Sophomore ID Camp: Combo Guards On The Rise

The 2029 class featured plenty of back court talent at the Illinois Sophomore ID Camp. Several combo guards made their presence felt with scoring ability, facilitating, and playmaking while showing the ability to fill different roles in the back court. Here we will breakdown some names that caught our attention.    Kulacz affects the game with speed and creativity. He consistently looked to get out in transition and created multiple primary break opportunities. His quickness puts downhill pressure on defenses while he showed playmaking feel as well in this phase. In the ½ court setting his tools included jab steps or pump fakes to draw the defender off balance and then get a foot in the lane. Kulacz does a nice job of drawing extras to then make proper reads from inside and out to the open man. On the defensive end he remains aggressive throughout. His combination of agility and court vision provides advantages from the point spot.     A 2 way guard from St. Ignatius with excellent feel for the game in various phases. In the half court setting, Zahr impacts possessions within rhythm of the offense. He showed instincts as a cutter off the ball to open up space, making quick swing passes on the perimeter, or finding the extra man. His scoring mostly occurred on conversions at the cup. In the transition game, Zahr runs the sidelines hard with intention as a 2 man when he's not taking the ball up the floor and got ahead of the defense multiple times for fast break lay ins. His high activity helps provide rebounding tallies as well.     Bohlen popped off at this event a year ago as a freshman standout and was one of the best shooters in the gym that day putting his name on the map in a big way. I had not seen him play live since then and he has gotten noticeably better in a variety of ways. He has grown some and is utilizing that extra length to his advantage. His plus handle provides attributes at the point guard role now where he is still obviously comfortable in a 2 man's role too with his continued shooting capability. While getting to the rack, he drew fouls on multiple attempts and converted on spin moves in the lane line. His ability to attack the paint provides more advantages to his already potent offensive affect. Bohlen sees the floor well in primary break phases for transition opportunities and runs the floor hard without the ball. His continued improved mobility and length provides more upside at this stage in his young career.     Jackson can impact the game as both a scorer and playmaker. He has ability to provide perimeter value and also create off the bounce for himself and others. His speeds translates well in the open floor filling the 2 or 3 man's role. In the game I watched he hit a controlled step back jumper from mid range and also had an and1 on a fast breakaway. Defensively he demonstrated quality defense as well with a controlled block and crashing the glass for rebounds.     Sabourin presents a blend of athleticism and perimeter scoring ability. He plays under control with the ball in his hands while getting downhill and penetrating through defenses. His jumper looks smooth on the release from beyond the arc. There were a couple quick step back threes in rhythm he made look fairly simplistic. Sabourin runs the floor well and consistently pushes for transition opportunities. He has the ability to finish above the rim while playing with fluid athleticism on the defensive side of the ball. An intriguing offensive profile as a lead facilitator or off guard at this stage.     Jones has good overall feel with rhythm and thrives in transition. He has a knack for pushing the ball consistently after defensive boards while running the floor off the ball for break opportunities. His length is a major defensive asset allowing him to disrupt passing lanes or generating steals while defending on the ball. If there was an all defensive team at the camp, Jones would make the list. His offense provides plenty of value too with court vision and shot making ability. He has the ability to create mid range jump shots or spot up from off the bounce. As his frame fills out, there is noticeable upside for the combo guard from St. Viator.     Another selfless player from Team 11 that provided a tough solid motor. Metschies competed consistently on both ends of the floor while playing bigger than his size with plus strength at the 2 or 3 man' role. He particularly impacted around the glass collecting multiple offensive rebounds and putbacks. Metschies demonstrated some craftiness around the rim as well on a baseline reverse layup and a tough transition bucket through contact. His activity level carried over defensively using anticipation to help create turnovers providing value on both sides.     There was not much that was not working for Alford in the team's last game of the showcase. An athletically gifted guard for age with speed, bounce, and shiftiness with the rock. Alford is able to consistently push for break buckets while speeding up the pace of the game. He excelled in transition while I tallied him for 3 dunks while only being around the 6'0 foot mark height wise. He demonstrated attacks off the bounce, a quick cut back door for a score off the glass, and spotted up for multiple 3s within rhythm. His performance proves an advanced offensive skill set while utilizing his natural physical tools to make winning and affective plays that provide additional momentum in big ways.

The 2029 class featured plenty of back court talent at the Illinois Sophomore ID Camp. Several combo guards made their presence felt with scoring ability, facilitating, and playmaking while showing the ability to fill different roles in the back court. Here we will breakdown some names that caught our attention.