SBWKTS Series: Top Guards

<p>Last week PHI was invited to a workout series hosted by trainer Stan Boateng. From the workouts we saw some of the best players in the class of 2022. Today we look at the guards who made an impression.<br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p><strong>DJ Bates 6’1 De La Salle<br /> <br /> </strong>A smooth scoring guard who attacked using both hands as weapons. DJ finishes well at the rim with some creativity which he used when he had bigger defenders in front of him. Bates also was able to step out and knock a couple of shots down in the process. DJ is a solid scoring threat the next two years for De la Salle.<br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="996072" first="Jalen" last="Brown"] De La Salle<br /> </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br /> Brown had some good moments in game action. A tenacious defender he moves his feet well staying in front of ball handlers often. Offensively he can shoot the ball from deep. Jalen has a really good one dribble pull up from mid-range that can be effective off ball screens. He and DJ Bates will be very good complementary duo the next 2 years for the Meteors.</span><strong><br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Jonah Hinton 5’11 Naperville Central<br /> </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br /> I like what I saw from Hinton. Smooth and solid IQ guard who gets to spots on the court and creates for himself and teammates. Jonah’s high point on the day was a pull up three pointer for game with a defender in his grill the whole time. Hinton has a nice feel for the game and patience.  Will be nice to continue to watch his growth the next two years.</span><strong><br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="925184" first="Damari" last="Wheeler-Thomas"] 6’0 Larkin<br /> </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br /> Damari is a skilled scoring guard who showed another side to his game. With a lot of scoring talent on his team he did a great job of distributing the ball to his teammates taking to the lead guard role pretty well. Defensively he got after it often looking to disrupt ball handlers when they least expected it. Damari has a lot to show the rest of this class the next two seasons</span><strong><br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Jordan Woods 6’1 Hammond<br /> </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br /> This class of 2023 star proved to be a big time player in the 5 on 5 play. Jordan small but plays with a big heart. Getting after guys on both ends. Woods was at his best getting downhill and getting to the rim with slick handles often making athletic finishes. He was relentless of trying to get in the lane at times to score and find teammates who dived hard to the rim. Jordan is an impact player that will be coveted in the state of Indiana for the next 3 years</span><strong><br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Yogi Oliff 6’0 Niles North<br /> </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br /> What an electric player to watch. Oliff plays with tough handles, slick passes and swaggy creativity in the paint. Yogi has an incredible IQ with the ball in his hands as he made some terrific decisions in the open court that you don’t see seasoned guards make. He saw things two paces ahead of his opponents. Oliff wasn’t limited to being a defender as he made some nice pull up jumpers to show you can’t sag off him at any time. Yogi is a player you would want to pay to see.</span><strong><br /> </strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="863606" first="Miles" last="Casey"] 5’11 St. Ignatius<br /> <br /> </strong>Miles is a shifty guard who gets you off straight line drives to the rim. He is very heady with the ball understanding how create separation between him, his defender, and the rim. Casey reminds you of other St. Ignatius tough guards from the past.  Miles will be a good college prospect at the end of his high school career.<br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p><strong>Rashawn Bost 5’11 Evanston<br /> <br /> </strong>Tough guard who always seemed to be in the mix of things on the court. Rashawn made some good plays throughout the day. He recorded some steals early that led to some nice assists. Rashawn then started to show his ability to shoot the ball when moving to open spots. Bost is next in line at Evanston where they continue to produce good guards year after year.<br /> <br /> <br /> </p> <p><strong>Lane McVicar 6’3 Delkab<br /> </strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br /> Lane was another player who kept drawing my attention during game play. A bigger wing guard who can score from mid-range and beyond.  McVicar has a nice looking jump shot that always looks like it’s going in the rim. Lane proved he was more than a shooter  when defenders tried to crowd him for his shot. Hitting players in stride for layups or off screens right into jump shots is a lost art and this kid is restoring the skill. If McVicar continues to grow he will become a legit D1 prospect.</span><strong><br /> </strong></p>