Take 5: Available Guards in NOVA

<p>As we head into the year 2022, we will take a look at some of the best available 2022 players in the state. We will start at the guard position, as there’s plenty of those to go around.</p> <p>We’ll look at five players from each area and position that coaches at all levels looking for a player should keep an eye out for. Here’s five 2022 guards in the Northern VA area that need more love.</p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="897404" first="Paul" last="Lewis"] | 6’1” | Bishop O’Connell</span></strong></p> [caption id="attachment_1222921" align="alignnone" width="200"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Lewis-Paul-OConnell.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1222921" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Lewis-Paul-OConnell-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" /></a> Photo: @megelee64[/caption] <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Lewis has steadily pulled in offers this season for an O’Connell team that has tons of success, and a lot of it has to do with him showing he’s not only an elite scorer but can also run a team. He’s a competitor who loves big matchups and sets the tone on both ends of the floor, he is good in both pick-and-roll and isolation situations, he can score it from multiple levels and he is a good facilitator and playmaker as well.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="815613" first="Saxby" last="Sunderland"] | 6’2” | Flint Hill</span></strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Sunderland-Saxby-ECE.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1148103" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Sunderland-Saxby-ECE-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Sunderland blew up over the summer pulling in multiple offers with the live periods, and he’s still available for anyone looking for a scoring guard that can also make plays for others. The silky smooth guard is a walking bucket who can fill it up from deep or get in the lane off the bounce, he has good vision when defenses start to hone in on him and he can really score it and run the pick-and-roll with the best of them.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1107844" first="Ryan" last="Blakey"] | 5’8” | Fairfax Christian</span></strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/Blakey-Ryan-Head-Shot.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1310655" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/Blakey-Ryan-Head-Shot-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Blakey may be one of the smallest guards you’ll come across, but don’t let it fool you as he can take over a game on either side of the ball and is often the most impactful player on the floor regardless of who they’re playing. He’s an absolute pest on the defensive end with quick hands and he will pluck even the best of ball handlers in the open floor, he can make shots from deep and can score it over bigger defenders in the paint and he is a good creator with his ability to get in the paint and find teammates when the defense helps.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="815623" first="Kyle" last="Honore"] | 5’10” | Potomac</span></strong></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Honore has one of the best resumes in the NOVA area, as the four year starter has steadily improved from being just a floor general and creator to a guard who can do that and be the go-to scorer as well. He’s one of those lead guards that’s always in control and doesn’t get sped up, he sees the floor and makes great decisions, he’s a skilled shooter and scorer and he’s a winner who brings it on both ends.</span></p> <p class="p1"><strong><span class="s1">[player_tooltip player_id="1107854" first="Elijah" last="Easter"] | 5’10” | Independence</span></strong></p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Easter-Elijah.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1159982" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Easter-Elijah-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p> <p class="p1"><span class="s1">Easter is part of an Independence backcourt that can match up with anyone, and the silky smooth guard is the definition of a playmaker with the ball in his hands. He’s a good shooter who can create and make tough shots in isolation situations, he’s a high IQ guard with good feel and vision off the bounce and he makes winning plays on both ends of the floor.</span></p>