Lonestar State Showdown Preview: Must-See Floor Generals

Mansfield, Texas — The Prep Hoops Next Lonestar State Showdown will be a must-see youth tournament with some of the stiffest competition you'll find. A wide margin of talent will fill the gym and the best of the best will compete against one another. Here we'll take a deep dive into what makes these lead guards so impactful and so important to their team's success. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-24144 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/phnext/uploads/2022/04/DSC04757-169x300.jpg" alt="" width="169" height="300" />Jashon Morinia | South Valley, NM | ABC Spotlight 2029 Jashon Morinia has proven to be an incredibly impactful player, he's super active, and productive, with a limitless motor. Morinia does it all on both ends, his offense and defense go hand in hand, blocking shots and instantly taking off downcourt for the layup. Morinia also drains teams with his ballhawk instincts, watching and playing the passing lanes at all times, his ability to telegraph where the ball will go next is like a sixth sense for him. As one of the shorter players on the court, it's always incredibly impressive and mind-blowing to watch Jashon compete for every board on both ends, often winning those battles among much taller guys thanks to his timing for the ball and strong grippy hands, Jashon even got his own rebound just about every time he missed near the basket. This kid displays a great understanding of the game, knows how to control the pace, manage the clock, and jumpstart the offense, but he's also gritty, tough, and brash, one of those guys you'd love to have on your team but would hate to play against. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-24141 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/phnext/uploads/2022/04/IMG_1913-169x300.jpg" alt="" width="169" height="300" />Josiah Rose | Dallas, TX | AKR Texas Summitt / Vols Elite 2028 Rising superstar prospect, Josiah Rose is a very big and solid-built guard with a great feel for the game at his age. This lefty's control of the rock is phenomenal and his ball skills are highly impressive, every move Rose makes is so precise and crisp that it's nearly impossible to strip the ball from him. Josiah often shakes a defender off with change of pace dribbles, hesitations, and shifty in-and-outs before blowing past them with his explosive first step and Rose does it all with great patience, never allowing the defense to speed him up or get him out of character. Full court vision, this kid makes great reads and makes the simple play, grabbing rebounds taking one dribble, and quickly throwing the ball down the floor to his outlet. Josiah is also willing to kick it out to his trusty sharpshooters on the perimeter and drop passes off in the post for easy points on a consistent basis, Rose can even pass the ball around accurately with one hand like there's nothing to it. Josiah Rose will have several occasions where he's the best distributor and the best scorer on the court. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-24142 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/phnext/uploads/2022/04/IMG_1912-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />Eli Schwartzman | Fayetteville, AR | Arkansas Athletes Outreach 2026 Eli Schwartzman stands out as a shifty paint touch guard that never wastes a dribble and attacks closeouts looking for the kick out and the bucket. Pure playmaker, Schwartzman absolutely puts on a show, starting with his elite footwork, utilizing pro hops and hop steps to split multiple defenders before finishing at the basket with an off-foot layup, making difficult and off-balance shots even while contested. Eli shakes defenders out of their shoes with phenomenal misdirection dribbles, Schwartzman loves to get his man to play his left hand so he can swiftly spin-off them before getting the ball back into his right hand which leads to him penetrating the lane for two points. Always a very poise and under control ball-handler, pressure, and tight defense doesn't phase him one bit. Also a true dime dropper, someone that can make every pass in the book, touch passes, bounce passes, cross-court passes, you name it he can do it. When it comes to shooting Schwartzman is a sniper who's always in a position to catch and shoot whenever he doesn't have the ball, especially after receiving an off-ball screen and catching it in rhythm he looks to let it fly with a dangerously quick release. This floor general is very unpredictable, his ability to score at will and make throws that lead to points keeps defenses honest at all times. <hr /> Evan Gunn | Oklahoma City, OK | ODE 2026 Evan Gunn is someone that tends to be in the right spot at the best times and has a competitive spirit that's not afraid of anyone or any moment on the court, even when it comes to making a game-changing play in the most important possessions. This ODE standout has stints where he's the best playmaker on the court, Gunn plays with good versatility as a guard and can put up points whether he's playing on or off the ball. Evan shows a natural ability to create his own shot while getting downhill, his explosive change of pace, first step, up-tempo style of play is what makes him such a handful to contain offensively. Gunn also defends each guard position impressively well, he takes pride in making ball-handlers uncomfortable by crowding their space and using his quick-moving feet to consistently shut off penetration from the perimeter. Reliable helpside defender, communicates well, understands when to step up, hedge, switch, and trap. Gunn is the type of ballplayer a teammate can count on to always make the right play. <hr /> <img class="size-medium wp-image-24143 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/phnext/uploads/2022/04/IMG_1910-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />David Ventura | Duncanville, TX | Prep Starz 2026 Pass first playmaking point guard with a strong basketball IQ, awesome court vision, and great dime dropping abilities, he sees all of his moving pieces and stays two steps ahead of the defenders when facilitating the ball. Ventura makes an effort to keep everyone involved, every pass he throws leads his teammates straight into a shot. David Ventura can get to any spot on the court thanks to his well-polished, tight, and under-control dribbling skills. Smooth crossover, shifty retreat dribble, and a nice spin move that catches defenders off guard every time. This kid has full control of his offense from start to finish, everything runs through him first. Ventura's verbal, emotional, and on-court leadership will be evident as well, the Prep Starz follow his lead and they go as he goes. One thing is for sure, David Ventura will catch your attention as one of the most productive and impactful players in the tournament. <hr />

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