GASO Austin/ Round Rock: 2023 Combo Guard Prospects

<p>Check out my analysis on some of the top 2023 combo guard prospects from the Austin/ Round Rock GASO! These guys really showed off their versatility on the offensive end, look for them to really be turning some heads as we go into July!</p> <p><strong><span class="pn-player-link"><span class="name-pointer">[player_tooltip player_id="1159091" first="Jayden" last="Barrs"]</span>  </span></strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 6’2 Manor High School (ASAK 17U Elite)</span></p> <p>Jayden is an explosive guard who has the ability to play off the ball, and on both sides of the ball. He is a very impressive athlete with how quickly he moves laterally, but also how he leaps toward the rim. When he does not have the ball, he is constantly in motion, and loves to catch his opponent sleeping with a well timed back cut. He is a high level slasher with a fantastic motor which wears on his opponents. With a live dribble he showed an ability to attack in the full court, and loves taking advantage of the fast break. I would like to see him work on his decision making in the half court to become a more combo guard type player. On the defensive side of things, he uses his motor to close out hard on his opponents and do all of the little things necessary to have a successful team. I was very impressed by his basketball IQ and how he baited opponents into lazy passes.</p> <p><strong>Caleb Barrett </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 6’4 Kingdom Collegiate Academy, Dallas (Team Grrr)</span></p> <p>Caleb is an aggressive combo guard who specializes in his ability to get into the teeth of the defense with his handle. I was blown away with his foot speed and how quickly he got by defenders with a crossover. He loves getting into the paint and forcing the defense to react. I loved watching him attack the rim and finish over taller defenders, but also make the smart dump off passes to his bigs whenever they turned their attention to him. His aggressiveness allows him to attack the rim time and time again, constantly slashing and putting real pressure on the middle of the defense. I would like to see him work on his ability to score from the perimeter, especially with a live dribble. With the amount of space he is able to routinely create with his crossover, he should be able to separate himself across the other two levels of the floor.</p> <p><strong>Jarek Schmittou </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 5’10 Churchhill High School (SA Fire 17U)</span></p> <p>Jarek is an aware combo guard who can score off the catch from beyond the arc, create looks for his teammates and also hunt his own shot across all three levels. I was very impressed by the ease in which he scored off the live dribble, constantly creating space with his crossovers and the threat he is to score in the paint. Schmittou scored very well but also was unselfish and routinely found his dominant big man on the block, showing off his ability to provide crisp and timely entry passes into the post. He understood the kind of mismatch he had on his team, and loved using it to manipulate the defense and force them to send two defenders at him.</p> <p><strong>Landon Heslip </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 6’0 Rudder High School (ADV4NCED Hoops 17U)</span></p> <p>Landon is an energetic guard prospect who can really do anything that is asked of him offensively. I loved watching him pass the ball and find his teammates for open looks, both in the half court and full court. His awareness with the ball allowed his team to easily and quickly get up shots, especially in the paint with his crisp bounce passes that found his cutting teammates. He is great at quickly getting up shots off the catch, and his motion without the ball allowed him to constantly have space. He attacked the rim hard whenever the defense closed out on him. He is a great finisher for his size even against bigger defenders. On the defensive side of things, he has an incredibly high motor which he uses to close out hard on his opponents, but also chopping his feet to maintain his positioning.</p> <p><strong>Kareem Chaaban </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 5’10 Brighter Horizons Academy (AYC Elite)</span></p> <p>Kareem is an aware guard who is truly a threat to score across all three levels, and also cross up his defender and put them in a blender. He has a very quick first step, allowing him to blow by a majority of his opponents just off of his explosive first step. He routinely turned the corner on his first defender, and forced the help to come up and react. He made timely decisions to set up his teammates, finding his bigs with easy shovel passes and his shooters in the corner off of his aware drive and kick activity. Even in a match-up against another high level guard, he was unafraid to attack him off the bounce or punish him through his off ball movement.</p>