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">A tenacious on-ball defender and sort-of glue point guard, Cyrus saw significant minutes and made a great contribution to the Chaos efforts last weekend. Defensively, he racked up his numbers in the steals category and even used his athleticism to defend the rim some. Offensively, he passed the ball off well and was able to create plays for teammates in transition at a high rate. By virtues of his athleticism and passing capabilities, freeing himself at the rim, Cyrus saw success in the scoring margin, as well, showing off his bounce and even converting a couple dunks before the weekend ended.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="745366" first="Landry" last="Harris"] | Oklahoma Power PG | Edmond North ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Harris has thoroughly convinced me of his ability to play the on-ball spot this summer. At the Grind SZN Kickoff, it was his two-way play that stood out for Power. Harris, who is one of the sneakiest athletes in the class, has legitimate track-speed, and with any space between himself at the rim, there was little defenders could do to stop his momentum. Also a standout shooter at the event, Harris’s mid-range game -- whether a pull-up or fadeaway, was as precise as ever and took defenders well out of their comfort-zones at the event. Considering his athleticism, his 50-minute durability appeared overwhelming to opposing ball-handlers, at times, as Harris’s perpetual aggression on the defensive end led to steals, ultimately landing him either at the line or with a bucket in transition.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="745381" first="Keyshon" last="Spotwood"] | Team Buddy Buckets PG | Edmond Memorial '21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011191" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Team-Buddy-Buckets-17U_3.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1011191 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Team-Buddy-Buckets-17U_3-300x175.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="175" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Spotwood.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Spotwood has transformed his skill-set, this summer, to adapt to a game that benefits Team Buddy Buckets and himself better. The standout guard has applied his exceptional movement and athleticism to an expanded defensive presence, and his contributions on that end cannot be understated. He came up with big stops, slid to help and gathered steals with repetition at a high success rate. Offensively, he still made an impact as a scorer last weekend but handled the ball more conservatively and refrained from forcing scoring opportunities where they did not belong. He just worked his magic, passed the ball off and took the ball to the hole at the right moments and sank shots when they came to him.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="938857" first="Daylon" last="Andrews"] | BTR CG | Putnam City West ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Andrews, who has been historically wired to score, passed the ball with excellent precision at the Grind SZN Kickoff, handing teammates tremendous scoring opportunities both along the perimeter and interior(s). The sharpshooter also connected on shots from deep, co-managing the floor with [player_tooltip player_id="745374" first="Danquez" last="Dawsey"] and delivering his regular quality of perimeter play.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="745374" first="Danquez" last="Dawsey"] | BTR PG | Lawton MacArthur ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">A defensive shut-down specialist with supreme athleticism applicable on both ends of the floor, Dawsey premiered as a floor general and turnover-creator at the tournament, utilizing a catalog of skills including passing into traffic, passing in motion, rebounding, setting up lobs, grabbing cookies and finishing at the rim.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="938861" first="Israel" last="Hart"] | Next Level PG | Midwest City '21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> [caption id="attachment_1011185" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Next-Level-Oklahoma-17U_Isreal-Hart.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1011185" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Next-Level-Oklahoma-17U_Isreal-Hart-300x194.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="194" /></a> <span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Hart.</span>[/caption] <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Hart has been a fast-rising prospect so far this summer, and the Grind SZN Kickoff provided a nice test of his skill-set in inter-state competition. The incoming senior impressed again as he displayed great athleticism around the rim, defensive focus and half-court distribution. Standing about 6-foot-2-inches, Hart’s height attributes to his visibility in the short game, and his practice does the rest; he was capable of utilizing different scoring moves around the perimeter, and based on the response of his defender, he took the ball inside to pull-up in the mid-interior or finish a tough basket at the rim. His adaptability with the ball, profiting from his labor and game-simulating practice, has improved the most as it was present Saturday and Sunday.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="967405" first="Jack" last="Southern"] | Tulsa Hawks PG | Wagoner ‘22</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Southern impressed as a central vocal leader and floor general for the Tulsa Hawks’ 16U crew. The junior has a knack for pin-pointing shooters in the corners and wings and making mid-distance tosses with outstanding accuracy on the drive. Quick-footed and possessing keen vision, Southern could be a leading passer in all of 4A next season if his summer with Tulsa Hawks has been indicative of anything. He is also an enjoyable player to watch if you enjoy seeing players with high motors and durability in intense stretches of basketball. You would have a hard time finding an on-ball guard expending energy at top gear as long as Southern.</span></p> <table style="height: 22px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 22px;"> <td style="width: 100%; height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">Ian Golden | Oklahoma Hustle PG | Broken Arrow ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">The talented point guard has already had a tremendous break-through summer, and his performances Saturday  further erased his status as a face in the crowd but a legitimate player not to be toyed with; most opposing players from the weekend would attest to his excellence. A quick and nimble guard with excellent vision, Golden was all over the floor bullying the opposing defenders, passing the ball down-court, taking it himself to the distance and winning every foot-race he could find to the rim. Crafty with the ball and with tightened handles each week, his ever-adapting skill-set allowed him to penetrate defenses with a rapid-fire first step at the tournament.</span></p> <table style="height: 22px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 22px;"> <td style="width: 100%; height: 22px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="938854" first="George" last="McCurdy"] | Tulsa Hawks PG | Broken Arrow ’21</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Tulsa-Hawks-Elite-17U_George-McCurdy.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1011203 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Tulsa-Hawks-Elite-17U_George-McCurdy-300x195.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="195" /></a>McCurdy was one of the tournament’s break-out players as he has come into his own, it feels, more each weekend as the summer has progressed. The standout from Broken Arrow has displayed great poise in his role as a primary ball-handler, passer and even taking on a primary scoring role during some stretches. He handles pressure better than most, and his ability to maintain control at high speed helped the Tulsa Hawks’ senior squad break the press and outlast opposing teams. His toughness at the rack was also a talent that translated to production offensively, and he even has some dexterity to help him in that category. Defensively, his talents could be a tremendous up-side for his recruiting, using his lateral quickness, vision and cornerback-like mirroring to swipe and catch ball-handlers making lackadaisical moves with the ball. Most of his scoring comes from his own turnover-creation.</span></p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fdffd6;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="955383" first="Reid" last="Lovelace"] | Team Buddy Buckets PG | Crossings Christian ’22</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><span style="font-family: georgia, palatino, serif;"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Team-Buddy-Buckets-16U_Reed-Lovelace.....jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1011206 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Team-Buddy-Buckets-16U_Reed-Lovelace....-300x195.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="195" /></a>From Thursday-to-Sunday, the incoming senior did not disappoint; when considering his abilities to lead the floor as TBB’s primary on-ball facilitator, then accounting for his ability to score the ball, it is no wonder that he has seen so much individual success this summer. The scariest part for defenders is that he knows when to flip the switch. For a team with mostly new teammates, TBB’s junior roster has extraordinary cohesion, and it is no question that Lovelace’s altruistic awareness of the floor -- pairing with his skill to execute tough passes -- has been a vital piece to the team’s success in the early grassroots season.</span></p>