Rocky Mountain Mayhem: Surprising 17U Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These were a few names who brought constant energy and maximized their roles. There is not a tangible qualifier for what made these performances ‘surprising,' however these prospects each maximized their skillsets to impact winning basketball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1159005' first='Trevor' last='Fuller'] - Nobody Cares Work Harder - Dakota Ridge - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fuller had himself an impressive weekend, putting up 48 points in a dominant win over Colorado Swoosh 2024-1. The 6' combo guard showcased his versatility scoring the ball from beyond the arc, building upon his consistency shooting off the catch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1127080' first='Nazir' last='Davis'] - New Mexico D1 - Hamilton - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis was highly impactful within a very talented group, proving tough to attack one on one while showcasing some incredible athleticism at this event. The 6' guard from Arizona threw down multiple memorable dunks, certainly one of the bounciest athletes from this event. Another notable skill came from Davis's ability to knock down jump shots off the catch, notably effective contributing shots from the wings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='921109' first='Mi'Jaye' last='Sykes'] - Ballers United - George Washington - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1504357,"width":225,"height":150,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mi_jaye-Sykes4.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/Mi_jaye-Sykes4.jpg?w=886" alt="" class="wp-image-1504357" width="225" height="150" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sykes is worth a look, through his ability to match up against both backcourt positions with notable vertical athleticism. The guard was a creative finisher around the rim, typically getting to his spots from off-ball movement. That being said, Sykes was more than capable utilizing a couple dribble moves to blow by the frozen defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Porter Spady - PLUTO Prospects - Eads - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1941043,"width":205,"height":134,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/pspady-crop-3024x1986-1682876422.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/pspady-crop-3024x1986-1682876422.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1941043" width="205" height="134" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spady was especially creative while getting downhill, utilizing short floaters and spin moves to finish around contests. Although taking relatively tough shots, Spady had notably soft touch on these attempts.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1950138' first='David' last='Rodriguez'] - New Mexico D1 - Mingus Union - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1941051,"width":195,"height":128,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/drod-crop-2912x1912-1682876575.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/drod-crop-2912x1912-1682876575.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1941051" width="195" height="128" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At roughly 6'6, Rodriguez was lights out from beyond the arc, knocking down triples through contests, a tough cover given his height. He provided offensive upside for the New Mexico D1 group, easily their most dynamic shooter on this team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1638441' first='Tyler' last='Cox'] - PLUTO Prospects - Falcon - 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":1941049,"width":200,"height":131,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/tcox-crop-3024x1986-1682876472.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/tcox-crop-3024x1986-1682876472.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1941049" width="200" height="131" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cox brought confident shotmaking on the offensive end, more than capable stepping into the three point jumper once the ball rotated over. The sophomore exemplified quick ball movement, consistently rotating to find the next pass, a staple for that PLUTO silver group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1941016' first='Simon' last='Alexander'] - Colorado Collective - DSST: Byers - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1941053,"width":206,"height":135,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/salexander-crop-2912x1912-1682876637.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/salexander-crop-2912x1912-1682876637.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1941053" width="206" height="135" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexander was a consistent scoring threat, possessing a knockdown jumper off the catch alongside positional reach to defend both backcourt spots. The junior guard even popped off for multiple 15+ point games, proving dangerous without stopping the offensive flow.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1577947' first='Azar' last='Ghezae'] - Colorado Collective - DSST Conservatory Green - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ghezae showed his consistent shooting form, providing a streamlined game that does not require a high usage rate. The 6'4 shooting guard was a volume shooter beyond the arc, typically flowing into shots off the catch. Should help approach, Ghezae was ready to attack downhill, finishing with pace or finding that kickout to weakside shooters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1479894' first='Christian' last='Bertholf'] - PLUTO Prospects - Falcon - 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1941055,"width":210,"height":138,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/cbertholf-crop-2912x1912-1682876679.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/cbertholf-crop-2912x1912-1682876679.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1941055" width="210" height="138" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At roughly 6'2, Bertholf was all over the place grabbing rebounds, doing well to keep the ball moving around following a board. Hustle players add immediate value, finding ways to create second chance opportunities, Bertholf exemplifies this.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1429704' first='Jaylen' last='Brown'] - Ballers United - Smoky Hill - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another exceptional vertical athlete, Brown had a fair amount of box office blocks and dunks. There are few guards in the state who bring his exciting above the rim plays, for context the 6'2 guard averaged right around 2 blocks per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->