Week 2 Scouting Notebook: Tony’s Top Guards

<p><strong>Jaxon Baumgartner (Le Mars, 2021)</strong></p> <p>Baumgartner dished out eight assists in the Bulldogs' loss to CBAL, which was even more impressive when you consider that the team made just 17 shots total in the game. He's a lead guard who does a great job distributing, sees the floor well and doesn't force anything. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="964800" first="Alec" last="Dreckman"] (Le Mars, 2021)</strong></p> <p>Dreckman had a rough shooting night in the Bulldogs' loss to CBAL, but showed his ability to get to the bucket for finishes. He's a strong and creative finisher at the rim, and is a better shooter than he showed during this game. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Brady Williams (Le Mars, 2022)</strong></p> <p>Williams got off to a hot start in their game against CBAL, knocking down 3s on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter, showing the ability to shoot both off the dribble and the catch. He cooled down after that hot start, but he moves well off the ball and has a quick release on the catch.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="964862" first="Dayne" last="Hodge"] (Assumption, 2021)</strong></p> <p>A physical, well-built guard, Hodge had a strong outing in the Knights season-opening loss to Hempstead, scoring 17 points on 6-11 shooting. The biggest improvement was his jump shot, going 3-5 from behind the arc. He shot a respectable 35% from the arc last year, but his stroke looks more fluid with a quicker release. If he's able to get up to the 40% range this season, it'll open up everything for his offensive game, as he's got a quick first step that he can get to the rim with, and he has the physicality to finish through contact at the bucket. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Gavin Thomas (Aplington-Parkersburg, 2024)</strong></p> <p>The son of head coach Aaron Thomas, Gavin had a fantastic game, scoring 14 points on 5-8 shooting (3-5 3P), coming off the bench for the Falcons. A 6-0 two-guard, he moves very well off the ball and has a quick release on the catch. At this point, he appears to be more comfortable as a catch-and-shoot player, but the ability to shoot off the dribble will develop. He's a heady player who jumps passing lanes on the defensive end and can turn defense into offense in a hurry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Jayden-Mackie.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1068638" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Jayden-Mackie-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="751418" first="Jayden" last="Mackie"] (Aplington-Parkersburg, 2022)</strong></p> <p>Mackie battled early foul trouble in the Falcons' win over South Hardin but still finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds. He's an athletic lead guard who sees the floor well, contributes on the glass and can get to the bucket. He's got a good feel for the game and has the ability to score from all three levels, although we'd like to see his jumper become a bit more consistent.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Garrett Hempen (Aplington-Parkersburg, 2023)</strong></p> <p>Hempen led the Falcons with 17 points on 7-14 shooting, showing the ability to score from all three levels. He moves well off the ball, finding space in the defense to shoot off the catch, and he showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim for finishes as well. He contributes across the board, dishing out 6 assists and pulling down 5 rebounds as well. </p>