George McClellan Invitational: Top 2024 Guards
The annual George McClellan Invitational did not disappoint this year, with high level EYBL teams matching up and other prospects who had a real ability to turn some college coaches attention. There were multiple division one coaches in the gym…
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Continue ReadingThe annual George McClellan Invitational did not disappoint this year, with high level EYBL teams matching up and other prospects who had a real ability to turn some college coaches attention. There were multiple division one coaches in the gym looking at the enormous array of talent. Check out my analysis on some of the top 2024 guard prospects from the event!
Luke Coughran Luke Coughran 6'2" | SG Dream City Chrisitan | 2024 State AZ 2024 6’2 Katy Tompkins High School (LOFDL EYBL E16)
Luke is one of the best true shooting guards to come out of Houston in some time. He has dramatically improved every time I have seen him step on the court, and this weekend was no different. He had two games where he had five straight three pointers made. However, they were not the heat check threes that are becoming so normal these days, these were perfectly in rhythm in the flow of the offense, taking high percentage looks and making the defense pay for relaxed coverage. He is a calm shooter, even with a defender in his grill. The aspect of his shot that really impressed me was how every shot looked exactly the same, off the catch or even as he is attacking in the full court with a live dribble. Simply put, he is an incredibly tough shot maker across all three levels of the floor.
Coughran possesses great arm length which allows him to finish at the rim with ease. His consistency in the paint was very impressive, even against strong defenders. He has great off ball awareness and is great at flashing to the high post or cutting to the basket to give his team a passing option and put pressure on the middle of the defense. You can tell he sees the floor at a very high level, allowing him to affect the game on and off the ball. This aspect of his game might be the thing that I have seen him grow this year; he is calmly making the right reads, attacking the defense when necessary and even creating out of the pick and roll. If you are in the Houston area, be sure you check this kid out before its too late!
Ashton Simmons Ashton Simmons 6'3" | PG West Brook | 2024 State #228 Nation TX 2024 6’3 West Brook High School (JL3 EYBL E16)
Ashton is an explosive athlete, so it is not surprising to see he is dominant on the football field as well. His ability to leap and hang in the air allows him to adjust his shot angle on his way to the rim was incredibly impressive, contorting his body around defends to avoid contact for a plethora of crafty finishes. However he is not just a slasher who can attack the basket, this young man can calmly score across all three levels, and loves getting his floater off over taller defenders.He has a great touch on his shot, and calmly knocks down big time pressure free throws when necessary. He has true point guard ability in the way he pushes the tempo on the fast break, and calmly makes the right decision with the basketball or manipulating his opponent with his eyes. I was very impressed with how many slick dump off passes or kick-outs he made after seemingly having all of his attention set on the rim.
Defensively, he is extremely active on ball and loves getting under his opponents skin with his intense pressure over all 92 feet of the court. He is great at using his strength and athleticism to bump his opponents off their angles when they attack the basket. His ability to calmly and subtly make his opponents change their direction just makes them that much more uncomfortable and ineffective against him. He also used his bounce to come over from the weak side and block some high level forwards in the paint as well.
Charley Reado 2024 6’0 Fort Bend Elkins High School (F.F.E. Flyers Elite)
Reado was at it again showing off the ease in which he creates opportunities for himself. He is a smooth and crafty player who knows how to attack the rim and get into the paint. When he gets two feet in the paint, good things happen for his team. He can fire out passes to his shooters on the back side, or make the right dump off pass to his big down low. He is a consistent scorer, averaging 15 plus over the entire tournament and a few games of twenty plus. I was very impressed with the ease in which he scored from all three levels of the court, especially off the dribble. He stepped into three pointers off the catch and knocked them down at a very high clip. I was most impressed with his natural point guard instincts, he knows to not over dribble and knows just the right time to make the pass. It seems he always catches the defense on its heels every time he releases a pass.
Peyton Jones 2024 6’0 Homeschool (RL9 Honor Armor Lions)
Peyton 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. He had a great matchup with another high level point guard, in which he attacked him time and time again down the court. 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 great 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!