Shifty Scoring Guards: Central/Western VA (Part 1)

As we approach the preseason for high school basketball, we will take a look at some different categories of players and those that excel in those roles in different areas of the state. Today, we take a look at part one of some of the top scoring guards in the Central and Western parts of the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='1759699' first='Kamren' last='Martin'] | 6'4” CG | Blue Ridge 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Martin-Kamren.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/Martin-Kamren.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1777527" /></a></figure>   Martin has a lot of tools that makes him one of the most under recruited guards that I can think of on the east coast, as he has a mix of size, athleticism and skillset that allows him to score the ball in a lot of different ways. He has good speed with the ball in his hands and is an athletic finisher in transition, he gets to spots where he can rise up and make shots over defenders in the midrange, he can move off the ball where he can catch and shoot from deep and he's a very good defender too.   [player_tooltip player_id='1948399' first='Jason' last='Clarke'] | 6'1” PG | Miller 2024   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Clarke-Jason.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Clarke-Jason.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2047252" /></a></figure>   Clarke was highly underrated at Word of Life last year and is coming off a very good summer on the EYBL with Boo Williams where he showed he's an elite two way guard, and his performance at DMV Live where he scored 40 points on just 16 shots was one of the most impressive I've seen in a long time. He's a stout and strong guard with a good handle and the ability to play through contact when he gets downhill, he's a very good shooter both off the catch and off the bounce, he changes speeds and directions well and he has great instincts defensively to force turnovers and get easy buckets in transition.   [player_tooltip player_id='1259624' first='Chance' last='Mallory'] | 5'8” PG | STAB 2025   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Mallory-Chance-Thrill.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Mallory-Chance-Thrill.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1969810" /></a></figure>   Mallory is one of the hottest prospects in the entire country after his big summer with Team Thrill and STAB, where he showed he's one of the most skilled and talented all-around guards in the country. Despite his size there isn't much Mallory can't do as he has in the gym range both off the catch and off the bounce, he has a good handle and good burst to get in the lane where he's much stronger than he looks, he's crafty and draws contact and gets to the line often and surprisingly enough he's a very good rebounder too.   [player_tooltip player_id='1494115' first='Cy' last='Hardy'] | 5'10” PG | Northside 2025   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/Cy-Hardy-scaled.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/Cy-Hardy-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1604226" /></a></figure>   Hardy had a breakout season last year leading Northside to a state championship as a sophomore, and going into his junior year he's widely considered one of if not the best guard in the Roanoke area. He's a talented scoring guard who pats it and can create space in isolation situations, he shoots the ball extremely well from deep both off the catch and off the bounce, he has a good midrange game and he's becoming a stronger and more athletic finisher around the rim too.   [player_tooltip player_id='1489070' first='Danzelle' last='Coles'] | 6'5” CG | STAB 2025   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Coles-Danzelle.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/04/Coles-Danzelle.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1905513" /></a></figure>   Coles transfers to STAB where he'll reclassify to the 2025 class after being a top level player in the Richmond area with Highland Springs the last two years, including multiple 30 plus point games last season with the Springers. At 6'5” he has great size to get to spots where he can make tough shots in the midrange, he gets hot quickly and can make shots from deep in succession allowing him to fill it up in bunches and he has a killer crossover in isolation situations to break down defenders.   [player_tooltip player_id='1521039' first='Ethan' last='Collins'] | 6'3” CG | Wise Central 2025   Collins is one of the best players in the SWVA corner of the state, and he put up huge numbers this past season for Wise on the way to All State honors as just a sophomore. He is a big and physical guard with surprising shift off the bounce and athleticism when he gets downhill, he makes tough shots from all three levels off the bounce, he can move off the ball where he's a good shooter and he just has a natural knack for putting the ball in the hole.

As we approach the preseason for high school basketball, we will take a look at some different categories of players and those that excel in those roles in different areas of the state. Today, we take a look at part one of some of the top scoring guards in the Central and Western parts of the state.