Six guards to watch in the Denver Prep 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 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. One conference that saw many of their best players either graduate or transfer and will have to reinvent itself is the Denver Prep League. There are a couple of teams that will head into the season as darkhorse favorites to win it. Let’s look at the DPL.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916978" first="Darrian" last="Hammons"] – George Washington  </strong></span></h2> <p>Hammons is a guard that plays with passion and is a two-way option that controls the pace. Hammons is an up-tempo guard that gets after guards with full-court pressure, and when he is playing freely, he is at his best. Hammons is a true point guard that gets others involved, gets the team in their sets, and makes the right decision in the open court. This will be a bounceback year where he gets an opportunity, and that is what he has needed. He will be the defensive anchor and turn that emotion into contagious efforts from his teammates. I think Hammons will have his best year yet.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="759275" first="Quis" last="Davis"] -- Denver East </strong></span></h2> <p>Davis returns for his junior season and will be the top guard in the conference. There are not many players in the state as explosive as Davis is so to have a point guard with the kind of athleticism he does adds a different element. He is a downhill runner who attacks the defender, is impossible to stay in front of, and has excellent court vision. Davis can read plays before they happen and also gets to the rim for either a finish or trip to the foul line. He is a guard that can dunk in open space, makes the extra pass, and is a floor general. Quis is a natural leader that gets the best out of his teammates and you do not find many like that in the state. In his sophomore season, he averaged 10.4 points and a conference-high 6.4 assists a game. He was very active in the passing lanes as he averaged 3.1 steals a game and with him running the show, East has one of the best floor generals in the state. I expect more of the same from Davis -- a winner that you’re going to hear coming and teammates are going to love playing with. </p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Henos Fitwi – Denver South</strong></span></h2> <p>Henos is a true point guard with vision, and he thinks team first. Fitwi has a quick first-step, creates for himself and others, and will be looked upon as the team’s ballhandler this upcoming season. Fitwi will have his hands full with other guards in the conference but will add the element of surprise and is a guard that stars in his role and know what is expected of him. As long as he continues to make plays for others, he will be in a good spot, and Denver South will be able to turn some heads along the way.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="618877" first="Isaiah" last="Poindexter"] – Far Northeast</strong></span></h2> <p>Poindexter is a big guard. He has the perfect blend of size and physicality, and he gets right into smaller guards and makes them work. Poindexter is a true guard but is in a situation where he is forced to score a bit more. Poindexter put up 7.7 points and 2.2 assists a game. He began the season on a tear and slowed down before finding his role at the end of the year. Once he finds that consistency, he will be a tough player to defend, and he creates mismatches for opposing teams.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">[player_tooltip player_id="918905" first="Kijuan" last="Thompson"] – George Washington</span></strong></h2> <p>Thompson is the epitome of heart over height. Not many players in the state play with the same intensity as he does, which separates him from the pack. Thompson will go out and compete on every single possession, is lightning quick, and gets himself started on the defensive end. Thompson forces guards into traps, plays the passing lanes, and speeds up the opposition. Offensively, he pushes the pace and makes the extra pass. He is dangerous in the open court as he is a train wreck to slow down and uses his speed to blow by defenders for a basket or disrupts the defense to find an open teammate. The 2022 guard will have a chance to get more minutes this year; he has to make the most of those opportunities.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916989" first="Ryan" last="Moe"] – Thomas Jefferson</strong></span></h2> <p>Moe is one of my personal favorite guards in the conference, and it is because of his versatility. Moe is a pass-first guard with excellent court vision, and he plays with a bounce to him. Moe breaks defenders down off the dribble and uses his IQ to read what the defense is giving him. He makes teammates better, and they tend to run harder when he has the ball as they know they will be found. Moe is a disruptor as a passer and possesses the ability to open up the floor as he is a capable shooter. In his junior season, Moe had an underrated stat line of 12.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 2.3 assists a game. He was the Spartans’ most consistent player and best player on the floor at times. In his senior season, Moe will be the ultimate utility guy as he will be relied on to do it all. I am expecting a big year for him and for him to prove his worth.</p>