Prep Hoops: The Finale – My Top Guards of the Tournament

This past weekend’s Prep Hoops event, The Finale, was loaded with talent. Here are some that I came away impressed with from the weekend. These guards were a big part for their respective team in the scoring and play-making capacity. (Note: Players who made my all-tournament team are not including in this article)   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Harrison-Braudis.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1020755" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Harrison-Braudis-300x211.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="211" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="889470" first="Harrison" last="Braudis"], 2021 - 6’1 CG - MOKAN & Bishop Miege High School (KS) Braudis is at his best when he’s in transition and gets out on the break. His athleticism is good which allows him to effect the game on both sides of the floor. Braudis blocks shots, and finishes above the rim with that athleticism. He’s a good shooter off the catch and can pull-up for a 15 footer when given space. The strength that Braudis possesses is a big factor in his play-making ability. Once he gets by you he is able to shield defenders off to get to his spots. Harrison is a tough defender for opposition as he’s able to stay in front with his explosiveness. He can run off of screens to get an open look, and has good awareness and anticipation to see where the play needs to go. His flexibility is what makes him an intriguing prospect for the next level as he is more than capable of playing the point and running the show, or coming off the ball and being more of an attacker. DII offer currently, but looking like he could land a few more. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Eddie-McPhee.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1013693" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Eddie-McPhee-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="770417" first="Eddie" last="McPhee"], 2021 - 6’6 Guard - Colorado Hawks & George Washington High School (CO) McPhee is kind of a sneaky prospect playing for the Colorado Hawks as they have two big time recruits in [player_tooltip player_id="916953" first="Ty" last="Robinson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="921100" first="Baye" last="Fall"]. McPhee is not a slouch at all though and shouldn’t be looked at lightly. He seems to be starting to really figure out his game and the way he can attack defenses. He’s a tall, lengthy guard who defends well and uses his length to swarm opponents. He has the ability to get to the bucket and has good finishing touch. McPhee is a slashing guard type who uses backdoor and face cuts as well as a give and go to get buckets around the rim. He’s a good straight line driver and uses his quickness to get by his defender. His catch and shoot ability from the 3 point line is good and growing. Could be a legit DI prospect when all is said and done with the tools and frame that he possesses already. Authaui Deng, 2021 - 6’3 Guard - Team KC-Pip & North Kansas City High School (MO) Authaui Deng impressed me with his never ending motor. He was everywhere on the court. He is really athletic so he makes it really tough on offenses to operate with his active hands and ability to shot block and stay in front of his man. Deng’s performances don’t stop on the defensive end though, he can play any of the 1-3 positions and often does so for his Team KC team. He likes to create and throw lobs to his big men or go get a dunk for himself in transition. He’s a hard guard as well on offense because he can break you down and then becomes a triple threat to score, pass, or drive it. Deng would be a coach’s dream at the next level with the way he plays and hustles throughout the game, and should be one that’s being looked at. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kansas-Pray-N-Play-17U_Alex-Littlehohn...jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012054" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Kansas-Pray-N-Play-17U_Alex-Littlehohn..-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="889462" first="Alex" last="Littlejohn"], 2021 - 6’5 Guard/Wing - Kansas Pray-n-Play & Bishop Carroll High School (KS) Littlejohn was really impressive in the games I watched. I went into the games, having not watched him in person, and only heard about him, thinking he was only an elite shooter, but my mind was quickly changed. Alex is an elite shooter, but he can shoot it from anywhere on the court and can do it either off the catch or off the dribble. The thing that impressed me the most about Alex is that he was doing it with length and defensive pressure on him. In the game Sunday that I was able to watch, Littlejohn was showing off everything in his arsenal. The step back jumpers, the stand and shoot 3 with a hand in his face, and his ability to take defenders off the dribble and create for his team. I like his game because it translates and is position-less. He seems to make the right plays to put his team in a winning position. Not sure how his interest hasn’t picked up, but with time DII+ should be calling. Te-jai Price, 2021 - 6’0 Guard - DBR (Dreams Become Reality) & San Tan Charter School (AZ) The start the quarterfinals game against Colorado Hawks, Te-jai Price gets two straight charges on the perimeter in pick-n-roll scenarios. Though it wasn’t long into the game, that’s when the 6’0 guard caught my attention. He may be more of a PG than a pure guard per say, as he handles the ball well and, as I’ve said, is a really good on-ball defender. Price is oozing with confidence when he’s on the court and I’m not sure he left the court for his team for many periods of time on Sunday. Good in transition and in the half court as a shooter. One moment I remember was early on in the game, Price is out on the break and stops on the right wing and shoots a pretty looking jump shot with a hand in his face. Those displays of ability were early, but he didn’t stop showing me he was a player then. He kept right on his opponents hip at all times on defense, and kept making big shots for his team down the stretch. DBR ended up losing the game, but Price should be looking at some increased interest over the next year or so. [player_tooltip player_id="956469" first="Jeremiah" last="Minegar"], 2021 - 6’4 Guard - Gamepoint Inland Empire Supreme & Linfield Christian High School (CA) Minegar impressed me first with his jump shot from 15 feet off of a dribble move with a defender right on him. At 6’4 he’s able to shoot over guards at this level and did so with will this weekend. The next part of Minegar’s game that impressed me was his willingness to go create more offensive possessions for his team by crashing the offensive boards. That also tells you that he’s a good rebounder on the other end as well for a guard. He will push the tempo in transition and can finish around the hoop with a nice, soft touch. His frame for a guard allows him to grow into his game and be versatile on the floor. As his game continues to develop he could continue to climb the levels. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Champaign-Heat-Basketball-16U-David-Hubbard-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1012808" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Champaign-Heat-Basketball-16U-David-Hubbard-2-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="996082" first="David" last="Hubbard"], 2022 - 6’4 Guard - Champaign Heat & St. Thomas More School (ILL) Hubbard was a bright spot this weekend for the Champaign Heat. The guard out of St. Thomas More was good off the catch, shooting the ball, and was able to use his length and frame to finish at the hoop. He is able to get into the flow of the offense and not force shots, taking what the defense gives him and knocking down the shot. Hubbard has bounce to go with his offensive skill set, and can show that off in transition. He has some nice dribble moves in order to get by his defender, and puts combo moves together well. This is a development worth watching over the next year and a half. [caption id="attachment_1033057" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Ty-Henry.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1033057" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Ty-Henry-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Photo: Matt Reynolds, Prep Hoops[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="889508" first="Ty" last="Henry"], 2022 - 6’3 Guard - Kansas Hoggs & Seaman High School (KS) [player_tooltip player_id="889508" first="Ty" last="Henry"] has a sweet looking jumper from both mid range and from 3 point range. He had active hands in the game I got to see on Saturday that lead to steals and scoring opportunities for Henry or his teammates. I see the upside to Henry’s game with the nice repeatable shooting stroke he displays, and the way he can control defenders on the bounce. He will need to fill out his frame, but his length is a problem. It allows him to shoot over the defense, and effect shots on the defensive end of the floor. Over the last couple weekend tournaments Henry has made a name for himself shooting the basketball, and I will be watching to see how that carries over to this winter’s assumed high school season. College coaches should be intrigued by Ty’s all-around game. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/32Turner-Plumer-15Alexavier-Egipciaco-10-Jermiah-Babers.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1026944" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/32Turner-Plumer-15Alexavier-Egipciaco-10-Jermiah-Babers-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Alexavier Egipciaco, 2022 - 6’1 CG - Archangels 2022 & Galesburg High School (ILL) Egipciaco was an impressive slashing guard in the game I watched on Saturday. Never having seen Archangels play before in person, Alexavier started the game getting out in transition and on the break effectively taking the ball to the hole and running the lanes for his teammates. He is an effective shooter off the catch and likes to take his defender on straight line drives to the basket. Egipciaco, is a guard who sits in a stance and can guard his man 1-on-1 with his side-to-side quickness. Going into high school season Alexavier will be a nice prospect to keep an eye on. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2018/10/Landry-Harris-2021-Edmond1-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-591991" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2018/10/Landry-Harris-2021-Edmond1-1-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="745366" first="Landry" last="Harris"], 2021 - 5’11 CG - Oklahoma Power & Edmond North High School (OK) Talking about someone who came out of nowhere for me and shot his way into this list this past weekend, and that’s Harris. Landry is an elite catch and shoot shooter, and can also run off of screens in order to get himself a shot. He has good footwork pre-shot and always has his hands ready to shoot. Harris can double as an off guard and point guard, and is a solid dribbler who doesn’t turn it over often. He is the kind of competitor you want on your team and you don’t question his effort. In the first game I watched of Harris’ he went off for 40 points on 10-15 from the 3 point line, which calculates to 66.7% for that game. That’s an impressive clip, especially when shooting it 15 times. Right before the end of the half, playing point guard, with the time running down and nobody open he pulled from a couple feet in front of the half circle at half court and hit nothing but bottoms. He was a great press release valve for his team as he would spot up when pressure came and found himself open more times than not. Anyone who can shoot it with that kind of consistency is going to catch someone’s eye. Harris could be a nice prospect for a college coach over the course of the next year.