Cameron's Fall League Notebook: Top Guards

With the OSA Varsity Fall League in the books, I will be sharing my notes from the event over the next couple of weeks. The position group I was most impressed with was the guards. It felt like each team had a couple of guards who could create for themselves and their teammates. While the Fall League is not an indicator of exactly how the season will gives a good first look at the teams and players to watch. Here are some of my notes on the best of the best guards I saw over those few weekends.   The list of guards is in no particular order.    Lincoln North Star's Jordan Castor is a versatile shooter and scorer who plays with no conscience. Castor showcased his high-level scoring ability and at the fall league-leading his team to wins.   Confidence is a skill that Castor has in droves. He was comfortable taking almost any shot and played with a level of freedom that is rare in kids his age. He was not afraid to try things on the court, which led to more than a few highlights and a couple of head-scratching moments   Outside of his confidence, Castor's shooting ability is his best asset. Not only is he a good shooter off the catch he also excels at getting to and making shots off the dribble.   Castor showcased his range during the fall league knocking down several long-range shots extending out to the logo.   He has a solid handle which allows him to navigate pressure from more athletic and aggressive defenders. He was also an opportunist on the defensive end getting steals when opposing guards where too careless.   Castor is set for a big season with the Navigators as long as he can reign in his shot selection a little bit, he should be one of the best guards in the state.      Jerri'on Williams is an athletic long defender for Omaha North who has real offensive potential.   Williams was one of the most talkative players on the floor, clearly taking on the role of vocal leader for his team.   Williams was like a free safety on the defensive end, covering ground and lurking in passing lanes to rack up steals. His size allows him to guard multiple positions and easily switch when needed. On ball he took pride in getting stops and seemed locked into that end of the floor as a whole.   Offensively showed a ton of potential, however, he still has some work to do to become a reliable number-one option. Williams shot the ball well during fall league, however, he settled a little too often at times.   Williams has real speed and length that make it hard for defenders to stay in front of him. He has several pull-ups in his arsenal that he can rely on just a little too much. These shots will ultimately be important for his long-term development but for now, finding when and where to mix them into his game should lead to a big jump in efficiency from him this year.        Kircher showed his top-tier scoring ability during his time at the Fall League. He scored on different defenders as other teams tried bigger athletic wings and shorter guards to slow him down.   Kircher has an effective handle including a fast crossover that helps him beat defenders. He found success attacking mismatches using his speed and creative angles to get to the rim.   Kircher is a strong finisher once he gets by defenders. He showed a bevy of different moves once he got to the rim that allowed him to finish over taller players. He sought out contact on his drives which sent him to the line several times a game.   Kircher's passing was almost as impressive as his scoring over several games. He consistently found shooters on kickouts for open threes a valuable skill for the next level.   An area of improvement for Kircher would be not getting stuck well below the free-throw line. There were a couple of times were he was forced into turnovers due to getting too deep on drives. Kircher and his teammate [player_tooltip player_id='1300947' first='Bryson' last='Bahl'] will be a fun duo to watch for Papio South this upcoming season as they both try to make the most of their senior season.        Williams operated as a ring leader of sorts for the Bellevue East offense. Williams's playmaking and scoring ability were among the best in attendance.   His playmaking is his best asset; it allows him to control games while keeping teammates involved. He showed all the passes you want from a lead guard. Whether it was advancing the ball in transition, finding cutters, finding the roll man, or hitting shooters on kickout threes.   When I saw Williams at a Puma event over the summer, he didn't shoot it the best. However, his mechanics were solid. He it much better over the last few weekends.   Williams made several catch-and-shoot threes and shots off the dribble. He shot it with confidence and consistency throughout. He also showed glimpses of more advanced shot creation hitting multiple difficult pullups and fadeaways.   Williams is a two-way guard who bothered opponents both on and off the ball. His ball pressure was effective, and the effort he gave on that end was contagious. While Williams is a capable scorer he will need to be more aggressive for his team to reach their goals.      Robinson is the youngest player on this list as he is still yet to play in a high school game. Despite his age, the freshman guard was one of the best defenders in attendance.   Robinson is surprisingly physical for his age which allows him to guard multiple positions. He often took on the toughest matchups the other team had to offer and did a solid job on everyone he guarded.   Outside of being a solid defender he also made a lot of plays on that end of the court. His IQ and hand speed allowed him to get several off-dribble steals and passing lane steals. He also has some vertical pop as he surprised a few opponents rising up to block shots.   On offense, he is in control all the time. Robinson was a willing passer who rarely let the ball stick for the Warrior's offense. He advanced the ball in transition and found the hot hand in the half-court, keeping the team's offense afloat.   When it came to getting his own, Robinson made catch-and-shoot threes and got downhill for layups effectively. There's definitely more than he showed however as he didn't seem as aggressive as he could be at times.   If he can be more aggressive consistently he has everything it takes to be the top guard in his class down the line.    Click Here For Highlights: <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops/status/1821275049950933297">https://twitter.com/PrepHoops/status/1821275049950933297</a>    Houston is one of the most explosive players I got to see at the OSA Fall League. He is a crafty slasher who can shoot and make plays on defense.   Houston is exceptionally quick with a tight handle, which allowed him to breeze past most defenders. Once he got past his man, he finished at the rim or got to the line at an alarming rate for a guard his size. He consistently got layups to go over much taller defenders and when he didn't he often found himself at the line.   Sagging on Houston to cut off his drive would be nothing short of a mistake. He made several walk-down three-pointers during the Fall league and also was able to pull up for midrange shots at any time.   Houston showcased his ability to score in bunches, in particular in his game against Omaha Westview, where he scored seemingly every point for his team down the stretch in a victory.   On defense, he is a surprising vertical athlete who met several much taller defenders at the rim. Houston was able to be bothered by more physical defenders at times however, he often was able to overcome it and use that to get to the line. Houston is currently ranked as the top point guard in the class and will look to hold on to that ranking as the season approaches.

With the OSA Varsity Fall League in the books, I will be sharing my notes from the event over the next couple of weeks. The position group I was most impressed with was the guards. It felt like each team had a couple of guards who could create for themselves and their teammates. While the Fall League is not an indicator of exactly how the season will gives a good first look at the teams and players to watch. Here are some of my notes on the best of the best guards I saw over those few weekends.