Who Is South Dakota's Best Senior Point Guard?

Today we make the case for three different senior point guards in the state of South Dakota as.... The Best. Who do you think is the best? Is it somebody else not on our list? In reviewing this discussion we’ve went back to look at film of each and gave you three different things that we really like from each. [player_tooltip player_id="757825" first="Tyler" last="Feldkamp"] of Sioux Falls Roosevelt. <ol> <li>Tyler’s quickness on defense is a complete game changer on and off the ball. This is a passing lane jumping menace that will go the other way on you in seconds. When Tyler’s chasing an opponent Tyler closes space quickly around screens, and if the player tries to dribble separate versus Feldkamp he has the not only the quick feet but also the footwork needed to quickly recover off a separation move and contest a shot.</li> <li>The biggest part of Tyler’s defense though is what he can do to a ball handler in ball pressure possession. Sure there are times where he will turn a guy over but more important is the potential Tyler has to make his opponent uncomfortable. When the opposing lead guard is consumed with simply getting the ball out of his own hands as opposed to where and when he needs to make the first pass, that’s a big deal. Tyler has that type of disruptive potential. And if he is on a team that is pressing/trapping? He would be a nervous guard’s nightmare.</li> <li>I would assume most of you are aware that Tyler is a standout football prospect. He caught six passes for 150 yards and a score last night and plus was in on six tackles and had a pick as a d-back. Those same athletic gifts are why Tyler at 6-foot-0 and 185 pounds can be a scholarship point guard. In college basketball, it’s tougher for players 6-foot-1 and under to attack the rim because help defenders are bigger and quicker to cover space, and the attacking lanes are smaller and close faster. The reason an athlete like Tyler can get through lanes is his speed with the ball. We are talking about a second of time and under, some top point guard prospects aren’t quick enough to get the job done, Tyler is. </li> </ol> [player_tooltip player_id="757827" first="Connor" last="Libis"] of Dell Rapids-St Mary. <ol> <li>Connor is listed on the football roster this fall as 5-foot-8 and 155 pounds. Although he’s a brilliant shooter/scorer, college programs will want him at PG because they will want him coming back the other way on D defending the other team’s PG. Your position on the floor is more about who you are guarding as opposed to what you are doing offensively. And in the modern day game with so many ball screens, I love Connor at PG because he has a Master’s Degree, maybe even a PHD already in how to use screens with or without the ball. You see videos of how Libis will set his man up with his body knocking them off balance and then using that speed to catch a quick pitch or dribble hand-off and knock out a deep triple. Or, when Connor has the ball in his hands, he’s so good at clearing his man by attacking that screen at the right angle that the defender has to beg for help. And in high school basketball, there will not be many bigs stepping off a screen and getting in front of the Libis jumper/attack. </li> <li>The [player_tooltip player_id="757827" first="Connor" last="Libis"] shooting range is ridiculous. The South Dakota high school version of the Damian Lillard range. It’s a nightmare because good high school defenders are taught how to closeout and where to closeout. But in those teachings very few times does it include another four steps chopping outside the arc after sprinting at full speed to catch up with Libis. His range, and the percentages Connor hits shots from around the college/NBA stripe, is one of those "special rules" coaches have to put time in during practice and let’s be honest, most high school kids simply aren’t ready for all of that. College players will be, and they will be bigger and stronger. That said, most players still aren’t ready for an extra 5-6 feet on their closeout. </li> <li>Connor has developed his own separation art form and it’s a lot of fun to watch. To get space Libis uses a lot of tricks but the one that really grabs my attention is his step-back. His step-back off the dribble separation move, his step-back off a darting attack, his step-back after collecting the ball off the screen. These are situations that a player has to work on and be comfortable with at full speed and it’s very clear that Connor is. Throw in the ball fakes, the ability to hit contested shots, and the speed off a screen and you have a player that knows how to create space. </li> </ol> [player_tooltip player_id="732203" first="Colin" last="Rentz"] of Dell Rapids. <ol> <li>In watching Colin I would say the word "fearless" comes to mind first as I watch him come downhill and get through obstacles like he’s got some South Dakota Chris Paul in him. There is one more that sticks out to me most as Colin beat his first guy with a quick first step, beat the second guy with a crossover left, and then jumped back to his right to score away from the third defender. There is just an uncanny, fearless way that Colin gets to the rim to finish. </li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="732203" first="Colin" last="Rentz"] pushes the ball in transition as well as anybody. If teams are not quick to get back they may as well stay on the other end. He’s a four second transition player with a fearless attack but also a brilliance in setting up shooters and cutters. Uses the final dribble to set up others as well as anybody. Colin had a bounce pass in transition against Madison (I think) that is one of the most memorable plays I’ve seen because Colin sent that thing between multiple guys leading his man and it was caught in stride before most the defenders even noticed. For me it was one of the best plays I saw last year anywhere. </li> <li>In watching Colin compete there are leadership qualities that I think separate him from so many guys. He’s not a "move the ball and float" kind of guy, Rentz is the type of player that is always moving within the offense looking to make the next play. His cuts are excellent. Then you have the confidence he has in his game, and the fearless nature. </li> </ol>   The Others Category. We gave you five but there are surely others that people will bring up as top senior point guard. [player_tooltip player_id="975516" first="Jakob" last="Dobney"] of Vermillion. [player_tooltip player_id="757881" first="Beau" last="Donovan"] of Red Cloud. [player_tooltip player_id="975508" first="Tyce" last="Ortman"] of Canistota. [player_tooltip player_id="757852" first="Isaac" last="Sumption"] of Leola-Frederick. [player_tooltip player_id="975509" first="Kelton" last="Vincent"] of Sioux Valley.