Sunday Standouts: Off-ball Guards

New readers: Use code Proia30 for discounted subscription   I split my Sunday to watch DC Live in the morning and DMV Live in the afternoon and was not disappointed with the talent on display on the last day of our first scholastic live period window. Getting to see talent from 7+ states allowed me to see some new prospects as well as update evals on prospects that I've seen multiple times throughout the season. Let's start with the guards that stood out!    27p 4r 4a 1s vs St. Andrew's   -Efficient scoring night in impactful performance for John Carroll in a nice win over STA to close out. Able utilizes a really nice set of shot fakes and pivots around the basket to maximize his efficiency in the paint with 10 made FTs on the night. He plays so patiently as a guard that carves out space with his frame to see over the defense, pass when needed, and face up a defender before getting into his move. Hit 3 big free throws down the stretch to give his team the lead for good with less than 5 seconds on the clock.     15p 6r 1a 2s 3b vs Patriot   -Hall is definitely bound to move way up in our rankings as an impactful wing prospect that plays incredibly hard at both ends of the floor. Hall was incredibly dynamic in transition-- blocking shots, initiating fastbreaks with defensive rebounds to close out possessions, finishing with 2 hands above the rim, and running the floor well to space out the defense. He rebounds at a very high level for his height and position, doing a great job of snagging boards out of his area because of his instincts and tenacity. Defensively, he is pretty dynamic as a guard prospect that can comfortably guard 1-3 and do well on switches with forwards. His motor, communication, and aggression were very impactful in his team closing out a good Patriot group.     -One of the better shooters that I saw this weekend, Jarrett was fearless in several matchups with big-time players and prospects. Loved how fluidly he gets into his shooting motion whether it is off the catch on the perimeter or if it's off the bounce from the middle of the floor. Jarrett understands when he has a step on the defense to get all the way to the rim, when he should take a 1 or 2-dribble pull-up to use his defender's momentum against them, and when he should just rise up to take an open look. He's comfortable attacking closeouts but can also handle ball pressure both in the halfcourt and if the opponent slaps on a fullcourt press. Really intrigued to see if he develops over the next two years as more of a movement shooter or an on-ball guard that creates his own looks with his handle.     15p 5r 1a 50% FG vs ACF   -Briscoe continues to find his way within a new CG system, picking his spots to impact the game as he adjusts to a key role off the bench for the Eagles. Briscoe hit a 3 from the wing, lulled his defender to sleep before crossing over and finishing with the and-1 extension lay, hit pull-up jumpers after snagging an offensive rebound, and was excellent in transition. As a wing with good size and athleticism with a growing skillbase, he needs to let his defense lead to offense by closing out possessions with a forced turnover or long rebound to get some easy ones in transition to get himself going in games. Once he gets going, he can hurt you in a variety of ways. Still holding my stock that he will be a valuable 2-way wing that can score, defend, and finish in the paint.     12p 3r 1a 2s 2b vs Patriot   -Balanced performance for the top-20 wing in a nice win over Patriot. Hall's development is encouraging as a combo guard prospect that still should grow a bit more but already has a solid skill base. The jumper looked fluid as he connected on two wing 3s off the catch but his handle has improved quite a bit to allow him to navigate ball screens or split through tight gaps in the defense. His instincts have also improved quite a bit on the defensive end as he has earned the right to rove a bit defensively to block shots, help down on bigs, jump passing lanes, and contest looks without fouling. Like his decision-making in transition both on and off the ball as he is playing more patiently and allowing plays to develop in front of him.     -Didn't impact the game a ton on the stat sheet but really liked the flashes that I saw from the incoming guard. Sauritch isn't really bothered by ball pressure and can deal with double teams and traps pretty easily as a saavy guard that can play 1-3. The jumper looked fluid but he understands when to take an open look and when to make the one-more pass to shift the defense and find the best possible look for the offense. If he can continue to grow a few more inches and add more back foot burst, I wouldn't be surprised to see him play a key role for the Bulldogs this season as a floor-spacer that doesn't dominate the ball or kill offensive flow with bad shots.

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