Underrated/Overhated Showcase: Standout Guards

Gregg Rosenberg November 2, 2021 @ 01:49 PM

On Sunday October 10th I attended Justin Vargas Underrated/Overhated Showcase at the Phhacility in Phx, AZ. He had four teams of 8 players on each team for a smaller event.   Here were some of the standout guards I viewed on the day: [player_tooltip player_id="1286159" first="Kent" last="Barnes"] North Canyon (Pictured) A scoring guard who is quick on the ball defensively. He is fast in the open court with his handle and has a quick burst to blow by his man. He can shoot it from deep and he is becoming a true two-way guard. [player_tooltip player_id="1202067" first="Anesu" last="Dehwe"] Madison Prep A strong guard loves getting downhill. He is a sneaky good passer and he’s improving his pull-up from mid-range. He is still best getting to the basket but he can defend multiple positions and brings energy to the game. [player_tooltip player_id="1202068" first="Canyon" last="Torres"] Salpointe Catholic A sturdy-framed guard seems to be improving every showing. He can make the catch-3 and score it a little off the dribble. He plays the right way and will make the extra pass and he will defend with effort. The high IQ guard should make some noise in Tucson this season. [player_tooltip player_id="827026" first="Marcus" last="Coleman"] Pueblo Another Tucson standout loves getting downhill using his strong build and he is clearly tough and fearless. He plays the game with a passion and has a big IQ. He keeps the defense honest with making perimeter jumpers and can drive and kick it to teammates. [player_tooltip player_id="1135488" first="Reginald" last="Mickens-Orr"] Millennium A lean scoring guard who put on a mini show athletically. He was throwing it down on the break and has a shifty handle to get passed his defenders. He can make catch-3’s with time and space and he rebounds and will push the ball up the court. The lone senior starter for the Tigers should bring that quiet calm for the young team. [player_tooltip player_id="1030973" first="Vincent" last="Parise"] Desert Mountain A scoring lead guard shot it well from the perimeter. He can hit the catch-3 plus make tough shots in traffic. He has the ability to create his own shot in the lane and score around the post defenders. [player_tooltip player_id="993647" first="AJ" last="Turner"] Hamilton Another scoring guard has the skill to take and make difficult shots. He is a good passer but prefers to score it. He scores it on reverse layups, 3’s, fall-aways and is more athletic then he appears. He will be another impact transfer for the Huskies. [player_tooltip player_id="1183406" first="EJ" last="Mills"] Shadow Ridge The top true point guard at the camp had a good showing. He used the pick and roll to dime his teammates plus found players cutting, running up the court and drove and kicked it to his shooters. He uses a tight handle, good court vision, a nice burst and some speed with the ball to get the job done. [player_tooltip player_id="1030976" first="Anthony" last="Parise"] Desert Mountain A sharp shooting lefty was back at it again. He rattles them off from deep with range and can get hot quickly. He has a soft shot from mid-range and is a more then capable passer to facilitate. [player_tooltip player_id="814519" first="Matthew" last="Henry-Harrison"] Paradise Honors A two-way defensive scoring guard. He is best downhill but got hot at the camp from the arc and made four 3's. He is a physical defender that will defend you the length of the court on many possessions. He uses his strength to score the ball through contact in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id="814507" first="Davion" last="Butler"] McClintock A scoring PG who has deep range on his 3. He can blow by his defenders with a real burst and has a tight handle. Despite his size he manages to get into the lane and score it among the bigs with zero hesitation. Isaiah Smith SG 6'1 2023 Flowing Wells A long defensive guard who plays the passing lanes to collect steals and will block shots as a help side defender. He is a sneaky good passer and can make strides with his perimeter shooting.