Top 10 Guards Halfway Through: 1-5

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similar to when doing rankings, it can be so difficult to quantify who is the "best" or "top" players. Everyone brings something different to the table, and so determining the best player is often an evaluation of how much they bring to their particular team and how good that fit is for them to flourish. That being said, I did my best to boil down the top 10 guards based on sheer talent and multi-faceted production. Drop in!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#1 [player_tooltip player_id='1227861' first='Harry' last='Geng'], 6'2 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With what Harry's done this year it's difficult to put anybody over him. Geng's led St. J to a 9-2 record, nearly beating top dog Rice as he went for 34 without SJA standout [player_tooltip player_id='2396750' first='Rex' last='Hauser']. He's a natural bucket and creator with his snaking slashes and athletic finishing. Plus, he's a guy who can knock down pull-up jumpers and 3s consistently. With all the defensive attention he gets, Harry uses nice court vision to feed teammates with timely passes. Defensively, SJA leans much into their matchup zone and Harry's shown intuitive rotations and disruptive on-ball defense. He's been a 20+ ppg. guy and everyone knows he's their top scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#2 [player_tooltip player_id='2387335' first='Tyler' last='Bergmans'], 6'2 G - South Burlington H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyler's game revolves around his facilitation, physical slashing, defensive versatility and rebounding on both ends. Bergmans has natural PG instincts with his distribution and court vision, and he's able to create a ton of offense with his ability to get downhill and make plays in the second layer. Defensively, he plays bigger than you'd think. He's rebounding at a high rate, pulling in nearly 10 a game, and defending 1-4 exceptionally and handling 5s in a pinch. A two-way guy who's averaging around 20-10 with a next level frame and sound instincts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#3 [player_tooltip player_id='2325846' first='Abdi' last='Sharif'], 6'4 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The best perimeter defender in the state, Sharif's been assigned to the opponent's best creator nearly every matchup He does it with fullcourt denial, agile ball pressure, and the length to force difficult shots + passes every time he's on the ball. But I've seen his offensive game, particularly his scoring, sprout this year. He's been an aggressive getting to the rim, collecting FTs, and snatching second chance buckets. Plus, he's an intuitive orchestrator + distributor who dishes just as well as he finishes. Abdi is critical to the best team in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#4 [player_tooltip player_id='1850193' first='Kyle' last='Eaton'], 5'9 G - Champlain Valley Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard to describe the sort of coverage and attention Kyle gets each time he's on the floor. He's facing fullcourt denials, matchup zones built to take the ball out of his hands + take away his favorite spots. Yet he still finds a way to throw together 14-points on what felt like five or six shots against a rangy Rice team. Kyle's shot-making combined with his quick trigger makes him one of the most dangerous shooters in VT. Moreover, he's a talented facilitator of the offense even under duress. Plus, his agility and hustle defensively makes him as pesky and bothersome as anyone. He's a gamer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#5 [player_tooltip player_id='2325785' first='Owen' last='Eaton'], 6'2 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have a pure scorer right here; Owen is lethal and seemingly in range once he steps in the building. Eaton's a 3-level scorer and gets it going whether he's on the ball or off. I love his aggression and mindset to put the ball in the bucket, and with his athleticism he has no hesitation attacking the rim, yet it rarely feels forced. Plus, his distribution is natural and timely. A good defender who covers 1-3 and will surprise with his blocks at the rim, Owen is rolling. He's putting up around 15+ ppg. on a team with five guys that could go for 20+ any night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->