2021 Rankings: Backcourt Sleepers

<p>Sometimes some of the best players are the ones very few people know about. In this series, I will breakdown several prospects in the backcourt that find themselves outside the top 100 in our latest 2021 Ranking Update. Many of these prospects have already sparked interest from college coaches while others will receive more interest as the high school season approaches. These players deserve recognition as they are some of the best under-the-radar players you will find at the guard spots.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="919032" first="Malcolm" last="Curry"]</strong> (Wayne)- One of the Summer’s best performers from Dayton, Curry impressed coaches with his unreal athleticism and bounce, along with his ability to score in doses and improved passing. Curry should be kept on radars due to his athleticism more than anything as he can take over a game and be a primary scoring option at will. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1041809" first="Matthew" last="Miller"]</strong> (Wheelersburg)- The lefty guard impressed this past AAU season as he was one of the most athletic players on his Buckeye Storm team. Miller has a great handle for the basketball and was pretty good at making the right decisions with the ball. Used the between the legs dribble to create separation and change his speed quickly. Had some of the best overall basketball talent when I watched him play this Summer. </p> <p><strong>Jakob</strong> <strong>Reed</strong> (Stebbins)- Possesses blow by speed to get dribble drive opportunities. Showed he could compete in either guard positions. Will need to improve on the defensive end but has the offensive skillset to be a consistent offensive weapon.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="805221" first="Brock" last="Waits"]</strong> (Grove City)- While Waits isn’t the biggest defender you will find, he has a lot of fight in him and really takes control as a lockdown defender. Fast enough to cutoff the drive and stops penetration. Again he is a bit small for a guard, but plays hard and plays tough. Fights through screens and doesn’t quit on the play. As continues to develop his offensive game and show he can be a scoring threat, he will put himself on D3 radars.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="805218" first="Carter" last="Mims"]</strong> (Trotwood-Madison)- Lightning quick guard that has only helped his stock during the Summer season. Mims excels in up tempo situations and has shown he can not only penetrate on the perimeter, but setup teammates for scoring opportunities as well. While he is not the tallest guard option for college coaches, Mims is still a viable option for a small school that likes to play fast paced and a guy that can defend the ball hard. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="919038" first="Omari" last="Effiong"]</strong> (Thomas Worthington)- Effiong has been a role player in the past for Thomas Worthington but is going to try and show he can be a viable weapon for the Cardinals this upcoming season. Multi level scorer that can stretch the floor out with his perimeter play. Possesses great athleticism on both ends of the floor and showed he could get in the lane off the bounce. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="967142" first="Preston" last="Crabtree"]</strong> (North Union)- Scrappy guard that is impactful on both ends of the floor. High energy defender with nice IQ. Stops the ball with his body versus his hands. Solid rebounder for a guard. Streaky shooting touch that can get hot from beyond the arc.</p> <p><strong>Omar Abudamdeh</strong> (North Royalton)- Another fast paced point guard. Facilitator in the half court setting. Can pass the ball well while also keeping for himself when needed. Has a pretty decent build for a guard and should be a player kept on the radar of small schools. </p>