Five guards to watch in the 5A East Metro League

<p>There have been changes to the world as we know it, and the Colorado high school basketball scene has taken its fair share of changes as well. Typically, we will have already been a few games in and determining who we deem as the top teams in the state. Well, good news, we are a couple of weeks removed from the start of the season. With a late start and condensed season, getting off to a quick start is important. Other changes include new teams in leagues across the state. Here, we take a look at the 5A East Metro League.</p> <h2><strong>Antwaun Smith – Gateway</strong></h2> <p>Gateway began the season in a bit of a slump before finding themselves late in the season. Gateway went 8-2 in league play, and a big reason for that was their point guard found a rhythm. Smith is a score-first guard that sees the floor, has a quick first step, and excels in isolation situations. He put up 10 points, two assists, and four rebounds a game as a junior; this season, I expect there to be a rise as Gateway continues to find themselves.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="618875" first="Dominic" last="Marrujo"] – Prairie View</strong></h2> <p>Marrujo is a small, yet crafty guard that makes things happen when he is on the floor. In only his sophomore season, Marrujo was the team’s leading scorer at 12.8 points a game, and while he finishes great at the rim, the 3-point shot was where he separated himself. Marrujo shot over 40% from beyond the arc, has to be guarded the moment that he steps across half court, and remained consistent despite being the focal point for opposing teams. With another year under his belt of seeing how teams will defend him, I think he has more explosive games and leads his team to a few more victories. Marrjuo is certainly one of the best scoring guards to watch in the conference, and this is the year that he proves that he belongs.</p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916972" first="Cade" last="Palmer"] – Rangeview</strong></h2> <p>Palmer is the marquee name out of the games in the conference, and this is a conference that he has yet to lose in since he has entered high school. Palmer and his Rangeview team are on a ridiculous run right now and are technically still the defending champions. Palmer is a top-3 shooter in the state, is a knockdown set shooter that you cannot leave open, and creates gravity. Palmer put up 10.4 points a game as a junior as a 3-point specialist that opened up the floor. Still, with a core that went to see almost every graduate go on and play at the next level from a season ago, he now steps into a role where success depends on how well he plays. Palmer took on the initiative to become more of a balanced player with his work over the summer. Palmer has stepped into more of a facilitating role where he has the ball in his hands and in tournaments, and private runs showed that he is a pure point guard with range. Palmer is who I picture to be a top scorer in the league, but also, the state will see a balanced point guard with a high IQ that gets it. Rangeview might not be as potent and dominant as they were in recent years, but they will be the favorites in the conference with him at the helm. Expect another big year for Palmer.</p> <h2><strong>Xavier Torres – Prairie View</strong></h2> <p>Torres was another consistent scoring option that Prairie View had at their disposal a season ago. Torres played off the ball at times and took over lead guard duties, and was the team’s best passer. Torres averaged 11.9 points a game, broke down the defense, and got the team in their sets. Torres is a player that can score in bunches and is a microwave scoring option that can go off at any given moment. He had a game of 29 points at the beginning of the season and also concluded with a 25-point outing. If he can continue to shine in one of the better backcourts in the conference and win, he will be a player to watch.   </p> <h2><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="918908" first="A’jzhan" last="Williams"] – Vista Peak</strong></h2> <p>Williams is a bigger guard with the ability to score in bunches and also sees the floor well. Williams was a role player for the Bison in his sophomore season that came in and impacted the games in spurts but took that play into the summer and shined. Williams improved as a scorer with opportunity as he has a great feel for the game, is dangerous in the open court, and addressed the shooting. Williams was consistently hitting his jumper, attacking defenders off of the dribble and finishing and locked in defensively as well. On a Vista Peak team that lost a big chunk of its core, Williams will step into a lead role. If he continues to take care of the ball, provide spacing and be a two-way option, it will be tough to keep him off of the floor, and he will be a guard to watch this upcoming season.</p>