Impactful Guards: Playing unique roles for their teams

Tipton continues to shine as a lead guard. He's a winner who makes impactful plays on both sides of the ball. With immense confidence, Tipton is a playmaker who can be trusted to create opportunities for both himself and his teammates. His great basketball IQ and spatial awareness allow him to understand the nuances of the game, manipulating defenders to exploit open spaces and gaps through his own penetration or precise passes. As a legitimate three-level scorer and a decent defender, Tipton has racked up accolades, and we expect to see him excel at the next level.     McPhail is a three-point shooter who can get hot once he sees one go in. He has a quick release and does an incredible job of setting his feet for good shots when he gets the ball on the move. As a catch-and-shoot player, he uses the relocate dribble effectively against hard closeouts. While McPhail is not the main guy, he is a crucial player who opens up the game for his teammates with his floor spacing.     Clark is one of the most unique defenders we've seen. Not only is he a good on-ball defender, but he is also renowned for his ability to draw charges. Clark has turned taking charges into an art form, perfecting his positioning and timing. It wouldn't be surprising if he leads the nation in charges taken this season.     Bailey adopts a workman-like approach to the game. He excels at attacking gaps and making decisive decisions based on the actions of the help defender. He has a beautiful mid-range jumper that he can pull anytime off a 1-2 step, jump stop, or slight bump fade. His understanding of the read also allows him to make great passes to bigs or baseline cutters. If he doesn't have anything off his initial read, his coaches and teammates appreciate his willingness to make the easy pass and relocate, keeping the continuity of the offense flowing. Bailey also possesses advanced quick-twitch athleticism, which he uses to his advantage to secure rebounds and steals with great anticipation and ball-hawking skills.     Lewis has one job: pick up the ball handler and lock up. He has clearly embraced his role, bringing a ton of energy to the defensive end. Lewis takes pride in moving his feet and cutting off driving angles on the perimeter. Despite his size and frame, he makes bringing the ball up a difficult task. While he might not get a bunch of steals, he excels at making it hard for teams to get into their offense and is great at forcing 5-second counts.     Jefferson has embraced the lead guard role for Wharton this year and has been a consistent scorer for his team. He is averaging 15.3 points per game. Jefferson effectively gets into the lane and plays off two feet. He has great touch around the rim and a reliable floater that he uses when necessary to maintain high-quality shot selection. Jefferson is also averaging 2.2 steals per game, demonstrating that despite his smaller stature, he can effectively guard his position.