Beyond the Box Score: Guards

New readers: Use code Proia30     I got out to see some public school games, private school games, and out-of-town tournament games all in the same week to see local prospects compete at a high level. There were several guards that caught my eye by their impact on the game, often without the same fanfare of other prospects. We'll break down a few here, let's dive in!    11p 1r 3s vs Coolidge   -First time seeing Mitchell play and he gave Dunbar an immediate boost off the bench as a two-way guard that applied a ton of ball pressure. Mitchell started things off with a middle drive and floater, knocked down a corner 3, and did a great job of chesting up with his matchup while also beating them to their spots to slice in for steals. His feel for anticipating his matchup's driving lines before they change direction at this young a stage in his career is a real positive long-term indicator for his defensive value. His best play came late in the game when he stole a SLOB pass over the top and laid it up to make it a 4-point game with 3 mins left.     15p 4r 1s vs Pallotti   -Leggett is beginning to pick his spots in the halfcourt to get into gaps in the defense to force back line rotations that free up teammates for easy looks. He started things off with a wing C+S 3, showed the awareness to drive baseline from the corner to the rim to hit the extension lay from an awkward finishing angle just before the shot clock buzzer, and sought out contact in transition with the bully ball bump, spin, and layup off the window through the contact. His defensive positioning off the ball continues to improve with each viewing and he's set to make a big leap next season with several key backcourt pieces graduating this spring.     5p 6a 1r vs Glenelg Country   -When he is playing with confidence, Sturdivant is one of the more competent creators in the area with the ball in his hands. Love the timing and delivery on his BLOB passes, waiting for the play to develop before finding the right passing option because he manipulates the on and off-ball defenders well with his eyes. Sturdivant started things off with a good 1-handed flip to his big in transition, timed a pass coming off a high ball screen to the backdoor cutter well, and hit a smooth 3 off the dribble just before the 3Q buzzer to cut the GCS lead to 7. If he can ratchet up the ball pressure at the defensive end of the floor, his impact as a play-maker at the offensive end of the floor will only continue to shine through on a nightly basis.      8p 1r 2a 1s 3b vs Pallotti   -Williams plays the game with such patience, performing well in the leading role that he has carved out for himself as a play-maker and defensive communicator to spearhead GCS' schemes at both ends of the floor. Williams absorbed contact well his opponent's drive to the rim to block a shot, hit a C+S corner 3 to give his team a 2-possession lead once more late in the 4Q, and rotated well from the weak side to block two more shots for his team. He plays a winning brand of basketball and it's always a joy to see a leader that understands and unselfishly plays his role within the team concept.     7p 4a 3r 3s vs Coolidge   -Brown absolutely filled up the stat sheet, doing a little bit of everything for Dunbar throughout this matchup. Brown hit a stepback 2 in the first few possessions of the game, threw a well-placed post feed over the defense to give his teammate an and1 lay, and ripped away a steal and finished through the fouling contact. Brown is an undersized guard but is active on the glass and rotates down well to take away passing options from bigs that have picked up their dribble to force turnovers or collect deflections to prevent easy baskets.

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