Saguaro Holiday Classic: Guards

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On Friday December 15th I attended the&nbsp;<strong>Saguaro Holiday Classic</strong>&nbsp;in Scottsdale. It had a nice blend of 8 schools of two West Side teams with Verrado/Apollo, three in Scottsdale with SCA/Sagu/Horizon, two East Valley with Maricopa/Gilbert Christian and one out of state team with New Trier/IL.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here were the standouts from the four games I viewed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">We&nbsp;<strong>finish with the top guards:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1580567' first='Oshea' last='Bonner'] Saguaro (Pictured)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A defensive point guard is a dimer. He often creates shots off the dribble from mid to the three. He can in and out dribble and burst past almost anyone and then score or slip it in to a teammate with pinpoint passing. He is undersized but strong, fast and tough. He has a different gear than most and takes contact well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1446106' first='Jace' last='Olson'] Gilbert Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A bigger guard has a pretty stroke from deep. He has a quick trigger and will rattle them in. He scores on running layups and is improving athletically too as he dunked it on the break. He rebounds well in his area and looks to have a breakout season.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2039491' first='Kamari' last='Stanbury'] Gilbert Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The pure point guard of the team moves the ball, guides the team and whips passes to his teammates up the court, drive and kicks, thread the needle and pocket passes. He actually rebounds well despite his size showing his toughness.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1594605' first='Dequan' last='Bryant'] Apollo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An improving senior has become stronger in the last year. His skill is getting better with pull-ups from mid-range and catch threes. He is best getting downhill with his thicker frame and handle.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1950116' first='Ethan' last='Hayes'] Horizon&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A catch and shooter sniper will rattle in triples. He can give hard ball fakes and do the 1-2 dribble pull-up. He is getting longer and taller as he ages and is one to track.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1135900' first='Samson' last='Chabala'] Verrado</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An attacking lead guard loves getting downhill as he changes speeds and take contact well. He is extending his range beyond the three point line and he plays with a good motor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2133603' first='Lorenzo' last='Lizzaraga'] Verrado</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A combo guard who hustles and has real strength. He plays hard the entire game to grab loose balls and collect steals. He can drive by with a sneaky burst and get to the basket.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1753117' first='Quincey' last='Sims'] Verrado</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long soph can catch and shoot from the three point line. He can rise up and shoot it from mid-range off the dribble. He sprinted to save the ball showing some fight and a motor to compete.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2052370' first='Jackson' last='Harrison'] Scottsdale Christian Academy&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A talented freshman was a little off from the field but you can see what he can do. He has a super quick release with big confidence. He gets to the free throw line with a sneaky burst and will have many big games this season.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->