UW River Falls Shootout: Notable Guards

On Saturday, June 15, I traveled to River Falls to take in the UWRF Falcon Shootout. This event included twenty-one varsity and nine junior varsity teams from Minnesota and Wisconsin. As I usually do, I placed my focus on the teams from Wisconsin. I previously posted about players who stood 6'5" and greater at this event. This article specifically focuses on some standout guards who took the floor.    Arcand is an incoming sophomore who has already proven himself to be a scorer, as he led Clear Lake in that category in his freshman season. While watching from the sideline, I was told that he works hard at his game and that showed in his performance at the shootout. He stood out to me even before I was informed of his youth. Caleb has an athlete's build that I can only assume will continue to grow over the next few years. He is a smooth ball handler with good takes to the hoop. He doesn't always convert on his drives, but as he grows and becomes stronger, I have a good feeling that will change for the positive.     Hustler. It seemed like Bottolfson was constantly involved in impactful plays. He may not have been at the center of the play design or defensive assignment, but if there was a steal to be had or a loose ball to get after, he was in the mix. A quick point guard with a solid handle, Tanner is tough for opponents to defend in the open court or when starting plays from his backcourt position. He can finish on the break - used a nice spin move on one particular opportunity - or will make the pass if it's there. It doesn't appear that Bottolfson logged a ton of minutes in his sophomore year, but it looks like that will change in the upcoming season for the Wildcats.     I didn't have Healy on my list of players to watch when I arrived in River Falls, but that changed during the course of the day. I caught the action from two of Hudson's games and both times I kept getting drawn to #13, who I later learned was Alex. Listed at 6'0" Healy didn't look like a kid who just finished his freshman year. He has a good frame that could take any additional height that may be on the way. He will use that frame to finish well through contact but will also look to penetrate and dump. He also has a very quick first step on his takes and will get defenders off-balance with a jab step or ball fake. Healy can take it left or right and showed strength on a baseline drive with his left from the corner. He doesn't let up on the defensive end either, adding to his all-around value for his team.     Kobe has the athleticism to get up on drives, jump passes and rebound. On offense he pairs that ability with excellent basketball instincts to exploit cracks in the defense, utilizing a variety of moves. Among his repertoire, he's got a quick wiggle cross-over, will utilize hesitation, can hit the pull-up J, or will simply blow by the defender and take it to the rack. Kobe will not shy away from contact at the rim and earned opportunities at the line as a result of his assertiveness. His overall action looks smooth, as does his shot, although in this particular game, the shots weren't falling as much as I anticipated. Considering he converted at a 42.6% rate from the floor last season, I am confident this was the exception rather than the rule.     At 6'4", Thompson was the tallest starter on the floor in the matchup I took in during the shootout. He used that size and his long wingspan to dominate the glass. He is aggressive in that phase of the game and high-points the ball well with two hands. Thompson looks to have a well-balanced, team-oriented style of play, which includes working hard on the defensive end of the court. Offensively, he splashed a triple from the top of the key and also showed the ability to go strong to the bucket. Logan appears to be a cerebral player who moves well without the ball, makes timely basket cuts, is a nice interior passer and serves in a floor general capacity for his team. He is comfortable with the ball and runs point regularly. For that reason, I slotted him as a combo guard, however if he is to play at the next level, I would suggest he is best suited to be on the wing.

On Saturday, June 15, I traveled to River Falls to take in the UWRF Falcon Shootout. This event included twenty-one varsity and nine junior varsity teams from Minnesota and Wisconsin. As I usually do, I placed my focus on the teams from Wisconsin. I previously posted about players who stood 6'5" and greater at this event. This article specifically focuses on some standout guards who took the floor.