Hoop Group Summer Finale-Sunday Standout Guards

Colby Giacubeno

July 23, 2023 @ 10:28 AM

Last Sunday I made the drive to Manheim, PA to take in some action held by The Hoop Group in their Summer Finale event. Primarily focusing on the MD/DC/VA teams in the 17U division, there were plenty of players who ended their summer in strong fashion. For this article, we'll focus on the guards.   [player_tooltip player_id='1366898' first='Lucas' last='Sekasi'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2078708' first='Team' last='AK']T '24   Sekasi was one of the most impressive guards on Sunday and has been on a steady rise over the last couple of months. The 6-foot-3 rising senior can play on or off the ball, but seemed to catch college coach's attention sitting courtside when he was the primary ball-handler. Sekasi gets downhill whenever he wants and puts massive pressure on the rim. Sekasi was critical in his team's last-second win over NJ Panthers after he finished a tough lay-up in traffic through contact en route to 15 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1050399' first='Alex' last='Massung'] | NJ Panthers '24   Massung is a fun watch due to his creative ability with the ball. The 6-foot-2 southpaw lead guard broke defenders down with ease to get to his spots inside the arc. From there, he finished a variety of floaters, reverse lay-ups or fluid pull-ups. Massung is a dynamic lead guard who should be on radars moving forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204633' first='Joson' last='Sanon'] | NY Expressions '25   It doesn't take long to see why Sanon has ballooned into one of the best guards in the national 2025 class. He brings tremendous size as a combo guard at 6'5"-6'6" with excellent shooting range off the bounce. His frame, quickness and feel allow him to create space in almost any scenario. He struggled to find his stroke in the first half of the first game that I watched, but once a couple dropped, shots began pouring in.   [player_tooltip player_id='1188249' first='Kevin' last='McCarthy'] | Philly Revolution '24   There are shooters and then there are shot makers. McCarthy is a shot maker from deep with as quick and smooth of a release than I've seen this summer. The 6-foot-4 guard moves extremely well without the ball, understands how to make himself available off other's drives and has tremendous pre-shot preparation while the ball is in flight to him.   [player_tooltip player_id='1747956' first='Chris' last='McElveen'] | Team BBC '24   It was good to see McElveen get ample opportunities to show his rare athleticism at 6-foot-3. McElveen will do a post-grad prep year at Putnam Science Academy starting this fall, which should allow his name to spread quickly within college programs. In the game that I watched McElveen closely, he registered 24 points in a win over NJ Scholars. The Scholars were missing a few of their key starters, but it doesn't take away from McElveen's two-way impact.   [player_tooltip player_id='1759620' first='Elwyne' last='Wordlaw'] | Global Squad '24   Wordlaw's impact for this Global Squad team is felt beyond the box score. The 6-foot-1 lead guard brings balance as a point guard with ability to distribute, orchestrate sets in a half court or be more aggressive as a scorer. Whatever the game needs, he can bring. He's an impact on the defensive end with quick, pesky hands on or off the ball. He plays passing lanes well and is oftentimes the reason his team has run-out opportunities. Wordlaw also operated well in ball screens with patience, but assertiveness in getting to his spots.

Last Sunday I made the drive to Manheim, PA to take in some action held by The Hoop Group in their Summer Finale event. Primarily focusing on the MD/DC/VA teams in the 17U division, there were plenty of players who ended their summer in strong fashion. For this article, we'll focus on the guards.