Saturday Afternoon Guard Standouts: GASO Austin/ Round Rock

<p>Check out my analysis on the guys who really popped on Saturday at the Austin/ Round Rock GASO tournament this weekend! These guys have really been turning heads over the last few months, if they are in your area you need to get out and see them this next season!</p> <p><strong>Henry Sanchez </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 6’0 Copperas Cove High School (ProSkills ATX Brown)</span></p> <p>Henry is a true point guard who thrives off his ability to get into the paint and create looks for his teammates off the attention he draws. I was very impressed with how well he used spin moves and euro steps to beat the last defender. He is not just a slashing guard however, he displayed an ability to create any type of look for his teammates on the fast break or within the half court. On the break there was a play where he caught the ball and made a very aware touch pass to his teammate underneath the basket, setting him up for an effortless look. His awareness with a live dribble is very impressive and is a good indicator of how well he sees the floor and controls the tempo. I would like to see him work on creating more with his shot from the perimeter.</p> <p><strong>Joel Elfret </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 5’11 Katy High School (Principles First Select)</span></p> <p>Joel is a crafty point guard who has a nonstop motor that allows him to a be a real weapon on both ends of the court, diving after loose balls and long rebounds, and doing all of the little things necessary to help lead his team to victory. He loves creating opportunities for his teammates, and does so by getting into the teeth of the defense with his handle and then kicking the ball out to his shooters on the perimeter after the defense collapses on him. I was very impressed with the amount of high level basketball decisions he made, on both ends of the floor, cutting off driving angles and baiting his opponents into lazy passes and then taking the ball coast to coast. I also loved the real connection he had with his big man Cason Cole, who is also at Katy High School, constantly finding him at the right time on the perimeter when he popped out of the pick and roll or as he cut to the rim. The two of them dominated out of the pick and roll, seeming to read each other’s mind and always made the right basketball play.</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>[player_tooltip player_id="1295817" first="Caleb" last="Smith"] </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2023 6’0 Timber Creek High School (Fort Worth Jayhawks)</span></p> <p>Caleb is an impressive scorer across all three levels who can score off the catch, but also put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. I loved watching him manipulate the defense with a live dribble. He is an incredibly crafty ball handler who seems to have eyes in the back of his head. He is already an elite facilitator in the full court and the half court. He makes all of the right reads within the flow of the half court offense. I was very impressed by his ability to facilitate and generate offense for his team. He even made the right read when he put the ball on the floor attacked the basket and got bumped out of bounds by a big, he fired a pass to his shooter in the corner. He really impressed with his ability to do it consistently across all three levels of the floor, knocking down shots in the corner off the catch and attacking hard closeouts.</p> <p><strong>Payton Jones </strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">2024 6’0 Homeschool (RL9 Honor Armor Lions)</span></p> <p>Payton is a complete guard prospect with an ability to create space with his handle, create opportunities for his teammates, attack the rim or score from beyond the arc. Jones seems to be getting better and better every time I get to see him in action. His energy and effectiveness with a live dribble really stood out and it fuels his team to success. His aggressiveness with the basketball bled through into every aspect of his game, flying around the court after loose balls and long rebounds.  He is a good and willing rebounder for his size and position and even got a few easy looks by following his own shot. He is a deadly scorer when he decides to pull up and can do so from beyond the arc or in the midrange. I was very impressed by the ease in which he scored off the bounce. His ability to attack the rim opened up every other aspect of his game. Jones is one you need to keep your eye on!</p>