Columbus City League Senior Sleeper Guards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whether it is Fishburger, Red Door BBQ or Chef Hiro’s tacos, Columbus has been known for amazing things that are slept on in the grand scheme of things and the basketball scene is no different than the food scene. There have been countless players who flew under the radar of big time schools and ended up becoming pros; names like Chris Johnson, Josh Bostic and Jamel Morris. Guard play is always important in the game of basketball and these are the senior guards that have flown under the nose of scouts and coaches alike, but have the alarm clock set and ready to wake them up this upcoming season. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1041815" first="Leon" last="Douglas"]- Walnut Ridge: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Long arms, big hands and a head like a water jug (this writer can say this because this writer has known Douglas since he was 7), Douglas can become a complete three-and-D type of player in the long run. Affectionately known as “Scotty,” to those close to him, Douglas is not a refined offensive product yet but his physical gifts scream that he can be if he is ever developed properly into that. Scotty has amazing reaction time defensively, being able to knock the ball out of the handlers hand and has a good enough dribble to start and finish the fast break. The experience that Scotty has will propel him into this season where he looks to break through and no longer become a sleeper guard.</span></p> <p><b>Caleb Brigle- Whetstone: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">A gritty player who is the best shooter in the class, and number two is not very close behind him. His long arms give him the ability to rise up and get his shot off over defenders, along with his quick release. Brigle could be the best at moving without the ball in the Columbus City League, with precise movement and being able to set up defenders to run into the screeners. He has a competitive edge to him that will never allow him to quit, being down by 20 in the fourth quarter and still wanting to find a way to win may be his biggest attribute. Although Brigle has not made many clutch shots (because his team doesn’t give him a chance), he has the heart and mental toughness to take those shots. Brigle is ready to have another amazing season for the Braves, hopefully this time it comes with recognition.  </span></p> <p><b>Jaylon Jackson- Centennial:</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Possibly the best perimeter defender in his class, Jackson plays within himself and the result is a consistently good player who rarely has bad games. Jackson is a bigger guard and that gives him the power advantage over most other guards in the Columbus City League, he uses that power to stop ball handlers and not let them around him. He does not have the most refined offensive game but he understands spacing and is a good enough shooter that he must be respected from that range. Jackson is a better student than anything else, showcasing skills in the classroom and on the court. Centennial had a pretty good season last year and Jackson looks to help keep that streak alive. </span></p> <p><b>LB Towns- Linden McKinley: </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">The fastest player with the ball in or out of his hand (evidenced by the 2nd place cross country finish), Towns has impressed this writer more and more every time he played. Towns shows a natural skill to run the point guard position with elegance and IQ, understanding when to score and when to pass. Towns gets in the lane at ease and has an excellent floater package when he gets there because he is not that tall of a player. In the open court, Towns can use that speed to get where he wants during the break and set his teammates up for scoring opportunities. Towns helped lead Linden McKinley to its first Columbus City League championship appearance in over 20 years and he is determined to make it back-to-back. </span></p> <p><b>Mehki Jarrett- Mifflin:</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Diminutive in height but stocky in size, Jarrett is able to use his strength and combine it with his speed and that causes problems for defenses. Mid-way through last season, Jarrett’s Mifflin Punchers were in first place in the Columbus City League north division and that was mainly through the play of Jarrett. He gets in the paint with ease and can bounce off defenders for buckets while having the vision to kick it out to open shooters. A very good leader with both actions and play, Jarrett will be a steal of a point guard for smaller schools looking to fill that void. </span></p>