VT Roundup: Guard Play Near VT’s Southern Border Pt. 1/2

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crazy as it seems, preseason hoop isn't all that far away, so I'm going over a number of savvy guards in the southern third of the state. Lots of young guys to get a read on between these two bits! Dive in. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sam Kyhill, 5'8 PG - Fair Haven Union H.S. Class of 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The class of 2027 is chock full of impressive guard play and Sam is a large reason why. Kyhill's offensive orchestration emits poise amidst so much responsibility for the freshman. He facilitates naturally, finishes open looks at each level, and can create when he feels so inclined. A forceful defender who can really take a ballhandler out of their comfort zone, Sam's two-way talent at the PG is a welcome addition to FHU as last year's GPOY [player_tooltip player_id='2313016' first='Sawyer' last='Ramey'] departs for Deerfield Academy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2955182' first='Cellan' last='Wood'], 5'10 G - Rutland H.S. Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Cellan you get the two-way toughness that RHS is known for. Wood works ballhandlers well and can corral them into sidelines and corners, taking teams out of rhythm. On the offense side of the ball, he's a facilitator and slasher that RHS needs to grease their offense. Cellan organizes the offense, attacks driving lanes for tough finishes, and feeds shooters and big men alike. He'll be the floor general for RHS come December. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kole Fotion, 5'11 G - Hartford Union H.S. Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An absolute blur at times, Kole utilizes his athleticism, ballhandling and scoring to make significant impacts on the game. Fotion's a combo-guard who shoots it well off the catch and penetrates the second layer often with intent on finishing at the rim or finding open shooters. He's comfortable facilitating the offense too, and if he can home in on his orchestration, that'll boost his stock. Kole's agile defense and solid rebounding presence from the wing round out his game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ethan Whalen, 6'3 G - Rutland H.S. Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An absolute flamethrower, Ethan cooks with gas. Whalen's ability to heat up in an instant makes him so dangerous; he's a shooting threat from 22 ft. or so, and with his height and length, he's able to get his shot off with ease. Ethan gets to his spots with simple relocation on drives and his utilization of screens is becoming more and more adept. A solid passer and versatile defender on the other end, I like Ethan's upside a lot. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carter Thompson, 6'0 G - Mount Anthony Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Agile to say the least, Carter brings a dynamic punch to the MAU backcourt. Thomspon's athleticism and anticipation as a combo-guard makes him a versatile fullcourt and perimeter defender. He disrupts passing lanes and hits the glass at a good clip, often sparking transition opportunities. On the other side of the ball, he's a volume scorer who hits shots both inside and out and he'll drop a few dimes along the way. I'm interested to see how the senior leads MAU this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->