In-N-Out Holiday Invitational Day 1: Standout Guards (Part 2)

<p>I got to see a ton of talented prospects compete against each other at the In-N-Out Holiday Invitational in Allen on Monday. Twenty high school teams from all over Texas participated in this midseason tournament, and although I wasn’t able to see every team play, I was really impressed with every school I did have the opportunity to watch. With that in mind, here are seven guard prospects that caught my eye during the event:</p> <p><strong>Bryson Smith | 2022 | 6’2’’ Point Guard | Mesquite Horn HS</strong> - Smith’s ability to be efficient and productive in a number of areas while playing within the flow of the offense was outstanding, ultimately accounting for 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists vs. Frisco Memorial on Monday. He showed that he can get into and out of tight spaces with his dribble, maneuvering his way around the court with an effortless smoothness.  He shot the three ball well and was constantly finding open teammates in advantageous scoring positions, displaying good vision in the process. </p> <p><strong>Caleb Alexander | 2022 | 6’1’’ Combo Guard | Sulphur Springs HS</strong> - Alexander can heat up in an instant and absolutely torch an opposing defense before they can even realize what happened. The Sulphur Springs senior looked comfortable shooting from NBA three-point range, and also showed that he can still hit shots that are heavily contested. He scored from multiple spots with his jumper and made some nice plays at the rim too to finish against size in the paint. Additionally, Alexander looked good when changing speeds, keeping defenders off balanced with his ability to stop and start.  </p> <p><strong>Isaac Berry | 2022 | 6’4’’ Shooting Guard | Little Elm HS</strong> - Berry is another guy who is as dangerous as anyone in the state once he gets into a rhythm. He did exactly that in his first-day matchup against Clear Brook, almost leading Little Elm to a come from behind win after falling behind by double digits in the first half. The senior guard drained six triples and accounted for 25 points in the loss. His high-arcing three-point shot is difficult for players to defend at this level. Beyond that, Berry made some nice back door cuts to the basket and came up with some big stops on defense. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1009441" first="Avery" last="Jackson"] | 2022 | 6’2’’ Shooting Guard | Frisco Memorial HS</strong> - Jackson is a terrific two-way guard prospect. He is great at getting his points within the flow of the game and has shown the ability to be productive as a guard and as a wing. He recognized and exploited size mismatches, finding ways score against smaller defenders in the post. The Memorial senior is a capable three-point shooter from the catch as well. At the other end, Jackson looked excellent when defending on the perimeter and consistently communicated with his other teammates. </p> <p><strong> Caden Marshall | 2022 | 6’4’’ Shooting Guard | Rockwall HS</strong> - Marshall looked fundamentally sound in Rockwall’s Monday night game against Allen. He did a little bit of everything, exhibiting good versatility. As a scorer, the senior guard converted a putback tip, drilled a catch-and-shoot three as the trailer in transition, and hit a nice-looking floater on a baseline drive. Marshall rebounded the ball well too, showing off his wide receiver skills by going up and strongly snatching boards out of the air. </p> <p><strong>Stephen Everett | 2022 | 6’1’’ Combo Guard | Lake Travis HS</strong> - Everett looked comfortable when operating at both guard spots on Monday. He is a savvy passer, assisting on several scores, highlighted by an alley oop lob off of a baseline inbounds play. The Lake Travis combo guard was accurate as a distributor and displayed the ability to thread the needle with bullet passes and well-timed bounce passes. Everett also shot the ball efficiently from the outside. He is a solid catch-and-shoot guy who can knock it down when left open on the perimeter. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1201199" first="Oluwafemi" last="Olaniyan"] | 2023 | 6’4’’ Shooting Guard | Allen HS</strong> - Olaniyan appears to have developed into an alpha this season. He is decisive on offense and a dangerous slasher when he gets downhill. He utilizes his long strides to get into the paint but is also stronger than he looks and can muscle his way through congested areas when necessary. The junior two-guard used a beautiful spin to get around his defender and score at the rim with a floater for one of the best-looking buckets of the day on Monday.  Olaniyan is willing to shoot the three and keep the defense honest, but he is not the type to settle for jumpers if he thinks he can get all the way to the hoop. </p>