Week 8 Scouting Notebook: Tony's Top Guards

[player_tooltip player_id="964877" first="Ira" last="Hazeltine"] (Liberty, 2021) Hazeltine has established himself as one of the better shooters in the MVC, but he showed more of his offensive game in the Lightning's loss to Cedar Falls last week, finishing with 18 points on 7-14 shooting (2-7 3P). He showed the ability to get to the rim, using his strong ball-handling and change of pace to get by his defender.   [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"] (Cedar Falls, 2022) Campbell was, in a word, outstanding in the Tigers win over Liberty last week. With the Tigers leading scorer, [player_tooltip player_id="796127" first="Landon" last="Wolf"], battling foul trouble in the first half, Campbell went into takeover mode, and it continued into the second half. A lightning-quick guard with good length, Campbell is a great athlete who competes at a high-level on the glass. He showed an improved jumper, going 4-6 from behind the arc, and excellent footwork to help create space to get his jumper off. He can then use his quickness to attack hard closeouts that come with his improved shot and get to the rim. He was highly efficient, finishing with 26 points on 8-11 shooting (4-6 3P, 6-7 FT) with 8 rebounds and 11 assists. He sees the floor extremely well and is an excellent passer who takes great care of the ball. A 6-4 guard with his athleticism and length, he also has a lot of potential on the defensive end of the floor. He was fantastic, and if he keeps this type of play going, he could become a high-major prospect. He recently picked up his first offer from Northern Iowa.   Joseph Bockman (Decorah, 2022) Bockman led the Vikings in scoring in their win over Denver, going off for 23 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. The junior guard plays with good pace, changing speeds to get by his defender and to the rim, where he’s a solid finisher. I’d like to see him get more comfortable going to the left hand, as he’s very right-handed dominant right now, but he’s a solid player who contributes across the board and can score from all three levels.   Treyton McCain (Decorah, 2024) The 6-0 freshman was really impressive in the Vikings win, scoring 8 points with 3 rebounds and 2 assists off the bench. He did turn the ball over 4 times, but he did a lot of good things. He’s quick with the ball and is a strong ball-handler who changes directions quickly. He was aggressive early on, looking to take his defender off the dribble and get to the rim, and he showed the ability to shoot it from 3 off the catch. He looks to push the tempo, routinely looking ahead for open teammates on the break. With his quickness and length, he has the potential to become a really good defender as well. A strong showing from the freshman guard.   [player_tooltip player_id="964907" first="Isaac" last="Besh"] (Denver, 2021) One-third of Denver’s three-headed guard monster, Besh is a 5-10 senior who is the best shooter of the three guards. He had a rough shooting game from 3 (1-6) but showed good form on his jumper with a quick release on the catch. He moves really well without the ball in his hands, using off-ball screens to free himself up for open looks. He contributes on the glass at a high-level, pulling down 8 rebounds (4 offensive) to go with his 18 points.   [player_tooltip player_id="796135" first="Bryce" last="Phelps"] (Denver, 2021) Phelps is the best passer of the three guards but finished with just 1 assist in their loss to Decorah. He scored 15 points, showing a strong pull-up jumper, getting the ball into the shooting pocket quickly, and elevating into his jumper on a dime. He’s probably the smoothest player of the three, with a really good feel for the game. He’s a confident ball-handler who will contribute across the board.   [player_tooltip player_id="796154" first="Kyler" last="Matthias"] (Denver, 2021) Matthias plays primarily off the ball and he moves well without the ball in his hands. Like Besh, he uses off-ball screens well to free himself up, and he can be an impact defender. He plays the passing lanes well and can turn defense into offense in a hurry. He looks to attack the rim but also has a jumper that defenses need to respect. He finished with a team-high 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.   Will Curtis (Denver, 2021) Curtis doesn’t get the attention that the other three Denver guards get, but he had a strong showing, finishing with 8 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds in the loss. The 5-9 senior guard is a good ball-handler and a good passer who looks to get others involved. He sees the floor well and keeps the ball moving on the offensive end.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Marcus-Kelderman.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1052564" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/Marcus-Kelderman-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="964821" first="Marcus" last="Kelderman"] (Boyden-Hull, 2021) The 6-1 lefty guard shook off an early injury scare to put together another strong game for the Comets in their win over Sioux Center, finishing with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. He's a quick, shifty guard who gets to the rim in the halfcourt, and he's a very good finisher around the bucket. He's a good perimeter shooter with a smooth, repeatable release on his jumper, and he can get others involved with his ability to get to the bucket and kick out to open shooters.   Kody Noble (Boyden-Hull, 2021) The 5-10 senior guard had a great game for the Comets, finishing with 8 points, 9 assists, and 4 steals. A solid ball-handler who sees the floor well, he's never going to bog down the offense by overdribbling, looking to get others involved.