Hall of Fame Classic: Jack’s Star Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anoka-Ramsey Community College was the home for the Hall of Fame Classic this past Saturday. There were three very intriguing matchups which led to some players catching my eye. Here were the seven guards who stood out to me most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1574212"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eAnthony absolutely took over Saturday's game with his outside shooting. It was easily the best shooting performance I have seen so far this season, as he was connecting with some miraculous shots. The sophomore sniper finished the win over Andover with a game-high 33 points and knocked down 7 three-pointers. The difficulty of some of the shots he made were extremely impressive. He was pulling up from volleyball line range, as he also made some tough fading shots from beyond the arc and in the mid-range. He needed to be accounted for at all times and made opponents pay for not having a hand in his face whenever he had the ball. Hopkins has surprised a lot of people so far this season as they improve their record to 11-1 headed into week 7. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b073398c4"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1550877"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eIn just the first couple minutes of the game, Jayden was already hot and making play after play. The freshman guard was using his lightning quick speed and shiftiness to blow by defenders, getting to the basket with ease. He did a great job of finishing over taller opponents and avoiding having his shots blocked with some acrobatic hang time. On his early run, he also hit a tough, off the dribble three-pointer to really give his team the momentum out of the gates. He also displayed his elite vision with some improbable passes through defender's reaching arms. The backcourt duo of Moore and Anthony Smith has led to Hopkins being ranked as the #2 team in class AAAA. The Royals will match up with rival Wayzata this Tuesday. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b0733995f"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Luke Rapp","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2023","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"77248","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Eden Prairie","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eI was not very familiar with Luke's game coming into Saturday's matchup, but he blew me away with his scoring abilities. He was knocking down some tough looks from all three levels as he saw his shots fall from beyond the arc and got to his spots in the mid-range with some nice pull up jumpers, which were sometimes contested. His effort and intensity was second to none as well, as he was flying around the floor on both sides of the ball. The senior guard finished the game with a team-high 27 points, which also tied a season-high for Rapp. Luke has scored over 20 points in five straight games and looks to carry this momentum into this week. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b07339a0b"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1436471"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eJack caught fire in Saturday's matchup with St. Francis, as he led his team in the scoring department all night. His shooting stroke allowed Austin to stay in the game and not let things get out of hand when St. Francis would go on a run. The senior guard has a super quick release on his shot and was not afraid to let it fly instantly in the catch-and-shoot. The Packers used some creative ways to get him some open looks with different combinations of screens and handoffs. He also showed flashes of what he can do attacking the basket, with an impressive take to the basket in the first half. Lang finished the tough loss with a team-high 24 points. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b07339a67"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["962227"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eThe Division One football commit was a scoring machine in Saturday's matchup with Hopkins. Sam was an unstoppable force attacking the basket, using his strength to power his way through the defense and to convert some tough finishes. The majority of his scores came in transition where he would use his elite speed and acceleration to outrun defenders and catch a long pass from a teammate where he would then finish for two points. The future Cornell Big Red also has a smooth shot from outside and could have definitely been a scholarship basketball player too. Andover will be a threat to any team throughout the season with their explosiveness offensively. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b07339abd"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1574221"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eMax has continued to impress me ever since I first saw him play this fall. The sophomore guard is very crafty and is one of the top ball handling options in Eden Prairie's stacked backcourt. He loves to work himself into the mid-range area where he often goes to a tough fading jump shot that is very difficult to defend. In the two games I have seen from him so far this season, I do not think I have seen him miss it. I was also impressed with the way he can play at many different speeds and control the game when he has the ball in his hands. Lorenson is also a gifted athlete as he can hang in the air when he is attacking the basket to avoid defenders attempting to block his shot. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b07339b13"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["962246"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cspan style=u0022font-weight: 400u0022u003eBen has been one of the best bucket getters I have seen this season and is atop the state's leading scorers statistically. He is a true three level scorer and makes the game look so easy when he has the ball. He has a super smooth stroke and has elite range from deep beyond the arc. The Concordia-St. Paul commit is also very quick and is great at setting defenders up before making one move and getting straight to the basket. He is able to finish at the rim very well with both hands and is unpredictable with the different ways he can lay the ball in. He is not only a scorer though, as he had some fantastic long lead passes that ended in easy baskets for his team. Ben and Andover are my favorites to get to state out of section 7AAAA. u003c/spanu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c4b07339b69"} /-->