2021 Rankings Update: Top Guards and Floor Generals

<p>The class of 2021 rankings has been updated, and there is plenty of movement throughout the entire list. We added the most players that we have ever had and did our most thorough observations to choose what we deem to be our most thought-out rankings yet. This season was a bit different as it was condensed, so we took summer ball and mixed it with what we were able to see throughout the season as well. Here’s who we have as the top guards and floor generals on the year. </p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="770403" first="Myles" last="Purchase"] – Cherry Creek</strong></span></h2> <p>Purchase comes in at the No. 7 player in the class and the No.1 point guard in the state after another incredible season. Purchase can impact the game in his own unique way and is a two-way stopper with high upside. He is just as dangerous as an offensive weapon as he is defensively. Purchase put up 14.9 points, 5.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and a remarkable 4.2 steals a game. To be able to not only lock down opposing guards but control their pace and tempo and turn them over at such a high rate in the best conference and class in the state speaks volumes to the type of player that he is. Purchase is a two-way standout who happened to be the class's best facilitator and ball-handler, and this Division I athlete and Player of the Year on the gridiron will be playing football at Iowa State University next season. Solid career for him and my favorite player to watch for the past for years.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916972" first="Cade" last="Palmer"] – Rangeview</strong></span></h2> <p>Palmer came out on a mission to prove it to anybody that doubted him that he is not only a role-playing knockdown shooter, but a complete guard and all-around basketball player that brings it nightly. Palmer put the state on notice as the sniper also made it a point to carve up defenses from the lead guard spot. Palmer is a unique high IQ guard that makes the right play, moves through screens and intelligently navigates through double teams, and also has one of the quickest releases in the state, which gave defenses headaches this season. The 4-year varsity guard shot 44% from beyond the arc and was the only Rangeview player to average double figures this season. Palmer took what the defense gave him, got others involved, and helped lead his team to the longest streak in CHSAA history. Palmer elevated his game every season and comes in at the no.15 player in the class after averaging 15.9 points and 6.8 assists a game and is one of the best-unsigned seniors remaining. A school would be getting one of the best thinkers on the court with a natural feel for the game, plays the right ways, and a lethal shooter from deep who plays with heart. Palmer proved many wrong along the way, including me. Helluva career.  </p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1029174" first="Jameel" last="Wright"] – Overland</strong></span></h2> <p>Wright is one of the most skilled players in the state who had a surge up the rankings and into the spotlight after a huge summer leading into senior year and a big senior year. Wright brought Overland a sense of relief and calm in an up and down year for the Trailblazers that had to deal with outside sources. Wright is not a player that ever gets sped up and controls what he can control. He is a shifty guard that gets to where he wants on the court, counters anything that the defense throws at him, and excels in PnR situations. Wright is a willing passer that sees plays develop before they happen. He scores with either hand, steps back, and shoots the 3-ball, or easily sets up his teammates for easy scoring opportunities. This season called for him to score a bit more, and he answered the call on that end. Wright averaged 17.0 points a game with a high of 27 points to start the year off right and dishes out 3.3 assists as well. Wright comes in at the No.19 player in the class, and if his team had stayed fully healthy and made a deep run, I feel as if he would’ve gone higher on the rankings. Wright is a player that schools should be blowing up as he has trajectory-changing talent.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="916967" first="Garrett" last="Arnold"] – ThunderRidge</strong></span></h2> <p>Arnold is as steady as they come, and maybe some of it has to do with the genetic makeup. Arnold is a competitive guard that the game slows down for, and he really started to see his game take on new life in the last two seasons. Arnold is one of the most unselfish players that we have in the state that is always willing to make the extra play, and he was the heartbeat of the 5A champions this year, despite dealing with injuries of his own. When Arnold played, the Grizzlies won; when he did not, they struggled to find their footing, and that goes to show that plenty of what makes a loaded team operate is a guy that buys into what is happening. ThunderRidge went as he went, and although he did not play up to the best of his abilities, he still did what was asked and needed of him due to the setbacks. Arnold put up a team-high 5.1 assists, showcased himself as a great decision-maker and entry passer, and competes at a high level. Arnold will play at Feltrim Academy next season, and I feel comfortable saying that his best basketball is ahead of him. Selfless leader and true captain on the floor. Guards, take notes.</p> <h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="965745" first="Alonzo" last="Paul"] – Regis</strong></span></h2> <p>Alonzo is a player that made a big jump in the rankings after a big senior season, and it started with his stellar play in the summer. Paul was not Regis’ best player, but he was for sure their most valuable. Regis went as he went this year as he was who controlled the pace, got the offense flowing, and was one of the only players on the team that could create for his own off of the dribble and loosens up opposing team’s zones and soft defenses they employed to try and take away from the outside shooting. Paul dissected defenses all year long with his quickness, finished at the rim, and also hit cutters. Paul picked up the pace on a team that is known for its fast tempo and put up 9.9 points and 5.2 assists a game. Paul is an unselfish player that is always willing to make the right play, even if that means getting others involved, and continues to get better in each setting. He’s a player that can help a small school at the next level and is one of the top point guards in the state.</p>