MN Freshman Showcase: Max's Guard Standouts

Seven of the top guards I saw at Hopkins on Saturday at the Prep Hoops Minnesota Freshman Showcase!    Jayden may have been the shiftiest guard I saw at the Freshman Showcase on Saturday. I got to see him in the 3v3 portion of camp where he was just about unguardable in isolation. His quickness combined with an endless array of dribbling moves allowed him to blow by defenders and get to the rim for finish after finish. The DeLaSalle guard was one of the most entertaining players I saw all day.     Jemierre is another DeLaSalle freshman that impressed on Saturday. His team was running a full-court press, and Jemierre's speed allowed him to come up with steals in bunches as he seemed to be in multiple spots at once defensively. He was cutting opposing guards off on the ball, was sprinting in for traps, and jumped a few passes for tips/steals. Davis was a blur in the open floor, and at 5'10 he showed the explosiveness and body control to finish over the top of taller defenders around the rim.     Tchidi was possibly the best pure scorer in attendance at the Freshman Showcase. He can beat you with his quick first step, is strong enough to bully other guards to get to the rim, or has the wiggle out on the perimeter to create separation for a jumper. Throughout the day Tchidi put points on the board at all three levels, and was doing so in impressive fashion. Impressive combination of skill and physical tools heading into his freshman year at Park Center.     [player_tooltip player_id='2848466' first='Zeke' last='Morris'] is a 6' guard who stood out with his ability to not only get to the rim and finish, but also set up his teammates with quality looks. He had a handful of nice drive and dish assists, forcing the defense to collapse on him and then locating an open man with a timely pass. Defensively he's a competitive player who's going to work to move his feet against smaller guards, and won't back away from a physical matchup with bigger wings.     King was one of the names I was most familiar with heading into the event, as I had seen him put together some strong performances playing against older competition with [program_tooltip program_id='2075431' first='D1' last='Minnesota'] 14u in the summer. He didn't disappoint, as he was just about unstoppable in the 3v3 matchups, and continued that run of play into the 5v5 games. He has a nice feel for the game, and just knows how to get an edge on his defender and keep him pinned to his hip as he gets to the rim to finish. Already has a strong frame that allows him to finish through contact at a high level. Made a handful of varsity appearances last winter for Hopkins, and will look to break into a more consistent role as a freshman.     Caleb has a really nice feel for the game as a freshman. He's not the quickest or flashiest guard, but just finds ways to produce. Caleb can maneuver his way through tight areas with the ball, but is also a smart cutter who can create open looks with just his off-ball movement. Soft touch allows him to score with floaters over length. I thought he did a great job of getting all of his teammates involved, and he was constantly looking to throw the ball ahead in transition which led to a handful of easy looks for his team.     When Team 7 needed a bucket, they knew exactly who to get the ball to. [player_tooltip player_id='2923915' first='Jovan' last='Clay'] proved to be dangerous both as an isolation scorer, and as a catch-and-shoot threat from beyond the arc. He has a high arcing shot that was connecting at a high rate both off the catch and dribble, and he showed range that extends to a few feet beyond the high school line. Defenders recognized he was a shooter, and he did a great job of mixing in shot fakes that allowed him to drive baseline and create for his teammates as the defense had to rotate.

Seven of the top guards I saw at Hopkins on Saturday at the Prep Hoops Minnesota Freshman Showcase!