Dirty Work: Big School Guards
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Not every guy gets to attempt 20 shots a game. Not everyone runs the point. But there are a whole lot of jobs that must be done for a team to succeed. Team-first guys do the dirty work that it…
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Continue ReadingNot every guy gets to attempt 20 shots a game. Not everyone runs the point. But there are a whole lot of jobs that must be done for a team to succeed. Team-first guys do the dirty work that it takes to win. And often they miss out on the spotlight.
Here are a few big school guards who do some of that dirty work (in alphabetical order):
Elijah Brooks Elijah Brooks 6'3" | CG Topeka West | 2022 State KS , 6-foot-2 guard, 2022, Topeka West:
Brooks gets a lot of recognition for his ability to attack the goal and score. But he is one of the best rebounding guards in the state. He has incredible spring, and he chases down 50/50 balls with his quickness. Last year, despite dealing with injuries, he committed 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Owen Clyne, 6-foot-2 guard, 2022, Maize South:
The epitome of a dirty-work guard, Clyne scores just 5.4 points a game for the Mavericks. But playing with several talented scorers, Clyne focused on rebounding and led the team with 7.3 boards a game from his guard position.
Kyle Grill
Kyle
Grill
6'4" | CG
Maize | 2022
State
KS
, 6-foot-5 guard, 2022, Maize:
Grill does a ton of things, including shoot the lights out from deep. But he also does a lot of team-first stuff. With his length and athleticism, he’s a natural to pull down a lot of boards. And he dishes out 3.6 assists per game. At the defensive end, his physical gifts lead to 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks a game.
Carson Kieffer Carson Kieffer 6'1" | PG Hays | 2022 State KS , 6-foot guard, 2022, Hays (pictured):
The consummate point guard, Kieffer is all about getting the most out of his team. He runs the show and gets the ball to teammates, which led to 6.5 assists per game last year. Kieffer is tough, physical and active, so he’s on the glass and ripped off 1.4 steals a game as a junior.
Burk Springer, 5-foot-10 guard, 2022, Wamego:
With a couple of really talented shooters to work with, Springer focused on distribution and defense for a really good Red Raider team. Springer dished out 4.4 assists and snatched 1.9 steals per game as a junior. A gritty competitor, Springer isn’t afraid to stick his nose into traffic, and came away with 2.0 boards per game.