Top 10 Guards Halfway Through: 6-10

<!-- 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 in VT based on sheer talent and multi-faceted production. Drop in!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#6 [player_tooltip player_id='2406051' first='Tobey' last='Bellows'], 6'3 G - Harwood Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tobey is an absolute gamer. Bellows is averaging 22 ppg. and a near triple-double even as the sole defensive focus of every opponent HU faces. He's so dangerous because he has the court vision to pick defenses apart, the shooting to knock down 3s and pull-ups all over the floor, and the size + handle to see over any defensive challenges. Yet he'll also disrupt opponents with his anticipation and length, reel in boards at a high clip, and go right into attack mode to create in transition. TB might be the best player in D2 right now and is clearly atop the best guards in state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#7 Carson Cody, 6'3 G - Montpelier H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One thing I appreciate about Carson is that his confidence never wavers. Cody knows he's one of the best scorers around and he does it with fundamental footwork, exceptional shooting, and nice touch in the mid to short-range. Carson gets to his spots well off both the bounce or the catch and uses nice footwork + counters around the interior to create space for short jumpers or little feeds to teammates. A wiry defender who puts in excellent effort on that end, Cody can turn it up when in transition and fill it up in a hurry. Averaging around 23 ppg., he and Bellows are the best in D2. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#8 [player_tooltip player_id='2568400' first='Freddie' last='Bacon'], 6'0 G - Colchester H.S. Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bacon is the best in his class and he gets it done with balance and precision. Freddie is one who can burst out with huge scoring games, evidenced by a 41-piece earlier in the year off of varied finishing in the second layer and shooting from deep. Yet he's also a born PG. Bacon organizes guys well, sets teammates up with crisp passing, and knows how to manipulate the defense and create in a pinch. Defensively Bacon is all there with his solid frame, anticipation, and foot speed. He's putting up 16 or so ppg. and is certainly liable to go for more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#9 [player_tooltip player_id='2453004' first='Deng' last='Aguek'], 6'2 G - South Burlington H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'll admit, Deng has somewhat flown under my radar this year but that's not any fault of his own. Aguek has steadily been contributing upwards of 20 ppg. all season though. The athletic combo-guard has good range off the catch, finishing looks a couple feet behind 3, yet he utilizes his leaping ability well and can turn the corner to finish at the rim. Thing is, Deng does so much more than score. He's a gifted defender on the ball and off with his athleticism and anticipation, plus he's putting in consistent work on the glass. He's a two-way guy that quietly goes about his business. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>#10</strong> <strong>Khamis Ali, 5'11 G - Burlington High School Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The combo-guard out of BHS has been a consistent force on a deep team that's struggled with injuries and thus varied lineups. Regardless, Khamis has been a spark plug for them all year. Ali plays at his own pace, finding holes to exploit and lanes to attack off the dribble and in the pnr, yet he also makes nice reads off the catch and will score it with savvy slashes or off the jumper. BHS loves to get into fullcourt pressure, and I like how Khamis anticipates and rotates when away from the ball, creating a bit of havoc and transition opportunities. Khamis is putting up 15-20 ppg. and is typically BHS' lead scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mentions:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier Hill, 6'3 G - Hazen Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2325800' first='Evan' last='Eaton'], 6'2 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Carter Bruzzese, 5'11 G - Montpelier H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->