Road to State: Leading Lower Classification Guards to Know

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the regular season all but wrapped up, a few league tournaments sorting themselves out, and districts right ahead, who should you be checking out when the postseason does roll around? Here are a few names from the lower classifications that have had outstanding seasons and jumped out as some of the top players in their divisions. We'll be taking a look at guards from the 2A, 1A, and 2B to help you know who to watch in the push for the state playoffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1587983"],"_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":"Garza leads his 16-5 Grandview squad with a cool and collected approach. He's a downhill player that stays under control, protects the ball, and is able to harm defenses in the paint with the shot or the pass. It starts with his balance, being able to dart inside and then stop in dead spot and hit a floater or take contact at the rim and finish the play. He's a smart player that makes the extra pass, moves the ball well as their point guard, and generally shows good touch on his jumper.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1612189"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Powaukee had some good moments last season and looked like a player ready to breakout in his junior year. It appears he has done just that and has helped Pullman become one of the most complete teams in the 2A. Powaukee has the size and athleticism to take a rebound coast to coast and brings defensive versatility getting steals and blocks. He's a nice rebounding guard that can also make it rain from distance and his 3-point shot seems to be his biggest improvement.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1450963"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Jay has shown great strides this season as a more well-rounded scorer, attacking the basket with strength and finesse, and taking on a big role defensively. He's still a shooter with deep range, but he's made a decision to take guys off the dribble more and keep defenders honest. With his length and strength, he's able to make some tough finishes inside, and when he doesn't get all the way to the hoop, has incorporated his nice shooting touch from the mid-range as well.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1416280"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Rainwater has taken his breakout season a year ago and ran with it. He's one of the most explosive players in his class but has tightened up that 3-point shot and continues to put up big games without having to force much outside of the game flow. The thing that impressed me most with his development is his ability to use his explosiveness, or the threat of it, against defenders. He gets guys ready for a big jump at the rim then steps around them for the finish or pump fakes and finds a teammate diving in.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1450983"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"The Gators started the season missing one of their top guys, [player_tooltip player_id='1450980' first='Martin' last='Kaupanger'], and Harshman had to fill a big hole scoring the ball. He started to show some improvement over the summer, extending his shooting range and hitting with more consistency. Now, he looks like a real threat from outside who can hit off the dribble or the catch, and has evolved into not just an elite playmaker, but a dynamic scoring threat too. This progress has the Gators atop the 1A rankings for now and one of the favorites to play in the title game.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63dd41137c472"} /-->