District/MD Movement/Thrill Tri-Scrimmage: 16s Guards

Yesterday at SEED School of Maryland, [program_tooltip program_id='2077005' first='Team' last='Thrill'] hosted a tri-scrimmage with [program_tooltip program_id='2076976' first='District' last='Basketball Club'] and [program_tooltip program_id='2076982' first='Maryland' last='Movement']. The 16s and 17s were at this site and throughout the day, I saw some guards on the 16s that caught my eye and were worth highlighting below.    Costley will be playing up an age group as our top-ranking freshman is coming off a high school season that included the Maryland Private School State title. The combo guard has as quick of a trigger as you'll find and it doesn't matter if the attempt is coming off the catch or off the bounce. The mechanics, fluidity and quickness of the release will bode well for him long-term as a college prospect and his ability to knock them down in bunches is a great foundational piece to his overall skillset. He did a nice job of operating off of off-ball screens and actions on tight curls, fade or drops to the corner where he cashed in from range. If the closeout was there in time, Costley made quick decisions of either attacking the top foot for mid-range pulls or getting it out of his hands and ensuring ball movement.     Walker made his debut in our 2028 rankings last week and the viewing yesterday offered us optimism on making the right decision. He's a tough guard to keep contained in the open floor and even when his defender is trying to turn him approaching a half court setting, Walker does a nice job of using change-of-pace attack dribbles to keep his man guessing. He can take advantage of slight driving lanes with a low center of gravity and straight-line his way to the rim while keeping the entire floor within his sight. He made swift deliveries after forcing defensive rotations on drives, had a few quick scoop layups before opposing shot blockers could swat it away and knocked down a couple of clean looks from outside. Walker was also the vocal presence for this Movement group, which is what you want out of your point guard.     Moore shined in the open floor whether he had to the ball or was running the lanes before catching and attacking from the arc. He was a handful for any opposing guard when he had a clear path for takeoff as the 6-foot-2 combo guard possesses great body control while airborne to add craft to his finished and make it tough for anyone contesting to do so cleanly. His ability to get into his jumper quickly with high elevation is another wrinkle of his offensive attack that makes him a tough check for any defender. He's got twitch, burst off his back foot and is progressing as a processor after making his way into the paint with his floor vision as a passer.     It won't be long before Woodard carves out a valuable role in this talented Thrill 16s rotation and it'll be because of all the intangibles he brings. The positional size combined with the plus length, sneaky athleticism and willingness to impact the game beyond the box score are all factors that grassroots coaches hope to find in building a potential championship roster. Woodard showed off his worth on the offensive end yesterday sprinting the lanes wide before darting to the rim and throwing down lobs in transition. There were a few designed lob plays for him in a half court setting and he was where he was supposed to be, but the lack of accuracy on the pass deterred the finish. He's a connector who will bring energy off the bench and it wouldn't surprise me for certain matchups if Woodard isn't inserted into the starting lineup when a defensive punch is needed.     Wright was a bright spot in my opinion for the District 16s group yesterday and it was because of the edge that he brings at both ends. He's shifty and showed instincts when it came to creating enough separation to get his shot off in isolations. As traps started to come his way more often, he operated quickly off the catch or got downhill where he used his twitch to gain advantages. It seems that he'll be leaned on pretty heavily as one of the primary offensive options this spring/summer and could be a rising junior that helps his stock from the reps.

Yesterday at SEED School of Maryland, Team Thrill hosted a tri-scrimmage with District Basketball Club and Maryland Movement . The 16s and 17s were at this site and throughout the day, I saw some guards on the 16s that caught my eye and were worth highlighting below.