Big-School Section Section 2 Top Guards

Matt Bigelow

October 6, 2020 @ 05:00 PM

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. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top guards from the big schools in Section 2 [player_tooltip player_id="774893" first="Josh" last="Baker"], Marshall Baker has gotten better and better seemingly every time he takes the floor. The 6-foot-2 swingman has always been a high-end 3-point shooter. He’s developed his off-the-dribble game to the point now that he’s able to beat guys with multiple dribble moves and finish through contact in the paint. He’s a plus defender who brings physicality to the wing and plays with great energy. Marshall is going to be one of the best teams in Class AAA this winter and Baker could be a 15-20 point-per-game guy. [player_tooltip player_id="774733" first="Bryce" last="Lance"], Marshall Lance is one of the best point guards in the state and will be the engine for a Marshall team that has state tournament expectations next winter after winning the section last March. He’s a terrific scorer from all three levels and has improved as a playmaker as he’s gotten older. He’s big, long, smart and athletic and while the Big South has its share of high-end players, he’s as good as any individual player in that league. [player_tooltip player_id="774862" first="Ethan" last="Grant"], St. Peter Grant developed into a very good complementary scorer for the Saints last year, effectively playing off Wyatt Olson on the wing. He’s an effective slasher who can shoot it off the catch or the bounce and make plays for his teammates. He’ll be the go-to guy for St. Peter as a senior and could put up huge numbers. [player_tooltip player_id="850725" first="Sam" last="Rensch"], Hutchinson Rensch had a terrific sophomore season at Hutchinson last year and backed it up with an awesome grassroots showing over the summer. At 6-foot-5, he’s a smooth athlete who can handle the ball, get to his spots on the floor and either score at the rim or from the 3-point line. Rensch is one of the best prospects in Section 2AAA. [player_tooltip player_id="962205" first="Jalen" last="Cain"], Minnetonka Cain was a key player for the Skippers last year as a freshman, averaging better than seven points per game while providing complementary scoring and playmkaking plus excellent defense. He’s a big, athletic guard who can make plays off the dribble, get his own shot from the perimeter and defend multiple perimeter positions. [player_tooltip player_id="962207" first="Ibrahim" last="El-Amin"], Minnetonka El-Amin is one of the top players in the 2023 class and will be at Minnetonka after averaging better than 18 points per game as a freshman at Burnsville. El-Amin is an aggressive scorer who is at his best getting downhill attacking the rim. He can finish through contact despite lacking great height, and he’s tough as nails on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="532600" first="Luke" last="Strazzanti"], Chaska Strazzanti led the Hawks in scoring as a junior, averaging 13.5 points per game and has always been a rock-solid two-way player on the wing. He’s got excellent size and length to guard bigger players while also possessing the athleticism to chase around smaller guards too. He competes on the glass. He drives hard and plays through contact well. There’s a lot of substance to his game. [player_tooltip player_id="774926" first="Marcus" last="Crawford"], Edina Crawford was a solid complementary player for the Hornets last year and enjoyed a solid grassroots season over the summer. He’s a strong, athletic and smart two guard who can shoot it from deep, score on cuts and make a play against rotating defenders. And while he wouldn’t be classified as a big guard, he’s got enough strength to defend bigger wings plus the quickness to harass smaller guys.