Standout Guards at Valley Forge This Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Of all the position groups at Session 4 Valley Forge, the guards came in the wildest variety and displayed versatility in different context. Here are a few that impressed:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jayden Brown | 6'2 G 2027 Local Legends 16U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With bounce and skill, Brown made splash plays all over the floor. After one of multiple steals, he took off down the floor, cocked the ball back, and detonated one at the rim. Brown generated other turnovers by back-tapping the ball away when it seemed he was beat. On top of that, he swished a pair of catch-and-shoot threes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2352458' first='Bryson' last='Lane'] | 6'1 G 2026 Delaware Certified Hoopers 17U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unable to get many clean looks from three, Lane did a ton of damage by getting to the charity stripe. The bruising slasher rumbled his way to inside, playing off of closeouts. In addition to the floaters he hit, that led him to shoot 9-for-10 from the line. Lane combined that with help defense to total 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 steals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2515024' first='Jaxon' last='Loper'] | 6'1 G 2028 NJ Bulldogs 16U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Loper terrorized the opposing early with his on-ball defense, generating transition opportunities. Then he effortlessly got himself in-rhythm to unleash a flurry of shots from deep. His shot selection was determined more by whether or not he was aligned with the basket than it was being contested. He dropped 31 points and 4 steals in his first game of the weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2519939' first='Mike' last='Mullen'] | 5'11 G 2028 Delaware Certified Hoopers 15U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With his split-second decision-making, Mullen struck a balance between when to get a paint touch for himself and when to set others up. He regularly beat his man off-the-bounce, swerved back in front to cut him off, then either dropped the ball off to a teammate around the basket or finished with a scoop layup. In game 1, that balance resulted in 10 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1406896' first='Marvin' last='Reed'] | 5'11 G 2027 Team As Promised 16U </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defenses couldn't stay in front of Reed when he put his foot on the gas. The lead guard sped by defenders for paint touches before hitting the breaks and using his touch to throw a lob into the paint or to score over rim-protectors. Not simply a straight-line driver, he would catch his man leaning the wrong way, then quickly change directions to get to his spots. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2606515' first='Lamier' last='Wright'] | 6'1 G 2028 Delaware Certified Hoopers 15U</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A guard with wing skills, Wright brought toughness to his somewhat undersized team. He was aggressive on defense, hunting for blocks and missed shots. Attacking the rim, he was swift enough step-through defenders but still physical enough to absorb the contact and draw fouls. Wright spaced the floor from deep too. In game 1 on Saturday, he dropped 21 points, 11 boards, and 2 blocks</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->