Section 7: Standout Guards

In this article, I will feature the guards from Nevada that stood out to me during the Section 7 event in Mesa, Arizona.    Jayvion played off the ball for the majority of the weekend but showcased how deep his "simple" bag is. He did everything quick and decisively, only utilizing two to three dribbles at a time before getting to his spots and rising up or making the right pass for an assist. As one of the taller players on Liberty's guard heavy squad, he found himself guarding all positions. This was not a problem for him as he put his defensive IQ and athleticism on full display. I was impressed seeing Jayvion get the same type of looks he's always gotten and thrive in a same but different role on a different team that operates in a different offense.     The 6'0" PG is as pure as it gets in Nevada if you're looking for a point guard to run your sets, keep the floor spaced, and attack gaps to create easy buckets. He's a floor general that keeps the game simple for himself and for his team by doing most of the work for them, and doing it decisively. He gets downhill at will with his crazy speed and strength before kicking it out, dumping it off, or keeping it himself for a floater or lay. His middy was automatic all weekend and his 3-ball wasn't far behind. I love the way he plays for his team and keeps a level headed approach to every situation presented to him in games. With his move to Legacy HS, it's safe to say he'll have a breakout season this winter where he shakes things up in the hoop scene.     There was absolutely nothing the 6'4” guard didn't do this past weekend. In fact, while known for his elite 3-point shooting ability, he put that skill on the back burner this weekend to show his bag off. Don't get me wrong, he still knocked down a grip of 3's, but he put his focus on attacking the basket and getting paint touches while playing off two and surveyed every option possible before putting the ball in the bucket. He was diving on the floor for loose balls, guarding everybody, active on the glass, and so much more to will his teams to wins against some of the top competition in the country while playing almost every minute of every game. Coaches were flocking to his games and whether if they were to watch him or not, I know for a fact they all left with Aaron's name circled so they can find ways to watch him more.     Fred Jones II has found a new home with Democracy Prep, and he was instantly granted the green light. With that, he averaged over 20ppg while leading DPAC to the championship game within their bracket at Section 7. He got to the paint at will where he displayed his finishing prowess whenever he didn't kick out to an open shooter. The times he was off-ball, he was always catch ready which led to him also being an efficient shooter all weekend. Defensively, he displayed his high IQ on that end by cutting off ball-handlers early and his anticipation in help side.     Taytum has one of the highest, if not the highest motor in Vegas. He proved this at Section 7. From grabbing rebounds left and right on both ends of the floor, to going coast to coast as many times as I've seen at this level, to guarding everybody everywhere all game long, every game. It seems as if he never gets tired too as his efficiency never wavered despite the amount of work he was putting in each game. Tatum displayed his three-level scoring ability as he consistently knocked down 3's, got to a midrange pull up, and got to the basket finishing through contact; switching it up by the possession to keep defenses honest. On the other end, he kept his hands in cookie jars and created a plethora of turnovers in favor of his team. His stock is definitely rising!     Gianni is back in Vegas playing with Liberty HS! The shifty guard wasted no time getting to it at Section 7 starting things off with a 27-point performance. Throughout the weekend, he did everything from knocking down 3's off the dribble to playing passing lanes on defense to snatch steals that consistently led to easy transition points. His blazing speed made it difficult for initial defenders to cut him off, forcing the help to slide over every time leading to easy drop offs. Gianni made noise at Section 7 and will look to make the noise even louder at Nevada Live Invitational in Vegas this weekend.     Grayson was a real floor general all weekend long, keeping the offense in a good rhythm next to backdoor teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2423332' first='Mekhi' last='Carter']. Like a true, high IQ PG, whenever a play broke down, Grayson re-set the offense and created openings for his teammates to knock down easy shots. Understanding every option that will ever be available within his offense, he got to his floater that is absolutely money or give it up and relocate; then if defenses were late on close outs, he was knocking down 3's off the catch whenever the ball would come back to him. Defensively, Grayson applied constant ball pressure and made it difficult for opposing PG's to operate and create their offense.

In this article, I will feature the guards from Nevada that stood out to me during the Section 7 event in Mesa, Arizona.