Small-School Section 4 Top Guards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s never too early for too-early-season. With fall sports and school underway, it’s only a matter of time before the winter sports season is upon us. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top guards in the small schools in Section 4</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774750" first="Erick" last="Burgess"], Cristo Rey Jesuit</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cristo Rey underachieved during the regular season last year but turned it on in a big way late, advancing to the section championship game before the season was canceled. A bright spot throughout all the ups and downs was Burgess. The senior swingman averaged 16 points, six rebounds, four assists, while knocking down 36 percent of his 3-pointers. He’s an active defensive presence who has the strength and toughness to guard bigger guys plus the quickness to stick with smaller guards. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774859" first="Andrew" last="Howard"], St. Croix Prep</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Howard was a key cog for a St. Croix Prep team that won 26 games last season, averaging 12 points while providing excellent floor-spacing. He’s an excellent 3-point shooter who will have an opportunity to take on a bigger role this year with the Lions. </span></p> <p><strong>Drake Eckman, CHOF</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Eckman emerged as a terrific No. 2 scorer for CHOF in his junior season, averaging 15.5 points while knocking down nearly 40 percent of his 3-pointers. He’s an athletic swingman who can score from all over the floor and he’ll have the ball in his hands more as a senior for a team that consistently runs a top-notch offense. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962239" first="AJ" last="Greene"], Concordia Academy</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greene isn’t big, but he’s tough as heck and has all the ability to be an elite level point guard. He’s a solid long-range shooter. He can break people down and finish over length in traffic and he does a good job getting into people defensively. He’s only a sophomore, but he’s terrific. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957607" first="Adam" last="Holod"], St. Paul Academy</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Paul Academy won 16 games last season and Holod was a catalyst, averaging 22 points per game. The Spartans are graduating their other four starters from last season, so even more will be on his plate this upcoming season. He’s capable of putting up massive numbers as a senior. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774769" first="Addison" last="Metcalf"], St. Croix Prep</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Metcalf was a driving force for St. Croix Prep this past winter, averaging better than 18 points and providing excellent defense and rebounding for a team stacked with perimeter talent. Metcalf is a terrific slasher who has the ability to guard just about anybody on the floor. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774772" first="Jake" last="Wald"], Legacy Christian</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wald is one of the top lead guards in Section 4A. He averaged nearly 19 points, five rebounds and six assists per game while leading the Lions to 24 wins and a spot in the section championship game. Legacy Christian should be among the best teams in the section again this winter and having one of the best point guards in Class A is an awfully good starting spot. </span></p>