2024-25 SEC Backcourt Season Standouts: American Division Part I

The 2024-2025 season was full of competitive matchups and impressive individual player performances, and the Super Essex Conference provided much of that throughout the course of the regular season. With the regular season wrapped up and postseason play pretty much at the finish line, let's take a look at some guys that had strong seasons this year, in the backcourt in the Super Essex Conference's American Division.    Transferring in at the start of his sophomore season, [player_tooltip player_id='2201947' first='Anthony' last='Gonzalez'] stepped into a little bit of a larger role offensively, not only excelling as a shot maker for Seton Hall Prep's offense but also creating open looks for his teammates. On his way to averaging 13.7 PPG and 5.4 APG, Gonzalez showcased his versatility offensively—knocking down open shots from the perimeter, making the right reads in the pick and roll, using effective pace to get downhill and finish at the basket, and finishing plays at the rim in transition. Gonzalez was extremely pivotal in the Pirates' run to a county championship this season.     An aggressive shot maker for Seton Hall Prep's offense, [player_tooltip player_id='2376711' first='Dylan' last='Guzzardo'] was a pivotal part of the Pirate's success this season. Whether the lefty was making shots both off the catch and off the bounce from the three point line, attacking close outs and using his strong frame and body control to finish around the rim, or being effective in transition, Guzzardo seemed to always be a guy that defenses had to respect on the floor. Throughout the course of his senior season, Guzzardo averaged 11 PPG on Seton Hall Prep's way to finishing first in their division.     Despite having to sit out the first month of the season, [player_tooltip player_id='2339146' first='Jamir' last='Westry'] did not let that stop him from putting up big numbers as soon as he got back on the floor. While averaging 19.5 PPG, Westry showcased his ability to be creative off the bounce and break his defender down— consistently knocking down an array of stepback and sidestep jumpers. Westry also used much of that same creativity to get in the paint and not only finish around defenders at the rim but also attract help defenders and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. What also stood over the course of Westry's senior season was his knack for getting to the free throw line, ultimately showcasing his ability to play off bumps and play through contact.     Throughout the course of his sophomore season, De'An Armstrong showcased his ability to be effective both on and off the ball. Off the ball, Armstrong showcased his ability to knock down open perimeter shots off ball reversals while also attacking closeouts and getting to the rim. On the ball, Armstrong showed a lot of flashes of being able to create offense off the bounce for himself and break his defender down. Armstrong averaged 10.7 PPG this season for Payne Tech.     The 2024-25 season saw Kareem Anthony transfer into Arts and handle a lot of the ball handling responsibilities for the Jaguars' offense. As the season went on, Anthony definitely got more accustomed to shouldering a larger offensive role, having multiple double digit performances throughout the course of the season. Not only was Anthony able to display his ability to be a perimeter threat and knock down shots from behind the three point line but he also showcased his capability of using his quick first step to get in the paint and finish through contact around the basket.     Despite having to sit out the first month of the season long, Semaj Long found a way to be an effective part of Arts' backcourt as the season went on. Down the stretch of the season, Long found ways to get to the free throw line, showcasing his ability to absorb and play through contact due in large part not only to his ability to get in the paint but also finish plays at the rim in transition.     In his senior season, [player_tooltip player_id='1411621' first='Myles' last='Blackley'] continued to show much of what made him an intriguing prospect. A lethal threat from three point range, Blackley displayed much of his special perimeter shooting ability. Shouldering a much larger offensive load, Blackley also showcased some of his ability to create offense for himself off the bounce, getting to the basket and hitting mid range pull up jumpers. On his way to averaging double figures for yet another season, Blackley's shot making ability was on full display throughout the course of his senior year.

The 2024-2025 season was full of competitive matchups and impressive individual player performances, and the Super Essex Conference provided much of that throughout the course of the regular season. With the regular season wrapped up and postseason play pretty much at the finish line, let's take a look at some guys that had strong seasons this year, in the backcourt in the Super Essex Conference's American Division.