2022 Rankings Update: Imposing Point Guards

<p>A highly anticipated 2022 class has been updated, and this was our most difficult class yet. We added over 70 players to the class and saw plenty of shakeup from top to bottom. With as much talent that is in the class, it was a difficult list to compose, but we got it. Here we take a look at the top point guards in the class.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="759278" first="Jaeton" last="Hackley"] – Douglas County</p> <p>Hackley comes in as the No.1 point guard in the class, and he is a true point and floor general indeed. Hackley has the right blend of knowing when to attack and knowing when to slow it down and control the tempo, and that change of pace makes him a unique player to try and game plan for. Hackley is an in-your-face guard that is a downhill attacker and has a solid mid-range, confident 3-point shot and passes guys open instead of waiting for them to make the right read. Hackley is a high IQ guard that is skilled offensively and a load to try and contain, but he also does not allow opposing guards to get into any type of rhythm. He put up an impressive stat line of 19.0 points in his junior season, 6.4 assists, and 4.3 rebounds a game. He stuffed the offensive box scores nightly with a high of 32 points against GW and 33 points against Ponderosa while also playing with that chip on his shoulder. He averaged 3.5 steals a game and is not a player that you feel comfortable around. Hackley is the No. 6 overall player in the class with an argument for Top-5 and is a gym rat that will use it as motivation. Hackley is a player that I’ve been high on, and he backed it up this season. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="759275" first="Quis" last="Davis"] – Denver East</p> <p>Quis is the most explosive point guard in the state, and when you think about impactful guards that can alter a game in various ways, he is an easy choice on who you want to lead your team. Davis is a one-of-a-kind type of leader that motivates others around him, and his contagious energy had the Angels winning games even without their best player. The reason why is because their 6’0 point guard took on the scoring load while also getting others involved and improving in every facet of the game. When most watch Quis, they see next-level athlete; I see a player that is continuing to work on his game and has added a bit of an outside shot, quick decision-making, and craft finishes at the rim. Davis elevated his game as he put up new career-highs in essentially every category. Davis averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds a game while also stepping up defensively and averaging 3.2 steals a game. Davis shot 43% from beyond the arc, which is a testament to working on his game, and still managed to wiggle free for the highlight dunks. He is the No.3 point guard in the state and No. 8 overall in the class. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="918903" first="Jeremiah" last="Coleman"] – Colorado Prep</p> <p>Coleman made the jump over to Colorado Prep, and while it took a moment for him to adjust to the speed and style of play, got settled in and helped his team in multiple ways. Coleman is a lead by example guard that plays with confidence. He’s a savvy two-way point guard who gets to his spots, but has excellent court vision and is best when finding open teammates. Coleman is best on the break and when he is pushing the pace because he is such a great decision-maker that makes precision passes. He plays at his own tempo and possesses a tight handle that frees him up and makes smart-reads in PnR situations. Coleman is an improved shooter, and a threat for defenses as he penetrates and kicks to the open man. We did not see a ton of him in the grind session, but from what we did get to see, he was his same impactful self and has taken that into a solid start to the summer with RoughRidersGive. He comes in as  Top-5 pg in the class. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1050952" first="Brayden" last="Maldonado"] – Smoky Hill</p> <p>Maldonado makes the transfer into Colorado and made an impact for the Buffaloes on Day 1. Maldonado fits in seamlessly to a Smoky Hill team that is trying to run it down opposing teams throats and is a dangerous offensive guard that is a creative scorer that is savvy with the ball in his hands. Maldonado helped Smoky Hill pick up a few wins on the year on a season that most believed that they would struggle in and took the No. 1 team in heading into the playoffs to the brink of elimination in the playoffs behind the play of their crafty point guard. Maldonado put up 33 points in his very first game to put the state on notice and followed that up by having big scoring nights. He put up 18.5 points and 4.6 assists a game as a junior with 3-pointers, runners, and finishes near the basket, and had outlet passes that other guards just refused to make. He led Smoky Hill to a 10-6 record, made out 2nd Team-All State for the 2022 players, and comes in as one of the top point guards in the state. Excited to see how he continues to grow as he already looks comfortable. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="618889" first="Tarrance" last="Austin"] – Pueblo South</p> <p>Austin is a small guard with a big game, and he put the state on notice a season ago when he practically outperformed the opposing team's best player in every game as a junior, and that was with other teammates also having huge games. Pueblo South is a team that I expect to head into next season as a Top-3 team in 3A, and a big reason for that is their fearless leader and point guard, [player_tooltip player_id="618889" first="Tarrance" last="Austin"]. Austin put up 23.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.9 steals a game while still allowing teammates to shine. He led the Colts to a 15-3 run on the year and had a few big moments where he stepped up, and his teammates needed him most. Austin had a season-high of 37 points but put up 20 or more points in 12 of the 18 games. He had a buzzer-beater to advance in the state playoffs, played well above his size, and was the player that opposing teams had to slow down if they wanted a chance, and teams had a difficult time doing that. Austin makes a big jump in the rankings and comes in at the No.31 player in the class. Huge year for him. </p>