Philly Top Combo Guards

New Readers: Use code Proia30    24p 4r 1a 1s 1b vs Rutgers Prep   -The Temple commit took advantage of a depleted Rutgers Prep team by showcasing dynamic athleticism as the head of the snake for a very good FJ team. He was really active off the ball defensively as a helper, raced back to get a big chasedown block in transition after missing a layup at the other end, hit a stepback 2 on the baseline that shows his skill development on his touch, and was active on the glass to extend possessions for his team. Love the way that he uses rip-throughs and jabs to get to the rim with ease in 2 dribbles or less from the perimeter. Should be an impactful and dynamic guard for Temple pretty early on in his career.     -Taylor's team got off to a lethargic start in their first game against New Hope but he really turned it up at the end of the 1H and continued in the second half to put the game away for his team. Love the maturity in his game to step up as a defensive stopper after his coach switched him onto an opposing guard that got hot early on, Taylor held him to 5 points the rest of the way. That effort level was apparent on his first possession guarding the new matchup when Taylor fought over an Iverson double screen to dive and slap an entry pass away out of bounds. He collected two steals in a row at halfcourt before laying it off the window at the other end, crashed the glass to hit a putback over a big, hit several pull-up jumpers and turn-arounds in the paint, and was a dynamic slasher throughout the afternoon. Loved the way that he powered his way to the rim through contact, also made good usage of the euro step and stride step to score around the basket. Think he will challenge for 1st Team MIAA this season as the leader of an upstart Pallotti group.     19p 7r 3a 1b vs West Nottingham   -Francis overcame some early turnover issues to show improved flashes as a playmaker that uses his downhill drives to create for others. Francis had a beautiful wrap around pass from the block to a shooter at the top of the key, had several drive and kick's to corner shooters throughout the game, and rewarded the big for running the floor in transition with a last-second drop off for the easy lay. Francis came off a screen nicely to hit the floater, had an explosive chasedown block off the window in transition, hit a snatch back 3 from the top of the key, drove through traffic to hit a high point floater, scored an and1 putback to make it a 1-point game late, and curled downhill off the DHO to score past the defense to tie the ball game with under 2 minutes left. Francis showed that he has a knack for turning the corner off screens and getting downhill at pretty sharp angles to get past his matchup and into the teeth of the defense. Love his tenacity as a physical guard that is going to make his matchup feel him throughout the game with physical drives to the rim at one end and aggressive bumps to the ballhandler to get them off their driving lines at the other end.     13p 4a 3s vs Bonner Prendie   -Smith fits nicely into his new team as a quick guard that is in gaps defensively and creative with the ball in his hands at the other end of the floor. The NY native hit a corner 3, caught a ball reversal and immediately sliced downhill for the And1 lay, dribbled into a smooth pull-up three behind a ball screen, and took a huge charge in transition that sent a key opponent to the bench with foul trouble. Smith showed quick hands and feet as a springy defender that excels at keeping the ball in front of him while also remaining an effective an effective help defender. Think he will be instrumental in trapping/icing ball screens in WNA's system but also in breaking down opposing defenses as a guard that has wiggle with the ball in his hands. His development on the ball this season will be crucial in showing college coaches that he can make plays for others as a primary at the next level.     18p (6/8 3P) vs Father Judge   -Cohen served as one of the offensive bright spots for Rutgers Prep with a lights-out shooting display from beyond the arc with six made threes. Cohen's ability to dish the ball to a teammate before running off a screen or relocating to the wing or corner was instrumental in creating space for him to get off all of these shots. Liked that even though he was white hot shooting the basketball, he still played unselfishly in the halfcourt and made several more one-more passes to open shooters to give his team the best possible look on each possession. While he doesn't have great measurables, thought he exerted a ton of effort on the defensive end of the floor and fought hard to contest shots before boxing out his opponent regardless of how far they were from the basket.     -Dory looked good in new threads with Pallotti as a pretty ferocious on-ball defender that can also impact the game at the offensive end with his slashing and shooting ability. Dory started things off with a phenomenal recovery block on a corner 3 then got from the paint to 18 feet to block another shot before kicking it ahead to a teammate to score a basket in transition. Dory wasn't done showing his vertical pop and aggression at the defensive end of the floor-- racing from the top of the key to high-point a layup attempt off the glass. Dory did a great job of maneuvering around the defense to score at the rim several times throughout the contest and stepped into a big 3 from the wing that gave his team the lead for good midway through the 1H.     15p 4r 2a 1s vs Bridgeport Prep   -Best young prospect that I have seen this offseason. Boyd impressed with his ability to handle ball pressure, maneuver through tight gaps in the defense, hit perimeter jumpers, and play-make with either hand off the bounce. To see a rising 8th grader handle the ball as a primary without getting sped up or turning it over against a postgrad team full of athletic piranhas bodes well for his future as a floor general. Boyd also showed that he can excel off the ball as a knockdown shooter that can also serve as an effective connector for the wings. His ability to attack closeouts and opt out of a shot mid-release for a teammate that is more open shows how advanced his feel is at this stage in his career. Love his long-term upside as a scoring point guard prospect that can do a little bit of everything while playing winning basketball.

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