Two-Way Guards Making an Early Impact

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the early high school season continues, many guards across the state have stepped up for their schools, impacting the game on both ends of the court. Let's break down the five guys who have stood out early in the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3725070"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ae41eed9db12"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense - Jace plays mostly off the ball, whether that's on the wing or in the high post. On the wing, Rylee is an improved catch-and-shoot shooter. If he can consistently be a threat, it will really round out his game. The Junior may be undersized down low, but he makes it up with great strength and IQ. He's an impactful passer from the High post and uses good footwork and touch to make the most of his opportunities on the block.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense - As previously mentioned, Rylee has good strength, which he uses to his advantage on both ends of the court. Defensively, he plays more on the perimeter while still being versatile enough to help around the rim. He plays incredibly hard, constantly diving on the floor and causing problems for opposing teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3045743"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ae41eed9db6d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense - A lead guard for Bay, Dodson uses physicality to get deep into the defense. This is where he shows his strong running game and his ability to use his shoulder to create space.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense - Dodson uses the same aggression on defense. When on the ball, he stays centered and uses great instincts, poking the ball out. He really shines on the help side. Markey is dangerous in passing lanes, regularly turning defense into offense with fast-break opportunities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3831164"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ae41eed9dbb9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense - Berry is a do-it-all guard for Alpena. Consistency will be key, as he has shown an ability to get to his spots and playmake for others.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense - Plays incredibly hard for Coach Ballard at Alpena. Every loose ball seems to be his, and he throws his body into others regularly. Every coach in America loves taking charges; Berry excels at this. Early in the season, he changed games with his ability to draw contact and force turnovers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2959981"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ae41eed9dc02"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense - Noah is one of the more polished scorers in 2A. As the lead ball handler, he takes most of his shots off the dribble. He uses great footwork and dribbling to create space from the three-point and mid-range area. Watson loves to drive left and pull up, consistently elevating over defenders and knocking down big-time shots for Mt. Vernon-Enola.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense - Watson is one of those cases where stats don't tell the whole story. He's not uber-aggressive with steal attempts or overly physical with opponents. Instead, he stays in front of his man with good fundamentals. If getting beat, Watson has the athleticism to contest shots at the rim from opposing guards, getting some exciting chase-down blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3720028"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ae41eed9dc4b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense - As the floor general for Lead Hill, Arnold loves to get his teammates involved. He's a crafty ball handler who dribbles with intent, using head fakes and hesitations to open up lanes for passing and scoring opportunities.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense - If you were to match a player to the phrase “Defense leads to offense”, it would be Arnold. The guard is most dangerous off the ball, regularly getting his hands on the ball and causing turnovers. Using incredible instincts, Arnold is very aggressive, reaching for steals and stripping the ball out at an abnormal rate. The best part of his defense is his ability to be uber-aggressive without giving up open looks when he misses a steal—showing an incredibly high IQ that you don't normally see at the high school level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2574521"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ae6634f9a0d4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offense - As a quick, crafty guard, Bentley is hard to stay in front of, keeping defenders off balance at all times. He's a difficult guard because he has no real weakness. Bentley is a great playmaker, throwing lobs to teammates out of sets and kicking out on drives. Not the biggest player on the court, he uses great skill, altering his shots around the rim when needed. The same can be said for his jumper, as his efficiency when creating for himself continues to improve.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defense - Bentley is dangerous in transition and loves to run. He has great instincts in the passing lanes, being able to seemingly pop out of nowhere and force turnovers at a high rate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->