Big Game, Big Performers: Guards (Part Two)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Continuing with some big performances in big games this week, here are another handful of guards who proved to be a handful as they wrap up their regular seasons or battle in league tournaments. You can check out part one <a href="https://prephoops.com/2024/02/big-game-big-performers-guards-part-one/">here</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1450937"],"_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":"u003cpu003eOlympia has had a great season so far, going undefeated in league play at 13-0. However, they were tested by Bellarmine Tuesday night and it was Carlson who came up big with a game-tying 3 with just 8.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter. They finished it out in overtime and Carlson was a big factor throughout the contest, getting a number of tough shots to go inside and taking drives straight through the defense. He's one of two seniors on a younger team and really stepped up in the crucial postseason game.u003c/pu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1631548"],"_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":"u003cpu003eArlington got a great game out of [player_tooltip player_id='1451025' first='Leyton' last='Martin'] against Shorewood but Trotter was another player making key plays and initiating action by slashing inside. He's a solid guard who played hard on both ends, making a couple of nice buckets but also doing some playmaking off his drives. He also got after it defensively with some tips and a steal or two, making a handful of plays in different areas that were critical in a tight game.u003c/pu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1850299"],"_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":"Rainier Beach sits just outside the top three in the Metro Mountain division but faced a big game against Eastside Catholic who had been in the top spot most of the season. Powers, the 6-foot-5 junior, went to work in the game scoring from all over the court and looking in rhythm from his first shot. He was splashing in shots from deep, burying fadeaways from the midrange, and making some strong takes at the hoop. He made it look pretty easy against a tough team and showed off not just his pretty shot, but an ability to shake guys on the perimeter, dice inside, and smartly change speeds to catch defenders out of position. He had one play in particular where he caught the ball out past the arc, pumped to let one defender fly by, took a dribble in and threw another pump fake to ditch another defender, then stepped through and slipped a pass to his big man for the easy deuce.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1450985"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Smiley got going in the second quarter after his team took the first punch in the opening frame. He nailed a couple of midrange shots then started going downhill with some athletic finishes at the rim. He was really effective with one or two dribbles into a quick pullup but what really stood out was his focus late in the game. He made not one, not two, but three big shots in the fourth quarter, taking the lead back with each bucket. First it was an acrobatic layup to take the lead with four minutes left, then he buried a corner 3 with 1:31 left to take the lead again, then he sunk another tough layup with under a minute to go to reclaim the lead yet again. After all that, Garfield still found themselves trailing with just over a second remaining and needing to go the length of the floor. Smiley caught at half court and made an incredible attempt at a shot leaning away from the hoop that nearly went in.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2375356' first='Terrence' last='Whiting']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"77246","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Todd Beamer","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003cpu003eThe Beamer guard had a nice game in their 50-47 loss to Auburn Mountainview. He's a strong point guard who made plays in just about every facet. He can shoot a bit, uses that strength to get downhill and muscle through defenders, and has some toughness on the defensive end. He was able to jump some dribblers to create turnovers and points at the other end, was getting up for some big rebounds on the defensive end and made some key passes through the defense in the half court. He also made a couple of really tough shots, first taking contact then twisting through the air to convert the shot plus the foul, then making a high arching shot over the top of a defender's outstretched arms and taking contact after the shot.u003c/pu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65bc1863dd2f9"} /-->