Small Guards Making a Big Difference: PH Easter Classic

<p>Seeing these sub 6 foot guards ball out regardless of their opponents’ reputations was refreshing, given that we got to see pure heart and passion on the floor from these five prospects. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4262-rotated-e1650396171679.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1433932 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4262-rotated-e1650396171679-300x266.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="190" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1354705" first="Cam" last="Mennsfield"] - Victory Academy Gold - 2024 </p> <p>Mennsfield was a transition force for Victory Academy Gold, being the source of energy at all times demonstrated through his full court defense and pushing the pace on the other end. While only about 5’8, Mennsfield was far from a defensive liability thanks to his fundamentally sound defensive stance paired with quick hands. You have to wonder how much Jose Alvarado he has watched, considering how creative he gets defending opponents in the full court. Mennsfield was determined scoring on the break, demonstrating multiple tough finishes through traffic.</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4330-rotated-e1650396335549.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1433936 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4330-rotated-e1650396335549-300x254.jpg" alt="" width="183" height="155" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="1208047" first="Nick" last="Sanchez"] - New Mexico D1 - 2023</p> <p>While only about 5’10, Sanchez was excellent running the point for New Mexico D1 thanks to his patience and mature mindset. Another dude with an elite handle, Sanchez was rarely turnover prone, proving to be the visionary creator and tempo setter for a dominant New Mexico group. Given his low center of gravity, he was great probing inside along the baseline and taking advantage of overaggressive help defense. On defense he doubled down as instigator that fought on every possession. If you want a steadfast offense, [player_tooltip player_id="1208047" first="Nick" last="Sanchez"] is the floor general you will want at the helm.</p> <p>Amari Sweet - Dallas Showtyme - 2023</p> <p>Showtyme proved to have quite a few rangy defenders with size, length, and mobility. However, Sweet offered a different dynamic as a defense first guard at only about 5’11, although likely weighing above 165 lbs. He used his strength to dig into opponents off drives or use his length to deter opponents for help-side defense. Sweet was offensively most dependable in transition, where he was quicker than most opponents getting to the rack. Sweet was able to hit a few spot up threes this weekend, with more volume this is an area that should boost his stock significantly down the road. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4375-rotated-e1650406855677.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1433941 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4375-rotated-e1650406855677-300x230.jpg" alt="" width="263" height="202" /></a></p> <p>Sammy Sanders - Irving Heat 2023 - 2024</p> <p>One of the flashier ballhandlers this weekend, Sanders caught eyes through his ability to change directions and make the right decision under pressure. Getting to the rim was certainly a major strength of his given, going between the legs and using the crossover are his most consistent tendencies right now. Sanders has that sixth sense when going against defenders, always having an answer to the opponent positioning and finding a way to create advantages downhill.</p> <p>Isiah Medrano - Matrix - 2023<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4384-rotated-e1650396250336.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1433935 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/IMG-4384-rotated-e1650396250336-300x289.jpg" alt="" width="194" height="187" /></a></p> <p>By no means do I want to misconstrue anything, but Medrano shares many tendencies with Stephen Curry. Now hold on, Medrano was quite possibly the athlete getting the most half-court cardio this weekend. Consistently running off curls or using baseline screens to create enough space either for the shot or driving lane. Standing at roughly 5’10, he understands that off-ball movement is the key to freeing up looks for himself and teammates. Medrano proved to be a consistent shooter off the catch and capable driver attacking the rim. His size limitations currently kept him from grabbing more foul calls, but he was able to find his spots when needed.</p>