Pro Insight Pop-Up Run: Guard Spotlight

On November 1st, I went down to Portland, Oregon to attend Pro Insights' third annual Pop-Up Run at Parkrose High School. They brought together some of the more talented players from Washington and Oregon, dividing the players among four teams to compete across six games throughout the day. Here are some of the noteworthy guards from the event.    It was only my second time seeing Hopkins-McGlothen in action, and the freshman guard was one of my favorite performers on the day. He's a kid who plays with confidence and awareness beyond his years, is able to quickly move past mistakes and focus on the next play, and showcased that type of poise throughout the day. Has great footwork from different areas, whether it's splitting defenders to the hoop, getting separation in the midrange, or working to pressure the ball defensively. Had high activity through every phase of the game, even fighting for a few offensive boards on free throws that led to second-chance buckets. Played with a great mix of patience, poise, creativity, and pace.     Gaines is typically going to be one of the hardest-working players on any court, and this afternoon was no different. He's always looking to push the ball up the court, attack gaps, draw contact, and is a creative and tough player, which drives his ability to make plays. One play that stood out, representing his toughness in a nutshell, was when 6-foot-8 [player_tooltip player_id='2380116' first='Jaden' last='Ghoreishi'] plowed through Gaines going up for an offensive board. Gaines toppled over, but got up, recognized his team about to pull down a board, and booked it to the other end to beat everyone for an easy two. He's also an instinctual defender who can anticipate passes outside of the play, slip off his man like a DB, and intercept passes.     Webster is a kid who can finish plays with his creativity, varied timing at the rim, and finishing package, but on display along with that ability to score the rock at the Pop-Up Run were his quick reactions and playmaking. He was quick to loose balls with some key long rebounds, and was also quick to make reads off possession changes, which led to several key passes in transition down the floor ahead of the defense. He was finding guys over the defense with lofted long passes, threading the needle through tight windows to hit teammates in stride, and found a couple of well-timed dishes off his penetration in the half-court.     Another member of the 2029 class who had my full attention was none other than [player_tooltip player_id='2879457' first='James' last='Thomas']. The Annie Wright freshman belonged out there, from his ability to shed defenders off the dribble, to his ability to protect his shots at the rim, to his ball control and command of the offense. He keeps things simple, plays on balance, and uses his change of speeds to attack angles and be efficient with his movements. Passes were on target and with good zip from different spots on the floor, and he made quick decisions. The ball never stuck with him; he was either getting guys in position, attacking, or keeping the ball flowing.     Lockhart is a balanced lefty guard who shows all the skill to affect the game in various ways. Mainly on display at the Pop-Up was his quickness and shooting, and often the potency of those two things together. He's quick and can cover ground with his crossovers with good bursts north and south, but also has an incredibly quick dribble-to-shot time that he showed off with pull-ups and step-backs. Also displayed his passing ability with some great touch passes to guys cutting through the defense or flaring off screens, measuring the weight and precision of the pass near perfect.     Sun had some nice moments during the runs, starting his day off with a great contested and contact finish around a 6-foot-8 defender. Then he started to settle in behind the arc, showing off his range and quick-hitting ability from three. He still mixed in some penetration, drive-and-kick, and focused finishing as well.     Varani is a highly athletic wing who can shoot the lights out, and he showed off just that at the Pop-Up, locating and drilling some deep 3-point shots, and running the floor for some above-the-rim finishes. He also displayed excellent hustle for a few loose balls, one that he chased half the length of the floor before it rolled out of bounds just beyond his reach.     Barhoum is known for his 3-point shooting, and it was on full display over the course of the day, with Barhoum dropping in threes from way behind the line. But the Clackamas guard also showed a capable handle, good ball security, and some ability to weave his way into the paint and make plays. He's a shooter for sure, but he also has the ball-handling to attack his man and do a little playmaking.     Moimoi showed a good mix of touch, athleticism, and power to score from different levels. He opened up his day by draining a wing three, then showed some power and balance to split defenders and attack angles that cut off any chance help defenders had at getting to his shots. He finished well with both hands and had some big plays fighting on the glass with his quick second jump.     Artharee is a strong guard who scored inside and out, and was efficient with his dribbles. Set up his drives with jabs and fakes, and once he spotted a gap he was charging hard to the rim while staying balanced and ready for contact. He's a power finisher with good touch, and showed off some ability from deep by splashing in a handful of threes and picking his spots well from back there.     The Reynolds freshman is a shifty guard who shows some real potential on both ends of the floor. Can really burst around the floor, in and out of gaps, and changes direction especially well on his attacks, playing off two and allowing himself the option to go any direction. Was also able to apply pressure on the ball and use his length to disrupt rhythm.     The lone eighth-grader at the event, Peterson was very aggressive with the ball, whether it was attacking downhill or looking up the court to hit teammates with long passes; he played fast and has the athleticism to be a force. He also showed some ability to dance around traffic on his way to the hoop and challenge defenders at the rim.

On November 1st, I went down to Portland, Oregon to attend Pro Insights' third annual Pop-Up Run at Parkrose High School. They brought together some of the more talented players from Washington and Oregon, dividing the players among four teams to compete across six games throughout the day. Here are some of the noteworthy guards from the event.