Cali Live/Ultimate Club Chip: ‘24 Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On July 14-16 I attended the last live period for club teams in Vegas at several venues. The inaugural&nbsp;<strong>Sportradar Showdown</strong>&nbsp;at Coronado HS,&nbsp;<strong>Cali Live&nbsp;</strong>at Liberty HS and the&nbsp;<strong>Ultimate Club Championships</strong>&nbsp;held mainly at the Las Vegas Basketball Center and a few other Nevada high schools.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Here were some of the senior standouts I viewed:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1159406' first='Kaden' last='Garber'] Chandler (AZ Prime 17)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A thicker framed scoring guard loves getting downhill and scoring thru contact. He was making shots from mid to the three point line and plays aggressively on defense with a very serious approach to the game. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1909816' first='Nazir' last='Richardson'] Gilbert</strong> <strong>(AZ Prime)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick point guard has a tighter handle and good open court speed. He makes good reads and can get to his spots on the court to score. He can drive by his defenders and rise up or get to the rim and score. His on-ball defense makes his game go and brings good energy. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1124550' first='Cohen' last='Ferguson'] Campo Verde <strong>(AZ Prime)</strong></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A strong combo scoring guard who plays the right way and he is shot maker. He will have a lot on his plate this year and he can handle the higher usage with his strength, high IQ and skill. He can rattle in jumpers fro mid to the three and will defend with his sturdy frame. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119350' first='Wyatt' last='MacKay'] North Canyon (Factory)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the steadily improving rising seniors in the state. He is improving his skill as he ages. He can shoot the three with more confidence and still get to the basket with a stronger upper body and about an inch taller. He can pull-up off the dribble and rebound well in his area. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='996166' first='Braeden' last='Speed'] Brophy Prep (AZ Select UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough guard who plays multiple positions simply just makes more shots. He affects the game in so many ways with his ball handling, passing and defense. He can hit step backs off the dribble and his three keeps getting better with no wasted movement. He is a way better facilitator with a shifty handle and he is hard to stay in front of. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1517384' first='Cooper' last='Campbell'] Phhoenix Prep (AZ Select UAA) (Pictured) </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A true sniper off the catch who uses the pick and roll game flawlessly. He often gives sharp ball fakes and will side step into a three. He loves to drive and kick it and has range, skill and feel. He recently picked up offers from Dartmouth and Troy with interest from other D1 schools. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1123040' first='Anthony' last='Batson Jr'] Notre Dame Prep (AZ Select UAA)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A downhill, facilitating, stronger wing who loves attacking off the bounce. He is a supreme shot blocker out of his area and his passes will surprise you how accurate they are off a live dribble. He caught a few insane lob dunks that not many could even catch and is a capable perimeter shooter. His transition game is one of the best in the state and is talented enough in the AIA to guard all five positions. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1278778' first='William' last='Dixion'] Canyon del Oro (Zona Nation)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A two-way combo guard is a great on-ball defender who can score and facilitate. He uses his athleticism, strength, quick-twitch and length to keep players in front of him or steal the ball from them. He can make plays with good decisions, get out on the break plus hit the three off the pull or catch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1479805' first='Dilen' last='Miller'] AZ Compass Prep (NBBA)&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the tougher guards in the class who was literally playing on one leg as he was limping with a severe sprain from last week. He still showed out in a few games with range on his three, good court vision and can rise up from mid-range off the dribble. He has very quick hands and is aggressive to collect steals despite his lack of real mobility from the injury. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->