Must Watch 2023 Guards: Jefferson County

<p>Ty Afraimi - Columbine</p> <p>Afraimi is a dynamic scoring guard who has ma<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/DSC_0674-1.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1210974 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/DSC_0674-1-300x201.jpg" alt="" width="228" height="153" /></a>de consistent improvements as a mid-range scorer while becoming more comfortable putting pressure on the defense with his right hand. Standing at 6’ tall, Afraimi does well acknowledging driving lanes where he is comfortable hitting short floaters and scoop layups over the defense. The lefty has made an immediate jump during his first season on Columbine’s varsity roster, posting a steady dose of 16.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on remarkably efficient numbers. He is posting well above average percentages, contributing 60% of his 2P field goals, 40% of 3P attempts, and 78% of his free throws. As of now, Afraimi is more of a secondary creator who prefers spacing the floor considering just over 60% of his field goal attempts come from behind the arc. Afraimi currently leads JeffCo in threes made (26), notching just ahead of the Dakota Ridge shooting duo of [player_tooltip player_id="1159005" first="Trevor" last="Fuller"] (22) and [player_tooltip player_id="1194780" first="Alex" last="Rodriguez"] (18).</p> <p>Carson Evans - Dakota Ridge (main photo)</p> <p>Currently leading the charge for Dakota Ridge, Evans has been consistent all around presence thanks to his low center of gravity and excellent awareness. Currently averaging 14.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on shooting splits of 48 fg/33 3p/68 ft. Evans is a versatile guard, capable breaking the full-court press or taking a more conservative approach as an off-ball scoring threat. Evans is most comfortable with straight-line drives against closeouts, where he consistently finds the open teammate. The righty has been quite dependable shooting from the left wing and corners, although speeding up the jumper could add another layer to his offensive game. While Evans has a simplistic brand of basketball, he plays to his strengths, making him one of the more versatile guards within the conference.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/156-Jasper-Padia.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1281543 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/156-Jasper-Padia-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="150" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1285119" first="Jasper" last="Padia"] - Arvada West</p> <p>One of the taller guards within in the conference at 6’4, Padia makes use of his size through a pesky array of backdoor cuts and maximizing his space while popping on screens. Padia makes use of his quick instincts, surveying his defender and playing off of their blind spots. For the season, the junior guard is putting up 15.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game on an efficient 59% from 2 and 35% from beyond the arc. There are few athletes who make a greater impact off of curl actions, proving to accelerate quickly thanks to his long strides. Padia does not take his height for granted, as he has a quick second leap when fighting for offensive rebounds.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1285117" first="Carson" last="Nichols"] - Arvada West<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/132-Carson-Nichols.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1281557 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/132-Carson-Nichols-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="150" /></a></p> <p>Serving as one of the lead playmakers with Arvada West, Nichols does well maneuvering into open lanes and setting up easy looks for his teammates. Nichols is currently putting up steady averages of 13.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game on an efficient 62% from two point range. Nichols has impressed notably as a driver as well as a daring passer during half court situations. The combo guard takes pride in defensive rebounds, right now leading the team with 4.3 defensive boards per contest.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1284597" first="Tyler" last="Casey"] - Columbine<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/31-Tyler-Casey.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1281624 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/31-Tyler-Casey-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="213" height="142" /></a></p> <p>The second ’Ty’ we’ll be discussing, this time a lead guard with a crafty interior scoring package. Casey is adept at creating space for his shots whether that be from a deep triple or a pullup jumper. The guard has been especially potent this season, posting 12.4 points and 4.1 assists per game on dependable splits of 48/35/88. Another aspect of Casey is his intense defensive mindset, where he digs into opponents and uses his quick twitch instincts to disrupt passes more often than not.</p>