#PHGrindRegionFinals: 15U Pure Scoring Guards

Fort Worth, Texas — The Grind Region Finals, presented by Prep Hoops was the final stop on the Prep Hoops Circuit and it lived up to all of the hype. This tournament brought out 50 teams from all over the South and Midwest to compete to be the Grind Region Finals Champions. This action-packed event was filled with 4 and 5-star recruits, dynamic scorers, slam dunkers, floor generals, up-and-coming big men, and future nationally ranked prospects. Here we’ll take a look at some of the most outstanding scoring guards from the 15U division. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-1264819 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/IMG_0596-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="1172929" first="Michael" last="Kates"] | Team Buddy Buckets KS | Wichita, KS [player_tooltip player_id="1172929" first="Michael" last="Kates"] was as unpredictable as they come with his scoring attack, his combination of driving the lane, creating a jumpshot off the dribble, and shooting off the catch proved to be too much for a single defender to handle by their lonesome. Kates displayed great speed on and off the dribble as he blew past others with an elite burst of quickness in his first step. The Kansas prospect had a bag full of handles, he loved to create separation using stop and start and direction changing moves, especially when tightly guarded. His ability to hesitate, shift gears, and make sharp cuts on a dime was uncanny. Michael’s outside presence was strong as well, he showcased college-level shooting range and knocked down wide-open three-pointers all game long. He’s someone that you cannot be left alone or given space to shoot for one second. On the perimeter, this sharpshooter always stayed in shooting position ready and willing to let it go the moment the ball touched his hands. <hr /> <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1264822" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/IMG_0623-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Damarion Dennis | Better off Living Dreams (B.O.L.D.) 2024 | Richardson, TX Damarion Dennis did his damage as the primary scorer for B.O.L.D., his fantastic scoring instincts seemed to be on another level as he consistently slipped through cracks and got to his hot spots in the mid-range. This lead guard put numbers on the board with a very quick and fluid pull-up shooting stroke that he was able to easily get over contesting defenders. Standing at only 5-foot-7-inches, Dennis is very long and lengthy with a massive hand size that allowed him to play much bigger than his height. This Texas prospect was phenomenal on and off the ball, doing a good job of constantly moving around, finding open space in the dunker's spot and from beyond the arc. When sizing his man up, Damarion Dennis exploded with a strong burst of quickness in his first step after jab stepping and attacking left. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-1264823 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/Screenshot-2021-08-14-12.28.40-AM-277x300.png" alt="" width="277" height="300" />Lawyer Jones | Young Pro Basketball 2024 | Waco, TX Lawyer Jones showed everyone why he’s one of the top rising bucket getters of his class in the state of Texas. Jones started his weekend off with a remarkable scoring performance of 25 points with 23 of those points coming in the first-half of play. His contribution on the floor proved to be incredibly effective and efficient as he took the game into his own hands, making plays on both ends of the court at an extraordinary rate. Defensively, Jones turned steals into points, he loved to finish above the rim on the fastbreak either by catching an alley-oop or coming off one foot for a one-handed tomahawk slam. When scoring within the flow of things, Jones knows his spots and knows exactly how to get to them in a limited amount of dribbles, showing a true knack for getting inside the lanes without the use of screens. Lawyer created his space from defenders and got them leaning using quick and smooth between the legs pullback moves before pulling up or driving all the way to the basket where he scored the easiest. He actually excelled at making layups more so with his off-hand than dominant hand even when finishing through traffic or contact. The Waco ballplayer also proved to be tough as nails after suffering an injury in game two and still playing hobbled and through pain, hopping around on one leg and still making some of the most impactful plays on both ends of the floor that kept his team in the game. He finished that game with 13 points and he even had a sequence where he jumped the passing lane and immediately followed it up with a spot-up three-pointer the very next possession. Another noteworthy aspect of Lawyer’s game was the relentless way he attacked the glass, Jones was a very impressive rebounder for his position, probably the best and most competitive rebounder on the team. <hr /> <img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1264820" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/IMG_0588-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />Andrell Burton | Team Buddy Buckets KS | Wichita, KS 6-foot-4-inch purely instinctual bucket getter with great ball skills and a knack for getting whatever shot he desires at will. Burton relentlessly rocked defenders side to side with his shifty between the legs dribble, always keeping the defense honest never knowing when he’d attack pull-up, or stepback and shoot. He looked unstoppable as he constantly created a wide margin of separation with his crossovers and spin stepback dribble. Once Andrell Burton rose up for his jumpshot he was unblockable, getting the proper elevation and balance every time even when shooting off his signature stepback jumper. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-1264821 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/08/IMG_0606-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />[player_tooltip player_id="1222263" first="Donny" last="Thomas"] | Nike ProSkills San Antonio Black 2024 | Bishop, TX This high-volume shot taker and shot maker carried the scoring load for Nike ProSkills San Antonio with his dynamic ways of getting buckets from all three levels. [player_tooltip player_id="1222263" first="Donny" last="Thomas"] showed that he could create his own shot against any defender that came his way. He has a variety of handles and counter combo moves that gave him the ability to change directions, spin, and stop on a dime, easily creating separation and enough space to get a clean look every time. Thomas displayed outstanding patience when looking to score as he rocked his defenders to sleep with his continuous between the legs dribble while waiting for his man to get off balance so he could attack their weak side. He used the long strides on his first step as a huge advantage, it allowed Thomas to get to his spots where he could then use his long arms for crafty finishes or to quickly shoot over the defense. <hr />