Best Available: Point Guards

<p>Breaking down the top available point guards in Wisconsin’s 2021 class...</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="879988" first="Preston" last="Ruedinger"] - Lourdes Academy</p> <p>Division 1 programs are starting to take notice of Ruedinger this season. That list includes Lipscomb and UW-Green Bay. Ruedinger already holds offers from Michigan Tech, Winona State, and Saint Leo, while Bemidji State is also showing interest as well.  Lourdes Academy has played a loaded schedule to this point and Ruedinger has put up 25.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.</p> <p>Ruedinger has always been a high-IQ floor general  with terrific instincts, but he’s taken his offense to another level, especially from 3-point range. Ruedinger is playing a lot off the ball and letting it fly from 3-point range or sizing his man up and making defenders pay if they don’t put a hand up. Midway through the season, Ruedinger has hit 35 triples, while shooting 39 percent from distance.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="879986" first="Tanner" last="Resch"] - Sussex Hamilton</p> [caption id="attachment_1016683" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/EckpqLTXsAEWb9_.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1016683" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/EckpqLTXsAEWb9_-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="879986" first="Tanner" last="Resch"][/caption] <p>Had the NCAA opted not to let seniors return in 2021, it’s more than likely Resch would have a couple of Division 2 offers at this point. That said, there’s a handful of programs who like Resch enough to pull the trigger, but just don’t have the scholarship money to do so.  Hawaii Hilo seems to be the most interested in Resch at this point and the two sides are hopeful to work out a visit after the season.</p> <p>Since [player_tooltip player_id="544570" first="Patrick" last="Baldwin Jr."] went down with a season-ending injury, it’s displayed Resch in a new light. Resch has Sussex Hamilton sitting at 6-4 while playing a loaded schedule. The senior guard is averaging 28.4 points per game and has hit the 30-point mark six times already this season, twice against two of the best teams in Division 1.  A dangerous sharpshooter with point guard and dribble-drive skills, Resch has a reputation as only being a threat from the 3-point line, but that’s been out the window for quite some time now.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="804901" first="Jakobe" last="Thompson"] - Racine Case</p> <p>A prospect that’s been burned by the pandemic, Racine Case hasn’t taken the floor yet this season. As a junior, he averaged 19.0 points and three assists per game. A high-volume scorerer who thrives in transition and isolation settings, Thompson is a very smooth guard who can change directions and accelerate in the open floor.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="701998" first="Donald" last="McHenry"] - Milwaukee Academy of Science</p> <p>The Novas are only three games into the 2020-21 season, but McHenry is already averaging 26.7 points and nearly five assists per game. A guy that could perhaps work his way to the Division 1 level through a JUCO stint, McHenry is a plus-length point guard with a lot of burst on the ball. He can get downhill with a lightning-quick first step or use his speed to  sell the drive and knock down 3-pointers off the dribble. An underrated defender as well, McHenry is one of the best at picking pockets and turning defense into offense.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="880029" first="Tre" last="Valeriano"] - Pius XI</p> <p>Valeriano is posting  22.2 points per game as a senior. One of the biggest stock risers over the summer, Valeriano picked up a Division 1 offer from Cleveland State. Valeriano is also hearing from UC-Riverside, Eastern Washington University, Pensacola State, and Landers University during his senior season.  An undersized guard who can still fill it up as a scorer, Valeriano thrives in traffic as someone who can probe in tight area, shake loose on the ball, and score off-balance.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="764103" first="Ezra" last="Stargell"] - Kenosha Indian Trail</p> [caption id="attachment_1013180" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Wisconsin-Playground-UAA-Samuel-Kick.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1013180" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Wisconsin-Playground-UAA-Samuel-Kick-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="879989" first="Sam" last="Kick"][/caption] <p>Kenosha Indian Trail also hasn’t taken the floor yet this season. As a junior,  Stargell averaged 16.2 points per game. An undersized, but electric guard on the ball, Stargell plays 36 minutes of organized chaos.  A guy that flies around and makes things happen on both ends,  Stargell is instant energy when he steps on the floor.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="879989" first="Sam" last="Kick"] - Onalaska</p> <p>Not going to wow anybody with stats or athletic measurables, but Kick is about as solid as it gets. A reliable floor general who plays the game the right away, doesn’t make many mistakes, and leads by example, Kick is averaging around 10 points and three assists per game early in the season for a very strong Onalaska squad.  Kick should be a priority for numerous D3 and NAIA programs. He listed UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Platteville, Lawrence, and Carroll (Montana) as his primary suitors. </p>