2023 Guards to Watch This Season
This is my list of 2023 guards from across the state who I believe have a real chance to make a real difference for their teams. Expect them to begin to rise in ranks and start getting some attention from…
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Continue ReadingThis is my list of 2023 guards from across the state who I believe have a real chance to make a real difference for their teams. Expect them to begin to rise in ranks and start getting some attention from the next level! Be on the lookout for my other articles on the 2022, 2023 and 2024 athletes!
Richard Lemboye Richard Lemboye 6'4" | SG Mansfield Summit | 2023 State TX 2023 Guard 6’3 Summit High School (Mansfield TX)
Richard is an impressive combo guard with a real ability to create space for himself and shots for his teammates. He is a real wizard with the basketball and seemed to routinely beat defenders off the dribble and get to his spots. He attacks the rim with aggression and has great explosion when he is jumping towards the rim. He is a patient finisher in the paint and manipulates the defense well with the basketball. He is an impressive athlete with some real leaping ability. He seems to jump with ease, even multiple times while fighting for a rebound. He is ferocious on the boards for a wing, you can tell he thrives in the paint. He is a ferocious attacker going downhill, especially in the frontcourt. He finished every opportunity he had on the fast break with some jaw-dropping dunks. He is an elite on-ball defender who can move his feet well and guard positions 1-3 with ease.
Lawrence Wilkerson Lawrence Wilkerson 6'0" Cedar Ridge | 2023 TX 2023 Guard 6’0 Cedar Ridge High School
Lawrence is an elite point guard who seems to have eyes off every side of his head. He always seems to be one step ahead of the play and can pass his teammates open. I was blown away by his maturity and ability to command an offense even with other high-level playmakers on his team. The ball seemed to hum when it was in his hands, and his teammates even seemed to shoot better with his accurate passes landing right in his shooter’s pocket. He is an elite playmaker out of the pick and roll and can pick apart defenses with ease. I would like to see him work on his ability to turn the corner and get downhill quicker. If he can develop his athleticism, paired with his basketball IQ and on-court awareness, college coaches have a real prospect on their hands.
player_tooltip player_id=”1056523″ first=”Jackson” last=”Prince”] 2023 Guard 6’1 Duncanville
Jackson is a sniper from all three levels of the floor. He is very comfortable at getting to his spots in the midrange and beyond the arc. He is a deadly scorer who can fill it up at any point in the game. I was impressed with his overall handle and ability to beat players off the dribble. However, his ability to get free off the ball stood out. His consistent movement created open looks for himself and his teammates. You can tell he is an aware player who has paid attention during his time in the high-powered Duncanville offense. Prince is another example of a high-level player coming out of Coach Peavy’s system.
Johnathan Moore Johnathan Moore 5'11" Newport | 2023 TX 2023 Point Guard 5’11 Newport High School
Johnathan is an aggressive guard who thrives at putting pressure on the defense with his tenacity. He is an impressive slasher for his size, he is very successful at getting to the rim and drawing contact. I was impressed with his ability to control the tempo of the game. He does not get rushed into bad looks at any level, and has the patience and court vision to set up his teammates for easy looks. He is a true three level scorer, who is very comfortable at scoring in the midrange. When defenders began fearing his shot, he simply blew by them and got to his spots at the elbows.
Sterling Butler Sterling Butler 5'8" | PG Mansfield | 2023 State TX 2023 Guard 5’9 Mansfield High School
Sterling is a coach’s dream for an undersized point guard. He was a true on the court leader and created a plethora of open looks for his teammates. He is quick and thrives at beating defenders off the dribble and getting into the lane. He showed an ability to finish at the rim against any defender no matter their size. His legs are very strong, and he seems to explode to the rim. He is agile and seems to zip all around the court and wreak havoc. He is also a capable shooter off the bounce from all three levels. This combination of skills makes him a strong offensive weapon. I would like to see him work on his ability to control the tempo over the game and work on not getting sped up into bad looks.
Dylon Richardson Dylon Richardson 6'2" | PG Hutto | 2023 TX 2023 Guard 6’2 Hutto High School
Dylon is an elite offensive weapon with an ability to affect the game at all three levels. He is a sniper when he gets an opportunity to set his feet. I was really impressed by his off-ball movement and how he always seemed to be ready to catch and shoot quickly. He knocked down shots from all around the arc and forced the defense to contest him hard. He showed an ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He finished with ease at the rim and showed off some impressive up and under through traffic.
Cameron Phillips Cameron Phillips 6'2" Hebron | 2023 TX 2023 Guard 6’2 Hebron High School
Cameron is an athletic guard who knows how to do a little of everything on both ends of the floor. Whether he was passing out of a contested look to set up a teammate or hitting the glass hard, Phillips always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He is an aggressive player who thrives at attacking the rim against undersized guards. I was impressed with his willingness to fight on the glass, he came up with multiple second opportunities and jumpstarted his team’s full court offense by keeping his head up.
Jason Brazell Jason Brazell 6'1" New Deal | 2023 TX 2023 Guard 6’1 New Deal High School
Jason is an impressive slasher in the paint for his size. He is a strong finisher in traffic, and he always seems to attack the rim hard. He is relentless and not afraid of any contact. I was very impressed with his ability to make the right outlet passes up the floor and jump start the full court offense. I would like to see him work on his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his jumper in the midrange and behind the arc. Once his outside shot begins to fall, the interior will open back up for him to successfully slash.
Ibraheem Morsy Ibraheem Morsy 6'2" | CG Brighter Horizons Academy | 2023 State TX 6’0″ Brighter Horizon Academy | 2023 TX
Ibraheem is an impressive floor spacer who knocked down shots all around the arc. I was impressed with his consistency when he got his feet set. He is great at turning the corner and getting by defenders in the half-court. He has an array of dribble moves and spins that he is comfortable with getting to in the lane and can finish with the best of them in the paint. I would like to see him work on getting to his spots in the midrange with a live dribble as defenses close out on him hard.
Caylon Davis Caylon Davis 6'1" | PG Waxahachie | 2023 State TX 2023 Guard 6’0 Waxahachie
Caylon is a freak athlete who possesses some real leaping ability. He is a polished guard who is great at throwing cross-court passes. He has long arms, which allows him to dominate over undersized guards. He is great on the fast break and knows how to attack the midrange or the paint while the defense is on his heels. He has a smooth shot off the bounce and is extremely comfortable from all around the court. I would like to see him work on his ability to attack the glass and continue to do the dirty work for his team.
Cole Andrews-Heitz Cole Andrews-Heitz 6'1" | PG Leander Rouse | 2023 State TX 2023 Guard 6’1 Leander-Rouse
Cole is a sharpshooting wing who can do it all on the offensive side of the ball. He displayed aggression when driving with a live dribble. He is an elite finisher in the lane and displayed crafty euro steps and finishes to evade defenders. He is a confident player with the basketball and is not afraid to score it on all three levels. He is great at drawing attention and dishing out to his open teammates. I would lie to see him work on his ability to defend on the ball and sliding over when needed to.