Heartland Kickoff – Top Guards
The guards at the Heartland Kickoff showed up and outperformed my expectations with a ton of talent on hand. Below were the top guards of the event. Kaleb Iverson HEIGHT 5'8" POS N/A CLASS 2028 Kaleb Iverson School: Lincoln Middle…
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Continue ReadingThe guards at the Heartland Kickoff showed up and outperformed my expectations with a ton of talent on hand. Below were the top guards of the event.
Kaleb Iverson
Kaleb Iverson
Iverson is an aggressive scoring guard with big time athleticism and strength. He is a strong, downhill driver that once he gets to his right hand and the defender is on his hip, there was no stopping him. He was at his best when the game was uptempo as he finished well in transition. As he is still developing his jump shot, it didn’t affect his ability to score or get to the rim. Huge upside.
Dylan Vardeman
Dylan Vardeman
Vardeman is a high IQ player that seemed to always make the right plays during the weekend. He was at his best beating defenders off the dribble and finishing at the rim with either hand. I loved his ability to avoid charges on drives and finish in a crafty fashion. He didn’t shy away from contact and initiated contact when it was available. Was always in attack mode and put pressure on the opposing team all game.
Eldrick Giles
Eldrick Giles
Giles is a natural scorer that just has a knack of scoring the basketball. He is a smooth left handed guard with good size and quickness. Can get to the paint just about any time he wants but also has a nice looking jump shot. He is one of those players that you can’t allow him to see the ball go through the basket because once he gets going, he can get hot and fill the stat sheet up. Has great versatility as he can play any of the guard spots and also has huge upside being a lock down defender.
Jammond Patterson Jr.
Jammond Patterson Jr.
I love Patterson’s game. He is a big point guard that understands how to run a team which is rare for his age. He uses his size to see over defenders to find teammates but understands when he has to attack. I rarely saw him force anything as he played within himself. Has all the tools to be an elite big guard that can defend at a high level but also be a floor general. Excited to follow his development.
Caden Fulcher
Caden Fulcher
Fulcher is an overall solid guard. Can do just about anything you ask of him from defending, shooting, rebounding or get to the basket. He knocked down some big time shots from 3pt range. I loved his toughness and wasn’t afraid to mix it up down low to get lose balls and rebound. About as versatile of a guard that you can find due to his strength. Ability to guard 1-4 and potentially 5’s in a pinch. Big time competitor.
Tyson Montgomery
Tyson Montgomery
Montgomery has all the tools to be really good if he continues to consistently play hard. He has great length and size which allows him to get to the rim. Although he struggled to finish at times, he utilized his quick first step to get to the paint. Was one of the best rebounding guards at the event crashing from the wing. Montgomery was easily one of the players with the most potential that I saw Saturday and Sunday. If he can play with a consistent motor, the sky is the limit.
Jay Riley
Jay Riley
Riley is a small point guard with an exceptionally high IQ for being in the class of 2029. He ran his team, made the right passes and never seemed to get sped up. Was elite at getting the ball and kicking ahead to open men in transition. He used his quickness all weekend to get to the paint and kick out to shooters. Came away super impressed with his on ball defense as he made it nearly impossible for other teams to get into offense. Big time competitor that you want running your team.
Cayleb Rice
Cayleb Rice
Rice is a high energy and ultra competitive point guard that set the tone all weekend for his team from an effort standpoint. He did a good job controlling the tempo pushing the ball which caused problems for opposing defenses. Has overall good quickness which allowed him to get to the paint and score or get guys easy baskets. Didn’t shoot it from distance a ton but more than capable shooter. Loved the energy he brought as a leader for them.