Top 4A Senior Guards You Didn’t See at State

<p>These seniors didn’t see their high school careers end as they had hoped, but they nonetheless put together impressive final campaigns as high school ballers. Even without a trip to the state tournament, these players put in the work this year and it showed on the court. Here are a few standouts whose seasons ended too soon.</p> <p><strong>Tommy Hanly 6’1 G Bellarmine Prep</strong></p> <p>Hanly is a quick, solid guard who has an underrated impact on game flow and ball control. This guy is a behind-the-scenes point guard who can run the show effectively and largely mistake-free. He’s got a tight handle that’s rarely picked, and works the ball as a facilitator, dictating action and controlling defenders. He’s not a scorer but can hit the jumper when left alone and shows great burst with the ball in his hands. Bellarmine played a tough regular-season schedule in a league that produced the first and third-place finishers at state. The Lions season ended in round two of the district playoffs.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1408155" first="Mason" last="Panelo"] 5’9 G Kentwood</strong></p> <p>Panelo is a guy that could have opened a lot of eyes had his Conquerors made a run to state. His style of play reminds me a lot of another Washington PG, [player_tooltip player_id="674424" first="Braeden" last="Smith"]. He’s got the consistent shot to nail threes, can step in and drain pull-ups, and has a little elusiveness going to the cup. His first instinct is to get his teammates involved and can deliver passes equally well from a stand-still or on the run. He can be a guy that helps close out games with his above-average passing skills and his ability to sink free throws at a high rate. His team had a promising season, finishing in the RPI top 20, but a tough draw in districts led to an early end to the year.</p> <p><strong>Jackson Cluff 5’10 G West Valley (Yakima)</strong></p> <p>This shifty guard is going to go right at you. He’s a tough shot maker thanks in part to the terrific elevation he gets on his jump shots. He can take a dribble in and stop on a dime to pull up or make a quick dribble behind the back to get his man on his hip before rising up for a three-pointer. Cluff’s attacking mindset is evident at all times but especially when he glides to the hoop for one of his acrobatic finishes. The West Valley Rams were knocked out one game shy of regionals by an Eastmont team they had beaten twice earlier in the season.</p> <p><strong>Christian Jones 6’5 G/F Skyline</strong></p> <p>The Spartans from Skyline boasted an even attack all season and Jones was a big presence for them. Although he played a bunch on the wing, most of his contributions came around the hoop. He’s a springy player that attacks the boards and has that quick second leap to put the ball right back in off a miss. What he lacks in a consistent jumper, he makes up for in his ability to find lanes to the hoop and collapse defenses. Skyline was a team more than capable of finding themselves at the state tournament, but a few missteps at the end of the year had the Spartans come up one game short.</p> <p><strong>Twazae Gladney 5’11 G Richland</strong></p> <p>Gladney was the sparkplug for a team that shared the MCC league title with Kamiakin. Gladney was a catalyst for Richland, weaving through defenses and getting all the way to the cup or firing up a beautiful floater from the dead zone in the defense. He’s an athletic finisher at the hoop who can make the difficult shots seem meant to be. His range is ridiculous, as he proved time and again knocking down threes from way back. It seemed like an abrupt end for the Bombers who missed the state playoffs by one game. Their only in-state losses came against teams who each won at least one game in the state tournament.</p> <p><strong>Ty Edwards 6’7 G Sumner</strong></p> <p>You just don’t see guys this size running point very often. Edwards exhibited superb footwork all season that played a part in his ability to protect the ball and attack teams off the drive. He simply doesn’t get plucked, and when his team was in a rut he had the skill to make aggressive moves to the hoop and finish around lots of guys. This is a talented player that could thrive in a number of positions but is at his best when the ball is moving through him and he’s in a position he can attack from. He led his team to within one win of reaching the state playoffs.</p>