Class of 2022 Shooting Guards & Wings to Watch

The class of 2022 has an abundance of talent at each position and no other position on the hardwood epitomizes that more than the shooting guard position. In this rankings review of players to watch, we will take a look at players who play the shooting guard or what is affectionately known as "the two". They fit the mold that the shooting guard has evolved to and get the most out of their talent at the same time. [player_tooltip player_id="1275274" first="Jalen" last="Bolden"] (6’5" - Zachary) - Bolden is one the top shooting guards in the state which is signified by his top ten ranking. While he can be a facilitator, he is best at attacking the rim and spotting up on the wing. Bolden is good in transition situations where he gets to attack the rim against one or two defenders. More times than not, he finishes the play or gets fouled. When penetration happens and Bolden spots up, he is almost automatic. His style of play and skill set fits perfectly into what Zachary does and should be appealing to schools on the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="932850" first="Donavan" last="Seamster"] (6’2" - Woodlawn-S’port) - When I think of "in the gym" range, [player_tooltip player_id="932850" first="Donavan" last="Seamster"] fits that bill to a tee. He spent the spring and summer on the Prep Hoops Circuit making coaches and teams believers that he could make shots from anywhere. While he was shooting over zones, Seamster was also improving his movement off screens and using the dribble to get to certain spots. His senior season will be a product of the work he put in this summer. Coaches will see more than just a shooter when they see Seamster play this season. (pictured above) [player_tooltip player_id="981595" first="Christian" last="Ferguson"] (6’5" - BTW-N.O.) - Ferguson is another shooter who can fill it up from three. He has grown to 6’5" now and is a legit threat who makes a lot of shots due to his clear line of vision over the smaller guards in Louisiana. Ferguson is also good on spot-ups on the wings and in corners. He is also a good rebounder as well. When it comes to wing shooters, Ferguson should be at the top of a lot of lists this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1051638" first="Troy" last="Cole"] (6’5" - Donaldsonville) - Cole was one of the best players during the grassroots season from Louisiana. He is a shooting guard who is more of a slasher on offense. Cole loves to get in the midst of the paint and shoot short jumpers or finish at the rim. His calling card is on the defensive end. He is one of the most versatile defenders Louisiana has. Cole can guard anyone between the one and the four and make it a rough evening for them. His combination of offense and defense should make him very recruitable in his senior season. [player_tooltip player_id="1275357" first="Markell" last="Mcclain"] (6’3" - Peabody) - McClain has played consistently well since team camps in May until elite camps in September. Part of the reason is that he takes the defense he learned at Peabody into every gym he plays. McClain plays good, positional defense and cuts off driving angles and forces outside shots. On offense, anything in the midrange is money for him. He can step out further but is highly accurate from the elbows. He is another who can facilitate the offense but is much better getting to his spots and scoring the rock. [player_tooltip player_id="1275351" first="Jamari" last="Markray"] (6’2" - Doyline) - Markray stays in attack mode from the off guard position. He gets to the rim via straight line drives in the half court and usually being faster and more athletic than everyone in transition. Markray is an athletic finisher who completes many up-and-unders and other layups that avoid contact. He shot it better from deep this summer. If that continues, he will only be harder to guard. [player_tooltip player_id="1211165" first="Albert" last="Shell"] (6’3" - Wossman) - Coach Jones basically gave Shell the ball in some of the early team camp session with mixed results. Fast forward to the Prep Hoops Top 250 and Albert had seemingly worked out any difficulties he was having. Shell is great at penetrating from the wings and corners and is very good at shooting the corner three. Wossman has had the last two 3A players of the year and if Shell can summon his play from August into a full season, they may have a third. [player_tooltip player_id="981492" first="Dezmond" last="Perkins"] (6’5" - Madison Prep) - Perkins is similar to Seamster and Ferguson in that he fits more of the traditional shooting guard mode. He is very good in catch-and-shoot situations. Seeing him at the Northwestern State Elite camp, Perkins has improved at creating space with the dribble. He is very quick crossover he uses. When he gathers the dribble and elevates, there are only a few players that can contest his shot. With his length and release, Perkins will be a terror to teams the Chargers play this season. [player_tooltip player_id="981496" first="Channing" last="Arvie"] (6’2" - JS Clark Leadership) - Arvie introduced himself to everyone with his shooting performance in the 2020 edition of Marsh Madness with his three point barrage during the class B semis. If he is on early, it is going to be a long night for the opposition. Arvie can handle and get to the rim as well but he is highly dangerous from deep. Going into this season, he will be apart of one of the better back courts in class B. Other shooting guards and wings to watch: [player_tooltip player_id="1275319" first="Alex" last="Broussard"] (6’3" - Vermilion Catholic) - Athletic two guard who plays at a high level both ways. Should be one of the best players in 1A this season. Bryson Gilyot (6’2" - East St. John) - Gilyot is a wing who lets it fly from three with great consistency. Underrated shooter on a very good team. [player_tooltip player_id="781844" first="Nicholas" last="Kaigler"] (6’3" - McMain) - One of the rare wings that can post up and shoot from deep. He is very good at scoring and rebounding. [player_tooltip player_id="1211086" first="Stanley" last="Morrison"] (6’5" - McKinley) - May be McKinley’s best player this season. He is a two-way player who is only getting better. [player_tooltip player_id="1211085" first="Tyler" last="Brown"] (6’2" - Baker) - He can definitely do more than score the rock. Brown has stat-sheet filling ability. These players play on some of the better teams in the state so coaches can get a glimpse of them playing top competition in some of the better tournaments across the state. The way these guys shoot and score, they will be a treat to see.

The class of 2022 has an abundance of talent at each position and no other position on the hardwood epitomizes that more than the shooting guard position. In this rankings review of players to watch, we will take a look at players who play the shooting guard or what is affectionately known as "the two". They fit the mold that the shooting guard has evolved to and get the most out of their talent at the same time.

Jalen Bolden (6’5" - Zachary) - Bolden is one the top shooting guards in the state which is signified by his top ten ranking. While he can be a facilitator, he is best at attacking the rim and spotting up on the wing. Bolden is good in transition situations where he gets to attack the rim against one or two defenders. More times than not, he finishes the play or gets fouled. When penetration happens and Bolden spots up, he is almost automatic. His style of play and skill set fits perfectly into what Zachary does and should be appealing to schools on the next level.

Donavan Seamster Donavan Seamster 6'2" | SG Woodlawn-Shreve | 2022 State LA (6’2" - Woodlawn-S’port) - When I think of "in the gym" range, Donavan Seamster Donavan Seamster 6'2" | SG Woodlawn-Shreve | 2022 State LA fits that bill to a tee. He spent the spring and summer on the Prep Hoops Circuit making coaches and teams believers that he could make shots from anywhere. While he was shooting over zones, Seamster was also improving his movement off screens and using the dribble to get to certain spots. His senior season will be a product of the work he put in this summer. Coaches will see more than just a shooter when they see Seamster play this season. (pictured above)

Christian Ferguson (6’5" - BTW-N.O.) - Ferguson is another shooter who can fill it up from three. He has grown to 6’5" now and is a legit threat who makes a lot of shots due to his clear line of vision over the smaller guards in Louisiana. Ferguson is also good on spot-ups on the wings and in corners. He is also a good rebounder as well. When it comes to wing shooters, Ferguson should be at the top of a lot of lists this season.

Troy Cole Troy Cole 6'5" | SG Donaldsonville | 2022 State LA (6’5" - Donaldsonville) - Cole was one of the best players during the grassroots season from Louisiana. He is a shooting guard who is more of a slasher on offense. Cole loves to get in the midst of the paint and shoot short jumpers or finish at the rim. His calling card is on the defensive end. He is one of the most versatile defenders Louisiana has. Cole can guard anyone between the one and the four and make it a rough evening for them. His combination of offense and defense should make him very recruitable in his senior season.

Markell Mcclain (6’3" - Peabody) - McClain has played consistently well since team camps in May until elite camps in September. Part of the reason is that he takes the defense he learned at Peabody into every gym he plays. McClain plays good, positional defense and cuts off driving angles and forces outside shots. On offense, anything in the midrange is money for him. He can step out further but is highly accurate from the elbows. He is another who can facilitate the offense but is much better getting to his spots and scoring the rock.

Jamari Markray (6’2" - Doyline) - Markray stays in attack mode from the off guard position. He gets to the rim via straight line drives in the half court and usually being faster and more athletic than everyone in transition. Markray is an athletic finisher who completes many up-and-unders and other layups that avoid contact. He shot it better from deep this summer. If that continues, he will only be harder to guard.

Albert Shell Albert Shell 6'3" | SG Wossman | 2022 State LA (6’3" - Wossman) - Coach Jones basically gave Shell the ball in some of the early team camp session with mixed results. Fast forward to the Prep Hoops Top 250 and Albert had seemingly worked out any difficulties he was having. Shell is great at penetrating from the wings and corners and is very good at shooting the corner three. Wossman has had the last two 3A players of the year and if Shell can summon his play from August into a full season, they may have a third.

Dezmond Perkins Dezmond Perkins 6'5" | SG Madison Prep | 2022 State LA (6’5" - Madison Prep) - Perkins is similar to Seamster and Ferguson in that he fits more of the traditional shooting guard mode. He is very good in catch-and-shoot situations. Seeing him at the Northwestern State Elite camp, Perkins has improved at creating space with the dribble. He is very quick crossover he uses. When he gathers the dribble and elevates, there are only a few players that can contest his shot. With his length and release, Perkins will be a terror to teams the Chargers play this season.

Channing Arvie Channing Arvie 6'1" | SG JS Clark Leadership | 2022 State LA (6’2" - JS Clark Leadership) - Arvie introduced himself to everyone with his shooting performance in the 2020 edition of Marsh Madness with his three point barrage during the class B semis. If he is on early, it is going to be a long night for the opposition. Arvie can handle and get to the rim as well but he is highly dangerous from deep. Going into this season, he will be apart of one of the better back courts in class B.

Other shooting guards and wings to watch:

Alex Broussard (6’3" - Vermilion Catholic) - Athletic two guard who plays at a high level both ways. Should be one of the best players in 1A this season.

Bryson Gilyot (6’2" - East St. John) - Gilyot is a wing who lets it fly from three with great consistency. Underrated shooter on a very good team.

Nicholas Kaigler Nicholas Kaigler 6'3" | SG McMain | 2022 State LA (6’3" - McMain) - One of the rare wings that can post up and shoot from deep. He is very good at scoring and rebounding.

Stanley Morrison Stanley Morrison 6'3" | SG McKinley | 2022 State LA (6’5" - McKinley) - May be McKinley’s best player this season. He is a two-way player who is only getting better.

Tyler Brown Tyler Brown 6'2" | SG Baker | 2022 State LA (6’2" - Baker) - He can definitely do more than score the rock. Brown has stat-sheet filling ability.

These players play on some of the better teams in the state so coaches can get a glimpse of them playing top competition in some of the better tournaments across the state. The way these guys shoot and score, they will be a treat to see.