Must-See Guards of SWFL

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the regular season kicking off over the next couple weeks I am going to highlight a number of the area's top players through some positional breakdowns. SWFL is loaded with talent this year and I will be splitting up these prospects into 4 select groups; post players, guards, shooters, and wings. I started with the guys down low, now let's take a look at the guards and what they bring to the table.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1457201"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Lewis is a dual-sport athlete, where he excels on the football field as well as the court.  He is a strong kid who plays fast and likes to push the ball.  He'll beat you off the dribble and attack the basket, where he can finish at the rim with either hand, all while drawing contact.  He's an efficient free-throw shooter and has a nice mid-range game to go with his aggressive nature.  On defense he'll guard any position and be in his opponents face the entire game.  Lewis looks to be the emotional and vocal leader of this talented Mariner squad, keep an eye on him and his teams success throughout this season.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1457197"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"The 6'3u0022 guard is an unselfish player who looks to get his teammates involved.  He plays the game with high energy and likes to get into the paint where he can finish at the rim or dish it out for an open shot.  Cook is a strong, physical kid who uses his athleticism to be effective on the boards and create mismatches on both ends of the court.  He's a lock-down defender who doesn't back down from a challenge.  A member of the All-State Third Team last season, look for Cook to push himself and his teammates throughout the season in hopes at making another playoff run in 2023-24.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1579909"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"This kid does a little bit of everything for Cypress Lake.  He's a fast guard with an explosive first step, who can beat you off the dribble and likes to attack the basket.  He knows the game and has great court vision, where he moves the ball around on offense.  He is a great defender who looks to force turnovers and jump the passing lanes, creating offense from defense.  The 6'3u0022 CG is a solid rebounder who will push the ball up the court and look to score in transition.  Ochan, originally from Minnesota, looks to improve on a successful campaign in 2022-23 and take his game to the next level this season.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Gabe Timmons","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Gateway Charter","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Timmons is a player every coach would love to have on their team.  He's an unselfish guy who does a little bit of everything and makes every around him better.  He is a quick, shifty guard with great handles who can beat you off the dribble and take you to the hole.  He has a much improved outside game, where he can knock down his jumper consistently and also shoot the the 3-ball with confidence.  Timmons has some sneaky bounce and is an excellent rebounder from the guard position.  Keep an eye on this prospect throughout the season as he looks to be a catalyst for the Griffins in 2023-24.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1633099"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"The sophomore PG is exciting to watch and you can tell he just loves the game.  He's a pesky defender who will be right in his opponents face, and also look to jump the passing lanes where he can get out and run.  He has elite handles and speed, and always has his head up looking for an open man.  His court vision and high basketball IQ make him an elite PG at a young age.  The 5'10u0022 prospect has also improved his 3-point shot to go along with his already strong mid-range game.  Monitor this kid's growth as he continues to make a name for himself locally and throughout the state.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"Sean Gomez","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"Palmetto Ridge","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_5_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_5_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Gomez is a big, strong guard who uses his body well.  He has a quick first step and likes to attack the basket, but has a great step-back jumper to counter with.  He has a solid mid-range game and can knock down the 3-ball when needed.  He sees the court well and can hit you with a number of different passes, from a lob up high to a behind-the-back dish he'll always find the open man.  He's a strong defender, who with his size can guard many positions.  Gomez looks to be the main facilitator for the Bears and hopes to help lead them to another successful season in 2023-24.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-654e8afae2393"} /-->