Under-the-Radar 2023 Point Guards

<p>Check out my list of some under the radar 2023 point guards who you should be keeping an eye on during their junior year campaigns. These guys have been stand out players for their team and should expect some serious attention from the next level.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Aden Mendez 2023 Guard 5’9 Warren High School</p> <p>Aden is a high-level point guard who has the ability to get to his own shot off the bounce at all three levels. He specializes in getting to his one to two dribble pull-up in the midrange which pairs well with Warren’s system that heavily involves three big men. So many teams are worried about protecting the rim and the three-point line and Mendez is good at getting to his shot in the midrange. He is great at going coast to coast and leading the break with his passing and ability to push the ball up the court. He is a scrappy on-ball defender who is good at getting underneath his defenders.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxGWHCYJVJg</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="959231" first="Sterling" last="Butler"] 2023 Guard 5’9 Mansfield High School</p> <p>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.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Nakia Smith 2023 Guard 5’10 Desoto High School</p> <p>Nakia is a bully for an undersized point guard. He is confident from all three levels of the floor and can get to his spots off the dribble with ease. I was very impressed with his ability to contort his body and attack the rim with ease. He knows when to cut and always seems to get open whenever his teammates are in trouble. I was very impressed with his ability to defend high level ball handlers. His long arms seemed to have a knack for poking the ball free. He knows how to use the sideline as a defender and is a scrappy trapper as a help defender. His ability to wreak havoc on the defensive end of the floor created a plethora of opportunities for his team on the other end.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-B5YAPpRB4</p> <p>Luke Spozio 2023 Guard 6’1 Dripping Springs High School</p> <p>Luke is a silky smooth guard who knows how to contort his body to get around his opponents in the paint. I loved watching his ability to consistently finish at the rim, especially after some tough moves to find space. He has some sneaky athleticism and showed off an ability to throw down a few dunks in warmups. He is a tenacious on-ball defender with an ability to defend in the full court. I would like to see him work on getting to his shot in the midrange and incorporate a more consistent floater to get over taller defenders.</p>