2021 Rankings Update: Guards With Range

<p>After the strangest offseason ever, the 2021 rankings have been updated. Given the conditions, PHC made it a point to see as many players as possible rather it be a tournament, small group workout, or showcase –we made it a point to check in with almost every player.</p> <p>For the Class of 2021, having a travel season nearly ripped away, players came out hungry and eager to seize the moment and take full advantage of the stage.</p> <p>Here is our latest rankings update, and here we focus on the space providers, the 3-point specialist.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965741" first="Michael" last="Wolf"] – Regis</strong></h3> <p>Regis is a team that started the season 0-9 last year but ended up making the playoffs and making a deep run before everything was cut off. One of the biggest reasons for the turn around was how the team operated. The Raiders started going through their leading scorer, Wolf, and it opened up the floor more. Wolf put up 11.5 points a game, and while he only shot 35% from the floor, teams had to respect his outside shot. He has since put in an extreme amount of work on his game, and it has him playing his best basketball. Wolf is one of the most natural scoring guards in the entire class, and he has lit it up this summer. He has hung 25 points or more on the top teams for AAU and seems to be touching a basketball every day. We have seen him go for games where he has hit five or six 3-pointers with opposing teams confused on how to stop him; he has improved as a ballhandler and passer and having the ability to shoot the ball off of the dribble as well as get to the rim and finish has him as one of the unique scoring guards with range. Wolf makes the jump and is now in the top-20. If he can take what he is doing in the summer and apply it to the season, there is no telling where he ends up after the year—solid year for him and expecting a tremendous senior season.  </p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916972" first="Cade" last="Palmer"] – Rangeview</strong></h3> <p>Whatever school lands [player_tooltip player_id="916972" first="Cade" last="Palmer"] will be getting a Colorado All-Time great as he is a winner in every sense, both on and off of the court. He is a state champion that had a very good chance of repeating, has won 45-straight games, and does not even know what it is like to take a conference loss. Palmer made 1^st Team All-State in his junior season as the sharpshooter averaged 10.4 points a game while shooting 44% from beyond the arc. Palmer had games where he exploded from beyond the arc, like his 29 points where he hit nine 3-pointers. Palmer has games like that as a shooter, but what separates him is the production. He is a high IQ player that even when his shot is not falling, he is still able to impact the game. This summer, Palmer stepped more into a point guard role, and it has only expanded his game. He is a shooter that can come off of screens as well as shoot off of the dribble. He does not have depth perception and will hurt teams with a mid-range off of the dribble pull-up and also can dish it out and make plays for others. With practically an entirely new team, expect Palmer to step more into a scorers role and put up more points. Nonetheless, Palmer is a guard I am willing to go to war with, and I would feel comfortable with as my team’s point and shooting guard. He comes in at No. 23 in the class.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916979" first="Tanner" last="Lamb"] – Legend</strong></h3> <p>Lamb put his name in the running for the state’s top shooter with the type of season he had for Legend. The sharpshooter was a marksman from deep. Lamb put up a team-high 13.6 points a game and hit an impressive 50% of the shots he shot from deep. Let me repeat that 50% from beyond the arc. His perimeter shooting was contagious as it became the Legend identity. What was more shocking about his hot-streak was it was not as if he did not take a lot of shots; he was a high volume shooter but ultra-efficient. Having a guard that can space the floor opens up the rest of the offense. Teams started to key in on him, and it allowed teammates room to operate. That pushed out into summer, where he continued to light it up from deep. Lamb played alongside other elite scorers this summer and still played within the flow of the offense. He consistently hit shots, moves without the ball, and also has a bit of bounce to him. This season I expect much of the same. A high IQ shooter that is not afraid to let it fly.</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1050938" first="Noah" last="Ragsdale"] – Lewis-Palmer</strong></h3> <p>Ragsdale is a player that we saw standout in the settings we saw from him this summer, and he completely lit up the scoreboards. He went for 20+ points in both games as a scoring guard with unlimited range. Ragsdale is a small guard that gets after it on both ends of the floor. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and has a good feel for the game. In the first game, he had his shot falling from deep as he was coming off of screens ready to shoot. In the second, he created for himself and had a couple of heat-check moments that kept falling. He moves well with or without the ball, is a tough shot taker and maker, and going into senior season, should come in with his confidence high. Lewis-Palmer will yet again be a favorite, and with him, at guard, it gives them another scoring option.</p>