Southside Swing: Top Guards Pt. 1

<p>Last week I went to the Southside of Atlanta to watch two Top 10 showdowns in Class 5A.</p> <p>No. 3 Tri-Cities vs. No. 4 Woodward Academy<br /> No. 7 Forest Park vs. No. 8 Jonesboro</p> <p>Here’s who stood out from a loaded double-header.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-2 PG [player_tooltip player_id="869578" first="Peyton" last="Daniels"] – Tri-Cities</strong></p> <p>Vanderbilt is getting a good one in [player_tooltip player_id="869578" first="Peyton" last="Daniels"]. He’s a smooth guard with a strong compact body. He gets to his spots with ease and has an accurate outside shot off the bounce. He can create his own offense and finish at all three levels. His athleticism makes him a quality rebounder and defender. Daniels draws a lot of attention when he puts the ball on the floor, allowing him to be an important playmaker with his ability to find open shooters.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-3 SG [player_tooltip player_id="869620" first="Davon" last="Cottle"] – Tri-Cities</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="869620" first="Davon" last="Cottle"] is a nice sleeper. He’s got a college-ready body that has been in the weight room. He spaced the floor exceptionally well vs. Woodward Academy, hitting four three-pointers. Cottle has the strength to finish at the rim. He could end up being a 3&amp;D type player at the next level.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-1 PG [player_tooltip player_id="870187" first="Simeon" last="Cottle"] – Tri-Cities</strong></p> <p>Simeon stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals. He was one of the main reasons why Tri-Cities got so many open looks in their 91-68 win over Woodward Academy. Cottle always kept his head up and never missed an opportunity to find the open man. When Cottle called his own number, he often scored on drives.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-1 G [player_tooltip player_id="1011333" first="Jackson" last="Watson"] – Tri-Cities</strong></p> <p>With 15 points off the bench, [player_tooltip player_id="1011333" first="Jackson" last="Watson"] provided instant offense. He has grown his game each and every year and has fit the role of a scoring-minded guard that can provide a change of pace off the bench. His outside shot is dangerous and he used a variety of layups to score against length. Watson can play either on or off the ball.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-2 CG Logan Stephens – Woodward Academy</strong></p> <p>Stephens is a score-first guard. He’s got a strong body and has a knack for scoring at all three levels. Logan impressed with his ability to finish at the rim. He scored on tough contested layups and hit floaters and reverses. He’s a good athlete with a quick first step. Stephens was able to get his defenders off balance in the second half, drawing a crowd before kicking out to shooters. Stephens will need to work on impacting the game when his shot isn’t dropping. D-I programs have shown interest.</p>