Summer's Best: Playmakers II

The Prep Hoops Expo MD & the DMV Freshmen Showcase is coming soon! Use promo-code 'LloydHoops25' at registration for a discount when signing up for your spot at the event!   (Class of 2029 / Aug 30th)   <a href="https://events.prephoops.com/e/1555/register/dmv-freshman-showcase">https://events.prephoops.com/e/1555/register/dmv-freshman-showcase</a>   (Classes 2026-2029 / Sep 28th)   <a href="https://events.prephoops.com/e/1626/register/the-expo-maryland">https://events.prephoops.com/e/1626/register/the-expo-maryland</a>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Our scouts wanted to take the time to reflect back on some standout players outside of the top-40 to show some love to some of the top performers that might not always get the publicity that they deserve with their play. We'll cover top defenders, best playmakers, elite scorers, hottest shooters, and more! Today, we'll be looking at another set of the area's best playmakers.    Tyler impressed over the summer as a playmaker with Olney Elite. He had the scorers and shooters around him as he found them with consistency. I came away most impressed with Tyler's ability to penetrate and dish. He abused the defense with his smooth drive and quick lookout to shooters on the perimeter. Tyler was effective as the team's point guard over the summer and I expect him to continue that style of play in his senior season with Sherwood.     Amonte is special because of his ability to read the defense in real time and make sound decisions with the ball. Most games I've seen of his, Amonte has at least one or two crowd-pleasing passes and/or assists. He can get by any defender or zone defense with a quick burst , and after he gets into the paint he attracts a lot of defensive attention. Amonte has mastered the skill of drawing the help away from his intended scorer inside the paint or outside the perimeter. He makes quick dropoff passes underneath to his big and also improved his ability to hit them through the pick-and-roll/pop.     I believe Tahj is a bit underrated when it comes to his playmaking ability. He uses his deep-shot threat to draw defenders in towards him for an easy dime. His shot threat and playmaking ability is most evident through the pick-and-roll. Tahj knows how to leverage his dribble with his pullup threat to slowly shift the defense out of position. He throws strong passes to shooters and knows when to hit his roller in P&R. Tahj spent the summer dialing up his shooters in AAU and team play alike. He was a big catalyst in a lot of his teammates' big scoring games over summer. I see Tahj having a big season and breaking out in his senior season as a top guard in MoCo.     Jovanni was the offense initiator for St. Mary's Annapolis. You could usually count on him to make the right play for the team. Jovanni knew how to read the floor better then others and that showed with his timely passing. Makes great passes through traffic and will take the ball all the way to the basket just to get his man open. I expect Jovanni to start using his scoring ability a bit more to open up the floor for SM Annanoplis.     Bryce saw the floor well as an undersized guard last season for Ryken, and now his added height gives him more perks as a PG. He scanned the floor with a lot more precision over the summer, now making passes he couldn't make as well before the growth spurt. Bryce likes to move the ball ahead to teammates in transition and will always elect a great shot versus a good one. True point guard instincts that he has only improved upon since his freshman year. He saw the floor more and more due to his efficiency and growing trust, and now we are starting to see Bryce blossom as a featured guard. So far he is making the most of his opportunities.

The Prep Hoops Expo MD & the DMV Freshmen Showcase is coming soon! Use promo-code 'LloydHoops25' at registration for a discount when signing up for your spot at the event!