Way Too Early High School Preview: Breakout 2023 Guards

With the AAU season coming to a close, it means we set eyes on the high school season that is still over three months away. Still, it's never too early to pump out some early preview content based off the players that we have evaluated over the last five or so months. For this piece, I'll take a look at some rising senior guards who look to have a breakout season this winter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1219865' first='Dionte' last='Alexander'] | St. Maria Goretti/Team BBC   Alexander had a few nice outing last season that sat with me as the high school season progressed. He's an intriguing off-ball guard standing at 6-foot-3 with a fluid left-handed shooting stroke off the catch. He can fill it up quickly from the corners and once he sees one fall, he understands how to attack aggressive closeouts, get to his spots in the mid-range with limited dribbles and rise up with balance. Alexander is a good athlete and a solid defender. As he improves his ability to act as more of a playmaker off the dribble, his stock will continue to rise. For St. Maria Goretti this fall, he'll be expected to carry not only the scoring responsibility, but much that comes with being the focal point of the opposing team's game plan.   [player_tooltip player_id='1362691' first='Chase' last='Lawton'] | Bishop McNamara/District BC   The McNamara backcourt is littered with productive guards who all will play a part in making them a pesky team to face in the WCAC. If Lawton can translate his level of play from this summer to this winter, it could mean for McNamara stealing games against some of the best teams in what is considered to be the best conference in the country. Lawton showed a confidence of breaking his man down in isolations and getting to his spots. He'll provide tough defense both on and off the ball and have an impact beyond the box score.   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/IMG-7685.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/IMG-7685-300x225.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1405281"/></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1413498' first='Quinton' last='Monroe'] | Lake Clifton/[program_tooltip program_id='2077001' first='Team' last='Silk']   Monroe was the spearhead for last year's Class 1A state championship team and returns as the top player in the Baltimore City Public School scene. The 6-foot-3 guard is lethal from beyond the arc and has ability to rattle off 4-or-5 three's on any given night, but as usual with Baltimore City players, he also embraces the physical aspects that come with attacking and finishing at the basket. Monroe remains an under the radar name in terms of recruitment, but that shouldn't last for long considering the Lakers will be the favorites not only to win the City title once again, but also their respective class state title.   [player_tooltip player_id='1118684' first='Marvin' last='Brimage Jr.'] | Jackson-Reed/[program_tooltip program_id='2078456' first='DC' last='Premier']   I last saw Brimage in action at Maryland Team Camp where he looked good scoring the basketball from mid-range and three. With Darren Buchanan set to lace it up for Virginia Tech, there's a large void of scoring that will need to be filled. Brimage and his counterpart in 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1127310' first='Rob' last='Dockery'] will be expected to do much of the scoring. Brimage is a volume guy and with that being the case, he's liable to put up some big scoring performances. Jackson-Reed, formerly known as Woodrow Wilson High School, is a force in the DCSAA and if they plan on repeating, Brimage's production combined with consistency will be vital.   [player_tooltip player_id='957046' first='Terrell' last='Webster'] | McKinley Tech/[program_tooltip program_id='2077004' first='Team' last='Takeover'] National   Webster is another 2023 guard that always leaves sound impressions on myself and Adam Ayalew. He has good size at 6-foot-3, athleticism to finish above the rim and a wiggle that make him a tough check for defenders. Webster is going to need to be a guy who averages something in the range of 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game for his team to be successful in the big picture. He has the capability and skill-set to possibly surpass that stat line and catch a lot of attention from college programs in the process.

With the AAU season coming to a close, it means we set eyes on the high school season that is still over three months away. Still, it's never too early to pump out some early preview content based off the players that we have evaluated over the last five or so months. For this piece, I'll take a look at some rising senior guards who look to have a breakout season this winter.