Guards to Watch in the Prep A Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state tournament is coming closer as the middle of February is almost here. The Prep A Tournament is set to tip on Thursday and should be filled with high level guard play. Here are the guard prospects to watch in the Prep A Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Dwayne "DJay" Snead Jr, 6'1 PG Pennington 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Snead Jr has done a little bit of everything for Pennington this season and should put it on display during the state tournament. The 6'1 lefty has a good handle, which he uses to beat his defender off the bounce and finish around the basket. Snead Jr can also score in the mid-range and makes opponents pay for giving him space behind the arc. He finds his open teammates in the half court and plays tough on-ball defense. Snead Jr is a two-way guard prospect who should make plays at both ends of the floor over the next couple of weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='829428' first='Jayden' last='Williams'], 6'0 PG Blair Academy 2024</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams has had a strong senior season for the Buccaneers and will look to continue it in the Prep A tournament. The Bucknell commit has a quick first step, which he uses to beat his defender off the bounce and can finish through contact around the basket. Williams is more than just a slasher as he has a nice release on his jumper and sets his feet before he shoots. He is an underrated passer and moves his feet on the defensive end. Williams is a gritty guard prospect who is looking to end his varsity career on a high note.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1595669' first='Chidi' last='Nwigwe'], 6'6 SG St. Benedict's 2026</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nwigwe is starting to heat up as he's averaging 25 points over his last two games. The 6'6 guard rises up with confidence on his jumper and can get hot from distance in a hurry. Nwigwe is more than just a shooter as he can also get to the rim off the bounce and finish around the basket. He is an underrated rebounder and has the length to defend multiple positions on the floor. Nwigwe is a talented guard prospect whose ability to score inside and out will help the Gray Bees over the next couple of weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='933045' first='Noah' last='Payne'], 6'1 PG Peddie 2024</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Payne has been playing at a high level this season as he's averaging nearly 25 points per game. The 6'1 guard attacks the basket with a purpose as he can finish in a variety of ways around the basket and is unafraid of drawing contact. Payne has a smooth release on his jumper and makes opponents pay for giving him space behind the arc. He also plays with good floor vision and is an underrated defender. Payne is a high-scoring guard prospect who should continue to light up the scoreboard in the Prep A Tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2347875' first='Malachy' last='Kelly'], 6'2 SG Hun 2024</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kelly has been making plays for Hun all season and should continue it in the Prep A Tournament. The 6'2 guard has a good release on his jumper as he wastes little motion and can knock down triples in bunches. Kelly moves well without the ball in his hands, freeing himself for open layups and jumpers in the halfcourt. He rarely forces shots in the halfcourt and slides his feet on the defensive end. Kelly's ability to get hot from distance in a hurry is something that will help his stock in a big way over the next couple of weeks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Other Prospects to Watch:</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2347876' first='Santana' last='Hodge'], G Lawrenceville 2027</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1595679' first='Deron' last='Rippey Jr.'], 6'1 PG Blair Academy 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1411675' first='David' last='Johnson'], 6'1 SG St. Benedict's 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2107791' first='Kae' last='Kilic'], 5'9 PG Pennington 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2107670' first='Braelen' last='Crump'], 5'10 PG Peddie 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->