Las Vegas Live Recap: Guard Prospects

Ryan Morgan July 27, 2023 @ 07:51 PM

I'm taking it back, going through some of the many tournaments in July to identify players making moves to raise their stock and add some weight to their names. Here is a basket full of guys that caught my eye at the Las Vegas Live event in July.   [player_tooltip player_id='1612191' first='Josh' last='Woodard'] | Hooptown Elite Richland '24   Woodard's a bit of an underrated athlete but at 5-foot-10 he has some nice explosiveness to his game. He soars up high to finish strong at the rim, has good lift on his jumper, and often beats defenders off the dribble. As he showed in Vegas, he can be a bit of a lightning rod as a guy that flies around the court on both ends.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450569' first='Dylan' last='Skaife'] | Hooptown Elite Ferris '24   The Ferris guard is a kid you can count on to play hard night after night, give good effort on defense, and play a smart game offensively. His best attribute is his jump shot though. He stands nice and tall on the shot, can spot up and hit on the catch, drive in and sink shots on the pull-up, and hits the contested shots with good efficiency.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450580' first='Ben' last='Fried'] | Hooptown Elite West Valley '24   Fried blew me away with his shooting at Vegas. He was a steady performer at West Valley last season as a point guard who can score a little, distribute the ball, and contribute on the glass a bit, but he was looking like a knockdown 3-point shooter in Vegas. He hit four of his first five attempts from behind the arc in one game and was seeking out opportunities to spot up and fire away. He looks much more confident and effective from deep, which could open up a whole new side to his game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1850307' first='Caden' last='Heutink'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2088822' first='D1' last='Elite'] Nooksack Valley '25   Here's a bit of a sleeper for you. Heutink is a rising point guard prospect who showed incredible feel and anticipation during the Vegas event. He spotted passes in the half court and had great footwork to dance between defenders and draw the extra help before dishing to teammates. He's a player that drives in to set up his passes and was a step ahead of defenders at the live event.   [player_tooltip player_id='1587970' first='Gannon' last='Dykstra'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2088822' first='D1' last='Elite'] Lynden Christian '25   Dykstra is a little thin and lacks some strength to finish through contact at the rim but he does display outstanding touch from all levels with the jumper and plays like a kid who is a natural scorer. He puts on some nice moves with the ball and spreads his shots around the floor, if he can add some strength to fight through tight defense he could make a big jump forward.   [player_tooltip player_id='1450563' first='Jaxon' last='Dubiel'] | [program_tooltip program_id='2088822' first='D1' last='Elite'] Mountlake Terrace '24   A highly instinctive guard, Dubiel had a lot of success at Las Vegas Live scoring the ball. He's not someone who's going to consistently look to get his points, but plays more within the team game and gets involved in a number of ways. However, he's done a great job progressing his offensive game, getting more consistent from three, and showing great poise and footwork when working through the middle of defenses.   [player_tooltip player_id='1451022' first='Tristan' last='Frimodt'] | South WA Select Columbia Burbank '25   He's shown the ability to get hot from behind the arc but Frimdot looks at his best when getting to two feet, using his strength and balance to score and wear down defenders around the key. Frimodt isn't the most visually electric player, but he's solid from outside, solid around the paint, and works hard to get involved in every possession, making him the type of player that can lead big runs.   [player_tooltip player_id='1574833' first='Jesse' last='Tijerina'] | South WA Select Southridge '24   This guy does have the ability to put the ball on the ground and break defenders down, but he's most effective spotting up from the outside and has deep range from three. Tijerina is an aggressive player who looks for his shots, can frustrate opposing guards with quick feet and hands, and has all the confidence in the world to fire away from deep.

I'm taking it back, going through some of the many tournaments in July to identify players making moves to raise their stock and add some weight to their names. Here is a basket full of guys that caught my eye at the Las Vegas Live event in July.